King Of The Hill is now out in the 2025 TV schedule, and while it's great to see Hank and friends back for more fun and adventures, a lot has changed since we saw them last. CinemaBlend discovered as much with creator Mike Judge talking about how the series isn't meant to be nostalgic, but he also talked about a major change with Bobby Hill that was heavily discussed ahead of the return.
Those with a Hulu subscription can watch all ten episodes right now, and if they do, they'll see Bobby has changed a lot since Hank worried quite a bit about his son. He's off in Dallas, living with Joseph, and running a restaurant that is a fusion of Japanese and German cuisine. He has all this at only 21 years old, and Mike Judge talked about how his father plays into that amount of success at a young age:
We talked about a bunch of different things. And then the idea of, you know, what if Bobby inherited his dad's work ethic? At his restaurant, he still gets to kind of be a showy guy and whatever as a chef. It just seemed right. Having him go off and be on Broadway or something seemed a little too goofy, if you will.
As fun as it might've been to make Bobby a successful show pony as an adult doing anything from being a rodeo clown to a prop comic, King of the Hill's creative team wanted to make a more realistic outcome for Bobby, and they landed on co-owning a restaurant in a big city and living with Joseph Gribble.
As is touched on in King of the Hill, Bobby decided to opt out of going to college, and immediately went to work making his dream of running a Robatayaki once he got out of high school. Showrunner Saladin Patterson said that Bobby's decision to go right into the workforce was a topic of much discussion, and one deliberately made at the request of the co-creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge:
I know it's important to Greg and Mike what we're gonna say about today and now, and putting Bobby in a situation where he didn't go to college, we can make a statement about the fact that going to college doesn't put you ahead the way it used to. Bobby seems like the kind of kid who could walk that path. It was important to Greg and Mike to show what parts of Hank was instilled and stayed in. Put him in a working environment so we can see he has his work ethic. He takes it very seriously. He's found his propane and propane accessories. So I think that was what was important to show.
A lot has changed in King of the Hill since Hank and Peggy returned from Saudi Arabia, both locally and politically. While it may come as a surprise about how Bobby turned out as an adult, there is some more predictable elements to the series. For example, I'm sure no one will be shocked that Bill went into seclusion once the Hills left, and no one knew how to get him out until Hank returned.
It's all part of the fun of seeing the series return, as King of the Hill very deliberately makes Hank a fish out of water in 2025. Years in Saudi Arabia have made him unaware of the etiquette of rideshare services, or all sorts of other tech his friends have had to contend with.
As someone who saw all ten episodes ahead of their release, I was a big fan of the return. While the pilot episode felt a bit wonky due to needing to set up the return, the rest of the series feels in line with classic episodes of King of the Hill. As a longtime fan, I was more than happy, and am hoping we hear more about future episodes soon.
Catch all episodes of King of the Hill on Hulu right now. It's an easy watch for anyone that has an afternoon or evening free to watch, and I'd highly recommend it if you were someone who watched and enjoy the original run of the series.
