Chef Returns to “South Park,” Isaac Hayes Not So Much

James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Tuesday, March 21, 2006

When the new season of “South Park” airs tomorrow night, it will feature the Chef character prominently, reports Steve Gorman for Reuters.

Soul singer Isaac Hayes may have quit his job as the voice of Chef on “South Park” after a disagreement over religion, but his character will live on when the satiric cable TV cartoon returns to Comedy Central this week, the network said on Monday.
Hayes and his “South Park” alter ego are at the center of an ongoing flap over an episode last November that poked fun at the Church of Scientology and its celebrity adherents, including actor Tom Cruise.

The tenth season of “South Park” will launch on Wednesday with a new episode titled “The Return of Chef!”, marking the “triumphant homecoming” of lusty school cafeteria cook James “Chef” McElroy to the show, the network said in a statement.

[...]

The network statement announcing Chef’s return for the “South Park” season premiere this Wednesday was a clear sign that Parker and Stone planned to use the Hayes imbroglio as further grist for their comedy. “Knowing these guys as I do, I can’t imagine that they’re not going to do just that,” Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox told Reuters. He added that the producers routinely “turn around” new episodes in just six days, leaving them ample time to incorporate last week’s dust-up into their season debut.

Fox said he assumed someone besides Hayes would supply Chef’s voice. Details of the new episode were vague. But a network synopsis said the fictional town of South Park, Colorado, is “jolted out of a case of the doldrums when Chef suddenly reappears,” leading to new antics by the group of foul-mouthed fourth graders who are the show’s stars. “While Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman are thrilled to have their old friend back, they notice that something about Chef seems different. When Chef’s strange behavior starts getting him in trouble, the boys pull out all the stops to save him.”

Classic.

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Previously:

Scientology “South Park” Conspiracy Plot Thickens

Tom Cruise Blackmails South Park

Isaac Hayes Quits South Park Over Religion

South Park Lampoons Katrina Coverage

Brokeback Mountain: Not Just Gay Cowboys Eating Pudding

King of the Hill Democrats?

Book Review: South Park Conservatives

Dee Snider: South Park Jew?

Be Your Own South Park Character