I tell you what, fans of the long-running animated series, King of the Hill, have been waiting patiently for a revival of the comedy since word came out in August 2017 that Fox was actually beginning to have conversations about bringing the beloved show back. Now, after years of wondering what that update would look like, we actually have a decent amount of solid info to deliver, and the details have fans all over so danged excited!
So, when you finish talking about propane and propane accessories you can regale your family and friends with everything we know about the King of the Hill revival that’s set to stream for those with a Hulu subscription. Let’s go!
What Is The King Of The Hill Revival Premiere Date?
Well, dangit! I hate to tell y’all this, but as of September 2024, there’s no premiere date for the King of the Hill revival just yet. The show was officially confirmed by Hulu in January 2023, and the scripts were already being worked on by that time, but unfortunately, the dual WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes shut down work for several months, as original series co-creator Greg Daniels told TVLine that November.
The writers all got back to work when their strike ended, and Daniels also noted that, at the earliest, we could expect to see the comedy return in “the beginning of 2025.” Sure, that’s still a ways off, but seeing as how fall is right around the corner, we’re certainly closer to a premiere date than we’ve ever been before!
We also don’t know right now if the season will drop all of its – as yet undetermined number of – episodes at one time, or if it will actually follow a weekly release schedule. Time will tell!
What The King Of The Hill Revival Is About
Never in all my born days did I expect an animated show to actually age its characters this much, but a 15 year time jump was hinted at way back in 2021, when original show writer Brent Forrester revealed that tidbit during a reddit AMA. Those behind the King of the Hill revival are sticking with that plan, as Greg Daniels confirmed to Collider in early 2022 that “the characters are a bit older.”
Though this doesn’t totally confirm that we’ll see the characters exploring the wild modern-day world (he original finale aired in 2009, with a few additional episodes airing in 2010), star Pamela Adlon (who is the long-time voice of Bobby Hill) told MovieWeb in May 2024 that her character is now “21” and “a chef in a fusion restaurant in Dallas.” Bobby was 13 when the comedy ended, and because the characters only aged two years throughout King of the Hill’s entire run, aging everyone by eight years is certainly enough to bring them well into the 2020s. Boy, howdy… I can’t wait to see a grown Bobby and older versions of Hank, Peggy and everyone else as they handle everyday life now!
Most Of The King Of The Hill Cast Is Returning For The Revival
Animated fare needs a strong cast of actors to really help immerse the audience in the world created on a show like King of the Hill. And, lucky for us, most of the original voice cast was already set to return to their roles when it was announced in early 2023. Let’s take a look at who we know for sure will return:
- Mike Judge as Hank Hill and Boomhauer
- Kathy Najimy as Peggy Hill
- Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill
- Stephen Root as Bill Dauterive
- Ashley Gardner as Nancy Gribble
- Lauren Tom as Connie and Minh Souphanousinphone
As for Minh’s husband/Connie’s dad, Khan, actor Toby Huss will not be reviving the role, as the show has probably (and rightfully) decided that a voice performer who can more accurately portray the character’s Laotian culture would be best. However, it hasn’t been confirmed whether or not the character will be recast, written out, or if we just won’t see Kahn.
Another important character, Peggy’s niece Luanne Platter, had been portrayed by Brittany Murphy throughout the original show’s run, but, sadly, the actress died at the age of 32 in December 2009. Those behind the comedy have yet to reveal whether or not Luanne will be a part of the revival.
We Don’t Know What Will Be Done With Late Actor Johnny Hardwick’s Character
The casting news was met with an untimely tragedy in August 2023, when the actor who brought the always hilarious and incredibly unaware conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble to life, Johnny Hardwick, died suddenly at the age of 64. A few days later, TVLine confirmed that Hardwick had been able to complete recording for “a couple” of episodes of the revival, but beyond that, we still don’t know if we’ll only see that many episodes worth of Dale, if the role will be recast, or if there’s another option that’s been worked out for the character.
Clearing Up Confusion Over The King Of The Hill Finale
The first thing fans should know about the comedy is that you shouldn’t believe your eyes when you’re rewatching the series on Hulu, get to Season 13, and see that Episode 24, “Just Another Manic Kahn-Day,” is the series finale. Oh, no. As viewers who watched the hit the first time around will likely remember, King of the Hill aired on Fox after Sunday’s NFL games, and was frequently delayed or completely preempted if football ran long.
According to Comic Book Resources, Season 13 saw changes in the production order that led to four episodes not debuting on Fox, but several months later (in May 2010) once the season was on Adult Swim. This means that the original and planned finale for the series is actually Episode 20, “To Sirloin with Love,” which ended the show in September 2009 and left all of the King of the Hill characters in a decent place.
Mike Judge And Greg Daniels Are Executive Producing The Revival
Another important bit of info we have is that original series co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels have returned to executive produce the revival. Aside from KOTH, Judge has a number of great movies and TV shows under his belt, as does Dainels, who’s responsible for shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation and other great comedies.
It Sounds Like A Second Season Is Already Underway
When Pamela Adlon talked with MovieWeb, she also revealed that (as of May 2024) they were “in the second season [creating] the reboot.” There haven’t been any other reports of the revival having more than one season at this point, but with the amount of lead time needed to complete an animated show and get it ready for broadcast, plus the popularity of the original show, it does make sense that Hulu would have come out of the gate with at least a two-season commitment. But, we’ll have to wait for official word to come out on this to know for sure.
It’s pretty clear that the plans for the King of the Hill revival are solid and moving along nicely, so, hopefully, it won’t be much longer until we get a look at the new adventures of everyone’s favorite Arlenians.
