Unlike the rest of us mere mortals, animated characters need not age. Bart Simpson has been fourth grade for decades. Homer hasn’t gotten any balder in that time either. (Admittedly when you only have three hairs to begin with, there’s not many to lose.)
So it’s always kind of interesting when the characters on an animated series do get older. That’s what’s happened on the new TV revival of King of the Hill for Hulu. Its central couple, Hank and Peggy Hill, are now retirement age, and their lovably little son Bobby ain’t so little anymore. He’s now in his 20s. That image above says it all.
The series, created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, premiered on Fox in 1997 and endured for 13 seasons and over 250 episodes in its initial run, even though the show never quite attained the same level of cultural ubiquity as its longtime lead-in, The Simpsons. Both Judge and Daniels returned to work on the new version of the show as executive producers; Saladin Patterson serves as the new showrunner.
First announced in 2023, this revival is going straight to streaming. Hulu just revealed the opening credits for the new season, which blazes through the years since King of the Hill went off the air to catch us up on the Hills lives in just 30 seconds. Watch the clip below:
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Here is the new season’s synopsis:
After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas to reconnect with old friends Dale, Boomhauer and Bill. Meanwhile, Bobby is living his dream as a chef in Dallas and enjoying his 20s with his former classmates Connie, Joseph and Chane.
Hulu’s new season of King of the Hill premieres on August 4 on Hulu.
