King of the Hill Creators Reveal How Revival Will Get Political

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The fourteenth season of “King of the Hill,” set to premiere on Hulu this summer, brings a fresh perspective to the Hill family. After spending several years in Saudi Arabia, Hank, Peggy, and their son Bobby (now a chef at a restaurant) are coming back to Arlen, Texas. Previous seasons hinted that Hank’s political views might take a step back, allowing for a focus on everyday life events in the series. However, the showrunner has recently discussed the political themes that will emerge and the cautious approach taken by the creators when delving into uncharted territories for the Hulu show.

In simpler terms, Showrunner Saladin Patterson explained that for its fourteenth season, King of the Hill intends to delve into political matters, although it’s primarily centered around family and culture. They briefly mentioned immigration in a non-political context earlier, but they aren’t sure what future policies will be, so they plan to concentrate on cultural and generational shifts, as well as ironies and conflicts instead.

King of The Hill Rides The Center

Previously, Patterson explained that Hank’s political stance will be relevant in the upcoming revival, stating “In the original series, Hank symbolized a balanced viewpoint; it skillfully portrayed the extremes and nudged viewers towards the moderate center. However, since Hank has been away, the country has significantly shifted, so what was once considered the middle ground is no longer where Hank stood.

Saladin had pointed out that due to the lengthy production process for animation, “King of the Hill” wouldn’t be swiftly adapting storylines from current events. He clarified, “Please don’t expect it to be a late-night talk show. Animation takes a considerable amount of time. We aren’t grabbing headlines. Instead, our focus is on characters and culture. By emphasizing small, relatable aspects, we managed to avoid topics that might seem like forced satire or heavy-handed commentary, and instead, we aimed for subtler, more nuanced themes. You know, things that don’t scream ‘This is a conservative viewpoint,’ ‘This is a liberal viewpoint.’ It’s more complex and engaging.

The fourteenth season of “King of the Hill” will debut on August 4th, releasing all ten episodes in one go. This follows the announcement that Hulu plans to drop all episodes of “Futurama’s” upcoming season on the same day, suggesting a shift in how shows are released on their streaming platform. Although not yet officially confirmed, hints from voice actors indicate that a fifteenth season of “King of the Hill” could be on the horizon.

Via Animation Magazine

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2025-07-22 22:41