"South Park" once more uncloseted
Once again, the creators of the viciously satirical cartoon “South Park” had the last laugh.
It came Wednesday when Comedy Central announced it would re-air on July 19 the controversial episode that mocks actor Tom Cruise’s belief in Scientology and urges him to “come out of the closet.”
Appearing Thursday before TV critics to mark the 10th anniversary of “South Park,” Trey Parker and Matt Stone did not repeat their earlier threat to quit the show. But they said Comedy Central, whose executives extend the twosome an almost unheard-of amount of creative freedom, was on a “slippery slope” when it decided a movie actor was a taboo subject for their satire.
Stone and Parker think omedy Central pulled the episode under pressure from Cruise, whose “Mission: Impossible 3” was produced by a film studio owned by Viacom, which also owns the funny channel.
A spokesman wouldn’t confirm that, saying only, “We’re rotating that episode back into the schedule, which we do with all of our episodes.”
During the freewheeling session, Comedy Central president Doug Herzog was asked about another frozen episode, which featured depictions of the prophet Muhammad. That’s still under wraps, though Herzog said, “I look forward to the day when we can uncover it.”
In response, Parker, who seems to be able to say anything in front of his boss, pointed out that a 4-year-old “South Park” episode, “which featured Muhammad (as) a superhero that could turn himself into a beaver, is actually airing on Comedy Central.”
An eight-episode 10th season of “South Park” will begin Oct. 4.
Other developments at the summer TV critics gathering:
•Bravo will do eight more episodes of “Real Housewives of Orange County” and comedy specials for Paula Poundstone, Joan Rivers and Caroline Rhea that will air later this year.
•Mr. T is going to dispense advice to ordinary people across America in the latest bit of self-aware kitsch from TV Land. The reality series “I Pity the Fool” airs Oct. 11. Asked by a reporter why he pities the fool, Mr. T said it was that or else “beat him up.” He also said he decided to lessen his golden chain look after going to New Orleans to help with the Katrina relief efforts.
“As a spiritual man, I felt it would be a sin against my God for me to wear all that gold again because I spent a lot of time with the less fortunate,” he told reporters. “I saw some, I call it ‘sorry celebrities.’ They’ll go down there to take a photo-op. If you’re not going to go down there with a check and a hammer and a nail to help the people, don’t go down there.”
TV Land also had a panel with members of “A Different World.” It will start reruns of that “Cosby” show spinoff on Wednesday.
• “Six Feet Under’s” Peter Krause has been cast in the lead role of the Sci Fi miniseries “The Lost Room,” to air later this year. A 22-week series based on the comic book “Painkiller Jane” will air in January. And Sci Fi will begin to develop shows for late nights, including a mystery drama from “Survivor” producer Mark Burnett.
•Gene Simmons, the aging Kiss bassist who now sounds exactly like the comedian Jackie Mason, will star in his third reality show in as many years when “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” about his life with actress Shannon Tweed and their children airs this fall on A&E.
• The fifth anniversary of 9/11 will be observed by a slew of new programs, including History Channel’s “The Miracle of Stairway B” on Aug. 14 about firefighters who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, and a National Geographic Channel special on Aug. 29 on Osama bin Laden’s escape from Tora Bora in 2001.
• Here is your streaming video update: TVLand.com will begin showing such TV “classics” as the “Where’s the beef?” ad and “I Love Lucy” clips Aug. 24. And Comedy Central is adding a dozen new features to its Motherload site, including a cartoon that stars a pair of talking testicles.
