King of the Hill

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Short description|American animated sitcom}} {{About}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = King of the hill.svg | genre = {{Plainlist| * Adult animation * Animated sitcom * Comedy drama * Satire * Slice of life * Workplace comedy * Slapstick }} | creator = {{Plainlist| * Mike Judge * Greg Daniels }} | developer = {{Plainlist| * Mike Judge * Greg Daniels * Saladin K. Patterson{{efn|Season 14-present}} }} | showrunner = {{indented plainlist| * Mike Judge * Greg Daniels * Richard Appel * Jonathan Aibel * Glenn Berger * John Altschuler * Dave Krinsky * Saladin K. Patterson }} | voices = {{Plainlist| * Mike Judge * Kathy Najimy * Pamela Adlon * Brittany Murphy * Johnny Hardwick * Stephen Root * Toby Huss * Ashley Gardner * Jonathan Joss * Lauren Tom * Breckin Meyer * Tom Petty * Ronny Chieng * Tai Leclaire * Keith David }} | theme_music_composer = The Refreshments | opentheme = "Yahoos and Triangles" | endtheme = {{Plainlist| * "Yahoos and Triangles" (reprise) by The Refreshments (seasons 1–13) * "Yahoos and Triangles" performed by Billy Strings (season 14–present) }} | composer = {{Plainlist| * Roger Neill * John O'Connor * Greg Edmonson * John Frizzell * Chuck Mangione }} | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 14  | num_episodes = 269  | list_episodes = List of King of the Hill episodes | executive_producer = {{Plainlist| * Mike Judge * Greg Daniels * Richard Appel * Jonathan Aibel * Glenn Berger * John Altschuler * Dave Krinsky * Jim Dauterive * Garland Testa * Howard Klein * Michael Rotenberg * Saladin K. Patterson * Dustin Davis }} | producer = {{Plainlist| * Mark McJimsey * David Zuckerman * Eli Dolleman }} | editor = {{Plainlist| * Lee Harting * Kirk Benson * Don Barrozo * Mark Seymour * Mark McJimsey * Leo Papin * Louis Russel * Nick Gribble }} | runtime = 20–25 minutes | company = {{Plainlist| * Deedle-Dee Productions * Judgmental Films * 3 Arts Entertainment * Bandera Entertainment (season 14–present) * 20th Century Fox Television (seasons 1–13) * 20th Television Animation (season 14–present) }} | network = Fox | first_aired = {{Start date|1997|01|12}} | last_aired = {{End date|2009|09|13}} | network2 = First-run syndication | first_aired2 = {{Start date|2010|05|03}} | last_aired2 = {{End date|2010|05|06}} | network3 = Hulu | first_aired3 = {{Start date|2025|08|04}} | last_aired3 = present }}

'''''King of the Hill''''' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in syndication from May 3-6, 2010. The show would later be revived on August 4, 2025, starting with season 14 on Hulu and Disney+ with Hulu.

The series follows the Hills, an American family who live in the fictional city of Arlen, Texas, as well as their neighbors, co-workers, relatives, classmates, friends, and acquaintances. The show's realistic approach seeks humor in the conventional and mundane aspects of everyday life, blue-collar workers, family conflicts, and the trials of puberty.

Judge began creating ''King of the Hill'' during his time making the MTV series ''Beavis and Butt-Head'', which he also created and voiced the characters for. After pitching the pilot to Fox, Judge was paired with Greg Daniels, an experienced writer who previously worked on ''The Simpsons''. The series debuted on the Fox network as a midseason replacement in 1997, before episodes of ''The Simpsons'' and ''The X-Files'', quickly becoming a success. The show became one of Fox's longest-running series, with a total of 259 episodes over the course of its 13 seasons. Four episodes from the final season were planned to air on Fox, but later premiered in nightly syndication in May 2010. The show would later be revived in August 2025 with 10 extra episodes, with the current total of 269 episodes.

''King of the Hill'' was met with widespread acclaim and is widely regarded as one of the greatest animated shows of all time.<ref name="time">{{Cite magazine |last=Poniewozik |first=James |date=September 6, 2007 |title=The 100 Greatest Television Shows of All Time |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/king-of-the-hill/ |url-status=dead |magazine=Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930154401/http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/king-of-the-hill/ |archive-date=September 30, 2012 |access-date=January 2, 2008}}</ref> The series has won two Emmy Awards and has been nominated for seven. Its celebrity guest stars include Texas Governor Ann Richards, Brad Pitt, Chuck Mangione, Tom Petty, Alan Rickman, Meryl Streep, Ben Stiller, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Keaton, Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp, Lucy Liu and numerous country music artists―including Randy Travis. The series' popularity led to worldwide syndication, and cable reruns currently air on FXX, having aired on Adult Swim, FX and Comedy Central still to this day.

On January 18, 2022, Judge and Daniels announced the formation of a new company called Bandera Entertainment, with a revival of ''King of the Hill'' being one of several series in development. On January 31, 2023, Hulu announced it had picked up the revival for two seasons. The revival premiered on August 4, 2025, with the new season airing on Hulu and Disney+ with Hulu. On October 30, 2025, Hulu renewed the series for two more seasons. The 15th season will premiere on July 20, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=2026-05-05 |title='King Of The Hill' Sets Season 15 Release Date |url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/king-of-the-hill-season-15-premiere-date-1236880893/ |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Premise and characters== ===Premise=== [[File:King of the Hill.png|left|thumb|upright|The Hill family: From the left: Peggy (back), Bobby, Hank, and their dog, Ladybird.]] ''King of the Hill'' depicts an "average" family and their lives in a typical American town. It documents the Hills' day-to-day-lives in the small Texas town of Arlen, exploring themes such as parent–child relationships, friendship, loyalty, and justice.<ref name="kotharchives" />

Unlike most adult animated sitcoms, e.g. ''Family Guy'', the show uses a simple slice-of-life format and humorously mundane content. Critics have praised ''King of the Hill'' for its sense of humanity shown throughout the show.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 3, 2013 |title=10 episodes that made King Of The Hill one of the most human cartoons ever |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/10-episodes-that-made-iking-of-the-hilli-one-of-th-99687 |url-status=live |access-date=July 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727174041/http://www.avclub.com/article/10-episodes-that-made-iking-of-the-hilli-one-of-th-99687 |archive-date=July 27, 2016}}</ref>

===Characters=== {{Main|List of King of the Hill characters}} {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="margin-right:0;" |- !colspan=9|Cast members |- |align=center| 120x120px |align=center| 120x120px |align=center| 120x120px |align=center| 120x120px |align=center| 120x120px |align=center| 120x120px |align=center| 120x120px |- style="text-align:center;" | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Mike Judge}} | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Kathy Najimy}} | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Pamela Adlon}} | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Brittany Murphy}} | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Johnny Hardwick}} | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Stephen Root}} | style="width:16%;"| {{small|Toby Huss}} |- style="text-align:center;" |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Hank Hill, Jeff Boomhauer, Stuart Dooley, additional voices}} |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Peggy Hill}} |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Bobby Hill, Clark Peters, Chane Wassanasong (s.4–12), Donna, Additional voices}} |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Luanne Platter (s. 1–13), Joseph Gribble (s. 1–4), Additional voices}} |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Dale Gribble (s. 1–14), Additional voices}} |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Bill Dauterive, Buck Strickland, Additional voices}} |style="width:16%;"| {{small|Kahn Souphanousinphone, Sr. (s. 1–13), Ted Wassanasong (s. 4–13), Cotton Hill, Joe Jack, Dale Gribble (s. 14–present), Additional voices}} |}

''King of the Hill'' is set in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 4, 2022 |title=King Of The Hill Based Arlen, Texas On A Very Real Location |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/990071/king-of-the-hill-based-arlen-texas-on-a-very-real-location/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}</ref> The show centers on the Hill family, headed by the ever-responsible, hard-working, honest, but emotionally stunted propane salesman Hank Hill (Mike Judge). The punning title refers to Hank as the head of the family, as well as metaphorically to the children's game king of the hill. He often finds his traditional conservative values challenged by the changing world around him, though his common decency usually sees him through. Hank typically serves as the de facto leader for his friends and family.

His wife Peggy Hill, ''née'' Platter (Kathy Najimy), a native of Montana, begins the series as a substitute Spanish teacher, though she has a poor grasp of the language. She pursues numerous other careers throughout the show's run. She is confident, frequently to the point of lacking self-awareness.

Hank and Peggy's only child is twelve year old Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon), a student at Tom Landry Middle School. Much to the chagrin of his football-loving father, Bobby has little interest in athletics and instead aspires to become a "prop comic".

Throughout a good share of the series, Peggy's naïve and emotional niece Luanne Platter (Brittany Murphy), lives with the Hill family while her mother is in jail. Luanne attends beauty school and hosts a Christian-themed puppet show for a local cable-access TV station. She eventually finds employment and moves into a house on the same street as the Hill family, remaining very close to them. She engages in a relationship with and marries Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt (Tom Petty), a snaggle-toothed lay about, who lives on the settlement he has earned from a frivolous lawsuit.

