Comedy Central Reups With 'South Park’ Team

New York— Kenny and Cartman will be with us a bit longer.

The creators of South Park have signed a contract extension with Comedy Central through the end of 2008.

The network said Trey Parker and Matt Stone have renewed their deal, which calls for three more 14-episode seasons of South Park. As they have for each of the 132 episodes that have aired to date, Stone and Parker will write, edit and direct each of the new installments.

The Emmy Award-nominated animated series, currently in its ninth season, launched on Comedy in 1997. New episodes kick off Oct. 19 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

The network’s highest-rated series, South Park pulled in an average of 2.6 million viewers 2-plus and 1.7 million adult 18-to-49 watchers during the first seven episodes of the current campaign, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The series begins its broadcast syndication run on Sep. 19.

“I was at Comedy Central when we launched the first season of South Park, and I am thrilled to see them continue through 2008,” Comedy president Doug Herzog said in a prepared statement. “Matt and Trey are creative geniuses and a huge part of the Comedy Central family, and we look forward to continued success.”