‘South Park’ sets its own ratings record with Kristi Noem-skewering episode

By Brian Stelter

The biting satire of “South Park” continues to gain momentum this summer, according to newly released ratings from Paramount. … On cable, where the Comedy Central series originated 28 years ago, last Wednesday’s “South Park” was “its highest rated episode since 2018 and biggest share in series history,” the channel said.

The program’s share, as determined by Nielsen, measures how many people with cable had their TV sets on and tuned to Comedy Central. Last Wednesday’s episode had a 15.61 share, meaning almost 16% of all available viewers chose “South Park,” a remarkably high total in a world with hundreds of channels.

Overall, on both cable and the Paramount+ streaming service, last week’s episode, which skewered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, garnered 6.2 million viewers in its first three days of release.

Season 27 of the profane animated comedy premiered on July 23. The first two episodes have ruthlessly mocked President Trump and members of his administration, including Noem, along with conservative media figures. … The Trump White House initially dismissed the show as being irrelevant. Some Trump administration officials have sought to play along with the parody, seeking to be in on the joke rather than just the butt of them.

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