Hank has a healthy relationship with his mother, Tilly (Tammy Wynette, later Beth Grant and K Callan), a kind woman who moved to Arizona after divorcing Hank's father Cotton Hill (Toby Huss). In contrast, Hank has a strained relationship with his father, a cantankerous World War II veteran who lost his shins to Japanese machine gun fire and verbally abused Tilly during their marriage. Cotton later marries Didi (Ashley Gardner), a young candy striper, and they have a son, "G.H." ("Good Hank"), who bears a striking resemblance to Bobby.

Dale Gribble (Johnny Hardwick; later Huss) is the Hills' chain-smoking, balding, conspiracy-theorist, next-door neighbor. He is married to Nancy Hicks-Gribble (Gardner), a weather reporter known for her good looks and charm. Dale is unaware that their only child, Joseph (Murphy, later Breckin Meyer, and later Tai Leclaire), is not his biological son, and is instead the result of Nancy's 14-year-long affair with John Redcorn (Victor Aaron; later Jonathan Joss), a Native American healer who has given her therapeutic massages for her "headaches" for years. Despite his inclination for conspiracy theories, Dale seems to be the only one in town unaware of the affair. His neighbors decide to keep Nancy's secret to preserve Dale and Joseph's loving relationship.

Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root) lives across from the Hills. Known as the "Billdozer" in his high-school football glory days, Bill is now overweight, bald, and clinically depressed, still struggling to get over his divorce from his ex-wife Lenore. He is a sergeant and barber in the Army. He idolizes Hank and pines for Peggy, often trying to insert himself in the family. His intense loneliness makes him gullible and desperate for attention.

Jeff Boomhauer (Judge) is an easy-going philanderer most notable for his unique speech pattern. Most of Boomhauer's lines are long-winded and meandering, delivered very quickly through a mumble and a very thick Texan accent. While the characters understand him just fine, the audience isn't necessarily meant to. His given name and occupation are not revealed until the end of the 13th season.

In the series' first season, the Souphanousinphones, a Laotian-American family, move in next door to the Hills. The family consists of the materialistic Kahn (Huss; later Ronny Chieng), his class-conscious ex-wife Minh (Lauren Tom), and their tween daughter, Kahn "Connie" Jr. (Tom).

Kahn – who has a lucrative office job – is often at odds with his neighbors, believing them to be "hillbillies" and "rednecks" due to their lower socioeconomic status. Minh befriends Peggy and Nancy, though she still sees herself as superior to them. Connie has been pushed by her father to become a child prodigy and excels at a variety of things from academics to music, though she still finds plenty of time to be a kid despite the stress. She forms a close relationship with Bobby Hill, frequently hanging out with him and Joseph Gribble.

Other minor characters include Buck Strickland (Root), Hank's licentious boss at Strickland Propane; Joe Jack (Huss) and Enrique (Danny Trejo), Hank's co-workers at Strickland; Carl Moss (Dennis Burkley), Bobby's principal at Tom Landry Middle School; and Reverend Karen Stroup (Mary Tyler Moore in her debut appearance, and then Ashley Gardner in regular appearances), the female minister of Arlen First Methodist.

==Episodes== {{Main|List of King of the Hill episodes}} {{:List of King of the Hill episodes}}

==Production==

===Conception=== [[File:University of Texas at Arlington campus and surrounding area (10000749).jpg|alt=|thumb|The design of ''King of the Hill'' was based on Texas suburbs from the 1950s, such as Arlington.]] In early 1995, during the successful first run of ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' on MTV, its creator Mike Judge decided to create another animated series, this one set in a small Texas town based on an amalgamation of Dallas suburbs, including Garland, where he had lived, and Richardson.<ref name="productionhistory">{{Cite news |date=May 11, 2006 |title=Milestone: 'King of the Hill' |work=hollywoodreporter.com |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002501636 |access-date=March 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008120722/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002501636 |archive-date=October 8, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Shattuck |first=Kathryn |date=April 26, 2009 |title=It Was Good to Be 'King,' but What Now? |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020214809/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html |archive-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref> Judge conceived the idea for the show, drew the main characters, and wrote a pilot script.

The Fox Broadcasting Company was uncertain of the viability of Judge's concept for an animated comedy based in reality and set in the American South, so the network teamed the animator with Greg Daniels, an experienced primetime TV writer who had previously worked on ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="kotharchives">{{Cite web |title=The Wittliff Collections: King of the Hill |url=http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/a-z/dauterive.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023113036/http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/a-z/dauterive.html |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name="productionhistory" /> Daniels rewrote the pilot script and created important characters who did not appear in Judge's first draft, including Luanne and Cotton. Daniels also reworked some of the supporting characters (whom the pair characterized as originally having been generic, "snaggle-toothed hillbillies"), such as making Dale Gribble a conspiracy theorist.<ref name="briefhistory">{{Cite web |date=October 31, 2008 |title=A Brief History of King of the Hill |url=http://www.macleans.ca/2008/10/31/a-brief-history-of-king-of-the-hill/ |access-date=March 30, 2009 |website=Macleans.ca}}</ref> While Judge's writing tended to emphasize political humor, specifically the clash of Hank Hill's social conservatism and interlopers' liberalism, Daniels focused on character development to provide an emotional context for the series' numerous cultural conflicts. Judge was ultimately so pleased with Daniels' contributions, he chose to credit him as a co-creator, rather than give him the "developer" credit usually reserved for individuals brought onto a pilot written by someone else.<ref name="briefhistory" />

===Initial success=== After its debut, the series became a large success for Fox and was named one of the best television series of the year by various publications, including ''Entertainment Weekly'', ''Time'', and ''TV Guide''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=June 17, 2007 |title=The New Classics: TV |url=https://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv/ |url-status=live |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115162745/http://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv/ |archive-date=January 15, 2018 |access-date=September 7, 2009}}</ref> For the 1997–1998 season, the series became one of Fox's highest-rated programs and even outperformed ''The Simpsons'' in the ratings that season, ranking 15th with an average of 16.3 million viewers per episode.<ref name="9798-ratings">{{Cite web |title=TV Ratings: 1997–1998 |url=http://classictvhits.com/tvratings/1997.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107082413/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1997.htm |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |access-date=April 4, 2009 |website=classictvhits.com}}</ref> During the fifth and sixth seasons, Mike Judge and Greg Daniels became less involved with the show.<ref name="briefhistory" /> They eventually refocused on it, even while Daniels became increasingly involved with other projects.<ref name="briefhistory" />

===Format change=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders floatright" style="max-width:20%;" |+Showrunners throughout the series' run |- ! scope="col" | Season ! scope="col" | Showrunners |- ! scope="row" | 1–2 | Mike Judge and Greg Daniels |- ! scope="row" | 3–4 | Greg Daniels and Richard Appel |- ! scope="row" | 5 | Richard Appel |- ! scope="row" | 6 | Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger |- ! scope="row" | 7–13 | John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky |- ! scope="row" | 14 | Saladin K. Patterson |- |} alt=|thumb|Over time, series co-creator Mike Judge reduced his role in episode production. Judge and Daniels' reduced involvement with the show resulted in the series' format turning more episodic and formulaic.<ref name="briefhistory" /> Beginning in season seven, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, who had worked on the series since season two, took it over completely, tending to emphasize Judge's concept that the series was built around sociopolitical humor rather than character-driven humor.<ref name="briefhistory" /> Although Fox insisted that the series lack character development or story arcs (a demand made of the network's other animated series, so that they can be shown out of order in syndication),<ref name="briefhistory" /> Judge and Daniels had managed to develop minor arcs and story elements throughout the early years of the series, such as Luanne's becoming more independent and educated after Buckley's death, and the aging of characters being acknowledged (a rare narrative occurrence for an animated series).<ref name="briefhistory" />

===Connection to ''Bless the Harts''=== ''Bless the Harts'', an animated series created for Fox, loosely shares a universe with ''King of the Hill'', and features the Mega-Lo-Mart in the show. Story editors Christy Stratton and Emily Spivey for ''King of the Hill'' are involved in the show, although Judge is not.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Upcoming animated Fox show Bless The Harts takes place in the King Of The Hill universe |url=https://www.avclub.com/upcoming-animated-fox-show-bless-the-harts-takes-place-1832443510 |access-date=December 20, 2019 |website=News |date=February 7, 2019 |language=en-us}}</ref> It premiered on September 29, 2019, and ended on June 20, 2021, due to Fox canceling the series after two seasons.

===Facing cancellation=== Because it was scheduled to lead off Fox's Sunday-night animated programming lineup, portions of ''King of the Hill'' episodes were often pre-empted by sporting events that ran into overtime (the show was pre-empted more often than not by NFL football); in season nine especially, whole episodes were pre-empted. Ultimately, enough episodes were pre-empted that the majority of the series's 10th season—initially intended to be the final season<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=January 26, 2007 |title=King of the Hill kept alive by Fox, is in its prime. Long live the king |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/King-of-the-Hill-kept-alive-by-Fox-is-in-its-2621647.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155755/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/King-of-the-Hill-kept-alive-by-Fox-is-in-its-2621647.php |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=January 2, 2008 |website=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref>—consisted of unaired ninth-season episodes. The 11th season was also meant to be the last, with a planned finale televised before it was renewed.

