South Park (TV Series) Cartman Gets an Anal Probe (1997) User Reviews

Good Start!

[g-bodyl · 8/10 · 8 August 2013]

South Park is probably the dirtiest animation series you'll ever see. No where you will find any more fart jokes or cussing than here. But I like it since it's so funny! This pilot episode is a nice start to the long-running series. The animation is a bit choppy because Matt and Trey had to do the animation themselves with construction paper, so they did alright.

The first episode called "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe" introduces to the characters including Cartman and Kenny. This simple plot has aliens abducting one of their little brothers and the gang trying to get them back. And of course there must be cows involved.

Overall, this is a pretty good episode to start a series. It's funny, but there are way more funnier episodes to come. I rate his episode 8/10.

Cartman Gets an Anal Probe (#1.1)

[ComedyFan2010 · 9/10 · 10 February 2015]

And this is the episode that started one of my favorite cartoons on television. Watching it now after the show has been on for almost 20 years is pretty interesting as one knows how it goes on and it is fun to compare it with today's South Park. When it comes to the way it looks, it does seem older as the creators had to do the animation by hand.

This isn't my favorite episode but some things that I notice when watching it now clearly show that it deserves a higher rating than I would give if it wasn't a pilot. First of all it is great with introducing the characters. We get to know the main boys, Wendy, Ike, Mr. Garrison and Chef. And the episode does great in giving us an idea of who they are and will continue to be throughout the show.

Besides we already get to see some of the classic jokes that will be repeated again in the future. The baby is kicked, the aliens come, there is Mr. hat, the kitty doesn't get the pot pie,Kenny dies we also meet the most intelligent species on Earth, the cows. Even though many things have changed since (well of course, after so many seasons) one still feels that this is the real South Park.

First episode of South Park, not the best but still funny

[gangstahippie · 8/10 · 21 September 2008]

This is the very first episode of South Park entitled "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe".It has the worst animation in the series because it was made using construction paper...but we never looked at the animation in this show anyway.Nowadays, South Park has plenty of its humor stemming from current events and politics.I like this, I like all episodes of South Park, but its pretty interesting to go back to a time when it was just funny fart jokes with a simplistic plot.In this episode, Cartman recalls a dream he had where he was dragged on a ship and got an anal probe from aliens.However it was not really a dream and the aliens have come to south park.Cartman just thinks the other boys are trying to scare him though.The visitors kidnap Kyle's brother Ike and now they must go find him.With the help of the school cafeteria chef(played by Issac Hayes R.I.P), they get out of school and try to get Kyle's brother back.Meanwhile, officer barbrady has been investigating why the cows are being mutilated.This episode was originally 26min long.You can find this extended version of the episode on the internet.It makes a few changes, such as Cartman having a father and a sister and an introduction to Nurse Gollum(without the fetus on her head).Overall, its the not the best episode but it is pretty funny and good.

the original!

[kittyellie · 10 February 2006]

When I saw this episode for the first time almost nine years ago, I knew I was hooked. This is the first episode. It is animated with construction paper instead of the computer program they usually use. Personally, I think that adds to the charm and the nostalgia of this one. There are some cute moments. The aliens and a lot of the gimmicky things Trey and Matt relied on in the first few seasons were introduced. Cartman is unleashed with a vengeance on the viewing public. Stan's girl troubles begin in a very South Park way. Kyle isn't given much to do in this episode, but overall it's a good introduction to the world of South Park. It is a very solid first episode.

Lock the Door

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 12 May 2022]

I first saw South Park as a teacher. After the kids left, we would gather in a science teacher's room and watch an episode or two. I was enthralled and once I knew the characters better, it was even more amazing. I'm viewing as many as I have time for, squeezing them between other things (as I've done with The Simpsons). There is great social satire and a foundation of disrespect that is hilarious. This first one is filled with crazy views of aliens and fart jokes and cows. Don't miss it.

Show that opened the door to gross out animation

[ShelbyTMItchell · 8/10 · 5 March 2013]

This show by Trey Parker and Matt Stone shows how SP paved the way for American Dad and The Family Guy in obscene language and sexual innuendos.

