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"King of the Hill" (1997)

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119 comments in total

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51 out of 57 people found the following comment useful :-
An excellent change from everything else, 18 August 2005

Author: kapilkulkarni81 from India

Although we don't get this show in India, I managed to get a couple of episodes from the net. Let me tell you, this is a fine show. It deals with an upright, honest and sometimes down-on-his-luck propane salesman from Texas, Hank Hill and his quirky family and friends. But what makes this show different is that it does not have a frantic pace at which things take place. Although, I thoroughly enjoy 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy', yet these shows have everything happening at a breakneck speed; the gags, the animation, etc. King of the Hill somehow has a certain calmness to it. It deals with real people (5 fingers, not 4) and fairly real situations. It always puts a smile on my face and it's nice to hear Hank's pearls of wisdom. It was a pleasant surprise coming from the creators of Beavis and Butthead. I definitely recommend this show. Two thumbs up.

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56 out of 72 people found the following comment useful :-
It's alright to be a redneck, 9 April 2004
Author: DarthBill from United States

Hank Hill, the hero of "King of the Hill", is the last of a dying breed in many ways. He's reasonably honest, reasonably moral, he works hard, he believes in American craftsmanship, and he loves his dysfunctional family. And he's a conservative. He's a bit repressed emotionally though; annoying him or getting him mad is easy, but expressing those tender emotions like love is hard for him, due mostly to his upbringing by his dysfunctional and tyrannical dad Cotton, an obnoxious old man who lost his shins in WWII and somehow had his feet sewn into his knees. Hank's conservative point of view doesn't always make him easily sympathetic in some cases though.

Hank's wife, Peggy, is a warm, loving and caring person at heart, but she's also a megalomaniac. Peggy is an over confident and under educated substitute Spanish teacher, quite rare in this day and age of "Women power". Peggy always strives to do her best, which isn't bad in and of itself, but her pride tends to exude control over her decisions which leads to Peggy making a fool of herself.

Hank's son Bobby is a dense, effeminate couch potato who's watched too much TV. Full of under developed desires and longings, Bobby is easily impressionable and easily gets caught up in fads when they shove their message in his face hard enough. As Hank puts it, "That boy ain't right." His initial goal is to be a stand up comic, but he later decides to be a magician. His friends are Connie (later a girlfriend) and Joseph.

Hank also has a live in niece, Luanne. She was raised to be trailer trash by her dysfunctional parents (her dad is Peggy's brother) and initially longs to be a Hollywood hair stylist. Like Bobby, Luanne can be easily caught up in fads.

Hanks friends are Dale, Bill and Boomhauer. Boomhauer is a motor mouth Lothario whom no one can really understand. Bill is a faded high school football star turned army barber who's wife has left him and appears to have a thing for Peggy. Dale is an exterminator and conspiracy theorist who's so wrapped up in his conspiracy theories that he would never suspect that his newscaster wife Nancy is having an affair with her Indian therapist John Redcorn and/or that his son Joseph is actually the son of John Redcorn and Nancy. The only other person who doesn't seem to notice this is Joseph himself. Hank's neighbor is an Asian man named Kahn (Connie's dad), the classic feuding neighbor scenario.

Despite the many frustrations Hank endures and the compromises he has to make, he trudges on, clinging to his ideals and doing the best he can.

Part of why this is still better than the Simpsons is that unlike the Simpsons, this show doesn't rely on anyone character to supply all the laughs and it doesn't rely on larger than life animated sight gags for all the laughs either. Hank is also probably the only TV Dad to have the dignity of being right anymore. And unlike Homer, even when Hank's efforts get ridiculous they're never as outlandish and moronic as the former's.

