| "Super Best Friends" | |
|---|---|
| South Park episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Production code | 504 |
| Original air date | July 4, 2001 |
"Super Best Friends" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park and the 68th episode of the series overall. Going by production order, it is the 4th episode of Season 5 instead of the 3rd. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 4, 2001. In the episode, Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny discover the magician David Blaine performing in South Park and decide to join his cult, the Blaintologists. Stan quickly finds out that the Blaintologists are not as nice as everyone thinks and tries to convince the other boys that they have been brainwashed. Teaming up with Jesus, Stan calls upon the Super Best Friends, a parody of the Super Friends, to destroy Blaine and thwart the mass suicide pact he has launched.
The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker and is rated TV-MA in the United States. It depicts several religious figures, including Muhammad, whose appearance at the time of the original airing caused little to no controversy. Following Islamists' death threats regarding Muhammad's portrayal in the 2010 episode titled "201", the South Park Studios website no longer streams "Super Best Friends", nor is it available for streaming or purchase from online stores. The episode has been replaced on the South Park Studios with a notice: "We apologize that South Park Studios cannot stream Super Best Friends."[1] The episode was also featured in syndication, but was permanently removed after the threats.[citation needed] It is one of five episodes which are unavailable on streaming services, along with season 14's "200", and the aforementioned "201", as well as season 10's "Cartoon Wars Part I" and "Cartoon Wars Part II".