The iconic character Mr. Hankey, created by Trey Parker during his childhood, has left an indelible mark on pop culture thanks to his role in the series South Park. Originally conceived as a comedic figure to teach children proper bathroom use, the character became a symbol of the series, which has reached 28 seasons, a movie, and numerous video games since its premiere. Mr. Hankey was not well received at Fox The story of how Mr. Hankey made it to television is remarkable. After Fox’s refusal to air the series due to […]
The iconic character Mr. Hankey, created by Trey Parker during his childhood, has left an indelible mark on pop culture thanks to his role in the series South Park. Originally conceived as a comedic figure to teach children proper bathroom use, the character became a symbol of the series, which has reached 28 seasons, a movie, and numerous video games since its premiere.
Mr. Mojón did not please at Fox
The story of how Mr. Hankey made it to television is remarkable. After Fox refused to air the series due to its Mr. Hankey episode, deemed “too grotesque,” Parker and his partner Matt Stone found a new home at Comedy Central, where they were enthusiastically welcomed. This initial rejection by Fox is seen today as a strategic mistake, given the monumental success of South Park in merchandising and its cultural impact.
Over the years, the character has evolved, going from being a simple secondary character to having his own family and storylines in the episodes. However, over time, his prominence has decreased as new characters have been integrated into the series. Additionally, Mr. Mojón has been used as a resource to criticize the culture of cancellation in today’s society, reflecting the changing perception of certain content in entertainment.
As South Park continues to be a benchmark for adult animation, the figure of Mr. Hankey continues to resonate with those who grew up in the 90s, showing how a simple concept of a talking piece of feces transformed into a lasting cultural phenomenon.
For a series to be on the air for more than 25 years and accumulate over 150 episodes, it must have something special. It can’t just be that it had three or four good seasons: it must have something even today that makes its fans keep coming back and even casual viewers remain interested in it. It must have magic. Character. A special interest. Because nothing survives that long without knowing how to renew itself and maintain a minimum level of quality. And certainly, that is the case with Futurama. Premiered in 1999 on the Fox network, this sitcom follows Philip J. Fry, […]
For a series to be on air for more than 25 years and accumulate over 150 episodes, it must have something special. It can’t just be that it had three or four good seasons: it must have something even today that makes its fans keep coming back and even casual viewers remain interested in it. It must have magic. Character. A special interest. Because nothing survives that long without knowing how to renew itself and maintain a minimum level of quality. And certainly, that is the case with Futurama.
Premiering in 1999 on the Fox network, this sitcom follows Philip J. Fry, a good-for-nothing from the 20th century, who is cryogenically frozen on New Year’s Eve of 1999 to wake up on December 31, 2999. After an exemplary first episode that would not remotely prepare us for what was to come, he would end up working at Planet Express, an interstellar package delivery company along with Bender, an alcoholic robot, and Leela, a mutant with one eye.
The series originated in the minds of Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. The former, creator of The Simpsons, needs no introduction. Cohen, for his part, was a writer for Beavis and Butt-Head and The Simpsons, being the co-creator of the series along with Groening. A detail that many fans tend to overlook.
With four absolutely stellar seasons, the series came to an end with a bittersweet tone: it seemed there was still much to tell, and fans believed so. After a series of films of uneven quality, the series was rescued with three more seasons on Comedy Central in 2008 after a five-year hiatus, two of which were split into two parts. Although Futurama still had appeal, it was no longer the same: from the fifth to the seventh season, or from the fifth to the ninth season depending on whom you ask, the series no longer had the same charm. Suffering from The Simpsons Syndrome. It continues and continues, but it doesn’t seem to really be able to reach the level of its original seasons.
Unless something changed in 2023. After another break, this time of ten years, the series returned with Hulu. And as in the case of The Simpsons with its last three or four seasons, something had changed. It still doesn’t live up to its original seasons, but it feels fresh again and much more focused. With a sharper humor, less focused on topics with an expiration date in our society in a poor copy of South Park, and concentrating on character development. Something that the newly released thirteenth season, or tenth depending on how you look at it, is no exception.
Knowing how to adapt to the present
Focusing more on character development, what happened in previous seasons and creating a more evident continuity, like in the early seasons, do not abandon self-contained episodes or those with a specific theme, but they are better integrated. Giving them a greater sense of cohesion.
With more weight on secondary characters that normally haven’t had it, like Doctor Zoidberg, and focusing on what has been the epicenter of the Futurama narrative for almost two decades, the romance between Leela and Fry, the season may suffer from having all its episodes released at once. Futurama, like The Simpsons, benefits from watching episodes multiple times and savoring them, rather than watching episodes in rapid succession without meaning. That said, the possibility of rewatching the episodes a second or third time is always there, something that seems to particularly benefit this new season.
Because there must be something about water when it is blessed. Something that Futurama is no exception to. That’s why this thirteenth season wants to show that the series created by Groening and Cohen is still in as good shape as ever, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of its original seasons. A level that, surely, is impossible to reach again.
