Revivals of beloved TV shows have been an increasingly common trend over the past decade or so, from successful reboots like Twin Peaks: The Return, to misguided attempts like the ill-fated return of Roseanne. Animation has been no exception, with the resurrection of beloved favorites such as Beavis and Butt-Head, X-Men, and Futurama. One such series that had previously been long-rumored to return and had always seemed particularly ripe for a revisit is Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ King of the Hill. The series, which premiered on Fox back in 1997, aired alongside The Simpsons and followed the Hills, a middle-class family living in the town of Arlen, Texas. Hank Hill (Judge) is a proud conservative salesman of “propane and propane accessories,” while his wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy) is a passionate but none-too-skilled substitute Spanish teacher. Their son, Bobby (Pamela Adlon), is a chubby middle schooler who, for most of the series, shares very little in common with his father and has a massive crush on the girl next door, Connie Souphanousinphones (Lauren Tom). Peggy’s niece, the naive but incredibly sweet Luanne Platter (Brittany Murphy), also stays with the family for a significant portion of the series. The Hills’ friends and neighbors include the chain-smoking conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble (Johnny Hardwick), who is completely unaware of his wife Nancy’s (Ashley Gardner) affair with the charming Native American man John Redcorn (Jonathan Joss), or that his son, Joseph (Breckin Meyer), is not really his son. The overweight Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root), who has spiraled into a deep depression ever since his divorce, has an unrequited crush on Peggy. And, of course, there’s Boomhauer (Judge), a tall, blonde lady’s man who talks in a fast and borderline incomprehensible voice. King of the Hill was no stranger to diving into sociopolitical themes, while also feeling much more grounded than many of its animated counterparts, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy. Ever since the series was cancelled in 2009, it has always seemed like there was more story to tell, especially in today’s ever-changing political and cultural landscape.
‘King of the Hill’ Season 14 Begins With a Time Jump

The revival jumps forward in time to about eight years since we last saw the Hills and the inhabitants of Arlen, and obviously, much has changed. In order to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy have spent the last several years living in a residential compound in Saudi Arabia, where Hank continued to sell propane and propane accessories. While Hank is initially excited to be back on good ol’ Texan soil, the cultural changes prove to be overwhelming for both him and his wife. There are now “all-gendered” bathrooms, rideshare drivers are begging to be given 5 stars, electric scooters litter the streets, and beer has become fruitier. Hank and Peggy return to their old house, which they rented out to Brian Robertson (Keith David), a conservative Black man, who has decided to stick around on Rainey Street. Bobby is now 21 and has opened his own Japanese-German fusion restaurant named Robata Chane in Dallas, having decided that college was not for him. He’s still pretty much the same Bobby we know and love, just older, taller, and just a tad bit more mature (not too much). When Connie re-enters his life, he begins to think more about his future and being a successful adult. Bill has become a bedridden recluse since Hank’s been gone, Boomhauer is trying to be a stepdad, and Dale is pretty much exactly the same, still completely unaware of his wife’s infidelity. After a slower premiere that reintroduces us (and Hank & Peggy) to Arlen, Texas and its inhabitants, the King of the Hill revival is quickly able to take us back to what made the series so special in the first place. From episodes delving into Hank becoming a soccer referee to the disgust of his friends, an episode lampooning the Manosphere, and much more, Judge, Daniels, and Saladin Patterson ​​​​​​recapture that good ol’ Texan magic.
‘King of the Hill’ Is Still as Sharp as Ever

Although a large portion of the characters in King of the Hill are Republicans, the show never felt like it was pandering to a right-leaning audience, nor was it demonizing them. Unlike a series like Family Guy, King of the Hill didn’t base all of its characters around stereotypes and caricatures. The Hills and their neighbors were constantly evolving throughout the show, and you began to truly care about them. It rides that perfect medium, something that Judge’s follow-up, The Goode Family, was unable to recapture. Like many television revivals, the new season of King of the Hill shows Hank and Peggy being confused by society becoming more progressive, but unlike the Roseanne revival, the joke isn’t on these changes; it’s on the Hills. It’s not depicted cruelly either; all the jokes are of the same exact nature that made the original series so endearing in the first place. While these new episodes do address some more timely themes, like the aforementioned Manosphere, or Hank filling in for Boomhauer on a TaskRabbit-like app known as “ChoreMonkey,” other episodes feel like they could have been featured in the original run, including an amusing storyline where Hank and Dale take over a tour at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. All of it feels fitting, never once jarring or out of character.

