King of the Hill’s Revival Being a Sequel Is the Perfect Way to Bring It Back

King of the Hill is now in the works on a brand new revival series with Hulu, and coming back as a sequel is the perfect way to revisit the classic franchise. Animation fans have been treated to a ton of new revivals in the last few years. Classic shows have been coming back with new episodes, and fans have seen different ways to tackle cede returns. Shows like Futurama just picked up where everything left off without changing too much of the status quo, and shows like Beavis and Butt-Head had been experimenting with returning to classic form while trying out new kinds of stories for future versions of the main duo.

King of the Hill, another series from Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge, is using a bit of that approach for its own now in the works revival series with Hulu. While fans had been curious as to how a show like King of the Hill could come back after all this time, it seems the creative team behind it all revealed that they are actually approaching it like a sequel as there has been a significant time jump. New designs for the characters, new stories, and more will be on the table and that’s the best way to do it for King of the Hill specifically.

King of the Hill Has a Perfect Series Finale

One of the bigger elements working against the idea of King of the Hill coming back at all is the fact that the series came to a perfect end. Although like many other animated sitcoms of the time King of the Hill had been telling episodic stories, there was a strong thematic core of Hank and Bobby never quite seeing eye to eye. But with the final episode of the original series, the two found a sense of understanding in their shared love of meat and cooking.

Hank was truly proud of what Bobby was doing, and for the first time it wasn’t coming with any of the more conservative misgivings that Hank had been viewing his son with. He always loved Bobby, but didn’t completely like the way Bobby was doing things. Though he would try to understand, his more conservative parenting style ultimately won out at the end of the day as he wanted Bobby to have success in more conventional ways like he did as a kid in school. So when the original series ended with the two of them bonding for real, it was a sign that their relationship had been changed significantly heading into their bright futures. So returning for new episodes after such an ending was a monumental task.

A Sequel Can Move on From Dale, Luanne and Lucky

King of the Hill’s new revival also faces the unique situation of moving forward without significant parts of the original cast. The tragic passings of Brittany Murphy, Tom Petty, and Johnny Hardwick leave the new series without three of its core characters that it’s going to have to navigate around. While Hardwick was around for a couple of the revival’s episodes before his passing, Dale is such a significant character that a recast might be the way to go since he was such a big deal in the original.

But for Luanne and Lucky, a sequel series could explain their absences while still honoring their original voice stars. They have the perfect opportunity of aging up their daughter Gracie, and she could be moving in with the now older Hill family to fill the household that’s since been emptied with Bobby moving out. This would help the sequel feel like the original as Hank suddenly has to deal with a youthful new presence in his household, and deal with all of the headaches that comes from such a move.

King of the Hill’s original run was always about change and the way the world continues to shake up Hank, so it only makes sense to bring it back with a reflection of just how much time has passed. It’s moving forward nearly a decade in time, and there’s just so much that can be mined from the changing world than it would have had if King of the Hill pretended nothing changed at all with its revival. Embracing change is what made it such. unique animated sitcom, and a sequel is the perfect move to reflect that further with a new audience.