Set in the fictional town of you guessed it, South Park CO as we focus on four boys of sensitive Stan, smart Kyle, foul-mouthed Cartman, and always dying Kenny! The pilot shows them trying to rescue Kyle's baby brother Ike back from aliens as Cartman has sexual encounters with them.

These kids have the faces of angels and mouths of sailors. As it shows how kids really act these days, strange but true.

Thanks Matt and Trey I guess!

"I tell you, there's crazy stuff going on in this town"

[RainDogJr · 10/10 · 3 October 2009]

Here I begin my attempt to once and for all write my IMDb comment for each and every episode of probably my favourite TV show of all-time. I had already submitted some (Seasons 9, 10 and 11 are done) but from now on I will write in order (with the exception of course of the up-coming 7 episodes of Season 13 that thankfully begin airing next Wednesday). So here I am after seeing again after some years the very first South Park episode...

Right now we all know the extremely bizarre biography of one of the characters, of one of the residents of the town of South Park, Colorado, of Mr. Garrison. In this first episode, Cartman Gets an Anal Probe (the title itself certainly indicates that something in this animated show is just f****** wrong), Mr. Garrison is introduced and some of his words are the following: "I tell you, there's crazy stuff going on in this town". He is certainly correct and well there's no better place to start bringing on to this comment the crazy stuff that goes on in South Park than with Mr. Garrison himself. His very first scene has him teaching his students, Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny included of course, together with Mr. Hat..."Mr. Hat, may I please be excused from class?" "Well Kyle, no! You go to hell and you die!", so if Garrison is that f****** bizarre what's going on that is for him really crazy? Well, maybe not the fact that one of his students is farting fire but sure the arrival of aliens is pretty damn crazy!

And is all certainly related: this show begins with Cartman after having a bad night, nightmares about visitors that abduct people and mutilate cows. The constant is Cartman keep saying that it was all just a nightmare while we all see the visitors abducting Kyle's brother Ike, mutilated cows (we also see cows wanting to ride a train!) and well also Cartman's anal probe (loved: "hey that kind of looks like Tom Selleck"). Not enough for you? Well, we also have romance (Wendy is also introduced, and boy is the kissing because everything went fine scene is simply ruined!), THE Chef (you gotta love "I'm gonna make love to you woman, gonna laid you down by the fire"), one of the most memorable deaths of Kenny... it's just the very first half-hour of the show but I tell you, there's crazy stuff going on in this town of South Park.

Something from the fireside chat with Matt and Trey: hilarious stuff, not much to add just that "this was the pilot episode, done before we had a series so Matt and I had to do the whole thing by ourselves. For several months we were locked into a cold, dark, little room, for long periods of time" and that Trey was actually abducted when he was a small child.

Solid Start

[TWGProductions · 9/10 · 9 April 2016]

"Cartman Gets an Anal Probe"... well, what can I say about this episode that hasn't been said already. This episode is the start of one of the greatest TV series of all time. From the boys, Wendy, Mr. Garrison, Chef, Officer Barbrady, and Ike we get the first simple look into the fictional town of South Park.

This episode isn't my favorite but I appreciate this episode for its nostalgia and when you look back on it 20 years later you can't help but be amazed at how the show's creators worked pretty much all on their own to create the first episode of a series that I enjoy so much. I enjoy the simplicity of this episode and the characters as they interact with one another such as Stan and Ms. Crabtree and of course Kyle and Cartman. My only dislike with this episode is the delivery of some of the jokes such as when Cartman starts singing, but other than that this episode is a solid start to a great series and I can't thank Trey Parker and Matt Stone enough for this show. This episode gets an 8.5 (Rounded to a 9 for the scale).

I hope you found this review helpful or nice. I will be going through every episode of South Park and I'm sure these reviews will get better as the series progresses.

The one that started it all.

