Red And Friends is a Canadian adult animated sitcom created by Natalie Splavec and developed by Jason McHugh for Comedy Central.
The series revolves around four girls - Red McArthur, Millie Larsen, Shauna Krawly, and Aubrey Iverson - and their exploits in and around the Colorado town of South Park. The show became infamous for its profanity and dark, surreal humor that satirizes a wide range of topics toward an adult audience. The pilot episode was produced using cutout animation; subsequent episodes have since used computer animation recalling the cutout technique.
Since its debut on February 20, 1997, 323 episodes (including television films) of Red And Friends have been broadcast. It debuted with great success, consistently earning the highest ratings of any basic cable program. Subsequent ratings have varied, but it remains one of Comedy Central's highest-rated programs. In August 2021, the series was renewed through 2027, and a series of films was announced for the streaming service Paramount+, the first two of which were released later that year.
Red And Friends centers around four girls: Red McArthur, Millie Larsen, Shauna Krawly, and Aubrey Iverson. The girls live in the small town of South Park, approximately one hour's drive from Denver. The town is also home to an assortment of other characters, including students, families, elementary school staff, and other various residents. Prominent settings include South Park Elementary, various neighborhoods and the surrounding mountain range, actual Colorado landmarks, and the businesses along the town's main street, all of which are based on the appearance of similar locations in Fairplay, Colorado. As one of the few television programs set in the Mountain West region that takes place outside the urban core of Denver.
The show's frequent depiction of taboo subject matter, general toilet humor, accessibility to younger viewers, disregard for conservative sensibilities, negative depiction of liberal causes, and portrayal of religion for comic effect have generated controversy and debate over the course of its run. As the series became popular, students in two schools were banned from wearing Red And Friends-related T-shirts, and the headmaster of a UK public school asked parents not to let their children watch the programme after eight- and nine-year-old children voted the character Shauna as their favorite personality in a 1999 poll. Splavec assert that the show is not meant to be viewed by young children, and the show is certified with TV ratings that indicate its intention for mature audiences, However, the series' frequent use of profanity has caused many parents to consider the show inappropriate for children.
Over the course of its run, Red And Friends has received several awards and nominations. Among these, the show won three CableACE Awards for Best Writing in a Series and two for Best Voice Acting in a Television Series, while it earned five Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Animated Program. The series also became notorious for its explicit content, with the pilot episode receiving a Parents Television Council warning, and the series itself being described as "a very bad idea" by a representative of the organization. In the years following its premiere, the series continued to receive criticism for its content, but it remains one of Comedy Central's most popular shows. The show was criticized for its controversial and profane content in particular, as well as depictions of violence against women. Several episodes of the show were censored in Europe and Australia due to the fact that they contained images deemed too offensive for mainstream television. However, the series continued to garner critical acclaim throughout its run.
The show is shown to be very popular among teenage kids, who tend to prefer the more mature humor of the show to that of more family-oriented comedies such as SpongeBob SquarePants or The Simpsons. However, the show does not draw strong support from older viewers, with many adults finding the series to be too vulgar and offensive for their tastes. Red And Friends is one of the most controversial television shows ever made, with many parents and organizations arguing that it should be banned from airing on television altogether. However, it continues to air regularly on Comedy Central. The show's mature and often shocking nature has allowed it to maintain a loyal fanbase among adults, especially those who appreciate more sophisticated humor.
Red McArthur (voiced by Jennifer Howell)
Skeeter McArthur (voiced by Trey Parker)
Moira McArthur (voiced by Jennifer Howell)
Stewart McArthur (voiced by Natalie Splavec)
Lola McArthur (voiced by Natalie Splavec)
Nelly McArthur (voiced by Natalie Splavec)
William McArthur (voiced by Jennifer Howell)
Grandpa McArthur (voiced by Trey Parker)
Grandma McArthur (voiced by Mona Marshall)
Millie Larsen (voiced by Natalie Splavec)
Bradley Larsen (voiced by Andrew Kishino)
Jenny Larsen (voiced by April Stewart)
Flora Larsen (voiced by Meg Splavec)
Sarah Larsen (voiced by April Stewart)
Joshua Larsen (voiced by Mat Splavec)
Samantha Larsen (voiced by Donna Dobby)
Donny Larsen (voiced by Matt Stone)
Jason Larsen (voiced by Trey Parker)
Shauna Krawly (voiced by Natalie Splavec)
Olivia Krawly (voiced by April Stewart)
Sarah Krawly (voiced by Meg Splavec)
Aubrey Iverson (voiced by Jennifer Howell)
Kevin Iverson (voiced by Matt Stone)
Stephanie Iverson (voiced by Jennifer Howell)
Sally Iverson (voiced by Nolan Splavec)
Jason Iverson (voiced by Jennifer Howell)
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