How Beavis And Butt-Head Helped South Park Land On Comedy Central

Doug Herzog, former MTV Productions and Comedy Central president, recently sat down with his "Basic" podcast co-host Jen Chaney, as well as "Beavis and Butt-Head" creator Mike Judge, to talk about the similarities between the shows. Interestingly, with Judge there to spark the memory, Herzog revealed that the whirlwind of controversy that followed Judge's series on MTV was actually what convinced "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to go with Comedy Central instead.

"I was at Comedy Central at this point. We were bidding against MTV. I convinced the guys, 'Look what Mike Judge just went through.' I said, 'It's a teen audience, and they're not going to let you do the show you want to do there,' Herzog recalled. "That convinced them to come to Comedy Central because we would have an 'adult audience.'"

Honestly, that's pretty shrewd. As Herzog had been on both sides of the fence, he was in a perfect position to ensure Comedy Central had a leg up as he had already gone through the problems related to Judge's show at MTV himself. Either way, "South Park" has since gone on to sign a deal with Paramount+ (via The Hollywood Reporter), just like "Beavis and Butt-Head" did, giving the two controversial '90s animated series yet another thing in common.