South Park Returns for Season 29 With Town Renamed 'South America,' No Trump Storyline in Premiere

The animated series South Park has returned for its 29th season, with the show's titular town depicted as having been renamed "South America," according to a report by The Guardian's culture desk.

The renaming, which had been promoted ahead of the premiere, initially appeared to some observers as though it could be a one-off promotional gag or a continuation of the show's recent pattern of satirizing US President Donald Trump, the report said. Last year, the series drew attention for its imitation of Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, according to The Guardian.

However, the season premiere does not follow that pattern directly, the report said. Rather than depicting the South Park sign being altered on screen by a Trump-like figure with a marker, the episode opens with the renaming already treated as an accomplished fact, without direct commentary on it, according to the review.

Instead of centering the episode on Trump, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone use the storyline involving e-bikes to critique what the review described as the deterioration of American towns, according to The Guardian.

The new season consists of six episodes, the report noted. The Guardian's account did not specify further plot details beyond the premiere's setup, and it remains to be seen whether Trump-focused storylines will appear later in the season, according to the report.