CBS Exec Who Fired Stephen Colbert Is Now in Charge of ‘South Park’
Will George Cheeks kill Kenny?
Now that Skydance has officially acquired Paramount, the shuffling of the executive deck chairs has begun. One curious decision: All of the shows previously under Paramount’s “scripted production” are moving to the new Paramount TV Studios, according to Deadline — all except for one.
South Park will be part of a different portfolio headed by Paramount Global co-CEO George Cheeks, who also has the new title of Chair of TV Media. Does the name “George Cheeks” sound familiar? Most network suits stay anonymously in the background, but Cheeks made recent headlines as the guy who issued the pink slip to Stephen Colbert.
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Cheeks now has a lot on his plate, heading up CBS, its news and sports divisions and a number of Paramount’s old cable properties, including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET. Connect the dots and — you got it — Cheeks is now the guy in charge of The Daily Show as well.
Will a new, seemingly Trump-friendly boss bode ill for The Daily Show and South Park? Not necessarily. While Cheeks can’t be thrilled with those shows thumbing their noses at the White House, there are reasons he might let the comedians do their worst.
Paramount Got What It Wanted
While CBS and Cheeks claimed the decision to fire Colbert was financial, many alleged that the move was made to curry favor with the Trump administration, which had to okay Paramount Global’s $8 billion-with-a-B sale to Skydance. Surprise, surprise — barely a week after Colbert got the ax, the sale got the green light.
Now that the money has changed hands, both The Daily Show and South Park have gotten away with vicious jokes about the President.
’South Park’ Is Making Bank
Cheeks could credibly claim that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was losing millions, but he wouldn’t get away with using that excuse to censor South Park. Matt Parker and Trey Stone just inked a new deal with Paramount for $1.5 billion-with-a-B, and if the show’s creators are making that much cash, imagine what South Park must be doing for Paramount. Money talks, and few comedies talk louder than South Park.
The Daily Show, on the other hand, isn’t making South Park money. Its format is less expensive than the networks’ late-night talk shows, but finances eventually could threaten the future of Jon Stewart and company.
The New Owners Don’t Want to Look Like Bad Guys
No one wants blood on their hands, and that includes the ultra-rich folks at the top of Skydance. There were multiple reasons why Cheeks fired Colbert before the Paramount sale went through, and analysts speculate that Skydance executives didn’t want to begin their reign by jettisoning a beloved comedy icon.
The dirty work is done, and the new team gets to ride in on white horses — for now, anyway.