Published Jun 16, 2026, 7:42 PM EDT
Shawn Van Horn is a Senior Author for Collider. He’s watched way too many slasher movies over the decades, which makes him an aficionado on all things Halloween and Friday the 13th. Don’t ask him to choose between Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees because he can’t do it. He grew up in the 90s, when Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, and TGIF were his life, and still watches them religiously to this day. Larry David is his spirit animal. His love for entertainment spreads to the written word as well. He has written two novels and is neck deep in the querying trenches. He is also a short story maker upper and poet with a dozen publishing credits to his name. He lives in small town Ohio, where he likes to watch professional wrestling and movies.
Sign in to your Collider account
For the last several years, Taylor Sheridan has been the king of Paramount+. With a plethora of shows including Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and Landman, Sheridan is the dominating force of the streamer. He has earned his spot as the face of Paramount+, but it’s going to come to an end. This year, he began a movie deal with NBCUniversal, and in 2029, the deal will include television as well, officially ending his history-making run at Paramount. However, before the deal can even conclude, Sheridan’s reign at the top has already come to an end thanks to a group of foul-mouthed kids. Created all the way back in 1997, South Park is still going strong and bigger than ever and the numbers prove it.
The website FlixPatrol ranks the top movies and TV series on all of the major streaming platforms based on the number of minutes watched. For Paramount+, Taylor Sheridan was often number one thanks to his biggest series, Yellowstone, even though there hasn’t been a new episode in nearly two years. Sheridan’s other shows, such as Tulsa King and Landman, also found their way to the top of the rankings. In April, this changed. Sheridan and Yellowstone’s time at the top of the Paramount+ mountain came to an end at the animated hands of one of the most controversial series ever created. Although they’ve been around since 1997, and no new episodes have been produced so far in 2026, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park topped the FlixPatrol charts.
Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.
You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.
You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world’s beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.
You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what’s right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.
You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.
You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.
Season 26 of South Park came to an end in March 2023. While it was still good, the series arguably wasn’t at the top of its game anymore. Episodes that focused on Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, Stan, and Butters had given way to too many arcs about Randy Marsh’s Tegridy Farms, and other storyline fans weren’t as interested in. There were longer Paramount+ specials here and there, but it took until July 2025 for South Park to return for Season 27. When it did, Tegridy Farms died away and Parker and Stone shocked audiences with one of their most talked about episodes ever. “Sermon on the ‘Mount” went after President Donald Trump, turning the 47th President into a Saddam Hussein-like character and making him the lover of Satan. The episode created headlines everywhere and received a scathing response from the White House.
Member how good these episodes were? Member Chewbacca?
The 27th season, which ran right into the 28th season, was back to form, focusing not only on the kids, but the biting, no-holds-barred satire South Park is known for. No matter who you voted for, South Park had your attention. Even Charlie Kirk and Vice President JD Vance were thrilled to be mocked by the series. The controversy led to a ratings boom, creating the best viewership South Park had received in many years. The storylines had everyone talking about South Park again, but it’s the past that keeps viewers coming back on Paramount+.
South Park is so much more than a Trump takedown. Not including the not-so well-received storyline where Mr. Garrison became Trump during the 2016 election, Seasons 27 and 28 make up just 10 of South Park’s 338 episodes. Parker and Stone’s series was iconic long before its latest run. South Park perseveres because it’s so timeless. You can check out three decades’ worth of material, which is not only great for first-time viewers but is perfect for rewatches. For one, no one on this show ever ages. There’s no falling off as the kids begin to grow up like a live action series would have. There is no change with actors leaving and taking their characters with them, either, which is exactly what happened when Kevin Costner left Yellowstone. Instead, South Park only grows by staying the same.
The early episodes from the late 90s are still worthwhile because they have a gritty rawness to them. Many fans still prefer them over newer seasons. They were more focused on the kids and only got better as the characters evolved, and Butters became more integral. The innocence of Butters being taken advantage of by Cartman is peak comedy. Over the years, South Park also became culturally more relevant due to its timely satire and ability to create new episodes in just six days. Taylor Sheridan can’t do that! After 28 seasons, South Park has never jumped the shark or lost its edge. Sure, there have been bad episodes and not every season has been stellar. That happens. Still, it has gotten sharper with its satire and refuses to back down from controversy. Parker and Stone have refused to phone it in, even with the new contract last year that made them billionaires.
In June 2026, Sheridan made a temporary return to the top of FlixPatrol thanks to new seasons of Dutton Ranch and Marshals. It won’t last though. Nipping at his heels in a very close fourth place is South Park. Although they haven’t had any new episodes in six months, it’ll be back on top soon enough. Whether it’s Cartman getting a probe, the kids going on adventures, the whole town falling into wild chaos, or celebrities and politicians being satirized, South Park remains a must-see show and one that’s worth going back to over and over again.
](/tag/south-park-tv/)
](/tag/animation/)