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Series like The Simpsons and South Park have been around for decades, and while the occasional episode shows Bart, Lisa, Cartman, or Stan grown-up, it’s never permanent. By contrast, King of the Hill’s Bobby aged two years throughout the run of the original series, but he still looked pretty much the same. The decision to make him 21 years old in the revival was a bold choice, but it pays off. Adlon keeps Bobby’s voice almost exactly the same, only slightly deeper, and it works perfectly. Bobby has always been a quirky and lovable character, and his storylines in the new season feel more relatable and grounded. It also leads to plenty of heartfelt moments; the revival doesn’t ignore the original finale, where Hank and Bobby finally find something to bond over. It embraces their relationship development, and the storyline feels more tender than what you might expect from an adult animated sitcom.
The ‘King of the Hill’ Revival Evolves With the Times Without Losing Its Heart

Image via Hulu

In the past two years, we have lost two of King of the Hill’s original stars, Johnny Hardwick and Jonathan Joss. While Hardwick was still able to voice Dale for the revival’s initial episodes, Toby Huss replaces him midway through the new season, and the transition is seamless. Although Season 14 was written before these two stars passed away, the actors’ final episodes still feel like tributes to them. Hardwick’s installment has Dale helping Peggy deal with a bedbug problem, which feels like a classic storyline for the character, yet somehow is able to have a surprisingly sweet ending. Joss’ final episode features Hank, Peggy, Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer helping John Redcorn deal with a wild hog problem, culminating in a great final moment to end the new season. There’s a lot to be happy about with this reboot, but the updated animation does take some getting used to. Yes, it does have that same classic Judge character design, but the movements and environments look a bit stiffer than what we’re used to. The series never had wacky designs like similar shows, but the 2D animation felt much smoother, as compared to the reboot, where it seems more digital. It’s jarring, to put it bluntly, but the sharpness of the writing allows you to adjust quickly to the visual changes. King of the Hill is the rare TV revival where it never feels like it’s playing it too safely or, on the opposite end, trying to be edgier than its predecessor. If you liked the show during its original run, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy these 10 new episodes. It’s the rare revival that is able to age its characters and modernize the world, but still feel like the dang ol’ king. It’s just as satisfying as having a can of Alamo beer with your friends in the alley. All 10 episodes of King of the Hill Season 14 will be available to stream on Hulu starting Monday, August 4.

King of the Hill

Hulu’s King of the Hill revival is able to recapture what made Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ original series so special.

Release Date

1997 – 2010-00-00

Network

FOX, Hulu

Directors

Tricia Garcia, Adam Kuhlman, Dominic Polcino, Gary McCarver, Anthony Lioi, Jeff Myers, Allan Jacobsen, Shaun Cashman, Klay Hall, Ken Wong, Ron Rubio, Tony Kluck, Wes Archer, Matt Engstrom, Anthony Chun, John Rice, Michael Dante DiMartino, Monte Young, Brian Sheesley, Julius Wu, Lauren MacMullan, Yvette Kaplan, Steve Robertson, Pat Shinagawa

Mike Judge

Hank Hill / Boomhauer (voice)

Pros & Cons

The new episodes have the same sense of humor as the orignial, neither toning it down nor making it edgier.
Season 14 is able to have characters interacting with modern topics without feeling forced.
The decision to age the characters leads to heartfelt moments.
The tributes to Jonathan Joss and Johnny Hardwick are beautifully done.

The premiere is a lot of set-up.
It might take viewers some time to adjust to the updated animation style.