It didn’t happen at Fox, but it is happening at Hulu! The streamer just announced they’ve greenlit the revival of iconic animated hit King of the Hill, from 20th Television Animation, with original co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels. The duo will executive produce alongside incoming executive producer and showrunner Saladin Patterson. In addition, 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg and Howard Klein and Bandera Entertainment’s Dustin Davis will serve as executive producers of the show, which will take place in fictional Arlen, Texas, in the present-day U.S.A.
Original voice talent returning includes Judge, Kathy Najimy, Stephen Root, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, and Lauren Tom. The reboot has been in the works since the 2017 San Francisco Sketchfest, where Judge and Daniels reconnected with the cast and celebrated King of the Hill’s 20th anniversary.
The Emmy-winning series, which ran for 13 seasons on FOX and is now streaming on Hulu, is set in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas. It follows the life of Hank Hill (Judge), an enthusiastic seller of propane and propane accessories; his wife, Peggy (Najimy), a local Boggle champ and substitute teacher; and their 13-year-old son, Bobby (Adlon), who defies any expectation his father had for a son. Hank’s friends – conspiracy theorist Dale (Hardwick), military barber Bill (Stephen Root), and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer (Judge), along with Peggy’s friends Minh (Tom) and meteorologist Nancy (Ashley Gardner), and Bobby’s friend Connie (Tom) help the Hills navigate a changing world.
“We are all so excited to welcome back Hank, Peggy, and Bobby, and to see what they have to say about the world we live in and continue the conversations we began years ago,” said Craig Erwich, president, ABC Entertainment, Hulu and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals. “This show has all of the perfect ingredients to meet this moment in animation at Hulu, and we’re so thankful to be having those conversations alongside this talented group.”
Showrunner Patterson said, “Yeah, man I tell you whot man, that dang Ol’ Greg, talking about ‘O.G.’ and then that Mike Judge … Inspirations, man … the original show, dang ol’ classic … Got my kids, man, walking around talking about ‘That’s my purse! I don’t know you!’ Feeling blessed, man, I tell you whot ‘Feel so Good’ is a great song, I don’t care what no-dang-body says …”
“I’m so lucky to have been a part of this show from the very beginning and couldn’t be more excited to visit Arlen, Texas, once again with Mike, Greg, and Saladin, who together are bringing a whole new perspective to the original series,” said Marci Proietto, executive vice president, 20th Television Animation. “We all want to thank the fans for their overwhelming support because they helped make this happen, and I can’t wait to share this new iteration through the lens of 2023 America. In the words of our beloved Peggy Hill: ‘Ho yeah!’”
The original series received critical acclaim and accolades, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. In addition, the series has been translated into numerous languages and aired in 50 countries worldwide.
Source: Hulu
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