The 13th-season episode "Lucky See, Monkey Do" became the first episode of the series to be produced in widescreen high definition when it aired on February 8, 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucky See, Monkey Do |url=http://www.tv.com/shows/king-of-the-hill/lucky-see-monkey-do-1250461/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603061402/http://www.tv.com/shows/king-of-the-hill/lucky-see-monkey-do-1250461/ |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |website=TV.com |publisher=CBS Interactive}}</ref>

====Cancellation==== Although ratings remained consistent throughout the 10th, 11th, and 12th seasons and had begun to rise in the overall Nielsen ratings (up to the 105th-most watched series on television, from 118th in season 8), Fox abruptly announced in 2008 that ''King of the Hill'' had been canceled, which coincided with the announcement that Seth MacFarlane, creator of ''Family Guy'' and ''American Dad!'', would be creating a ''Family Guy'' spin-off called ''The Cleveland Show'', which would take over ''King of the Hill's'' time slot.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 1, 2008 |title=Reign ends for 'King of the Hill', Replaced By 'Family Guy' Spin-Off |publisher=Shakefire |url=http://www.shakefire.com/news/2008/11/01/reign-ends-for-king-of-the-hill |url-status=live |access-date=November 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108234953/http://www.shakefire.com/news/2008/11/01/reign-ends-for-king-of-the-hill |archive-date=November 8, 2013}}</ref>

Hopes to keep the show afloat surfaced as sources indicated that ABC (which was already airing Judge's new animated comedy, ''The Goode Family'') was interested in securing the rights to the show,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=November 3, 2008 |title="King of the Hill" could reign at ABC |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kingofthehill-idUSTRE4A30KW20081104 |url-status=live |access-date=November 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135832/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/04/us-kingofthehill-idUSTRE4A30KW20081104 |archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> but in January 2009, ABC president Steve McPherson said he had "no plans to pick up the animated comedy".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=January 16, 2009 |title=ABC Aiming for a Comedy Comeback |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2009/scene/news/abc-aiming-for-a-comedy-comeback-1117998684/ |url-status=live |access-date=January 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917013642/https://variety.com/2009/scene/news/abc-aiming-for-a-comedy-comeback-1117998684/ |archive-date=September 17, 2018}}</ref>

On April 30, 2009, it was announced that Fox ordered at least two more episodes to give the show a finale.<ref name="futon">{{Cite web |date=April 30, 2009 |title=King of the Hill Originals still on Tap for next Season |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8068 |access-date=April 30, 2009 |website=The Futon Critic}}</ref> The show's 14th season was originally supposed to air sometime in the 2009–2010 season,<ref>{{Cite web |title=King of the Hill on Fox |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/king-of-the-hill/ |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=The Futon Critic}}</ref> but Fox later announced that it would not air the episodes, opting instead for syndication.<ref name="ricemeetspress">{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=August 6, 2009 |title=Rice meets the press |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2009/scene/news/rice-meets-the-press-1118006969/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906183146/http://variety.com/2009/scene/news/rice-meets-the-press-1118006969/ |archive-date=September 6, 2017}}</ref> On August 10, 2009, however, Fox released a statement that the network would air a series finale on September 13, 2009.<ref name="seriesfinale13">{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2009 |title="King of the Hill" Serves Up Texas-size [sic] Series Finale Sunday, September 13, on Fox |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090810fox01 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |website=The Futon Critic}}</ref>

===Revival=== In August 2017, Judge and Daniels were revealed to have talked with Fox executives about a potential revival.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Turchiano |first=Danielle |date=August 8, 2017 |title=Fox in 'Preliminary Conversations' to Revive 'King of the Hill' |url-access=subscription |language=en-US |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-fox-revival-talks-1202519401/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210030250/http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-fox-revival-talks-1202519401/ |archive-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> In an interview with ''Rotten Tomatoes'' the following March, Judge said he would want the revived series to include aged characters, such as an older Bobby.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Topel |first=Fred |date=March 19, 2018 |title=Mike Judge Might Bring Back King of the Hill with an Older Bobby and Do Another Beavis and Butt-head Movie |language=en-US |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/mike-judge-might-bring-back-king-of-the-hill-with-an-older-bobby-and-do-another-beavis-and-butt-head-movie/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320010514/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/mike-judge-might-bring-back-king-of-the-hill-with-an-older-bobby-and-do-another-beavis-and-butt-head-movie/ |archive-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> In March 2020, Daniels revealed that Judge and he had an idea for the reboot. Daniels stated: "We do have a plan for it and it's pretty funny. So maybe one day."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Christian |date=March 25, 2020 |title='King of the Hill' Co-Creator Greg Daniels Dishes on Revival Plans |url=https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news/king-of-the-hill-revival-greg-daniels/ |access-date=April 28, 2020 |website=popculture.com}}</ref> In March 2021, writer Brent Forrester stated that a reboot was currently underway, stating in a tweet: "I am sure Greg Daniels and Mike Judge will murder me for sharing this but... HELL YES. They are in hot negotiations to bring back ''King of the Hill''." The reboot will possibly feature "aged-up characters".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milligan |first=Mercedes |date=March 17, 2021 |title='King of the Hill' Writer Says Revival in "Hot Negotiations" |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/king-of-the-hill-writer-says-revival-in-hot-negotiations/ |access-date=March 20, 2021 |website=Animation Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

In January 2022, Judge and Daniels announced the formation of a new company called Bandera Entertainment, with a revival of ''King of the Hill'' being one of several series in development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perine |first=Aaron|date=January 18, 2022 |title=King of the Hill Revival Announced By Series Creators |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/king-of-the-hill-revival-announced-series-creators/ |access-date=January 18, 2022 |website=ComicBook.com |publisher=CBS Interactive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ankers-Range |first=Adele |date=January 19, 2022 |title=Legendary Cartoon King of the Hill Is Being Revived |url=https://ign.com/articles/king-of-the-hill-revival-in-the-works/ |access-date=August 26, 2022 |website=IGN.com |publisher=IGN}}</ref>

During a panel at Comic-Con 2022, Judge stated that the show "has a very good chance of coming back".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gajewski |first=Ryan |date=July 21, 2022 |title=Mike Judge Talks 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Evolving for New Series; Gives 'King of the Hill,' 'Daria' Updates |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/mike-judge-beavis-butthead-comic-con-1235184504/ |access-date=August 19, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> In September 2022, Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn confirmed that the series would not air on Fox, with the reason being that Fox, which had split away from rights holder 20th Television Animation following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, prefers to have full ownership of whatever new shows they air.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 7, 2022 |title=King of the Hill's Long-Anticipated Revival Will Not Air on Fox |url=https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-revival-will-not-air-on-fox/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Echebiri |first=Makuochi |date=September 8, 2022 |title='King of the Hill' Revival Dead at Fox |url=https://collider.com/king-of-the-hill-revival-cancelled-fox/ |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref>

On January 31, 2023, a revival on Hulu was officially confirmed to be ordered.<ref name="deadline"/> Judge, Najimy, Root, Adlon, and Tom were all expected to reprise their roles.<ref name="deadline"/> With Murphy and Petty's deaths, how the characters of Luanne and Lucky would be handled was not announced, and whether Huss would return as Kahn was unknown.<ref name="deadline">{{Cite web |last=Rice |first=Lynette |date=January 31, 2023 |title='King Of The Hill' Revival Ordered By Hulu; Mike Judge, Greg Daniels And Original Cast Set To Return |url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/king-of-the-hill-revival-hulu-original-cast-returning-1235245072/ |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en}}</ref> On May 1, 2023, Root had stated that the new revival would also have a time jump taking place years after the series finale where Bobby is "older".<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2023|title=King of the Hill Actor Confirms Revival Will Feature a Time Jump |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/king-of-the-hill-actor-confirms-revival-will-feature-a-time-jump/ |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=IGN}}</ref> Hardwick was also confirmed to reprise his role as Dale Gribble, but died in August 2023 before any new episodes made it to air.<ref name="deadline"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/johnny-hardwick-dead-king-of-the-hill-1235459599/|title=Johnny Hardwick Dies: 'King Of The Hill' Dale Gribble Voice Actor Was 64|publisher=Deadline|first=Greg|last=Evans|date=August 10, 2023}}</ref> Later, Hardwick was revealed to have recorded six episodes prior to his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/casting-news/johnny-hardwick-death-king-of-the-hill-reboot-returning-dale-1235027891/|title=Johnny Hardwick Recorded New King of the Hill Episodes for Hulu Revival Prior to Death (Exclusive)|last=Ausiello|first=Michael|date=August 14, 2023|accessdate=August 14, 2023|work=TVLine}}</ref><ref name="sixepisodes">{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/king-of-the-hill-toby-huss-dale-gribble-johnny-hardwick-1236414511/ | title='King of the Hill' Casts Toby Huss as Voice of Dale Gribble | date=May 30, 2025 }}</ref>

