Yes, We Need a ‘King of the Hill’ Reboot
Hulu trailer shows Hill clan clashing with modern life, woke 'improvements'
It’s hard not to be cynical about most Hollywood reboots.
Your favorite film or TV show gets “reimagined,” for example (shudder). The new version is now another part of the Hollywood “Resistance,” like the “Will & Grace” reboot. Or, the new title has nothing in common with the beloved IP save brand recognition. That’s often the entire point.
Hulu’s “King of the Hill” reboot may be different.
The original show wrapped in 2009, and Hollywood’s lack-of-imagination factory decided we need more of Hank Hill and friends.
The first full trailer for the series, debuting Aug. 4 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, offers a reason for hope.
The reboot is coming from core members of the original creative team – Mike Judge and Greg Daniels. Plus, the show finds Hank and Peggy Hill retired and exploring new chapters in their Texas life. Their son Bobby Hill is now a young man, offering more story possibilities.
Best of all? The reboot lets the plainspoken clan clash with modern life. Gender-neutral bathrooms, for example, come under the microscope.
It’s a gentle reminder that Judge previously mocked woke culture with the short-lived “Goode Family.”
That sitcom didn’t catch on with the public, but it captured Judge’s ability to mock cultural touchstones without being cruel or divisive.
That’s no small feat.
It appears the new “King of the Hill” will do the same. That’s a rich comic vein just waiting to be tapped. Most Hollywood scribes won’t go near it, leaving a rebooted sitcom to lead the way.