Television revivals have become an increasingly popular idea in the last few years, as many classics have returned for new reboots and more. Some of these revivals have even gone as far as bringing back members of the original cast, but it never quite feels the same as the original. This is natural, thanks to the passage of time, of course, as there’s no way a show made years after the original can catch the same kind of spirit. But what if it were actually possible? What if a new revival could match the original in tone, vibe, and material? We’ve finally gotten our answer.
King of the Hill has returned with a brand-new season of episodes, 15 years after the original animated series came to an end with Fox, and Hulu has ushered in a whole new era of the franchise. Bringing back its characters after aging them nearly a decade since the events of the original series, King of the Hill Season 14 is the best TV revival ever shown before. It’s got what you love from the original show, but has added a new layer of complexity that can only come from having 15 years of new experiences to draw from.
King of the Hill series co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels are some of the most experienced creators working in television today, and that’s especially true for Judge, as he has already had experience bringing back a classic animated series for a new generation. Beavis and Butt-Head has been brought back twice, and the second revival with Paramount+ and Comedy Central has laid the groundwork for the kind of new episodes that you’ll see in place with King of the Hill. It was here that Beavis and Butt-Head both aged into adulthood, and fans got to see new kinds of stories with the characters as a result.
This reboot showcased the kind of ideas that could be at play for King of the Hill, and thankfully, the new episodes do indeed follow that same pattern. Aging up each of the characters immediately shows that King of the Hill was brought back because there was a good idea cooking up for it. The original series made its mark as an animated sitcom because, while it told episodic stories, it was all in the serialized lives of Hank and the rest of Arlen, Texas. So, for fans of the original, this new era for the franchise is paying off all of that work done as the characters are informed by everything that has gone down before.
King of the Hill Season 14 picks up shortly after Hank and Peggy end their time in Saudi Arabia. Hank has been working on “Arabian Propane and Propane Accessories” for the Aramco base for the last few years, and has saved enough for him and Peggy to retire. Upon returning to Arlen, he’s discovered how much America has changed with COVID-19, new diets and foods, the rise of new technologies, cultural changes, and more. But even more than all of that, his friends and family have gone through some big changes of their own. Bobby, for example, is now a 21-year-old chef working at a Japanese/German fusion restaurant in Dallas.
Hank’s stories are new, but they carry a great sense of familiarity without feeling like they’re relying too much on that nostalgia. The humor for the new episodes is still derived from Hank’s stubborn reactions to these changes happening around him, but thankfully, they vary in the kinds of struggles he deals with in this new season. It’s no longer that he outright refuses new things, but instead has been internally struggling with how to carry himself in his retirement age. It’s a Hank with time to fill, and he’s finding himself taking on new things to do so — even if he’ll be a little opposed to how things continue to change.
The biggest shift from the original King of the Hill, however, is with Bobby’s half of the story. This is going to be the real make-or-break element of the show for both new and older fans. It feels dramatically different from the original series, thanks to its Dallas setting, but also feels different thanks to the types of stories given to this older Bobby. He hasn’t really changed too much from how he was in the original, as Bobby was always fully realized in who he was as a person, but his side of the story is where we see the most new additions to the franchise. This is also where there are the most bumps on the road.
Not every single new element of Bobby’s half of the story is easy to gel with at first, because it’s all brand new, but the season finds its groove as it continues. Much like the original series, every episode is its own self-contained story, but builds on one another as the characters share more of their lives. So while Hank and Peggy’s main story is focused on how they need to adjust to their new lives filled with so much free time, Bobby’s is instead focused on navigating his young adult life as someone who didn’t go to college like his peers and his chasing his dreams of being a chef. While the two paths might seem distinct from one another at first, thematically, it all falls in line with the original King of the Hill.
There are plenty of moments that offer fans a little extra enjoyment, but King of the Hill Season 14 is built with new viewers in mind as well. It’s true that you’ll enjoy the revival much more if you have experience with the original, but the new episodes are written in such a way that new viewers will still be able to follow (and more importantly, laugh at) everything that’s happening. It’s just so refreshing in how it’s a season that feels nostalgic, but not weighed down by the past.
King of the Hill is not afraid of moving forward with the times and making certain adjustments to fit the modern era. There have been some adjustments to the voice cast, and some new additions to help flesh out Arlen’s world in good ways. But importantly, it never feels like anything has been changed for the sake of change itself. Each one falls in line with the character personalities that fans got to fall in love with all those years ago, but have been given updates that instead make for some awesome new stories. King of the Hill is back, and it really is better than ever.
Rating: 4 out of 5
King of the Hill Season 14 premieres with Hulu on August 4th.
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