The twelfth season of the Emmy-Award winning animated comedy series, South Park, hits the screen tonight, beginning with an episode entitled "Tonsil Trouble."  The show is coming off record ratings in season 11 and the now infamous "Imaginationland" trilogy.

To find out more about the twelfth season premiere of South Park, read on for a preview.

In "Tonsil Trouble," a routine tonsillectomy goes horribly awry and Eric Cartman (voiced by show creator Trey Parker) is diagnosed with an incurable disease.  Cartman turns to his friends for support, but realizes that it’s a long way coming, so he decides to take matters into his own hands.

In conjunction with South Park’s twelfth season premiere, Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment has released the uncensored never-before-seen director’s cut DVD of "Imaginationland," which follows the gang as they deal with imaginations that have spun out of control after a terrorist nuclear attack.  Hitting stores yesterday, the DVD features audio commentary from the co-creators and executive producers Parker and Matt Stone, storyboards, and bonus materials that include the episodes “Woodland Critter Christmas” and “Manbearpig.”

The DVD is also available at southparkstudios.com, where a preview for tonight’s episode can be viewed.

Meanwhile, all seven episodes of the show’s new season will have an uncensored version that can be downloaded on iTunes, Xbox LIVE and Amazing Unbox.

South Park has been airing since 1997, and remains the highest-rated series on Comedy Central.  The show, which has attracted its fair share of controversies in its 11-year-long run, has been the recipient of several awards, including two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, an Image Award and a CableACE award. It remains the highest-rated series on Comedy Central.

Catch the all-new season of South Park beginning tonight at 10pm on Comedy Central.  Show repeats air on Wednesdays at 12am, Thursdays at 10pm and 12am and Sundays at 11pm and 2am.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Comedy Central, southparkstudios.com
(Image Courtesy of southparkstudios.com)