Negotiations are underway for a King of the Hill revival. Created by Mike Judge (Silicon Valley) and Greg Daniels (The Office), the beloved adult animated sitcom first debuted on Fox in 1997 and ran for 13 seasons until its finale in June 2009. The series follows the Hills, an all-American family living in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, as they endure the trials and tribulations of small town life.
Known for its grounded and realistic comedic sensibilities, the classic series acted as a slightly less zany Sunday night alternative to The Simpsons, which Greg Daniels wrote on for many years. In fact, Daniels left the writer's room of The Simpsons to co-create King of the Hill with Mike Judge, who had already garnered acclaim for his MTV series, Beavis and Butt-Head. As Beavis and Butt-Head's own revival gains traction, it appears that similar news could be coming soon for King of the Hill.
Slashfilm reports that writer Brent Forrester recently revealed in an AMA on Reddit that Judge and Daniels are in "hot negotiations" for a King of the Hill reboot. When a Redditor asked Forrester if there was any news about a revival, the former head writer for the show revealed that not only are negotiations underway, but that the show's characters will have aged 15 years since their most recent appearance. Forrester, who prefaced his reply by saying that Daniels and Judge "will murder (him) for sharing this," went on to say that he believes that the updated version of the show is "sooooo good [sic]."
Revivals of cherished intellectual properties are by no means new territory for 20th Century Fox, especially since the company was acquired by Disney in March 2019, but rumors of King of the Hill's return to TV have ebbed and flowed as rumors tend to do. Buzz of a reprisal has been around since the distant past of 2011, and in a March 2020 interview with ComicBook.com, Greg Daniels confirmed that he and Judge did indeed come up with a reboot idea for the show, but that Fox didn't want to move ahead with their plans. However, this latest gossip can be considered some of the more promising recent news surrounding a King of the Hill comeback, especially given Forrester's proximity to the show and its creators.
If King of the Hill indeed returns and returns set 15 years later from its last appearance, the show should be able to add some exciting new wrinkles to its memorable cast of characters. The series' general protagonist was patriarch, Hank Hill, a mild-mannered and well-meaning Southern gentleman who could prove to be an interesting lens through which to examine life in the 2020s, but it's Arlen's youngest residents who might be most affected by a leap forward in time. Bobby Hill, the family's immature and comedy-obsessed only child, could suddenly go from being 13 years old to being in his late 20s. For a character known for his juvenile but endearing behavior, such a drastic change in Bobby's age could provide new opportunities to mine humor from one of King of the Hill's most consistent laugh-getters.
Should the classic comedy get a new lease on life, it will be the latest in a long line of TV reboots that have debuted in the past few years. New editions of The Twilight Zone, Teen Titans Go!, and more have recently attempted to earn generations of fans, with varying results. Backed by its fervent base and a solid concept for an update, King of the Hill should at least pass muster amongst its fellow adult animation programs if it finally makes its much-anticipated return.
Source: Slashfilm