It’s easy to understand why it’s been 15 years since we last spent some quality time with KING OF THE HILL. Sure, it was a de facto hit for FOX, running for 13 years as a part of what was once appointment television on Sunday nights. And particularly in the era where it was the lead-out for THE SIMPSONS at a time when it was still a top demo performer I was a regular viewer. For one thing, I was working for the kids and family division of the network, so we did an awful lot of cross-promotion with them. And for another, for as easy as it would be to lump Hank Hill into the same boat as Homer Simpson at first blush, the more you spent time with him you realized that if anything he represented a striking contrast.
For one, Hank was in far better physical shape–frankly, in terms of thirstiness across the entire spectrum of animated FOX patriarchs, he’s head and shoulders ahead of Peter Griffin and Al Bundy, let alone Homie. For another, Hank was frequently the sanest and most grounded of his network, a needed contrast to his overly optimistic wife Peggy and his classically earnest but struggling son Bobby–and WAY more in command than any of the gang that he chugged beers with in the alleys of his beloved Arlen, Texas.
But as a program, KING OF THE HILL was a classic “:30” show–meaning it began at the bottom of the hour, which by definition meant the network promoted it less and felt it was not a strong magnet in its own right. And on the occasions where they did elevate it to an 8 or 9 pm slot it was an underwhelming performer. Might be the reason that it was only sold in reruns to Adult Swim after THE SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY established that prime time neighborhood for Cartoon Network, and never really commanded enough attention for a revival until recently.
Now, after a sufficient amount of time where nostalgia has become a factor in demand metrics (my rule of thumb is the 20-year mark from peak popularity, which KING clearly had in 2005), and with Hulu lacking an exclusive window of the more popular Animation Domination progenitors, Hank and KING are both back to help them out, with the first batch of 10 episodes as part of a two-season order dropping on the platform today. So far, so good.
The venerable and auspiced sage of the desert, the ARIZONA REPUBLIC’s Bill Goodykoontz, had as nuanced and grounded a take on this as, say, what Hank himself might have offered in his preview from late last week:
Welcome back, “King of the Hill,” especially now, right when we need you. The show is back for its 14th season ― more than 15 years after the 13th season ended (the time jump isn’t as lengthy in the show). Fox canceled the show, something the new season touches on in a roundabout way. It’s still funny enough, sweet enough, satirical enough and just plain smart enough to put a neighborhood book burning into an understandable context. That is threading a needle I didn’t know was possible to thread anymore.
And it’s apparently passing muster with even the show’s most ardent fans, such as TOTAL FILM’s George Marston:
The long awaited return of King of the Hill is now upon us, with the brand new season 14 bringing viewers back to the cozy Texas town of Arlen, Texas. But much like Hank and Peggy Hill, who have spent the last few years living and working overseas in Saudi Arabia, we’re coming back to an environment that has changed significantly. I’ll admit, it took a bit longer to decide whether I’d fit in with the new world of King of the Hill than I’d have liked. It’s been my comfort show for years – I’ve seen every episode of the classic series too many times to count. But right off the bat, this is a different King of the Hill that, while often quite familiar, invokes some more timely plots than the original run.
And as YAHOO! NEWS’ Danica Creahan detailed yesterday, while there’s a lot of familiar faces they’re not quite the same as they were the last time we looked in on them:
Despite Dale, Boomhauer and Bill welcoming them home, the pair seems to be struggling with some of the changes in Arden since they left, including fancier beer, all-gender restrooms and rideshare apps. Bobby seems to be thriving in Dallas as a chef for a Japanese and German fusion restaurant. As far as totally new cast members and characters go, Keith David (The Princess and the Frog) will be joining as Brian Robertson, the tenant of the Hill home while Hank and Peggy were in Saudi Arabia. Anthony ‘Critic’ Campos (Idiocracy) will play Chef Emilio, who works alongside Bobby in Dallas.
I’ve plowed through the first couple of episodes as this is being written and for as much as I may chide streamers for so consistently falling back on pre-existing IP to try and lure us in knowing what they do about the “echo effect” that so often accompanies the launch of a revival–more time spent on the platform–in this case, I’ll give them a mulligan. And kudos to the creative team, which thankfully still includes Mike Judge, for avoiding the low hanging fruit that could have made this much more political and polarizing given the geographical setting. As the appropriately surnmaed Goodykoontz waxed:
It’s kind of the opposite of how “South Park” handled Donald Trump and the Paramount merger in its season 27 opener ― that was scorched earth all the way. Don’t get me wrong, that was also successful, wildly so, and an important salvo in the battle to preserve free speech. On-brand, you might say, and with authority. “King of the Hill” takes a different approach — and, frankly, isn’t as concerned with the specifics of things, or even politics as politics, but more how it all relates to small-town life. The show takes more of the long view.
Which to me means we’re more likely to get a cameo from a Bush than an Abbott or a Cruz. And that’s a Texas I actually want to spent some quality time in.
Until next time…