The Season 22 premiere of “South Park,” titled “Dead Kids,” drew 1.5 million total viewers on Wednesday night, counting two encores. The episode received a 1.01 rating among adults 18-49, which is generally the demographic most-coveted by those advertising on entertainment programming.
Though Episode 2201 slipped from last year’s premiere, which was scheduled a few weeks earlier on the calendar and thus beat the fall broadcast season to air, the 1.01 rating was 5 percent better than Season 21’s average rating in the key demo. The half-hour was actually the most-watched 2018 comedy telecast on cable for adults of that all-important age range.
“Dead Kids” satirized how numb our society has unfortunately become to hearing about a school shooting.
On this episode of the Comedy Central cartoon, everyone in town is pretty apathetic to the kids’ elementary school getting shot up on the regular. Everyone, that is, but Stan’s mom Sharon, who sees how insane and terrifying it all is. Her husband Randy believes Sharon is overreacting to the recurring attacks, and blames it on either on her period or the early stages of menopause.
Naturally, the townsfolk all side with Randy and the children just go about their school day in a war zone like it’s completely normal. Yes, it was all perfectly “South Park.”
At the end of “Dead Kids,” Stan gets shot in yet another school-shooting. By then, even his own mom Sharon is unmoved upon hearing about the incident.
“South Park” airs Wednesday nights at 10/9c on Comedy Central.
12 Leprechauns in Movies and TV for St. Patrick's Day, From 'Finian's Rainbow' to 'South Park' (Photos)
"The Luck of the Irish" (1948) Tyrone Power plays a reporter who travels from Ireland to New York, with a leprechaun at his side as a servant and guide.
"Darby O'Gill and the Little People" (1959) This Disney film, which marked one of Scotsman Sean Connery's first major Hollywood roles, focused on an Irish caretaker's attempt to capture the king of the leprechauns.
Disney
"Bewitched" - The Leprechaun (1966) Of course the witches of Bewitched encountered other magical creatures on the long-running sitcom.
"Finian's Rainbow" (1968) Francis Ford Coppola directed this musical fantasy, starring Fred Astaire as an Irishman who steals a leprechaun's pot of gold and emigrates to the U.S.
"Twilight Zone" - The Leprechaun Artist (1986) This Season 1 episode of the 1980s reboot follows three teenagers who catch a leprechaun and are granted three wishes.
"Getting Lucky" (1990) In an Aladdin-like twist, a leprechaun in a beer bottle grants a teen three wishes -- including a date with the hot cheerleader, of course.
"Leprechaun" series (1993-) Warwick Davis played an evil leprechaun in the first film in the slasher-horror franchise, which has so far spawned seven sequels, including 2000's "Leprechaun 5: In the Hood" featuring a rapping Davis.
"The Luck of the Irish" (2001) A teenager (Ryan Merriman) battles an evil leprechaun for a gold charm in this Disney movie.
Disney
"South Park" - Imaginationland (2007) After Cartman bets the gang that he's seen a leprechaun, they do in fact find one -- who warns them of a terrorist threat.
Comedy Central
"The Simpsons" - many episodes Leprechauns have been recurring characters throughout the series' run.
Fox
"Red Clover"/"Leprechaun's Revenge" (2012) This Syfy movie, which had multiple titles, stars Billy Zane as a sheriff battling a killer leprechaun.
Syfy
"Artemis Fowl" (2020)
This fantasy movie, based on Eoin Colfer's best-selling kids series, features a reconnaissance division known as the LEPRecon that tracks down fairies who wander where they shouldn't.
Disney
1 of 12
If you need a leprechaun fix for your St. Patrick’s Day coronavirus quarantine, these movies and TV shows will do the trick
"The Luck of the Irish" (1948) Tyrone Power plays a reporter who travels from Ireland to New York, with a leprechaun at his side as a servant and guide.