King of the Hill is coming back to our TV screens, we tell you h’what. Or at least, we think it is. A revival of this iconic Fox animated hit was ordered for Hulu in January 2023. But since then, news regarding production, casting, and potential release dates has been slow to trickle out.
King of the Hill was one of the longest-running animated shows of all time, airing on Fox from 1997 to 2010. It was creator Mike Judge’s second animated project after Beavis and Butt-Head, which also received a revival of its own in 2022. Given how popular King of the Hill was and is, it would make sense for the revival to be a top priority. Yes, animation is a time-consuming process, but it’s been more than a year and a half since the revival was announced. But it hasn’t been a smooth road. The show dealt with the dual 2023 strikes and the death of main cast member Johnny Hardwick. Let’s look at everything we know about the King of the Hill revival, what could be holding things up, and when we might eventually see the Hill family on TV once again.
King of the Hill’s Original Run and Revival Announcement
King of the Hill first debuted on Fox on January 12, 1997. It ran until May 6, 2010, making it the network’s third longest-running animated show behind The Simpsons and Family Guy. King of the Hill was canceled in the late 2000s when ratings began to drop, as well as to make room for Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show.
King of the Hill has developed a strong cult following in the 25+ years since its release, even winning two Emmy Awards. Talks about a potential revival for Fox were first reported back in August 2017. No real progress was made until 2021 and 2022, when more negotiations were revealed. At the 2022 Comic-Con, Judge announced that the show had a “very good chance” of coming back and projects were in development. But in September 2022, Fox passed on the revival. Hulu stepped in to save the Hills in January 2023, officially placing an order for the new show. Cast members Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, Lauren Tom, and Stephen Root all signed on for the reboot as well.
Logistical Issues Early in the King of the Hill Production Process
Production ran into problems almost immediately. Just a few months after the pickup, the dual WGA and SAG strikes shut down Hollywood from May to November 2023. Hardwick also passed away during the strike hiatus in August 2023. While we don’t know how far along production was at the time of the strike shutdown, it was announced that Hardwick had recorded a few episodes as Dale Gribble before his passing.
After the writers’ strike ended in September 2023, co-creator Greg Daniels and the writing staff returned to their writers’ room. At that point, they were penning the scripts for the third and fourth episodes, while still editing the previous two. With the logistical issues caused by the production shutdown, Daniels estimated that the show would not be ready for a premiere until early 2025. If they’re able to stick with that timeline, we could expect some more information in the next few weeks and months. Animation is a time-consuming process, especially when there’s a six-month shutdown right in the middle.
Deceased and Non-Returning King of the Hill Cast Members
We know some details about what to expect story-wise. Per Pamela Adlon, Bobby Hill’s VA, the youngest Hill will be aged up from 12 to 21. Like nearly all animated characters, Bobby did not age at all in the original 13-year run. He is also now reportedly working as a chef. It’s currently unknown how the revival will handle its deceased and non-returning cast members. We know that Hardwick’s Dale will appear in a limited capacity. But beyond that, it’s unclear if they’ll recast him for future appearances or write the conspiracy-loving Hill neighbor off. The original show featured the late Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty as Hank and Peggy’s niece, Luanne, and her husband, Lucky.
If the show chooses not to recast these roles, they would have an easier time dealing with the characters’ absences. The two married near the end of the original, so the revival could easily say that they moved away from Arlen. It’s currently unknown if Toby Huss, who voiced both Hank’s father Cotton and the Hills’ neighbor Kahn, will come back. But it’s not likely, as Cotton passed away in the show’s 12th season. And regarding Huss, who is white, as Kahn, Daniels told TV Line he was,
“Not sure whether Kahn’s coming back. But I think we would most likely replace Toby’s voice for Kahn. Like, if we were casting today, we wouldn’t have cast him.”
While Hulu and the production team have been tight-lipped about the King of the Hill revival, it’s still chugging along in production. If the show can stick to Daniels’ desired timeline, we could see Hank, Peggy, Bobby, and the whole gang again in just a few short months, likely sometime in 2025. That’d be pretty good news, we tell you h’what. King of the Hill is streaming on Hulu.
