The King Of The Hill Revival Gets The Green Light From Hulu, Original Cast Members Returning
"King of the Hill" is coming back. TVLine reports that the much-loved Fox animated sitcom is returning with many key cast and crew members already on board, though this time it'll be with a series order on Hulu. Though the series originally ended in 2009 after 13 seasons, its new iteration will follow propane salesman Hank Hill (Mike Judge) and his family and neighbors in the present day.
In addition to co-creator and star Judge's return as both Hank and his mumbling friend Boomhauer, the series will also include Kathy Najimy's Peggy, Pamela Adlon's Bobby, Stephen Root's Bill, and Johnny Hardwick's Dale. Key castmate Toby Huss, who played Hank's belligerent father Cotton, is absent from the lineup, likely since Cotton finally kicked the bucket in the show's twelfth season. Huss, however, also voiced the Laotian character Kahn, so his absence from the initial cast list makes me wonder whether Kahn will be recast — perhaps with a Laotian voice actor.
There will also be another, more tragic absence from the series as Brittany Murphy, who voiced the scene-stealing character Luanne, passed away soon after the show's final season finished airing. There's no word yet on whether Luanne, Hank's niece, will return as a character in the series.
The show's returning to present-day Arlen, Texas
The behind-the-scenes team is set to return, though: Judge and co-creator Greg Daniels are both back on board as executive producers, while writer-producer Saladin Patterson is on board as showrunner. Patterson is a newcomer to the series whose past showrunner credits include "Dave," "The Wonder Years" reboot (which he created), and "The Last O.G."
Hulu president Craig Erwich shared excitement for the new series in a statement, saying, "We are all so excited to welcome back Hank, Peggy and Bobby, and to see what they have to say about the world we live in and continue the conversations we began years ago." Erwich added that the series "has all of the perfect ingredients to meet this moment in animation at Hulu." With the show set to continue in its original fictional Arlen, Texas setting, I can imagine any conversations it'll be having in 2023 will be interesting and hilarious. I also can't wait to find out if Bobby grew up to be, as queer fans often speculate based on his entirely relatable experiences and personality, a gay or trans icon.
The fourteenth season of "King of the Hill" does not yet have a release date, but will premiere on Hulu. You can also catch the show's original run on Hulu while you wait.