The World of South Park (aka “The South Park Palace”) came online in 1997 as part of the Comedy Central website, launching simultaneously with the television debut of the soon-to-be hit series. Beginning with a mere 30 sets and a fanbase of zero, the award-winning site grew over the next three years to include over 200 graphical locations from America’s favorite Colorado mountain town.
SOUTH PARK PUBLIC ACCESS From 1998 to 2000, AIP produced more than 200 original programs for the site’s regular weekly schedule. These experiments in “simulated television” ranged from the laudable to the laughable, and were “broadcast” by the fictional television station SPPA (South Park Public Access).
SOUTH PARK TRIVIA hosted by Tod Foley, tested fans’ knowledge of South Park episodes, characters and catch phrases. With prizes from Comedy Central and lots of sarcastic interplay between the cast and the home audience, this show quickly became a staple of Palace Space, and the benchmark against which later programs were developed.
SLEEPIN WITH CHERRY produced by Torey Holmquist, was a weekly sleep-over party full of South Park’s traditional low-brow humor. Badly-impersonated celebrity guests and random audience members were brought onstage each week to share their opinions on life, love, and less cerebral topics.
THE MATING GAME with hostess Mia Hernandez, brought a touch of “adult” entertainment to the TVMA-rated environment.
The fictional TV channel included its own unique class of commercial sponsors.
THE SOUTH PARK HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST, a tradition beginning in 1997, was the premiere annual event in The World of South Park. Pictured here with host Tod Foley are Anne Garefino and Eric Stough of South Park studios, along with Beth Lewand and Shelly Bobel of Comedy Central Online.
