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 spread in August 2017 that Fox was starting to have conversations about it. Well, after years of wondering what such an update would look like, we finally have a decent amount of solid info to hand over that’s got fans all over so danged excited!
So, now when you finish talking about propane and propane accessories you can regale your family and friends with all the details 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 late February 2024, there’s no premiere date for the King of the Hill revival just yet. While the show was officially confirmed by Hulu in January 2023, and the scripts were already being worked on by that time, the dual WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes shutdown work for several months, as original series co-creator Greg Daniels told TVLine that November.
The writers were back to work when their strike wrapped up, and Daniels also noted that, at the earliest, we could expect to see the comedy return in “the beginning of 2025.” Sure, that sounds too far away to be a good thing, but considering how fast time has been flying, it’ll be upon us in no time!
We’ll Catch Up With The Characters 15 Years After The Season 13 Finale
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, meaning that we’ll see the characters exploring the wild modern-day world, because the original finale aired in 2009 (with a few additional episodes airing in 2010).
Boy, howdy…Hank, Peggy, Bobby and their friends and family sure will have a lot to deal with in everyday life in Arlen, Texas, won’t they?
Most Of The Original Cast Is Returning
As with most filmed entertainment, 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. Lucky for us, most of the original voice cast was already set to return to their roles for the revival when it was announced in early 2023.
This means that series co-creator Mike Judge will be back to voice Hank Hill and his ladies’ man neighbor, Boomhauer, and we will once again hear Pamela Adlon as his joke-focused son Bobby, and Kathy Najimy as Hank’s actually-terrible-at-Spanish-despite-teaching-it wife/Bobby’s mom, Peggy.
Fans can also look forward to hearing more from original Bill Dauterive actor Stephen Root as the neighborhood’s lovable loser, Ashley Gardner as weather girl/John Redcorn baby mama/Dale’s wife, Nancy Gribble, and Lauren Tom as the academically serious Connie Souphanousinphone and her mother, the slightly rude Minh.
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 would be recast, 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
Unfortunately, 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. It was just a few days later that 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
First things first, do not 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 way over.
According to Comic Book Resources, Season 13 saw changes in the production order that led to a whole 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, which left all of the King of the Hill characters in a decent place.
Mike Judge And Greg Daniels Are Executive Producing The Revival
Our last tidbit is a very important one, as 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’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.