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43 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
A remarkable creation, 15 July 2002
Author: budikavlan from Irving, TX

After "Beavis & Butthead" (which I loved), I was really surprised what an affectionate portrait Mike Judge put together. I know well how ripe Texas rednecks are for satire (being a native Texan), though the target is SO easy, it would get a bit tiresome to watch it week after week for years. Hank Hill turned out to be a realistic redneck: worshipful of tradition, fearful of variety and progress, but not really quite as conservative as he thinks he is. My parents are very much like that, too. As I've watched the series, I've been tickled by different characters at different times: first Bobby (almost zen in his bizarre but internally consistent individuality), then Hank's buddies (where the sillier satire comes in), then Hank himself (eternally thwarted by life, but always strong and loving in the end). Lately, Peggy's outrageous ego has me laughing the most. Since this is more like a regular sitcom than "The Simpsons" is, I doubt it will hold up as long, but for now I love it. "King of the Hill" may be the most realistic portrait of Texans ever seen on TV. In response to previous complaints: 1. While Texas does have many citizens who are members of ethnic minorities, the area of the state in which the show is set (NW Texas--best reckoning has Arlen based on Abilene or San Angelo) has very few of them. 2. If one finds the show boring, one need only change the channel.

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37 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the most intelligent shows on TV, 11 April 2005

Author: NoRealityShows4Me from Seattle

I just love this show! It took me a while to figure it out, but now I'm addicted to it.

The characters are brilliant and a lot of the jokes are unexpectedly hilarious. This is one of the few shows that can take me by surprise with it's genius humor. Most of the characters are funny, but Peggy cracks me up with almost everything she says. She has an unshakable self-confidence and she'll sacrifice anybody (including her son) to win her silly little battles.

My favorite episode is the one in which the Hills go to Japan. Classic!

I hope "King of the Hill" sticks around for a long time.

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39 out of 56 people found the following comment useful :-
Great show., 20 May 2003
Author: chthon2 from Orlando, Florida, USA

King of the Hill is about Hank Hill, a proud propane salesman in Texas. When he isn't at work, he spends time with his family and three friends. The entire cast is great, and the writing is top notch. The show is funny without going over the top. In fact, this is probably quite a realistic portrayal of life in Texas. One worth watching.

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27 out of 36 people found the following comment useful :-
Getting Life Lessons Across Via the Animated Route., 21 June 2005
Author: tfrizzell from United States

Very excellent prime-time animated series from the highly creative and brilliant mind of Mike Judge ("Beavis and Butt-Head" fame). "King of the Hill" deals with a small town Texas family and their wild misadventures. Shades of "The Flintstones" and "The Simpsons" here as the show has vivid characters galore. Propane salesman Hank Hill and substitute Spanish teacher wife Peggy rear awkward adolescent son Bobby in the fictional town of Arlen. Hank has a wild World War II hero for a dad (Cotton), a niece who lives with him and his family (Luanne), a far from perfect boss (Buck Strickland), a slew of childhood friends (conspiracy theorist/bug exterminator Dale, lonely divorcée/Army barber Bill and often verbally incoherent swinging bachelor Boomhauer) and even Laotian neighbors. These vivid characters create a wholesome landscape of small-town Texas community life that accurately shows how lives intertwine and interweave. The situations in the series are hilarious and yet many times life-affirming as the show's brain trust do their best to have messages that center around family, friends and personal sacrifice. The running gags (Dale's wife having a torrid affair with a Native American new age healer who actually conceived her only son while her husband has no earthly clue) and the constant humanity and vulnerability of the featured characters make "King of the Hill" a real sight to behold. The art and science of television production combine to make a truly outstanding and intelligent sitcom for most all age groups. 5 stars out of 5.

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16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best damn shows ever, I tell you what, 22 March 2006
Author: eatmyboomstick (eatmyboomstick@hotmail.com) from United Kingdom

King of the Hill is the story of the propane (and propane accessories mind) salesman Hank Hill, his family and his friends. His son is well, a bit different. His wife is frankly annoying. His niece, much to Hank's dismay, lives in Hank's den and wanders round half naked. His father had his shins blown off in WW2. Boomhauer is a sex craving, fast talking, car lover. Dale is an oblivious propaganda lover. Bill is a pathetic alcoholic. This series,despite being hysterically funny, also rings true in many aspects. This show may never be as popular as the Simpsons, it may never have the following it's predecessor Beavis and Butt-head, it may never sell as many copies of the DVD as Family Guy, the boy may not be right, but damn it, it's one of the best darn shows to ever appear on the TV I tell you what.