To promote the revival, the San Antonio-based Alamo Beer Co. would be partnering with Hulu to release ''King of the Hill''-inspired Alamo Beer, which was scheduled to launch in 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brewbound.com/pr/2024/12/11/alamo-beerking-of-the-hill-collaboration|title=ALAMO Beer/King of the Hill Collaboration|publisher=Brewbound|date=December 10, 2024|accessdate=December 30, 2024}}</ref>

A first-look poster for the new series was revealed online on May 14, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fraser |first=Kevin |date=May 14, 2025 |title=King of the Hill: Hank confronts modern technology (and hates it) in official poster for the revival|url=https://www.joblo.com/king-of-the-hill-revival-poster/ |accessdate=June 1, 2025 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref> Its premiere date of August 4, 2025, was revealed, as well as the show's updated opening credits sequence featuring adult Bobby,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=May 30, 2025 |title='King of the Hill Revival' Sets Hulu Release Date, Drops First-Look |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-revival-release-date-first-look-hulu-1236414116/ |access-date=May 30, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> during a panel at the ATX Television Festival in Austin's Paramount Theater on May 30 that featured the cast and crew, including Judge, Daniels, Patterson, Adlon, Tom, and Huss.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.laughingplace.com/entertainment/atx-tv-fest-recap-king-of-the-hill-2025-panel/ | title=Everything We Learned About Hulu's "King of the Hill" Revival at ATX 2025 | date=May 31, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=King of the Hill |url=https://tickets.austintheatre.org/12278/12280 |access-date=May 30, 2025 |archive-date=May 30, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530173245/https://tickets.austintheatre.org/12278/12280 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=May 30, 2025 |title='King of the Hill Revival' Sets Hulu Release Date, Drops First-Look |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-revival-release-date-first-look-hulu-1236414116/ |access-date=May 30, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The same day, Judge and Daniels were reported to be executive producing the revival with showrunner Saladin Patterson, Michael Rotenberg and Howard Klein of 3 Arts, and Dustin Davis of Judge and Daniels' Bandera Entertainment, while Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, and Toby Huss would also return as voice actors.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hulu-king-of-the-hill-revival-premiere-date-1236233735/|title='King of the Hill' Revival Sets Premiere Date on Hulu, Reveals First Look|first=Rick|last=Porter|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 30, 2025|accessdate=May 30, 2025}}</ref> Huss would also replace Hardwick as the voice of Dale Gribble from in the third and eighth episode of the 14th season onwards.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-reboot-casts-toby-huss-dale-gribble-1236413647/|title='King of the Hill' Revival Casts Toby Huss to Take Over as Voice of Dale Gribble (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Michael|last=Schneider|publisher=Variety|date=May 30, 2025|accessdate=May 30, 2025}}</ref><ref name="sixepisodes" />

On June 1, 2025, Jonathan Joss, John Redcorn's second voice actor, who was slated to return to the show, was shot and killed by a neighbor, following a confrontation outside his home in San Antonio, Texas. How the production team would move forward from this point is currently unclear.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/obituaries-people-news/jonathan-joss-dead-king-of-the-hill-shooting-1236415703/ | title=Jonathan Joss, 'King of the Hill' Actor Who Voiced John Redcorn, Dies in Shooting at 59 | date=June 2, 2025 }}</ref> However, ''People'' noted afterwards that Joss did manage to return for the revival and had recorded lines for four episodes prior to his death.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://people.com/king-of-the-hill-voice-actor-jonathan-joss-dies-at-59-after-being-fatally-shot-police-11746467|title=King of the Hill Voice Actor Jonathan Joss Dies at 59 After Being Fatally Shot: Police|first=Liza|last=Esquibas|publisher=People|date=June 2, 2025|accessdate=June 2, 2025}}</ref> All ten episodes of season 14 premiered on Hulu on August 4, 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/08/04/king-of-the-hill-reboot-season-14-premiere-date-cast/85481020007/|title='King of the Hill' reboot: Season 14 premiere date, cast, how to watch|first=Mary|last=Walrath-Holdridge|publisher=USA Today|date=August 4, 2025|accessdate=August 4, 2025}}</ref> On August 26, 2025, it was reported that season 15 would premiere in 2026.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/king-of-the-hill-is-reportedly-getting-another-season-coming-next-year|title=King of the Hill Is Reportedly Getting Another Season Coming Next Year|website=IGN|date=August 26, 2025|last=Valentine|first=Rebekah}}</ref>

Originally, the revival was only expected to last two seasons. However, on October 30, 2025, it was announced that Hulu had renewed the series for seasons 16 and 17, and had ordered 20 additional episodes to stream after the conclusion of season 15. If the series continues to release ten episodes per year on Hulu, this renewal would take the show through 2028.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kamnetz |first=Taylor |date=January 24, 2025 |title='King of the Hill' revival appears to be slated for 2 seasons as new episodes appear online |url=https://www.lonestarlive.com/tv/2025/01/king-of-the-hill-revival-appears-to-be-slated-for-2-seasons-as-new-episodes-appear-online.html/ |accessdate=January 26, 2025 |work=Lone Star Live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Tinoco |first=Armando |date=October 30, 2025 |title=‘King Of The Hill’ Revival Gets 2-Season Renewal At Hulu |url=https://deadline.com/2025/10/king-of-the-hill-revival-2-season-renewal-hulu-1236602974/ |accessdate=October 31, 2025 |publisher=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/king-of-the-hill-renewed-2-more-seasons-hulu-1236414150/|title=‘King of the Hill’ Renewed for Seasons 16 and 17 at Hulu|first=Rick|last=Porter|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 30, 2025|accessdate=October 30, 2025}}</ref> The 15th season will premiere on July 20, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=2026-05-05 |title='King Of The Hill' Sets Season 15 Release Date |url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/king-of-the-hill-season-15-premiere-date-1236880893/ |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Setting and opening sequence==

===Opening sequence=== In the opening sequence, Hank joins Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer in the alley behind his house. When he opens his can of beer, the playback speed increases greatly and depicts other main and secondary characters carrying out various daily activities around them in a time-lapse. Meanwhile, the four continue drinking beer and a nearby recycling bin fills with their empty cans. When Peggy brings a bag of garbage out to Hank, the other three leave and the playback returns to normal speed (which was sped up for the first half of the last few seconds of the introduction from seasons 4–13) as he takes it to the trash can and gathers with Peggy and Bobby in a parody of ''American Gothic''. In the 14th season, the introduction has been changed to serve as a compressed timelapse of the events that occurred in between the 13th and 14th seasons, while maintaining the same increased playback speed and a similar start and end compared to the original.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=May 30, 2025 |title='King of the Hill Revival' Sets Hulu Release Date, Drops First-Look |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-revival-release-date-first-look-hulu-1236414116/ |access-date=May 30, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

The opening theme, "Yahoos and Triangles", is performed by Arizona rock band The Refreshments. Variations of the theme are used for special episodes, including season finales and Christmas episodes.

===Setting=== ''King of the Hill'' is set in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, an amalgamation of numerous Dallas–Fort Worth suburbs, including Garland, Richardson, Arlington, and Allen.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 8, 1997 |title=Mike Judge's 'King' Has A Real Texas Air – Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/02/08/mike-judges-king-has-a-real-texas-air/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085210/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-02-08/news/9702080063_1_hank-hill-texan-south-texas |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=April 26, 2013 |publisher=Articles.chicagotribune.com}}</ref><ref name="king">{{Cite news |last=Shattuck |first=Kathryn |date=April 29, 2009 |title=It was good to be 'King,' but what now? |page=AR22 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214203839/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html |archive-date=February 14, 2017}}</ref> In addition to drawing inspiration from the DFW region, Judge has described Arlen as "a town like Humble" (a suburb of Houston).<ref name="remote">{{Cite news |last=Westbrook |first=Bruce |date=October 15, 1995 |title=Remote control: Back home in Texas, Mike Judge keeps 'Beavis' clicking |page=8 |work=Houston Chronicle}}</ref> ''Time'' magazine praised the authentic portrayal as the "most acutely observed, realistic sitcom about regional American life bar none".<ref name="time" /> In the episode "Hank's Cowboy Movie", the town's entrance sign lists its population as 145,300.

Though Arlen is inspired by various Texas suburban communities, its specific location in Texas is never specified in the series. Similar to the location of Springfield on ''The Simpsons'', the location of Arlen within Texas is arbitrarily based on the needs of a particular episode's plot, and multiple episodes give conflicting information as to Arlen's geographic location within the state. For example, one episode indicates that it is just north of the Brazos River in central Texas.<ref name="kotharchives" /> Other episodes place it near Houston or Dallas, while others feature trips to Mexico and back taking place within a matter of hours. In the episode "Harlottown", the location is revealed to be somewhere on the Chisholm Trail. In all cases, the general location for Arlen coincides with the eastern half of the state as opposed to the western half, the latter being predominantly desert.

