Ever felt like you were waiting for 'The new SOUTH PARK'? I have, and I think I found it...

SOUTH PARK, I still remember when I first saw it. It was raw, funny and totally different to everything I'd seen before and from that day Cartman got anally probed by archetypal alien folk and Kenny met his first of many tragic endings I knew I was in for a long and exciting ride. One movie and twelve seasons later I can confidently say that this particular franchise has managed to retain it's edge, it still has that incisive wit that cuts through society like a hot knife through butter. But nonetheless I have to confess that I am a total media whore, a new concept junkie and an obsessive for all that is 'fresh' and 'new', and it is this obsession that has led me to the discovery of RICK AND STEVE: THE HAPPIEST GAY COUPLE IN ALL THE WORLD. It's out next Monday in the U.K. priced at £11.98 at Amazon! Created by Q. Allan Brocka, this idyllic couple had their first sortie in 1999 - in the heady days when there were still many a satirical competitor, and they were sadly unappreciated. Nonetheless the irrepressible duo got a second chance to prove their worth last year and a whole six-episode series was produced. Animated like a bunch of lego figures, with all of the minimalist glory tht allows for total societal critique without the backlash of those easy to offend, these snippets of comic quality are really worth paying attention to. Set in the fictional 'gay ghetto' of West Lahunga Beach, the adventures of the happy couple range from sexual boredom leadin to the desire for a threesome, the debate surrounding artificially inseminating a couple of lesbian friends and dealing with a middle-aged AIDS-ridden friend and his teenage latino 'twink'. It is wickedly funny and unafraid of taking on all comers in the overly PC world that Alan Brocka lampoons so successfully. It might be that I'm a sucker for an interesting animation quirk that plays on the format, or it might be the aforementioned need for the new, but I for one welcome these loveable homos as a great antidote to the contrived randomness of FAMILY GUY (remember the manatee episode of SOUTH PARK? Genius!) and the sadenning sameiness of SOUTH PARK and THE SIMPSONS. Even the amply amusing new movies of FUTURAMA didn't quite feed me my fill of animated antics. So all I can do is cross my fingers and hope you all appreciate this new franchise as much as I do, and that any populaity leads to more episodes! Oh, and if it seals the deal, the UK DVD that's out next week is crammed with extras ranging from the standard 'Making-of' stuff to a collection of original skits that provide some great jokes to tide over until some more episodes are commissioned. It's out next Monday in the U.K. priced at £11.98 at Amazon!