Via Codious

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28 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best shows on TV., 21 December 1999
Author: Jeff (spoonjef@aol.com) from L.A. CA

King of the Hill is probably one of the best shows that you're not watching. A very droll sense of humor abounds in this show about a propane salesman and his family. Along with extolling the virtues of propane and propane accessories, Hank reveres everything and anything Texan: steak, the Cowboys, Tom Landrey. Hank navigates life with the help of his Boggle playing wife Peggy, who is a substitute Spanish teacher. And then there's Bobby Hill, Hank's only son because of a narrow ureathra. The supporting players add color to this mix. You have paranoid, whacko Dale, lonesome Bill and Boomhauer. Then there's Hank's niece LuAnn, his neighbor Khan, and his father, Cotton. Throw them all together and you have a show that is worth watching. One could argue that this show could be done as live action, I think it benefits from being animated. Dream sequences are easier to pull off, and some of the more oddball things that Dale and Cotton Hill do could only be done on an animated show. Smartly written and full of humor.

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17 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than most non-animated shows, 19 April 1999
Author: Ben Kennedy from Haverford, PA

Now that Mike Judge has made a fortune off Beavis and Butthead, he gets to do what he wants - thankfully his creativity extends far beyond the crude (though very funny) humor of his previous series. KOTH has its share of humor, but I think it shines because of the perceptiveness it displays about life. The series is full of very touching moments between Hank and his son Bobby, which rang very true with me, since I am an only child (Hank has a narrow urethra, so Bobby is his only offspring). All in all, this is a great show to watch, and I hope it stays on the air for a long time.

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12 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
A great cartoon for the whole family, 30 September 2005
Author: movieman_kev from United States

This show chronicles the animated everyday adventures of Hank Hill, his wife Peggy, son Bobby, and niece Luanne. Also featuring Hank's friends, the sad Bill, the paranoid Dale, and the plain indecipherable Boomhauer, as well as Hank's father and foreign neighbors every now and then. The antithesis of all the "popular" cartoons of the day (the Simpsons, Family guy, etcetera), and all the better for it. This cartoon is well-voiced, heartfelt, and is great family fare. Oh yeah, and it's frequently hilarious as well. Some blast this show for being a tad more conservative then other's of it's ilk. I say so what? It's refreshing to have one counter-point in a whole sea of one viewpoint.And with the show ending it's 9 year run this season, it still hasn't outstayed it's welcome like some others *cough* Simpsons *cough* And I for one will miss spending time Sunday nights with the Hill family (on the times it WASN'T preempted by Football, of course)

My Grade: A

Season 1 DVD Extras: Introductions by Hank Hill (on Disk1), Bobby on 2, and Dale on the third; Commentar on the Pilot and "Hank's Unmentionable Problem" by Co-creator Greg Daniels, "Order of the Straight Arrow" & "the Company Man" by Director Klay Hall, "Westie Side Story" & "King of the Ant Hill" with ' Dale Gribble' and 'Bill Dauterive' , "Shins of the Father" & "Plastic White Female" with 'Peggy' and 'Bobby'; a 24 minute Making of; 55 Deleted scenes & Animatics; Do's & Don'ts of animation; Meet the Hills (info & sketches); Barenakid Ladies Music Video; & 13 promos

2 Easter Eggs: On the first disk, go to 'Special Features', then to 'Commentaries' and highlight the lawn-tractor for "Mowing Lesson with Charlie" a short on lawnmower safety; On the third disk, in the main menu click on the map for Hank Hill thanking the people who worked on Season 1

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