The Hills and other major characters reside on Rainey Street. Hank's friend and neighbor Bill Dauterive is a barber at Fort Blanda, a small army post near Arlen. Most of the children in the show attend Tom Landry Middle School; other schools depicted are Arlen High (home of the Longhorns) and Staubach Elementary. Early in the series, the school is referred to as being in the Heimlich County School District (according to markings on the school buses), though in later seasons, this is changed to Arlen Independent School District. The school's mascot is a longhorn steer.

==Reception== ===Critical response=== ''King of the Hill'' received critical acclaim over its 13-year run.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2009 |title=After funny 13-year run, 'King of the Hill' leaves the air with a straight face |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/funny-13-year-run-king-hill-leaves-air-straight-face-article-1.407072 |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=New York Daily News}}</ref> Early reviews of the show were positive, and it was named as one of the best new shows of 1997 by ''Entertainment Weekly'', ''Time'' and ''TV Guide''.<ref name="prime">Stabile, Carol. ''Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture''. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2003.</ref> Diane Holloway at the ''Chicago Tribune'' considered it the "most Texan television series since ''Dallas''" and praised the show's "sly sense of humor and subversive sensibility".<ref name="ct97">{{Cite news |last=Diane Holloway |date=February 8, 1997 |title=Mike Judge's ''King'' Has A Real Texas Air |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/02/08/mike-judges-king-has-a-real-texas-air/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085210/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-02-08/news/9702080063_1_hank-hill-texan-south-texas |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> At the ''Los Angeles Times'', writer Howard Rosenberg suggested that the show "totes a few smiles, but [there's] little to bowl you over, and it takes a spell getting used to".<ref name="lat97">{{Cite news |last=Howard Rosenberg |author-link=Howard Rosenberg |date=January 10, 1997 |title='King of Hill' Drawn With a Drawl |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-10-ca-17040-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094516/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-01-10/entertainment/ca-17040_1_hank-hill |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> The show's first season received an approval rating of 87% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 31 reviews with an average rating of 7.3/10.<ref name="Rottentomatoes">{{Cite web |title=''King of the Hill (Season 1)'' |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/king_of_the_hill/s01 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango}}</ref> Its consensus reads: "''King of the Hill''{{'}}s mild yet extremely funny depiction of small-town Texas life is refreshingly worlds away from conventional prime-time animation."<ref name="Rottentomatoes" /> The fifth and thirteenth seasons received more critical praise with a 100% approval rating.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''King of the Hill (Season 5)'' |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/king_of_the_hill/s05 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''King of the Hill (Season 13)'' |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/king_of_the_hill/s13 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango}}</ref> The fourteenth season revival received similar critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of reviews from 48 critics were positive with an average rating of 8.60/10 and its consensus reads: "Dang it Bobby! ''King of the Hill'' is back and still as flavorful as barbecue grilled with propane in a revival season that deftly brings these characters into the modern era."<ref>{{Cite web |title=''King of the Hill'': Season 14 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/king_of_the_hill/s14 |access-date=August 5, 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango}}</ref>

In 2007, James Poniewozik included it on ''Time''{{'}}s list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows, writing: "The most acutely observed, realistic sitcom about regional American life bar none, this animated series is a lot like its protagonist, Texas propane salesman Hank Hill: it isn't flashy, never gets a lot of attention, but does its job year in and year out... Mike Judge makes Hank Hill funny in his pained Boy Scout rectitude without making him a figure of fun for it, and with its canvas of mega-stores and Laotian yuppies, the show sees modern America's fine detail like an electron microscope."<ref name="time" /> At the show's conclusion, Poniewozik opined that it had "quietly been the best family comedy on TV", calling the show's ending "one of the most moving things I've seen on TV this year".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=James Poniewozik |author-link=James Poniewozik |date=September 11, 2009 |title=TV Weekend: American Dad |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2009/09/11/tv-weekend-american-dad/ |url-status=live |magazine=Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907122815/http://entertainment.time.com/2009/09/11/tv-weekend-american-dad/ |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |access-date=February 24, 2016}}</ref> Alan Sepinwall of ''The Star-Ledger'' described it as "sweeter and more human than the great majority of live-action sitcoms that overlapped its run".<ref name="sepinwall">{{Cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=September 11, 2009 |title='King of the Hill' says goodbye - Sepinwall |work=NJ.com |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/09/king_of_the_hill_says_goodbye.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222165046/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/09/king_of_the_hill_says_goodbye.html |archive-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref> Genevieve Koski of ''The A.V. Club'' described it as a "steadfast, down-to-earth series" and contrasted it with other contemporary cartoons: "''King of the Hill''{{'}}s characters aren't funny because they tell perfectly crafted jokes or make pop-culture references or constantly get themselves into ridiculous situations; they're funny because they have real hopes, flaws, and limitations that satirize the absurdity of everyday life while simultaneously celebrating it." She also noted that "the show saw its fair share of silly conceits and contrived setups—and got fairly repetitive in the final seasons".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Genevieve Koski |date=July 3, 2013 |title=10 episodes that made King Of The Hill one of the most human cartoons ever |work=The A.V. Club |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/10-episodes-that-made-iking-of-the-hilli-one-of-th-99687 |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192446/http://www.avclub.com/article/10-episodes-that-made-iking-of-the-hilli-one-of-th-99687 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>

Writers have examined the show through a political lens. "It's not a political show", said Mike Judge in 1997. "It's more a populist, common sense point of view."<ref name="ct97" /> In 2005, Matt Bai of ''The New York Times Magazine'' called it "the most subtle and complex portrayal of small-town voters on television".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bert Clere |date=June 26, 2005 |title=King of the Hill Democrats |work=The New York Times Magazine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/magazine/king-of-the-hill-democrats.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226151431/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/magazine/king-of-the-hill-democrats.html |archive-date=February 26, 2016}}</ref> A 2016 reappraisal from ''The Atlantic'' dubbed it the "last bipartisan TV comedy", with writer Bert Clere noting the program "imbued all of its characters with a rich humanity that made their foibles deeply sympathetic. In this, ''King of the Hill'' was far ahead of its time, and the broader TV landscape has yet to catch up."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bert Clere |date=February 22, 2016 |title=King of the Hill: The Last Bipartisan TV Comedy |work=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/02/king-of-the-hill-the-last-bipartisan-tv-comedy/470025/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223113557/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/02/king-of-the-hill-the-last-bipartisan-tv-comedy/470025/ |archive-date=February 23, 2016}}</ref>

In 2014, ''King of the Hill'' was ranked No. 27 on IGN's "Top 100 Animated TV Series".<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2016 |title=Top 100 Animated Series |url=https://www.ign.com/top/animated-tv-series/27.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426012836/http://www.ign.com/top/animated-tv-series/27.html |archive-date=April 26, 2014 |access-date=March 7, 2017 |website=IGN.com}}</ref> The publication also ranked it as No. 66 on their "The Top 100 Best TV Shows of All Time" list in 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/best-tv-shows | title=The Top 100 Best TV Shows of All Time | date=September 25, 2023 }}</ref> In 2013, ''TV Guide'' ranked ''King of the Hill'' as one of the 60 Greatest TV Cartoons of All Time.<ref>Sands, Rich. (September 24, 2013). [https://www.tvguide.com/News/Greatest-Cartoons-TV-Guide-Magazine-1071203.aspx "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Greatest Cartoons of All Time"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710095501/https://www.tvguide.com/news/greatest-cartoons-tv-guide-magazine-1071203/ |date=July 10, 2018 }}. ''TV Guide''.</ref>

