The Fox Network is mulling the idea of bringing back one of its long-running animated shows to its block on Sunday night, “King of the Hill.” The series, which ran between 1997 and 2010, depicted the trials and tribulations of the Hill family, including Hank, his wife Peggy, son Bobby, and niece Louanne in the fictional Texas town of Arlen. Along with their colorful neighbors, including Dale, Bill, Boomhauer, and Kahn, their ordinary adventures provided a great deal of gentle comedy during its 13-year run.
Why ‘King of the Hill’ after all of these years?
“King of the Hill,” somewhat unique among primetime animated series, took a more conservative view of life, politics, and family values. Hank was not the stereotypical dimwitted dad as was featured in “Family Guy” and “American Dad.” He was often the most sensible, level-headed character in a typical episode, albeit often exasperated and confused about the chaos going on around him. The other characters were typical Texas types, including Dale the conspiracy nut, Boomhauer with an accent that was almost undecipherable, and even Kahn, the recent Asian immigrant who was more American than many born in the states. Targets of the show included environmentalists, aging hippies, vegans, and the politically correct.
The short answer for why “King of the Hill” may be back, besides the fact that it was a great show that should never have been canceled, to begin with, is that we are in the age of Trump. The Hills and their friends are very likely Trump voters, a species that Hollywood has no understanding of. However, Mike Judge, the purveyor of the show, does understand the inhabitants of Arlen.
Hank Hill’s gentle, time-tested wisdom is surely needed in an age where politics and culture have made people more than a little unhinged.
So when can we expect the show to come back?
The discussions are said to be “preliminary,” though Judge and company are understandably excited about bringing “King of the Hill” back. The best guess for when the new season will air, given long lead times for animation, will be fall of 2018.
“King of the Hill” was rarely overtly political. The closest it came was a 2000 episode in which Hank meets then-Governor George W. Bush and finds his handshake too weak, giving him doubts about voting for him. Even so, given the current president’s love of showmanship, one cannot but wonder if Donald J. Trump will soon meet the Hills. The president would surely benefit from the encounter. And his handshake is said to be anything but weak.