[axlrhodes · 7/10 · 20 November 2021]

And so it begins. The banjo pickin', baby kickin' South Park. Truly one a kind this show. Insulting to everyone, unapologetic. This first episode deals with paranoia over alien invasion (quite popular in the 90's thanks to The X-Files). It's shocking as a teacher mocks a child for potentially having a prostate tumour, then it's adorable with baby Ike, the array of colours, the cut out style animation. Chef Isaac Heyes sings about making love in the cafeteria. Scott Baio gives Cartman pink eye, Aliens speak 'Cow', Kenny dies hard for the first time. It's all standard behaviour for this outspoken show.

Good episode

[whomeavery · 8/10 · 17 April 2023]

This is the first episode of a show which now has twenty six seasons, and I must say that this episode is a good one. It's a good episode, but not my very favorite of the entire show. I like the animation in this episode because it was made entirely of construction paper, and I also heard it took six months to make because of it. It's fun to rewatch this episode because when I started out watching South Park, (not just watching random episodes that were on TV at the time) I started with this episode and this season and went forward. South Park is now my favorite show and I sometimes rewatch this episode for the nostalgia.

Beginning to a wild ride

[RicketyCricketImposter · 7/10 · 12 December 2021]

I've seen all of South Park a good couple of times now and have decided I'm going to review every episode of the series. You can follow along if you notice, or not, don't bother me none. But I'm starting off with number 1 because who wouldn't. To rate every episode also, I need to think about which episodes are the best and worst of the show. There's lots of 9.9, and 9.5, and 6.0, but I think the perfect 10 is Scott Tenorman Must Die, and the worst (might be) A Million Little Fibers but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Regardless. This episode isn't bad at all, especially for a pilot. I'd give it a solid 7, it's got some good jokes, it's more of a classic really. To be fair if this was an episode made in the middle of the season I probably could care less for it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this review, stay tuned for number 2.

Bomb

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 16 December 2020]

I like the bit where cartman gets an anal probe from the aliens

Pretty decent!

[shaburger · 6/10 · 3 January 2022]

What a way to start off the show, this is a pretty good introduction to the series! Some scenes were pretty funny and this episode feels really nostalgic because of the stop motion animation. While this isn't the most amazing episode, it's still very charming and funny. Definitely a must watch for all South Park fans.

All first episodes of shows will start at the bottom of the garbage can.

[ciaransnowy-80548 · 3/10 · 28 May 2017]

South Park is admittedly a funny cartoon and is one of my favourites... but the first season was just terrible. This episode just happened to be the worst of them, and not because it was the first episode but because it was pathetic and failed to be "mature" and funny.

The main problem I have with Cartman Gets an Anal Probe is the language, saying the "D" word excessively doesn't make the cartoon "adult" or hilarious. It's annoying and repetitive, and makes a later joke in the episode far less effective.

The first minute and a half depicts the show's pathetic attempt at gearing itself towards adults by mentioning the d-word and getting Kenny (a character whose speech is muffled) to explain the definition of the 'slang'.

The plot is also mediocre at best, it involves aliens, Cartman having an probe shoved up his buttocks, and Ike (Kyle's little, Canadian brother) being kidnapped by the aliens, whom are nicknamed "Visitors".

If there was anything I could praise for this episode it would have to be the cut-out animation, it was the only episode (not counting the two shorts) of the show to use it and despite being rather rough it showed more signs of effort than the lame attempts at "mature" jokes.

The episodes do get better and Trey and Matt have stated that they despised the first three seasons.

Dated, but in a good, nostalgic way!

[speedolitec · 15 May 2012]

The first episode of this brilliant, classic series, it certainly seems very tame compared to most of the episodes that would show up in subsequent seasons, and the difference in the quality of animation is more noticeable than in every other episode since, I think it's still very enjoyable. I've lost count how many times I've seen it over the years, but any time that this is the episode that airs, I'll still watch it. I guess it's mostly because even though I've basically memorized every line by now, I'm kinda nostalgic thinking of the first time I saw it back in the day. I actually also enjoy the crudeness of the construction paper animation, with the shadows behind the characters, no matter how far away the background was supposed to be! If there are still people out there who haven't seen this show yet, I'd say check this one out first, if for no other reason than to get a fresh look at it from how it basically started (there are a couple very crudely drawn animated shorts that were done before, but I think those are mostly appreciated by the more hard core fans).