===Ratings=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Season ! rowspan="2"|No. of episodes ! colspan="3"|Originally aired ! colspan="2"|Nielsen ratings |- ! Time slot (ET) ! Season premiere ! Season finale ! Ranking ! Viewers (in millions) |- | 1st | 1996–97 | 12 | rowspan="2"|Sunday 8:30 pm | January 12, 1997 | May 11, 1997 ! No. 43<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Tim |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present |last2=Marsh |first2=Earle |date=2007 |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |edition=Ninth |page=1694}}</ref> ! 8.6 |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 2nd | 1997–98 | 23 | September 21, 1997 | May 17, 1998 ! No. 15<ref name="9798season">{{Cite magazine |date=May 29, 1998 |title=The Final Countdown |url=https://ew.com/article/1998/05/29/what-ranked-and-what-tanked/ |url-status=live |magazine=Entertainment Weekly Published in issue No. 434 May 29, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212121724/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,283382,00.html |archive-date=February 12, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> ! 16.3<ref name="9798season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 3rd | 1998–99 | 25 | Tuesday 8:00 pm | September 15, 1998 | May 18, 1999 ! No. 110<ref name="auto" /> ! 7.9<ref name="auto" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 4th | 1999–2000 | 24 | rowspan="2"|Sunday 7:30 pm | September 26, 1999 | May 21, 2000 ! No. 77<ref name="9900season">{{Cite news |title=Top TV Shows For 1999–2000 Season |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/charts/?layout=chart_pass&charttype=chart_topshows99&dept=TV |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> ! 8.7<ref name="9900season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 5th | 2000–01 | 20 | October 1, 2000 | May 13, 2001 ! No. 68<ref name="0001season">{{Cite magazine |date=June 1, 2001 |title=The Bitter End |url=https://ew.com/article/2001/06/01/bitter-end/ |url-status=live |magazine=Entertainment Weekly Published in issue No. 598 June 1, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718141929/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,256435,00.html |archive-date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> ! 9.5<ref name="0001season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 6th | 2001–02 | 22 | Sunday 7:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 1-2, 4-15, 17-20, 22)}} Wednesday 8:00 pm {{small|(Episode 3)}} Sunday 8:30 pm {{small|(Episode 16)}} Sunday 7:00 pm {{small|(Episode 21)}} | November 11, 2001 | May 12, 2002 ! No. 90<ref name="0102season">{{Cite news |date=May 28, 2002 |title=How did your favorite show rate? |work=USA Today |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=January 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015225616/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm |archive-date=October 15, 2015}}</ref> ! 7.7<ref name="0102season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 7th | 2002–03 | 23 | Sunday 8:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 1-3, 6-8, 10)}} Sunday 7:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 4-5, 9, 11-12, 14-21, 23)}} Sunday 7:00 pm {{small|(Episodes 13, 22)}} | November 3, 2002 | May 18, 2003 ! No. 68<ref name="0203season">{{Cite magazine |date=June 6, 2003 |title=Rank And File |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/06/06/rank-and-file/ |url-status=live |magazine=Entertainment Weekly Published in issue No. 713 June 6, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719064902/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,455439,00.html |archive-date=July 19, 2012 |access-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref> ! 9.5<ref name="0203season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 8th | 2003–04 | 22 | Sunday 7:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 1-9, 15-22)}} Sunday 7:00 pm {{small|(Episodes 10-14)}} | November 2, 2003 | May 23, 2004 ! No. 118<ref name="0304season">{{Cite web |title=I. T. R. S. Ranking Report: 01 Thru 210 |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/progcal/dispDNR.aspx?id=060204_12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930171419/http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/progcal/dispDNR.aspx?id=060204_12 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |access-date=May 25, 2007 |publisher=ABC Medianet}}</ref> ! 6.4<ref name="0304season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 9th | 2004–05 | 15 | Sunday 7:00 pm {{small|(Episode 1, 3-6, 8-15)}} Sunday 9:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 2, 7)}} | November 7, 2004 | May 15, 2005 ! No. 110<ref name="0405season">{{Cite news |date=May 27, 2005 |title=Primetime series |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471 |access-date=September 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622125057/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471 |archive-date=June 22, 2008}}</ref> ! 4.8<ref name="0405season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 10th | 2005–06 | 15 | Sunday 7:30 pm | September 18, 2005 | May 14, 2006 ! No. 111<ref name="0506season">{{Cite news |date=May 26, 2006 |title=Series |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393 |access-date=July 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080716115645/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393 |archive-date=July 16, 2008}}</ref> ! 5.2<ref name="0506season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 11th | 2006–07 | 12 | Sunday 8:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 1-5)}} Sunday 7:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 6, 8-10, 12)}} Sunday 7:00 pm {{small|(Episodes 7, 11)}} | January 28, 2007 | May 20, 2007 ! No. 109<ref name="0607season">{{Cite web |author=T. H. R. Staff |date=May 25, 2007 |title=2006-07 primetime wrap |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/2006-07-primetime-wrap-137223/ |access-date=April 17, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> ! 5.5<ref name="0607season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 12th | 2007–08 | 22 | Sunday 8:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 1-6, 8-22)}} Sunday 7:00 pm {{small|(Episode 7)}} | September 23, 2007 | May 18, 2008 ! No. 105<ref name="0708season">{{Cite web |date=May 28, 2008 |title=Season Program Rankings from 09/24/07 through 05/25/08 |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052808_06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413172935/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052808_06 |archive-date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=July 3, 2009 |publisher=ABC Medianet }}</ref> ! 6.6<ref name="0708season" /> |- style="background:#f9f9f9;" | 13th | 2008–09 | 24 | Sunday 8:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 1-13, 16-18, 20)}} Sunday 7:30 pm {{small|(Episodes 14-15)}} Sunday 8:00 pm {{small|(Episode 19)}} | September 28, 2008 | September 13, 2009 ! No. 95<ref name="0809season">{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2009 |title=Season Program Rankings from 09/22/08 through 05/17/09 |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=051909_05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314121838/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=051909_05 |archive-date=March 14, 2012 |access-date=July 3, 2009 |publisher=ABC Medianet}}</ref> ! 6.0<ref name="0809season" /> |}

==== Streaming viewership ==== ''King of the Hill'' ranked No. 1 on Hulu's "Top 15 Today" list—a daily updated list of the platform's most-watched titles—upon its Season 14 premiere on August 4. The series subsequently remained among the top five titles on Hulu, as of August 13.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fink |first=Richard |date=2025-08-13 |title='King of the Hill' Scores Record-Breaking First Week on Hulu, I Tell You Hwat |url=https://movieweb.com/king-of-the-hill-record-breaking-first-week-on-hulu/ |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}}</ref> Season 14 garnered 4.4 million views worldwide in its first seven days of streaming, becoming the most-viewed adult animation season premiere on Hulu and Disney+ in five years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hailu |first=Selome |date=August 12, 2025 |title='King of the Hill' Revival Hits 4.4 Million Views in One Week, Disney's Biggest Adult Animated Premiere in Five Years |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/king-of-the-hill-revival-ratings-disney-1236487618/ |access-date=August 13, 2025 |website=Variety}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Manfredi |first=Lucas |date=2025-08-12 |title='King of the Hill' Becomes Disney's Most-Viewed Adult Animation Premiere in 5 Years With 4.4 Million Views |url=https://www.thewrap.com/king-of-the-hill-season-14-premiere-disney-plus-hulu-ratings/ |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}</ref> Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, reported that ''King of the Hill'' recorded 1.208 billion minutes of watch time, ranking as the second most-streamed program overall from August 4–10.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=2025-09-04 |title=Streaming Ratings: ‘Wednesday’ and ‘King of the Hill’ Score Big Premieres |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/streaming-ratings-aug-4-10-2025-1236361545/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Campione |first=Katie |date=2025-09-04 |title=‘King Of The Hill’ Returns To TV With Impressive 1.2B Minutes Viewed In Premiere Week; ‘Wednesday’ Tops Nielsen Charts With Season 2A |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/king-of-the-hill-hulu-wednesday-season-2-nielsen-viewership-1236508343/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en-US}}</ref> The following week, from August 11–17, it garnered 714 million minutes of watch time, ranking as the third most-streamed original series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gruenwedel |first=Erik |date=September 11, 2025 |title=Nielsen: Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Easily Dominated Weekly Household TV Streaming Through Aug. 17 |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/nielsen-netflixs-wednesday-easily-dominated-weekly-household-tv-streaming-through-aug-17/ |access-date=September 13, 2025 |website=Media Play News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=2025-09-11 |title=Streaming Ratings: ‘Wednesday’ Holds at No. 1 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/streaming-ratings-aug-11-17-2025-1236368631/ |access-date=2025-09-13 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> From August 18–24, ''King of the Hill'' recorded 567 million minutes of watch time, placing fourth among original series for that week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gruenwedel |first=Erik |date=September 18, 2025 |title=Nielsen: ‘Wednesday’ Tops ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Across U.S. Household TVs for Week Ended Aug. 24 |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/nielsen-netflixs-wednesday-topped-kpop-demon-hunters-across-u-s-household-tvs-for-week-ended-aug-24/ |access-date=September 22, 2025 |website=Media Play News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=2025-09-18 |title=Streaming Ratings: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Sets Another Record |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/streaming-ratings-aug-18-24-2025-1236375331/ |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> Nielsen further reported that ''King of the Hill'' was streamed for 424 million minutes from August 25–31, making it the seventh most-streamed original series of the week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gruenwedel |first=Erik |date=September 25, 2025 |title=Nielsen: Netflix Dominated Weekly Streaming Through Aug. 31, Led by ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/nielsen-netflix-content-dominated-weekly-streaming-through-aug-31-led-by-kpop-demon-hunters/ |access-date=September 27, 2025 |website=Media Play News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=2025-09-25 |title=Streaming Ratings: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Ascends to No. 1 Overall |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/streaming-ratings-aug-25-31-2025-1236386111/ |access-date=2025-09-27 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> In December 2025, Disney announced that ''King of the Hill'' was among the television series to surpass one billion hours streamed on Disney+ in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-12-17 |title=Disney+ and Hulu: 2025 Year in Streaming |url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/2025-streaming-numbers/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=The Walt Disney Company |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Artavia |first=David |date=December 18, 2025 |title=Disney’s 2025 Streaming Numbers Are In — ‘Bluey’ Is Still on Top With Over 26M Rewatches |url=https://parade.com/news/disney-2025-streaming-numbers-are-in-bluey-is-still-on-top-with-over-26m-rewatches |access-date=December 19, 2025 |website=Parade}}</ref>

