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Hulu's King of the Hill reboot is just around the corner, with a newly revealed release date and, excitingly, the early premiere of the new incarnation of the show's iconic credits sequence, including the beloved theme song by The Refreshments.
The show's creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels and new showrunner Saladin K. Patterson have also opened up in an interview with Vulture, explaining some new details of where we'll find King of the Hill's beloved characters when the new season premieres on August 4.
As you can see, Hank and Peggy seem to have moved out of their old Arlen neighborhood for some time. It turns out Hank's been selling propane and propane accessories in Saudi Arabia for some time, and now he's finally moving back into his old place. And though he's been in Saudi Arabia, he's been living in a corporate community meant to offer its American employees an idealized version of their home country.
"We liked the idea that he had been gone for a while, and the most Mayberry kind of freezer that you could put the family in was an Aramco base, which is like an idealized kind of white-picket-fence America," Greg Daniels. "They had gone to Saudi Arabia and they were just coming back and had missed out on a lot of recent, uh, cultural changes."
"A lot has happened in the world since the original run of the show ended. There's just a lot more for Hank to complain about," adds Mike Judge.
Bobby is all grown up (though Pamela Adlon is still voicing him with much the same tone). Dale is running for mayor of Arlen. And what's more, Dale's political beliefs, once considered on the fringes, have somehow become much more mainstream.
Still, showrunner Patterson says that, as ever, King of the Hill will focus on the foibles of modern day life and the relationships of the characters as opposed to biting political satire.
"I think focusing on small, relatable things was the way that we were able to steer clear of things that were gonna feel like gratuitous satire, on-the-nose, or just ineffective," says Patterson. "You know, 'Oh, I see what they're doing here. That's a conservative point of view, that’s a liberal point of view.' It's kind of easy and simple, right?" Patterson says.
"Hank always represented the sensible middle, the old show did a great job handling the extremes and kind of pushing people towards what the common-sense middle was," the showrunner continues. "Well, Hank's been gone, and while he's gone, the country's changed so much that where Hank stood in the middle isn't really the middle anymore."
"It always was a very specific show. It's about these characters who live around this alley. It's a character comedy,” Daniels states. "I hope no one has an expectation that it's a late-night show. Animation takes a long time. We're not ripping headlines. It's about character and culture."
As someone who loves King of the Hill and has, let's say, strong opinions about the characters, I'm genuinely encouraged that the creators and showrunner are focusing on the things that have always made the show great, especially the ways that the characters grow and evolve through their relationships with each other. I'm still a bit on the fence about the revival (the concept of bringing back an old show years after its original run doesn't have the best track record), but I'm optimistic for the potential in the show's updated premise.
The new King of the Hill revival will premiere all 10 episodes on Hulu on August 4. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond.
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