cocreators

A naked Donald Trump was depicted in bed with Satan in the 27th season premiere of South Park, a reference which sparked anger from the White House in the US

South Park co-creator Trey Parker hit back at anger from the White House over the depiction of a naked Donald Trump in bed with Satan in the animated series.

The reference featured in the first episode of the 27th series of the programme, which aired on Wednesday, following the team’s £1.19bn ($1.5 billion) deal with Paramount. The White House blasted the jibe, branding South Park a “fourth-rate show… with uninspired ideas.”

But today Mr Parker, who with Matt Stone created South Park in 1997, had the briefest – and iciest – response to the backlash. He said: “We’re terribly sorry” and gave a long, deadpan-comic stare to camera and his fans.

Mr Parker, who also co-created The Book of Mormon, was asked for his reaction to the fracas as he sat on the stage at San Diego’s Comic-Con International at the beginning of a Comedy Central animation panel. Mr Stone was also on the panel at the comic book convention, held in California every year.

READ MORE: Where you’ve seen the cast of Amazon Prime’s Cross before from Supernatural to 90210

In the episode, Mr Trump sues the town of South Park when its residents challenge the presence of Jesus Christ – the actual person – in its elementary school. Jesus tells them they ought to settle.

Although Mr Parker and Mr Stone recently signed a five-year deal with Paramount for 50 new episodes and streaming rights to previous seasons, they used the episode on Wednesday to take aim at the company’s its $16 million (£11.8 million) recent settlement with Mr Trump.

But in a statement after the season premiere aired, a spokesperson for the White House said: “This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”

In the episode, Jesus says: “You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount. Do you really want to end up like Colbert?”

CBS and parent Paramount Global canceled Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” last week, days after Colbert sharply criticised Paramount’s settlement of Mr Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview. CBS and Paramount executives said it was a financial decision to axe “The Late Show.”

The efficiency of South Park production, and the brinksmanship of its creators, has allowed it to stay incredibly current for an animated series, fans say.

Speaking at Comic-Con, father-of-one Mr Parker said: “I don’t know what next week’s episode is going to be. Even just three days ago, we were like, ‘I don’t know if people are going to like this.'”

The makers behind Netflix’s hit drama “Adolescence,” knew their series about a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a female classmate was something special.

And while creators and executive producers Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne were thrilled after learning that the U.K. drama received 13 Emmy nominations in the limited series category, they were even more gratified that the collective efforts of the cast and crew were being honored.

“There was just something magical that happened with this show, and it was the true definition of an ensemble,” said Graham during a video interview with Thorne. The duo were nominated for writing and producing the drama, and Graham was also nominated as lead actor for his portrayal of the devastated father of the teen suspect.

“My true gratitude is not the fact that we got 13 nominations. It’s the fact that every single person, every single player, every single part of the crew is being acknowledged for what we achieved as a collective,” Graham said. “What we do is not a game of golf. We managed this collective consciousness between us.”

The four-episode series became one of the buzziest dramas of the year, and was highly praised for its approach of filming each installment in a single camera shot.

Thorne said of the hoopla surrounding the series, “I think we got very lucky in capturing a particular time, place and mood. We also got lucky with all the people we worked with.”

Win or lose, plans are already being formed for an Emmy night celebration.

“Stephen just declared that we’re all going to the Emmys in a minibus,” Thorne said. “We’re all going to stand on the red carpet as one. That will be really special.”

The minibus passengers will include Owen Cooper, who played the young suspect, and Erin Doherty, who played a psychologist. The two, who were both nominated in supporting actor categories, starred in the drama’s third episode where their characters engaged in a tense battle of wills.

Cooper and Doherty discussed the show and their nominations in a separate video interview.

Congratulations on your nominations and amazing performances. Where were you when you got the news?

Cooper: I was in my living room and I put on the TV. Then I found it we got 13 nominations. It’s just crazy.

Doherty: To be fair, I avoided it. So I was waiting for my phone to ring. My agent told me, “I’ll ring you either way.” Then she started phoning me and I thought, “Oh, what, is this going to me?” And all those nominations came in. I’m so over the moon for the show.

Owen, you’re making history as the youngest Primetime Emmy nominee in a limited series .

Cooper: I heard about that the other day. It’s hard to even think about that stuff, to be honest. It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to put that into words, really.

Did both of you know at the time you were doing the third episode that you were creating something really special?

Cooper: Yes. We knew it would hit many homes, and that it would create conversations. We didn’t know it would get 13 nominations. That’s just the cherry on top. The success of the show has been mind-blowing.

Doherty: We knew everyone who was participating on and off the screen wanted to be a part of this, having the courage to address this subject matter. We knew the importance of the story. You never know if something like this is going to hit the way that this has.

Owen, what impressed you the most about Erin’s performance?

Cooper: The fact that she could just think of things to say off the spot. I would put attitude into the line and she would put even more attitude into it.

And Erin?

Doherty: I would say the exact same thing. Like he would start yawning and start throwing around different things. It felt like the most exciting game of tennis that I’ve been a part of. You don’t get that every day with actors who have been doing this for 40 years. Owen has the ability and skill and bravery. For him to throw himself into this environment, which is nerve-wracking, overwhelming and over-stimulating. To have the ability to stay centered and be present with each other is really rare. I’m so, so proud of him and that I got to be there for his first go, because he’s going to be doing this for years and years and years.

I know it’s early, but any thoughts on how you’ll feel on Emmy night?

Cooper: I don’t think I’ll be nervous. I don’t care if I win. I’ll just get there, eat nice food, meet a lot of people. And I’ll be in L.A. where the weather is nice. I’m not bothered by the result at the end of the day.

Doherty: We’ve won. The show got 13 nominations. We’re all going to be there. It’s just going to be the best night ever. We’re going to treat it like a big party.