My favorite episode ever, and the one that started at all.

[jtaslak · 10/10 · 26 November 2011]

Cartman Gets an Anal Probe rocks paper cut outs for animation because Matt and Trey didn't have money at the time, but at the time it fit the show perfectly. This episode is INCREDIBLY raunchy, among the most raunchy South Park episodes ever, and the jokes are even more funny when they are delivered by these silly paper cutouts. Kyle has a 20 second curse-word rampage, Cartman (obviously, no spoiler here) gets an anal probe, we are introduced to a large portion of the initial South Park cast including Chef, David Caruso's career is mocked, and hilarity ensues with every scene. I don't want to give anything away, so please, if you haven't seen South Park or haven't seen this episode, you OWE it to yourself. At this point South Park wasn't tackling current events at all really, so the humor is random and funny as hell. Don't kick the baby!

Watch it or Scott Baio will give you pink eye

[Nolamoviedude · 9/10 · 1 February 2019]

20 plus years after I 1st watched it and it still cracks me up. This was their 1st real episode on Comedy Central and I remember falling in love with it then.

We get introduced to the 4 young boys, Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as they wait for the school bus. Cartman tell the guys about his dream and they tell him that it wasn't a dream and he was abducted by aliens. Kyle's little brother Ike (he an adopted Canadian that's why his head is shaped different)shows up "Don't kick the baby". Chef, the school cafeteria cook voiced by Isaac Hayes shows up and asks them if they saw aliens last night.

Soon Cartman starts farting fire because he's been alien anal probed. It makes him go into song and dance " I like to sing-a, about the moon and the stars and the spring-a". Kenny gets killed, as would become a running them of the show when he's shot by aliens, stomped by a herd of cows ad finally run over by a police car. This causes stan to proclaim " Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" It ends with aliens abducting Cartman. They bring him back the next day but Scott Baio gave him pink eye.

Character Intros:

Ms Crabtree: the cranky bus driver with a birds nest and live bird in her hair

Officer Barbrady: The clueless police officer.

Mr Garrison: Their teacher who always has a puppet named Mr Hat on his hand

Wendy Testaburger: Stan's crush that makes him nervously puke each time she talks to him

Mrs Cartman: Cartman's mom. When Cartman calls his pet cat a sexual toy she says " Then I know a kitty who's sleeping with mommy tonight"

" Yeah, I want Cheesypoofs"-Cartman

Rewatch (Thursday 2nd March)

[morganthomasstarwars · 9/10 · 2 March 2023]

"How do you know she has a cat?"

I would say I'm rewatching the show but I've only seen the first 10 episodes or so anyway. But yeah I'm rewatching it because It's getting big again and I of course need to stay hip. It's just the first episode and so not all of the character dynamics are fully distinguished yet but we still have decent repour between the boys and Kennys death. Kenny, Stan, Kyle but especially Chef and Cartman are great off the bat, but I don't like Wendy that much, she isn't that bad i suppose but she isn't that good either. Overall, it's a great start to the show and a classic episode.

The First Episode.

[unimatrix207 · 8/10 · 9 July 2010]