The revival also renewed interest in earlier seasons, with streaming viewership for seasons 1 through 13 increasing by 41% and reaching a total of 26 million hours streamed between March and August 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coman |first=Monica |date=2025-08-12 |title=King of the Hill Revival Scores Massive Viewership Numbers and a Disney Record After Perfect Scores |url=https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-revival-massive-viewership-numbers/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Comic Book Resources |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cripe |first=Michael |date=2025-08-14 |title=King of the Hill Revival Off to Strong Start as Season 14 Brings in 4.4 Million Viewers in First Week |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/king-of-the-hill-revival-off-to-strong-start-as-season-14-brings-in-44-million-viewers-in-first-week |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> The series has generated over $100 million in streaming revenue since 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tennes |first=Carly |date=2025-08-19 |title=‘King of the Hill’ Generated $100 Million in Streaming Revenue, New Report Shows |url=https://www.cracked.com/article_47931_king-of-the-hill-generated-100-million-in-streaming-revenue-new-report-shows.html |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Cracked.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Christofer |date=August 15, 2025 |title=Why Did Hulu Make a ��King of the Hill’ Revival? It Generated $100 Million in Streaming Revenue - Charts |url=https://www.thewrap.com/king-of-the-hill-streaming-revenue-hulu/ |access-date=August 17, 2025 |website=The Wrap}}</ref>

===Awards and nominations=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" style="width:40%;" | Category ! scope="col" style="width:30%;" | Nominee(s) ! scope="col" | Result |- | rowspan="8"|1997 || rowspan="6"|Annie Awards || Best Animated TV Program<ref name="a97">{{Cite web |title=25th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1997) |url=http://annieawards.org/25th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230210843/http://annieawards.org/25th-annie-awards |archive-date=December 30, 2015 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || 20th Century Fox and Film Roman || {{nom}} |- | Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a TV Production<ref name="a97" /> || John Rice ({{small|for "Keeping Up with Our Joneses"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Best Individual Achievement: Voice Acting by a Female Performer in a TV Production<ref name="a97" /> || Brittany Murphy ({{small|as Luanne Platter}}) || {{nom}} |- | Best Individual Achievement: Voice Acting by a Male Performer in a TV Production<ref name="a97" /> || Mike Judge ({{small|as Hank Hill}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|Best Individual Achievement: Writing in a TV Production<ref name="a97" /> || Paul Lieberstein ({{small|for "Luanne's Saga"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland ({{small|for "Shins of the Father"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Primetime Emmy Awards || Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)<ref name="emmys">{{Cite web |title=King of the Hill |url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/king-hill |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921015234/http://www.emmys.com/shows/king-hill |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=Emmys.com |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences}}</ref> || Greg Daniels, Mike Judge, Howard Klein, Michael Rotenberg, et al. ({{small|for "Square Peg"}}) || {{nom}} |- | TCA Awards || Outstanding Achievement in Comedy || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="7"|1998 || rowspan="2"|Annie Awards || Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Primetime or Late Night Television Program<ref name="a98">{{Cite web |title=26th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1998) |url=http://annieawards.org/26th-annie-awards |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102013247/http://annieawards.org/26th-annie-awards |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || 20th Century Fox Television, Deedle-Dee Productions, Judgemental Films, and 3 Arts Entertainment || {{nom}} |- | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a98" /> || Kathy Najimy ({{small|as Peggy Hill}}) || {{nom}} |- | BMI Film & TV Awards || BMI TV Music Award<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 1, 1998 |title=BMI Film/TV Awards: 1998 |url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/533562 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226045001/http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/533562 |archive-date=February 26, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |publisher=Broadcast Music, Inc.}}</ref> || John O'Connor, Roger Neill, and Lance Rubin || {{won}} |- | Kids' Choice Awards || Favorite Cartoon || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|Golden Reel Award || Best Sound Editing – Television Animated Specials<ref name="reel">{{Cite web |title=Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA (1998) |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000452/1998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410152116/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000452/1998 |archive-date=April 10, 2015 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=IMDb}}</ref> || "The Unbearable Blindness of Laying" || {{nom}} |- | Best Sound Editing – Television Animation – Music<ref name="reel" /> || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | Primetime Emmy Awards || Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)<ref name="emmys" /> || Greg Daniels, Mike Judge, Howard Klein, Michael Rotenberg, et al. ({{small|for "Texas City Twister"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="3"|1999 || rowspan="2"|Annie Awards || Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Program<ref name="a99">{{Cite web |title=27th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1999) |url=http://annieawards.org/27th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401040333/http://annieawards.org/27th-annie-awards |archive-date=April 1, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || 20th Century Fox Television || {{nom}} |- | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a99" /> || Jim Dauterive ({{small|for "Hank's Cowboy Movie"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Primetime Emmy Awards || Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)<ref name="emmys" /> || Greg Daniels, Mike Judge, Howard Klein, Michael Rotenberg, Richard Appel, et al. ({{small|for "And They Call It Bobby Love"}}) || {{won}} |- | rowspan="4"|2000 || rowspan="4"|Annie Awards || Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a00">{{Cite web |title=28th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2000) |url=http://annieawards.org/28th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425062300/http://annieawards.org/28th-annie-awards |archive-date=April 25, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || Kyoung Hee Lim and Boo Hwan Lim ({{small|for "Won't You Pimai Neighbor?"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a00" /> || Brittany Murphy ({{small|as Luanne Platter in "Movin' on Up"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a00" /> || Mike Judge ({{small|as Hank Hill in "Hanky Panky"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a00" /> || Garland Testa ({{small|for "Aisle 8A"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="4"|2001 || American Comedy Awards || Funniest Television Series – Animated || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|Annie Awards || Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a01">{{Cite web |title=29th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2001) |url=http://annieawards.org/29th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102052242/http://annieawards.org/29th-annie-awards |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || Kathy Najimy ({{small|as Peggy Hill in "Luanne Virgin 2.0"}}) || {{won}} |- | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a01" /> || Garland Testa ({{small|for "Chasing Bobby"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Primetime Emmy Awards || Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)<ref name="emmys" /> || Greg Daniels, Mike Judge, Richard Appel, Howard Klein, Michael Rotenberg, et al. ({{small|for "Chasing Bobby"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="4"|2002 || rowspan="2"|Annie Awards || rowspan="2" |Outstanding Writing in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a02">{{Cite web |title=30th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2002) |url=http://annieawards.org/30th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209203325/http://annieawards.org/30th-annie-awards |archive-date=February 9, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || Norm Hiscock ({{small|for "Bobby Goes Nuts"}}) || {{won}} |- | Kit Boss ({{small|for "A Man Without a Country Club"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|Primetime Emmy Awards || Outstanding Voice-Over Performance<ref name="emmys" /> || Pamela Adlon ({{small|as Bobby Hill, Clark Peters, and Chane Wassanasong in "Bobby Goes Nuts"}}) || {{won}} |- | Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)<ref name="emmys" /> || Greg Daniels, Mike Judge, Richard Appel, Howard Klein, Michael Rotenberg, et al. ({{small|for "Bobby Goes Nuts"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="3"|2003 || Annie Awards || Outstanding Writing in an Animated Television Production<ref>{{Cite web |title=31st Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2003) |url=http://annieawards.org/31st-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701220856/http://annieawards.org/31st-annie-awards |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || Tony Gama-Lobo and Rebecca May ({{small|for "Reborn to Be Wild"}}) || {{nom}} |- | GLAAD Media Awards || Outstanding Individual Episode (In a Series Without a Regular Gay Character)<ref>{{Cite web |title=14th Annual GLAAD Media Award Winners Include The Goat and Zanna, Don't! |url=https://playbill.com/article/14th-annual-glaad-media-award-winners-include-the-goat-and-zanna-dont-com-112515 |access-date=January 31, 2022 |website=Playbill |language=en}}</ref>|| "My Own Private Rodeo" || {{nom}} |- | Writers Guild of America Awards || Animation || Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck ({{small|for "My Own Private Rodeo"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="3"|2004 || rowspan="2"|Annie Awards || Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production<ref name="a04">{{Cite web |title=32nd Annual Annie Nominations and Awards Recipients |url=http://annieawards.org/32nd-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214053223/http://annieawards.org/32nd-annie-awards |archive-date=February 14, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || Brittany Murphy ({{small|as Luanne Platter in "Girl, You'll Be a Giant Soon"}}) || {{won}} |- | Writing in an Animated Television Production || Etan Cohen ({{small|for "Ceci N'est Pas Une King of the Hill"}}) || {{won}} |- | Writers Guild of America Awards || Animation || Tony Gama-Lobo and Rebecca May ({{small|for "Reborn to Be Wild"}}) || {{nom}} |- | 2005 || Annie Awards || Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production<ref>{{Cite web |title=33rd Annual Annie Nominations and Awards Recipients |url=http://annieawards.org/33rd-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214051957/http://annieawards.org/33rd-annie-awards |archive-date=February 14, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || Johnny Hardwick ({{small|as Dale Gribble in "Smoking and the Bandit"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|2006 || Annie Awards || Best Animated Television Production<ref>{{Cite web |title=34th Annual Annie Nominations and Awards Recipients |url=http://annieawards.org/34th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322211430/http://annieawards.org/34th-annie-awards |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || 20th Century Fox Television || {{nom}} |- | Teen Choice Awards || TV – Choice Animated Show || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|2007 || People's Choice Awards || Favorite TV Comedy – Animated || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | Writers Guild of America Awards || Animation || Jim Dauterive ({{small|for "Church Hopping"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="5"|2008 || Annie Awards || Best Animated Television Production<ref>{{Cite web |title=36th Annual Annie Nominations and Awards Recipients |url=http://annieawards.org/36th-annie-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214102212/http://annieawards.org/legacy36th.html |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |website=AnnieAwards.org |publisher=ASIFA-Hollywood}}</ref> || 20th Century Fox Television || {{nom}} |- | People's Choice Awards || Favorite Animated TV Comedy || ''King of the Hill'' || {{nom}} |- | Primetime Emmy Awards || Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)<ref name="emmys" /> || Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, John Altschuler, Dave Krinsky, Jim Dauterive, Garland Testa, et al. ({{small|for "Death Picks Cotton"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"|Writers Guild of America Awards || rowspan="2"|Animation || Jim Dauterive ({{small|for "Lucky's Wedding Suit"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Tony Gama-Lobo and Rebecca May ({{small|for "The Passion of the Dauterive"}}) || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="3"|2009 || Prism Awards || Comedy Episode || "Dia-BILL-ic Shock" || {{won}} |- | rowspan="2"|Writers Guild of America Awards || rowspan="2"|Animation || Jim Dauterive ({{small|for "Strangeness on a Train"}}) || {{nom}} |- | Dan McGrath ({{small|for "Life: A Loser's Manual"}}) || {{nom}} |}

