South Park’s 299th episode, named Band in China, featured storylines so critical of China that the country’s government reportedly deleted virtually all content relating to the show from local internet servers.
The episode in question shows Randy getting caught attempting to sell weed in China and getting sent to a work camp, where he runs into an imprisoned Winnie the Pooh (the cartoon bear is also banned in China).
The camp bears a resemblance to those Beijing has been using in Xinjiang Province to hold as many as a million Chinese Muslims for political indoctrination.
The government has repeatedly claimed the facilities are for ‘voluntary job training.’
Since the episode first aired in October 2019, South Park episodes both old and new have been banned in the country, with repercussions for those seemingly in support of the American cartoon.
Last year, DJ Zedd tweeted that he had been ‘permanently banned from China’ because he ‘liked a @SouthPark tweet’ and consequently had to cancel his booked shows in the country.
But nearly eight months later, is the show still banned in China and where can you watch the South Park episode in question if you’re in the UK?
Is South Park still banned in China?
As far as we are aware, the ban against South Park is still in place in China, despite the South Park creators issuing an ‘apology’ in their own way to China after their show was wiped from the Chinese internet.
In response South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker posted this faux apology to Twitter along with a link to the episode: ‘Like the NBA we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. We too love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all.’
Where can you watch the South Park Band in China episode?
You can watch the 22 minute episode, which first aired on October 2 2019, through Amazon Prime.
Either buy just the episode Band in China to stream in HD through Prime Video for £2.49 or buy the whole season to watch through the platform for £19.99.
Alternatively, you can pay £7.99 per month for Amazon Prime Video membership.
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