6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park

6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park (2011)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fun documentary with the title referring to how long it takes the South Park group to come up with their ideas, write the dialogue, do the animation and get the finish product on the air. I think it goes without saying but this is mainly going to appeal to South Park fans, although I'm someone who hasn't watched the shows in ages yet it still kept me entertained and reminded me what a funny show it actually is. I really enjoyed seeing all of the behind the scenes stuff that's gone over as it really lets you in to see how tough the job actually is. Some of the best stuff happens in the writer's room where they discuss how for every one great idea they have a hundred bad ones. We see how they come up with the ideas, work them out and how they ultimately decide on whether or not to use them. From here we see the vocal work that has to be done and then of course there's the animation. The episode the guys are working on here is the one where Cartman keeps saying his mother is "screwing" him. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are both interviewed throughout the process and we also get a brief history of how the show started and their trip to the Oscars.

This documentary is pretty much exactly what it says: a look inside the studio and how a small group of dedicated people are able to bring a cartoon to your home each week with only days to go from scratch to screen.

My biggest disappointment is the length of this thing. Clearly it was designed to fit within an hour of television, but I would think they could have put more for those who did not watch the original run (I saw it on Netflix, for example). There was not much discussion of the movies these guys made, and how films like "Cannibal the Musical" fit into the story of Parker and Stone.

That aside, I think it was a good peak at how these guys work, and it is interesting to see Bill Hader in on the fun, too. I knew some episodes were made last minute, but I was not aware that the show consistently worked that way. It is an amazing feat.

This was a documentary that Jaime, my wife, and I watched. We were tired so we wanted something that we could watch without fully paying attention. Seeing a documentary about South Park seemed perfect for that.

Now I've seen almost every episode of the show that they've put out. I own most of the seasons as well. I'm a fan of just how poignant they can be and on the ball with current events. This documentary shows how that happens. They make their episodes in six days. That seems like a lot of time, but considering other animated shows take months. It makes it that much more effective.

Here we get to see Trey Parker, Matt Stone and the rest of the writing room as well as the other teams involved with making the shows happen. This includes Bill Hader who worked in the writer's room at that time. It seems like an inclusive place from what everyone says. Bill also brings up how on Saturday Night Live, they must be careful who they mock. South Park doesn't and both sides are up for attack.

It makes sense why they put out so few episodes per season with how fast paced and stressful this is. We see the inception of HUMANCENTiPAD from beginning to air. This is one that Jaime also saw and we both thought was hilarious. Seeing how they came up with ideas and how they had a member of the team take it to the legal team to see what needs to be changed or what can fly. This is just a fun look at what they do.

This is a short documentary so they also include a bit of the history of the show. They get to know our main duo a bit as well. I thought that this was an interesting little look into the world of South Park that I wouldn't otherwise necessarily know.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

I am not sure if this is still how they go about making the South Park TV show, seeing as this TV Special was made 16 years ago, but it is literally insane that this is how they make the show. South Park has always been a hilarious and relevant show, and this clearly shows how they are able to make the show so relevant. Is there any other show that can make an episode on a similar timeline?

The Comedy in this TV Special is more of a side piece of it being South Park, but not a main focus.

This is 100% a Documentary that shows through and through how South Park has made such a cultural impact.

This was a great, insightful film that details the intense personages, and working conditions, regarding the creation of South Park. It was quite illuminating and I found all the interviews and sections as intriguing as the last.

Recommended for those who enjoy South Park!