Everything We Know About the King of the Hill Reboot (So Far) (2024)

After the Disney acquisition of FOX, the House of Mouse has been dusting off some older properties to appeal to a more adult audience. It has revived beloved animated hits like Futurama while protecting shows such as Solar Opposites and The Simpsons so that they may become mainstays of the company's streaming platforms. But Disney continues to reach further back into the archives, eyeing up a show that was once atop the mountain before eventually fading into obscurity. While there is the top tier of animated classics like South Park or Family Guy, which modern audiences will be familiar with, for a whole generation, King of the Hill will be a completely new experience. Indeed, the animated series was massive at the time of its release and enjoyed many successful years on FOX itself. However, its cancelation in 2010 after a decline in ratings put an end to that story for the time being.

Now, with Disney in charge, King of the Hill has the chance to return, living up to those nostalgic memories that previous fans had for the show while entertaining newcomers. For those who do not remember this comedy series, the show largely centered on the Hill family who hailed from Texas. The premise depicted a family and their local community who struggle with everyday issues, facing the challenges of work and home life. The series puts the dynamic of the core family front and center, with Hank, Peggy, Bobby, Dale, and Bill forming the main ensemble. While it was not without its controversies, the show picked up numerous accolades over the years for its witty writing, stellar voice acting, and penchant for unexpected storytelling. Although King of the Hill has evolved greatly since its debut, changing its format significantly, there's still a very specific tone and style that audiences are now missing from their screens, and hopefully, the reboot will change that.

King of the Hill Will Move the Plot Forward

It's as Much a Revival as It Is a Reboot

King of the Hill has been on quite the tumultuous journey, with the very concept of the show getting passed between studios without much hope. It's already been 14 years since the series last went to air, and although there have been re-runs and the animated series has amassed a small audience on streaming, it certainly has not been celebrating its heyday. However, as is often the case with these kinds of shows, a known name provides an opportunity, and it seems that King of the Hill will get its time in the sun again.

While the latest iteration of the show is being named a reboot, it's important to note that this is more of a soft reboot than a fully-formed reinterpretation. In fact, it's closer to call it a revival, as the continuity of the previous seasons will remain intact. The general idea is to appease those fans who tuned in during the show's first run while rewarding those who have caught up with previous seasons. What's more, the show will also need to appeal to a new generation, who may have no interest in going to the vault and checking out past episodes.

That's a complex challenge, but narratively, the creatives have come up with a way to make this a seamless transition. The minds behind King of the Hill have landed on a time jump for the show, moving it further away from what fans previously knew. That gives them a chance to reset the continuity somewhat and means that they are giving the characters and their lives a bit of a fresh start. This is a much easier point of introduction for new fans.

What's more, a time jump means that the characters will be facing new conflicts, as they will also be aged up. Animated shows so often keep their leads within the same status quo, but to change that completely is to offer up new storytelling opportunities. The revival of King of the Hill will thus be easy to contrast against what came before it, giving Disney a great way to promote the show and a reason for old-timers to tune in. After all, why wouldn't they want to see how these characters have progressed after following them for years?

Key Creative Minds Will Be Returning

The Cast & Crew are Set

Whenever a reboot or a revival occurs, the original fans become concerned that the initial team are not involved with the project. King of the Hill was first created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, who have gone on to have phenomenal careers with associations with the likes of SNL, The Office, Beavis and Butt-Head and Silicone Valley. With two such creative minds behind the hit, it seems obvious that Disney should be looking to work with the duo again. While the duo were not the showrunners of the series after its fourth season, they have always had a massive hand in guiding the show.

Well, fans should feel far more confident in the fact that both Daniels and Judge have been involved in the revival with Disney and FOX. Indeed, not only have they been in talks with the studio since the very idea of a reboot was brought to the table, but Judge himself, who voiced Hank Hill, will also be returning for acting duties. Considering how much more experience this creative duo have had since first conceptualizing the show, their expertise will be highly welcome.

• King of the Hill spent its full run on FOX.
• The creator of the show, Mike Judge, also forged Beavis and Butt-Head on MTV.
• The series went from a serialized format to episodic storytelling.
• Bless the Harts exists within the same universe.

A huge portion of the cast will also be returning to the series, with Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Root, and Lauren Tom all in talks to come back to their roles. The series gained so much of its identity from these voice-acting talents, and it simply wouldn't sound the same without them. Unfortunately, with the tragic loss of performers such as Brittany Murphy, it's currently unclear how the showrunners want to progress with those roles.

King of the Hill also lost Johnny Hardwick, who had helped to create Dale Gribble, a crucial character. Hardwick had actually begun recording lines for the new season but sadly passed away during production. There has been no news on how FOX and Disney wish to handle Gribble moving forward, but fans should expect to hear Hardwick's talents in a few episodes of the reboot.

Hulu Will Take on the Animated Show

It Seems the Visuals & Tone Will Be Maintained

With Disney now owning a couple of streaming services and a wider array of production companies involved in its developmental processes, it was initially unclear as to who would be handling King of the Hill and where it would go. FOX as an entity has changed drastically since that initial run, but Disney has now found a home and development team for the animated sitcom on Hulu. That means that in the United States the show will be hitting Hulu in the near future.

Much like Hulu's other originals, internationally there will be a number of homes for King of the Hill. Across Europe, for example, the series will be included as part of the Disney+ streaming service and will sit under the Star banner, much like other Hulu shows like Solar Opposites. The show certainly won't look out of place there and, indeed, offers up a way for the global market to react to what had been quite an American-focused property.

Judge and Daniels have also put together their own production company to ensure that they can have some ownership over the progression of King of the Hill. The series will thus be overseen by Bandera Entertainment, which has already developed Praise Petey, In the Know, and, most notably, Exploding Kittens. The studio might be in its earliest days, but King of the Hill is set to be the show that really places it on the map. When it comes to the production itself, it seems that the show will be keeping to its aesthetic and respecting its rough-around-the-edges animation roots. This will not be gaining a complete visual overhaul, therefore, with the iconic characters appearing as they always have.

What's more, it seems that Season 1 is largely complete and that work has begun on Season 2. The most ambitious of estimates suggests that the very first Season of the reboot will launch in 2025, with Season 2 closely following on in 2026, to make the most of any momentum for the property. However, it's not currently known what the schedule will look like for that release, whether all the episodes will drop at once, or whether Hulu will opt for a weekly release. Finally, it's still up in the air as to when King of the Hill will actually return. The current content schedule for Hulu and Disney+ is being kept under wraps for 2025, but with there often being a slump in the earliest months, it's plausible that it could drop sometime in February or March. So, fans should keep their eye on early 2025!

King of the Hill

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Drama

A straight-laced propane salesman in Arlen, Texas tries to deal with the wacky antics of his family and friends, while also trying to keep his son in line.

Release Date

January 12, 1997

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

13

Creator

Greg Daniels, Mike Judge

Production Company

Deedle-Dee Productions, Judgmental Films, 3 Arts Entertainment

Number of Episodes

258

Main Cast

Kathy Najimy, Breckin Meyer, Brittany Murphy, Ashley Gardner, Beth Grant, Johnny Hardwick, Toby Huss, Jonathan Joss, Mike Judge, Stephen Root, Pamela Adlon, and Lauren Tom