(WARNING SPOILERS)This Is The First Episode Of South Park Ever. There Was The Oringal Pilot Epsiodes The Sprit Of Chirstmas Jesus Vs.Santa (1995) And Jesus Vs. Frosty (1992 Very First)Then Matt Stone And Trey Parker Talked To Comedy Central To Make The Show. Oringally The Show Had A Choice Of Two Channels To Run On Mtv Or Comdey Central They Chosed Comdey Central Because They Feared That MTV Would Turn It Into A Kids Show (All Information At Wikipidea .com) But Anyways Let's Get on With The Episode April 17(I Think) 1997 Cartman Gets A Anal Probe-Cartman Tells The Boys That He Had A Weried Dream That Night He Said Aliens Stuck A Anal Probe Up Cartman's Butt Then Throughout The Whole episode This Happens Ike Get's Kidnapped (Kyle's Brother) Then Cartman Starts To Fart Fire I'm Like WTF- Then They Tie Cartman To A Tree And He Farts Fire Then ALL OF THE ALIENS COME! Then Kyle Goes Into A Deep Amontional Speech And Here's The Result. Stan-That Was Beautiful Dude Kyle-Did It Work? Stan-No There Leaving Kyle-HEY YOU SCRWANY(BEEP)(BEEP)HEADS WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU I MEAN YOU MUST BE SOME KIND OF (BEEP)ING (BEEP)HOLE TO INGORE A CRYING CHILD! Stan-Whoa Dude! Kyle-I KNOW WHAT YOU(BEEPING)LIKE YOU LIKE TO(BEEP)(BEEP)AND (BEEP) AND(BEEP)AND(BEEPPPPPPP) Stan-Wendy What's A (BEEP)??? LOL GREAT Episode

Oh boy

[thomasjwinton · 7/10 · 30 December 2016]

Here's the parent's guide: -WARNING! Contains Spoilers- Sex/Nudity: 6/10 (TV-PG level): The episode is about an anal probe. In one scene, Cartman's buttocks are shown. Violence: 5/10 (TV-PG level): Characters are lit on fire. Also, there is a game called "kick the baby". Language: 6/10 (TV-PG level): mild words such as "dildo", "ass", and "damn". Drugs/Smoking: 4/10 (TV-PG level): Cartman's dream could be a sign of drugs. Frightening/Intense Scenes: 5/10 (TV-PG level): Aliens can be scary to some. Also, the scene where Cartman gets an anal probe is quite disturbing. Overall: 26/50. Recommended Rating: TV-14. Recommended Age Rating: 14+.

So good!

[jhenrotte · 10/10 · 30 August 2020]

Rewatching this show after so much time. South Park, is easily one of the funniest shows ever. This ep. is hilarious still to this day.

Solid pilot

[tylerhimesfsu · 6/10 · 20 January 2022]

It's fun to see the original idea for the show and each character and how much it's evolved. While certainly different, this episode defiantly holds up.

25 Years

[bradycorrion-69251 · 8/10 · 13 August 2022]

Twenty-Five Years ago on this day in 1997, this episode of South Park, which is the first episode premiered. Some of my favorite scenes from the episode are Chef singing, Cartman farting fire, and Cartman getting hit by lightning. With that said, Happy 25th Anniversary to South Park and to this episode.

The bang before the boom. Welcome to South Park.

[tomdegroot-57224 · 7/10 · 26 January 2022]

2 decades down the road, it's interesting to look back at what was essentially the pilot to South Park. How Trey and Matt would introduce the comedy and characters... - Keeping present, the episode comes out like a bang and your instantly dropped in South Park and the comedy is as pure early South Park as it maybe gets.. The comedy is fun and engaging, leaning strongly on laugh hard/quick moments that engages. The writing is tight and still exploratory, specially for a episode 1 season 1, awesome job Matt and Trey! It's a fun episode that deserves a rewatch/watch even if you seen it and already started with it. It has some great highs, and a decent pace. I wouldn't rank this as a nessacarily 7 if it weren't a pilot episode... But non biaslly, the comedy is worth a rewatch and has Chef . So probably bumps it up 1 or 2 points.

Deplorable!

[dougvanbenthuysen · 1/10 · 12 October 2016]

I decided to watch the first episode of this bad awful program at the recommendation of the slime merchants at HULU.

First of all, this episode depicts abusive behavior toward young girls. The protagonist, Stan, see's a sweet innocent young girl named Wendy Testesburger, clearly a sexist name, then vomits toward her. Vomiting on a woman without her consent is clearly and unwanted advance and is deplorable.

The show is also, right from the start, racist. When the chef says the words "Salisbury Steak", I am suddenly reminded of all the negative stereotypes about the proud people of Salisbury, whose ancient and secret beef preparation methods should NEVER be mocked.