King Of The Hill Based Arlen, Texas On A Very Real Location
Created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, the animated series "King of the Hill" is remembered for its hilarious, down-to-earth depiction of the everyday life of salesman Hank Hill, who lives in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, with his family. The comedy series paints a refreshing and relatable picture of suburban Texas life and is recognized for its enduring legacy, and the influence it created on sitcom history.
Since its abrupt cancellation in 2009, "King of the Hill" has stood the test of time for its humble characters and deeply resonant themes. It often depicted quintessential Americana culture with a subtlety rarely seen on television, telling a story about a bumbling Texas-based everyman with equal parts humor and wit. The laughs were seldom set up by punchlines, and were instead created through its characters' observations, which is possibly why "King of the Hill" won over audiences for 13 consecutive seasons. While the fictional town of Arlen served as an escape for the show's viewers for over a decade, co-creator Mike Judge has revealed that a real-life city in Texas inspired the town.
Arlen was inspired by Richardson
As viewers may already remember, "King of the Hill" is based in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas. It's a prime location for fans of the football team, Dallas Cowboys (much like Hank Hill himself), and its Water Tower, Arlen's most memorable landmark, has often been shown off in episodes.
As per co-creator Mike Judge and his interview with The New York Times, his hometown of Richardson, a real-life Dallas suburb, served as inspiration for Arlen. The town was also inspired by his childhood experiences growing up in a blue-collar neighborhood in New Mexico.
"It's Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. I actually grew up in Albuquerque, N.M., and had a paper route in a blue-collar neighborhood. West Texas and eastern New Mexico blur a little bit, and I remember my brother and I just noticing that every adult authority figure used to have a Texas accent. There was always someone going [with a twang], 'Excuse me, boys.'"
"King of the Hill" has often been in the middle of discussion surrounding its revival. After airing its final episode in late 2009, creator Greg Daniels told Collider there was hope for the series to begin again. If Daniels and his team bagged a deal for its revival, the idea would be to have a time-jump that sees the characters older than we last saw them, leading different lives but still making us laugh the way they used to. We don't know if the idea will see the light of day — but we can hope!