After it aired, the White House described South Park as a "fourth-rate" show that was "hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention".

The iconic animated series kicked off its 27th season on July 23 with a firestorm of controversy, the kind only Trey Parker and Matt Stone could orchestrate.

"Was this purely financial?" Jon Stewart wondered on The Daily Show this week after Paramount announced the coming end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.