Mike Judge’s King of the Hill is a series that just won’t go away. Originally running for 13 seasons and over 250 episodes, King of the Hill has since been a staple part of Adult Swim’s transitionary programming and Hulu’s expansive catalog, constantly serving up the misadventures of Arlen’s down-to-Earth residents. After being abruptly canceled in 2009, fans of the series clamored to both Mike Judge and Fox to bring the show back, but plans to do so ultimately never came to fruition.
That is, until 2017 when talks for a King of the Hill revival started cropping up once more. Negotiations persisted, and the rumor mill would turn for another six years until the end of January 2023, when the official confirmation of a revival at Hulu would be announced. Co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels are confirmed to be returning along with a handful of the original cast, promising an authentic return to the southwestern suburbs. We have to ask: what exactly do we want to see from the King of the Hill revival?
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
An Update to the Modern Era
20th Television
King of the Hill was never firmly rooted in a single time period. Beyond just introducing topical ideas from each season’s respective year, there are several significant moments throughout the show’s original run where the status quo is changed for good. Bobby Hill’s best friend Joseph Gribble is arguably the best example of this. As early as the fifth season, Joseph hit puberty before Bobby did, growing a full foot taller than him along with changing his interests and personality traits as well. Another example is the on-and-off again affair between Nancy Gribble and John Redcorn. Their relationship is played for laughs throughout most of the series, though when Nancy finally decides she’s had enough, the two eventually split with some residual tension between them afterward.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that King of the Hill will see some changes that reflect how the world has evolved since its original cancelation. We have to remember that it’s been more than fourteen years since the show aired its last episode. When it was canceled, there was a whole episode dedicated to MySpace. Nowadays, smartphones have become a necessity for modern living, media is consumed 24/7, and social media is shaping the minds of children, all on top of societal changes too numerous to list. You can’t just ignore these changes. Doing so would go against a lot of the growth and character that King of the Hill has been associated with.
Without getting too deep into political talk, a common interest a lot of fans have shared is how Hank would react to the current political climate. He’s a character that’s not so much defined by his political beliefs, but by his own standards of what’s right and wrong. Sure, he leans towards being conservative. But let’s not forget that Hank had a crisis of political faith all because he felt George W. Bush’s handshake wasn’t up to snuff. Despite his averseness to change and his reluctance to accept new ideas, Hank’s willingness to be open on some topics and to question his own beliefs will hopefully continue to be a significant part of his character.
A Grown-Up Bobby Hill
Bobby Hill was a major component of the original series, with many episodes often pitting his unique personality against Hank’s ignorance or disapproval. It’s led to a lot of the show’s most memorable moments. Bobby kicking everyone in the crotch, Bobby and Peggy accidentally destroying an American flag, Bobby believing he’s the reincarnated Lama Sanglug, at the center of all of these highlights is everyone’s favorite aspiring prop-comic. Should the King of the Hill revival feature a time jump, we’re curious to see how an easy-going Bobby would change in a world of instant gratification and information overload.
Coinciding with an aged-up Hank and Peggy Hill, we’d get to see storylines that the original series wouldn’t be able to offer in comparison. While Bobby dealt with the consequences of drinking and smoking already, we could see him bond with Hank over driving, butting heads over motorized bicycles, or even the two struggling to understand short-form content.
The Residents of Arlen
Beyond the Hill family, the expanded cast of King of the Hill is downright incredible. They’re as synonymous with the series as they are the Hills, from Hank’s beer-drinking buddies to his antagonistic Laotian neighbors, to even his deadbeat boss Buck Strickland. The expanded cast of King of the Hill has been the host for just as many, if not more, laughs when compared to the Hills.
The revival announcement unfortunately had some glaring omissions in terms of casting. Due to the real-life passing of Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty, we can expect that their characters (Luanne Platter and Lucky, respectively) will not make a return. It’s unfortunate, but seeing as the two were happily married by the end of the original series, we have some sense of closure for their characters. The voice actor for Kahn Souphanousinphone, Toby Huss, has also not been confirmed to return. Whether it’s because of the actor’s prior commitments or a possible recasting remains to be seen.
It would be a shame to see Kahn written off entirely, especially considering that his wife Minh, voiced by Lauren Tom, is likely to return. While he can occasionally be annoying, be it from his sheer arrogance or his voice itself, his pride led to some interesting conflicts between himself and Hank. The character even provided some mental health representation towards the end of the series, as it’s revealed that he is suffering from bipolar disorder. Toby Huss’ absence also means that Cotton Hill, Hank’s coworker Joe Jack, Strickland’s rival M.F. Thatherton, and Coach Kleehammer are now lacking voices as well.
