Today Is A Great Day For King of the Hill Fans

King of the Hill fans rejoice! It’s a great day to head back to Arlen as all 10 episodes of the show’s revival (officially labeled as season 14) are now available to stream. The last time fans got a new episode of King of the Hill was over 15 years ago, so speaking for all of them, I’ll offer up an enthusiastic Peggy Hill “Ho Yeah!”

The new season sees almost all of the core cast members returning to their roles, including Mike Judge, the show’s co-creator, as Hank Hill and the motor-mouthed Boomhauer, Kathy Najimy as Peggy, Pamela Adlon as Bobby, Stephen Root as Bill, and Lauren Tom as Minh and Connie Souphanousinphone. Johnny Hardwick, who originally voiced Dale, sadly passed away before completing his lines, but the role was taken over by fellow King of the Hill alum Toby Huss.

Unlike other animated shows that have had their own revivals, King of the Hill, as it always has, takes a more realistic approach to its storytelling. The new season picks up in real time, with an older Hank and Peggy returning to Arlen after being away for years in Saudi Arabia (show us that part of Hank’s life!). Hank must try and adjust to how much things have changed since he has been gone, and that includes reconnecting with his son Bobby, who is now a sushi chef living in Dallas. It’s a smart way to revive the show and to make it feel different while keeping its familiar charm. It also might be a smart way to sidestep the absence of mainstay characters Luanne and Lucky, whose voice actors both passed away (Brittany Murphy in 2009 and Tom Petty in 2017).

Though the entire new season is only 10 episodes, it seems like all of the characters will get their chance to shine once again, with stories that reflect the modern world. The original run of King of the Hill never shied away from talking about current events, so it makes sense that the show would include new challenges for Hank, Peggy and all their friends to overcome. This includes Hank and Bobby entering a home brewing competition and arguing about beer (“I’ve been drinking beer for 40 years and I never wished once that it tasted more like fruit”), and Hank taking his half brother GH (who was just a baby in the original series, the ‘GH’ stands for ‘Good Hank’) to a men’s camp.

King of the Hill season 14 is already a huge hit with critics and fans, garnering a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 92% audience score to boot as of writing. It’s clear that fans are thrilled at the return of one of the best Fox animated shows ever, and with any luck, the stories will continue with another season. Animation fans are getting a lot right now with great new episodes of South Park and new seasons of Futurama and Solar Opposites on the horizon, but for now it’s nice to take a break from all of the sci-fi and silliness and just enjoy a bit more time in a small Texas town, I’ll tell you hwat.

King of the Hill season 14 is now streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus.

King of the Hill

Release Date: 1997 – 2010-00-00
Network: FOX, Hulu
Showrunner: Greg Daniels
Directors: Tricia Garcia, Adam Kuhlman, Dominic Polcino, Gary McCarver, Anthony Lioi, Jeff Myers, Allan Jacobsen, Shaun Cashman, Klay Hall, Ken Wong, Ron Rubio, Tony Kluck, Wes Archer, Matt Engstrom, Anthony Chun, John Rice, Michael Dante DiMartino, Monte Young, Brian Sheesley, Julius Wu, Lauren MacMullan, Yvette Kaplan, Steve Robertson, Pat Shinagawa
Writers: Jim Dauterive, Kit Boss, Dan McGrath, Paul Lieberstein, Jonathan Collier, Christy Stratton, Etan Cohen, Garland Testa, Norm Hiscock, Johnny Hardwick, Rebecca May, Tony Gama-Lobo, Peter Huyck, Dan Sterling, J.B. Cook, Alan Freedland, Alan R. Cohen, Brad Walsh, Joe Stillman, Jon Vitti, Paul Corrigan, Judah Miller, Murray Miller, Sivert Glarum