TV quick hits: ‘South Park’ premiere; ‘Rookie Blue’ updates; ‘Downton Abbey’ studio’s new show

When is “South Park” starting back? – We begin this article with news for fans of insane parodies, Kenny dying every week, and so much more.

Wednesday, September 14 is the date that you should have marked on your calendar right now. On a different note, can you believe that this show has been on the air for 18 seasons? That completely blows our mind, since you would think that only “The Simpsons” would have that sort of insane longevity. We suppose that this show could go on for as long as Trey Parker and Matt Stone want it to. Who’s going to tell these two that they need to stop making episodes at this point?

“Rookie Blue” and episode counts – For those wondering whether or not “Rookie Blue” is using the “Breaking Bad” model of labeling seasons for what lies ahead, here’s some clarification: They are not. When it was first announced that there were 22 episodes ordered, questions rose about whether or not this was just one season. The official confirmation now is that the answer to this is “no.”

Rather, Global (who airs the show in Canada) confirms that the fifth season will have 11 episodes, and the ones airing next year will be a part of season 6. The more you know.

“Downton Abbey” studio plans new show – Carnival Films still has their hands full when it comes to making more of the ITV series, but they are also looking now more towards some other projects, as well.

The production house is now teaming with the BBC on a series based on Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories novels entitled “The Last Kingdom.” This eight-part series will air on BBC America in the United States and BBC Two across the pond, and there are already comparisons being made between this show and “Game of Thrones.” There’s a long ways to go until this comes on the air, so we’ll leave most speculation until then.