South Park’ Renamed ‘South America’ in Trump-Trolling Season 29 Premiere

The ‘South America’ Name Change and Political Satire

According to announcements from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the renaming of the long-running animated franchise was framed as a direct reaction to federal naming directives. Parker and Stone stated in a September 8 press release, “Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.” USA Today reported that the stunt poked fun at executive orders signed by Trump instructing federal administration to rename geographic landmarks such as Lake Ontario to Lake of America, alongside similar proposals for the Gulf of Mexico and New Mexico. Both Apple Maps and Google Maps updated their applications to reflect those administrative changes for domestic users, prompting the satirical response from the South Park creative team.

Season 29 Premiere Details and Broadcast Schedule

Season 29 debuted on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central. New episodes stream the following day on Paramount+ for subscribers in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The season opener is titled “South American Biker Gangs.” The official episode logline states that when e-bikes arrive in South America, the boys take over the streets and the parents of South America can hardly recognize South America. Subsequent Season 29 episodes are scheduled to air on Wednesdays through November 25, 2026.

Franchise History and Critical Milestones

The animated franchise will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2027, having originally debuted on Comedy Central on August 13, 1997, following the animated short “The Spirit of Christmas” featuring Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny. The series has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program six times out of more than 20 nominations. Additional accolades include recognition from the 2026 Television Academy Honors as its first ever animated honoree, inclusion by the Producers Guild Awards as the first animated show to be included in Best Episodic comedy, and honors from the Peabody Awards, the American Film Institute, and the Critics Choice Association. Data cited by Comedy Central ranked the show as the # 1 show on cable in 2025 among P18-49.