==Home media== {{Main|List of King of the Hill home video releases}} The first six seasons were released on DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment from 2003 to 2006. The seventh season was originally planned to be released in late 2006, but most likely due to poor sales of the DVDs, the release was canceled. However, 8 years later in 2014, Olive Films acquired the sub-license to release future seasons of the show, and seasons seven and eight were released on November 18, of that same year, with nine and ten released on April 7, 2015,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 9, 2014 |title=King of the Hill DVD news: Announcement for Complete 7th Season and Complete 8th Season |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Seasons-7-and-8/20245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802112937/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Seasons-7-and-8/20245 |archive-date=August 2, 2017 |access-date=March 7, 2017 |website=TVShowsOnDVD.com }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2015 |title=King of the Hill DVD news: Release Date for Complete 9th Season and Complete 10th Season |url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Seasons-9-and-10/20671 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906091359/http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Seasons-9-and-10/20671 |archive-date=September 6, 2017 |access-date=March 7, 2017 |website=TVShowsOnDVD.com }}</ref> eleven released on August 25, 2015, twelve released on September 22, 2015, and thirteen released (also Blu-ray) on October 20, 2015.

Netflix and Fox streamed all episodes, but stopped streaming on October 1, 2013, and in early 2017, the series was removed from iTunes and Google Play, though it returned to the latter later that year. As of May 2018, all episodes were again removed from Google Play and iTunes.

On November 1, 2018, all episodes became available for streaming on Hulu in the US.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=November 1, 2018 |title=Hulu Nabs 'King of the Hill' Exclusive Streaming Rights for All 13 Seasons |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/hulu-king-of-the-hill-exclusive-streaming-1203017665/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101230032/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/hulu-king-of-the-hill-exclusive-streaming-1203017665/ |archive-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=King of the Hill | url=https://www.hulu.com/series/king-of-the-hill-52b8dd8a-eff2-4ed2-9b8d-7c0039df1c53 }}</ref> In some countries, the series was unavailable to stream or buy digitally, since Hulu is only available in the United States. However in 2022, the series was made available internationally on Disney+ through the Star hub.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-52b8dd8a-eff2-4ed2-9b8d-7c0039df1c53|title=Watch King of the Hill | Full Episodes | Disney+|website=www.disneyplus.com}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2" | Title ! rowspan="2" | Episodes ! colspan="3" | DVD release date ! rowspan="2" | Blu-ray release date {{small|(Region A)}} |- ! {{center|'''Region 1'''}} ! {{center|'''Region 2'''}} ! {{center|'''Region 4'''}} |- | ''The Complete First Season'' | {{center|13}} | July 1, 2003 | March 13, 2006 | March 15, 2006 | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Second Season'' | {{center|22}} | November 11, 2003 | March 13, 2006 | May 23, 2006 | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Third Season'' | {{center|25}} | December 28, 2004 | August 28, 2006 | September 26, 2006 | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Fourth Season'' | {{center|24}} | May 3, 2005 | January 15, 2007 | June 19, 2007 | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Fifth Season'' | {{center|20}} | November 22, 2005 | February 26, 2007 | April 23, 2008 | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Sixth Season'' | {{center|22}} | May 2, 2006 | July 27, 2015 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Seventh Season'' | {{center|23}} | November 18, 2014 | July 27, 2015 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Eighth Season'' | {{center|22}} | November 18, 2014 | August 24, 2015 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Ninth Season'' | {{center|15}} | April 7, 2015 | August 24, 2015 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Tenth Season'' | {{center|15}} | April 7, 2015 | February 29, 2016 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Eleventh Season'' | {{center|12}} | August 25, 2015 | February 29, 2016 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Twelfth Season'' | {{center|22}} | September 22, 2015 | March 28, 2016 | {{N/a|TBA}} | {{N/a|TBA}} |- | ''The Complete Thirteenth Season'' | {{center|24}} | October 20, 2015 | April 4, 2016 | {{N/a|TBA}} | October 20, 2015 |}

The show aired in broadcast syndication from 2001 to 2019. From September 2004 to December 2008, FX aired the series daily nationwide. The show later aired on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim from January 1, 2009, to June 29, 2018. The series then aired short-lived reruns on Comedy Central and CMT from July 24, 2018, until November 2019, when the series was pulled from their lineups. However, the series joined FXX's lineup on September 20, 2021; shortly thereafter, Adult Swim regained partial syndication, so FXX and Adult Swim shared the syndication rights as of November 22, 2021 through November 22, 2025, as be back to be exclusive on FXX in the meantime.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1437096164575285263 |user=animatedplus |title=FXX's new weekly lineup starting September 20th |date=September 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1461479127966371842 |user=CNschedules |title=Adult Swim 11/22 - 11/28: King of the Hill is back. |date=November 18, 2021}}</ref>

==Video games== A video game based on the series was released on November 13, 2000, for the PC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 29, 2019 |title=The First And Only King Of The Hill Video Game Came Out 19 Years Ago And It's Boring |url=https://kotaku.com/the-first-and-only-king-of-the-hill-video-game-came-out-1835943872 |access-date=December 1, 2020 |website=Kotaku}}</ref> The player goes on a hunting trip with Hank and the gang where the player must hunt for various animals. The game received mixed to negative reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=King of the Hill |url=https://www.gamespot.com/king-of-the-hill/ |access-date=December 1, 2020 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> The characters also appeared in a crossover game, ''Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards'', which features not only ''King of the Hill'', but also ''Family Guy'', ''American Dad!'', ''Futurama'', ''Bob's Burgers'', and ''Archer''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/animation-throwdown-the-quest-for-cards/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}</ref> They are also playable characters in a 2022 racing game, ''Warped Kart Racers'', also featuring ''Family Guy'' and ''American Dad!'', as well as ''Solar Opposites''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KING OF THE HILL Is Going Full MARIO KART in Apple Arcade Game |url=https://nerdist.com/article/warped-kart-racers-mario-kart-like-game-king-of-the-hill-family-guy-american-dad-characters/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=Nerdist |date=May 4, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> Hank Hill also appears as an skin in ''Fortnite''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=Marc |date=2025-06-13 |title=Fortnite adds Hank Hill and other cartoon dad skins for Father's Day |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/606291/hank-hill-cleveland-brown-bob-belcher-skins-fathers-day |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== Archival sources == * [https://www.thewittliffcollections.txst.edu/research/landing-new.html The King of the Hill Production Archive] 1995–2006 (75 linear ft) is housed at the Wittliff Collections, Texas State University in San Marcos. (Scroll down for link to PDF.)

==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * {{IMDb title|0118375}} * {{epguides|KingoftheHill}} *[https://archive.today/20121206002047/http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/F/Film_Roman_Productions/King_of_the_Hill/index.html ''King of the Hill''] at the Big Cartoon DataBase *[https://web.archive.org/web/20181015003104/http://www.cc.com/shows/king-of-the-hill ''King of the Hill''] at Comedy Central * [https://www.hulu.com/series/king-of-the-hill-52b8dd8a-eff2-4ed2-9b8d-7c0039df1c53 ''King of the Hill''] on Hulu

{{King of the Hill}} {{EmmyAward AnimationLessThanHour 1979-2000}} {{Mike Judge}} {{Greg Daniels}} {{Film Roman}} {{Fox Animation}} {{Hulu}} {{Portal bar|Animation|Cartoon|Television|Texas|Comedy|United States|1990s|2000s|2010s|2020s}} {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

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