South Park recently wrapped up its latest run with a Christmas episode, which got me thinking about all the times the irreverent Comedy Central series has acknowledged the holiday over the years. With no word on when or if the show will appear on the 2026 TV schedule, I got a little nostalgic and pulled up the first holiday special with my Paramount+ subscription.
Watching "Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo," was a shock to the system. Not because it was overtly traumatizing, but because I hadn't quite realized just how much this comedy has changed since 1997. After a bit of thought, of course it has, and all long-running animated shows do, but it didn't make these key things I noticed any less jarring to experience.
