In thing: South Park

South Park is dominated by round-faced little people with ecstasy-dilated pupils; it's a world where Wizard of Oz Munchkins have become hooligans. With the parent-troubling warning - "The following programme contains coarse language and, due to its content, it should not be viewed by anyone" - this cartoon strip from America follows in the satirical mode of The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Daria. With $25m in merchandising already spent, South Park has found the right formula for Nineties icons in this group of offensive juveniles: Cartman, aka the fat one; Kyle, the Jewish one; Stan the vomit king; and Kenny the dead. Cred must be given to a show that gets George Clooney to take a challenging part as a gay dog, and has Robert Smith from The Cure wanting a part. Animation has always been violent (Tom & Jerry were never put in the dock). The only shadow on the horizon is that a feature-length film looms; let's hope it is better than Beavis & Butthead do America.

`South Park' starts on Sky One on 28 March.