Hulu Saves Classic Canceled Cartoon After Fox Buries Revival
King of the Hill is finally coming back after Hulu picked up the revival series.
Yup, yep, mm-hmm. A report by Deadline has confirmed that the King of the Hill revival, which was scrapped at Fox last fall, has been picked up by Hulu. The series’ creators, Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, are set to return with the original cast to filter the world of 2023 through the residents of Arlen, Texas.
King of the Hill follows the adventures of Hank Hill, a mannerly salesman of propane and propane accessories raising a family in the fictional town of Arlen. Hank navigates happenings in the eccentric and absurd lives of his friends and family, all while trying to set a proper example of manhood for his son, Bobby.
The new season will see the return of the original King of the Hill cast members. Mike Judge will reprise his roles as Hank Hill and Boomhauer, Kathy Najimy as Peggy Hill, Stephen Root as Bill, Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill, Johnny Hardwick as Dale, and Lauren Tom as Minh.
No plot details have been revealed for the new season of King of the Hill, but those involved expressed excitement at the prospect of telling modern stories with the show’s characters. The series served as a poignant and hilarious social commentary, and after a decade of significant political, social, and technological changes, the show will have plenty of material to work with.
The animated comedy series ran for 13 seasons on Fox from 1997 to 2010. Plans to revive King of the Hill began swirling in 2017 after Judge and Daniels reunited with the show’s cast at the San Francisco Sketchfest. The show traversed a tumultuous path that has led it to its new home on Hulu.
King of the Hill isn’t the only animated classic to be revived by Hulu. Thanks to the streamer, Matt Groening’s hit comedy Futurama is also set to return after nearly 10 years off the air. Both shows formerly aired on Fox, which, along with Hulu, is now under the Disney umbrella.
The creators of King of the Hill have led impressive careers; Mike Judge has delivered shows like Beavis and Butt-Head and Silicon Valley and the cult classic films Office Space and Idiocracy, while Greg Daniels is best known for creating NBC’s Parks and Recreation and the American version of The Office. Saladin K. Patterson, showrunner on The Last O.G. and The Wonder Years reboot, will serve as the new King of the Hill showrunner.
In addition to King of the Hill, Judge and Daniels are working together on a number of television series, including the epic Exploding Kittens show that will see God and the Devil take on the form of house cats later this year. The pair are also at work on the series Praise Petey, from Miracle Workers writer Anna Drezen, and Best Buds from creators Caitie Delaney and Caleb Hearon.
A lot has changed since King of the Hill ended back in 2010, and the show’s characters will surely have a lot to say about it when the series returns. A release date for the new season of King of the Hill has not yet been released, but the show’s original run is streaming now on Hulu.
