Kristen Schaal has one of the most recognizable voices in modern animation, and she may be best known to some for her work as the voice of Louise Belcher on the uniquely special “Bob’s Burgers,” which stands tall among her many credits. She also briefly wrote for the Comedy Central often offensive juggernaut, “South Park.” Prior to joining that series, she co-created an internet puppet show, titled “Penelope Princess of Pets” with Kurt Braunohler. The web show centered on a girl who has the ability to talk to animals and who is set on a dangerous mission, putting her on a deadly collision course with a senator. Its irreverent style helped Schaal get some serious attention from the “South Park” team.
While appearing on “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum,” Schaal explained that someone from “South Park” had watched “Penelope Princess of Pets” while they were scouting for new writers, and was impressed enough to help land her a spot in the writers’ room during Season 11.
Kristen Schaal’s time on South Park did not last long
Schaal’s time with “South Park” did not last long, unfortunately. In an interview with The Daily Beast, she reflected on her roughly month-long stint, acknowledging that her lack of experience in a writers’ room did not work in her favor. “I was pitching too much. I’d never been in a writers’ room before,” Schaal said, feeling perhaps overly pressured to constantly contribute her own ideas. She was ultimately — and quickly — let go from the team. Despite her departure, Schaal expressed that there were no hard feelings between her and creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. She recalls later running into the Emmy-winning duo backstage at an event, sharing a friendly interaction.
Given that “South Park” has been closely guided by its lore-tending creators since “The Spirit of Christmas” (the original short film that inspired the show), the series has had a relatively small circle of contributors in the writers’ room. Some early writers include Pam Brady and Nancy Pimental, while Vernon Chatman (who also voices Towelie) has been involved with the series since 2001. Bill Hader would also contribute as a consultant and writer for Seasons 12 and 13. He returned for more in Season 17, and was also featured in the documentary, “6 Days to Air.”