South Park has found a permanent home on Paramount Plus, marking a significant shift in the content distribution of the iconic franchise. From now on, all episodes from the 27 seasons of the series, as well as movies and specials, will be available exclusively on Paramount Plus, with new episodes being released simultaneously with their premiere on Comedy Central in the United States. A merger that has harmed the series This move comes after the completion of the $500 million deal that South Park had with HBO Max, which expired in July. Previously, the series had […]
South Park has found a permanent home on Paramount Plus, marking a significant shift in the distribution of content for the iconic franchise. From now on, all episodes from the 27 seasons of the series, as well as movies and specials, will be available exclusively on Paramount Plus, with new episodes being released simultaneously with their premiere on Comedy Central in the United States.
A merger that has harmed the series
This move comes after the conclusion of the $500 million deal that South Park had with HBO Max, which expired in July. Previously, the series had been available on this streaming platform, but now its content has completely moved to Paramount Plus. The uncertainty about the show’s future was heightened by a recent merger between Skydance and Comedy Central, which caused delays in the production of season 27.
The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, expressed their frustration on social media about the problems caused by this merger. In a message shared on their official account, they pointed out that the situation was affecting the continuity of the series. “This merger is a disaster and is messing up South Park,” they commented, reflecting their concern about the immediate future of the show.
Despite these challenges, season 27 is already airing on Comedy Central and is available on Paramount Plus worldwide. This new agreement not only stabilizes the future of South Park, but also solidifies Paramount Plus as the ultimate destination for its fans, emphasizing the impact that changes in the streaming industry can have on iconic shows.
Paramount+ is the app for the streaming platform of the same name from ViacomCBS. It offers hundreds of episodes of TV series, shows, and movies of all genres.
David Broncano, a recognized presenter and comedian in Spain, has recently reflected on some of the challenges he has faced in his career. During an episode of the show La revuelta, Broncano recalled his failed audition for Zapeando, a moment that could have changed the course of his professional trajectory. While his colleague Jorge Ponce was selected for the program, Broncano did not have the same luck, highlighting the difficulties that many artists face before achieving success. Failing an audition, you never know where it will ultimately lead you. In his conversation with Lorena Castell, Broncano emphasized the importance of […]
David Broncano, a recognized presenter and comedian in Spain, has recently reflected on some of the challenges he has faced in his career. During an episode of the show The Rebellion, Broncano recalled his failed audition for Zapeando, a moment that could have changed the course of his professional trajectory. While his colleague Jorge Ponce was selected for the program, Broncano did not have the same luck, highlighting the difficulties that many artists face before achieving success.
Failing an audition, you never know where it will ultimately lead you
In his conversation with Lorena Castell, Broncano emphasized the importance of these opportunities, suggesting that his life could have been radically different if he had been chosen for Zapeando. “Your life could have changed radically,” Castell commented, proposing an interesting exercise in imagination about the different directions his career could have taken. This type of reflection highlights how a simple casting can have a significant impact on a person’s professional trajectory in the entertainment world.
Although today Broncano is a well-known and respected name, he did not always enjoy the same recognition. Before shining in programs like Locomundo, Late Motiv, and La vida moderna, the presenter began his journey in the audiovisual world with monologues on Comedy Central and various humor sections on Cadena SER and Telemadrid. However, his career was marked by some setbacks, in which not all the doors he knocked on opened.
These memories highlight the competitive nature of the industry and the resilience needed to succeed. Through his experience, Broncano encourages others to persevere in the face of failure, a valuable lesson in the ever-changing entertainment industry.
Golden Axe, one of SEGA’s great classics, will arrive on the small screen in the form of an animated series by two big names in current comedy.
Not long ago, the possibility of watching good television series was a real utopia. There were hardly any video game adaptations, almost all of them were for the cinema, and it’s hard to remember any that were good. But in the last four or five years, something has changed. Good adaptations have arrived for the cinema. Television has shown that good video game series can be made. And it seems that this has not been just a good streak.
The next video game that we know will receive an animated series is Golden Axe. With 10 episodes already ordered by Comedy Central, Deadline has stated that it will be “hilarious and respectful” to the game it adapts. Because, in addition, they have good material to make something funny.
If you don’t know Golden Axe, it is a long beat ’em up franchise, heavily inspired by Conan the Barbarian, where we have to advance through a harsh fantasy land, defeating all kinds of evil monsters and enemies. You can choose between a barbarian, an amazon, and a dwarf warrior, and all the games in the franchise have consisted of advancing by slashing, hacking, and occasionally well-placed magic shots. All this in a world where people don’t ride horses, but cockatrices. A creature with a dragon body and a rooster head.
If we say that it can make an excellent comedy, it’s not because we think it can’t also be a good drama series. It’s because the producers of the adaptation are known for being outstanding comedy writers. Not for nothing, behind the Golden animation series are Mike McMahan and Joe Chandler. Two names you may not know, although you have seen their work. McMahan is the creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks and Chandler is a veteran writer of Father Made In USA. Something that ensures that the series will not only be hilarious, but probably much better than we expect.
With McMahan and Chandler writing the first episode and Chandler serving as showrunner, we have some details about the cast. Matthew Rhys will play Gilius Thunderhead, the dwarf warrior. While Lisa Gilroy and Liam McIntyre will play Lisa Gilroy and Ax Battler, the amazon and the barbarian respectively. And no. We still don’t have a release date and it’s not a joke that the barbarian is named Ax Battler, but we eagerly await this unexpected adaptation.
