Hank Hill, his propane, and his propane accessories will return with Hulu's King of the Hill reboot. King of the Hill first premiered on Fox in 1997 and eventually became one of the network's longest-running series. 259 episodes aired on the network through 13 seasons, with the King of the Hill finale airing on September 13, 2009. The series followed propane salesman Hank Hill (Mike Judge) and his wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy), son Bobby (Pamela Adlon), and niece Luanne (Brittany Murphy) as the family navigated life in fictional Arlen, Texas, while dealing with a litany of antics spawning both inside the home and throughout the neighborhood.
According to Deadline, the long-rumored King of the Hill revival is finally happening at Hulu. In the announcement, it was revealed that most of the original cast would return to voice their characters in the revival. Series co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels will also return to helm the continuation of the original series. In a statement from Hulu Streaming Originals president Craig Erwich, the executive said that the studio is excited to welcome the show back into the modern age. Erwich teased that the series will show the perspectives of Hank, Peggy, and Bobby while continuing the conversations the show began many years ago. Check out Erwich's full statement below.
“We are all so excited to welcome back Hank, Peggy and Bobby, and to see what they have to say about the world we live in and continue the conversations we began years ago. This show has all of the perfect ingredients to meet this moment in animation at Hulu, and we’re so thankful to be having those conversations alongside this talented group.”
Why King Of The Hill Is The Perfect Show For A Revival
In the age of modern-day reboots and revivals of classic animated and live-action programming, many revivals don't seem to be worth it. There are reasons why those shows stand the test of time and are worthy of reboots, and usually, it's because the original was so perfect. For that reason, it's difficult for reboots to live up to the originals. King of the Hill is a unique show, though, and one that could lend itself to being a perfect choice for a revival. Most importantly, the original creators of the show are coming back. Mike Judge is a legend in animated comedy in large part because of his work on King of the Hill, and Greg Daniels is propped up in a very similar light.
Getting old voice actors back is also huge for the series. Of course, with Judge returning, Hank and Boomhauer were in good hands off the bat. Now, with Kathy Najimy, Stephen Root, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, and Lauren Tom all confirmed to be reprising their old roles, most of the characters should seamlessly carry over into the revival series without much viewer distraction. The original King of the Hill show stood out for many reasons, but chief among them was the show's ability to comment on various social issues and topics in a nuanced and understanding way while also serving as a relaxing comedy romp. For that reason, the show has reached cult status for many younger audiences in recent years who weren't able to watch the show while it aired.
King of the Hill always offered numerous takes on modern issues, from politics and voting to race and interpersonal relationship dynamics. It's often a very resonant sitcom upon re-watching, and the comedy largely holds up more than a decade after the King of the Hill final season. The Emmy-winning series should be a perfect rebooting choice because of its quiet and heavily sarcastic humor, a genre of comedy that fits very well with a modern-day viewing audience. Hulu's other animated revival, Futurama, shares a lot of the very same themes and humor that King of the Hill has, which makes Hulu the place to be for fans of standout adult animation.
Source: Deadline