SAN DIEGO – Most of us have changed and seen our world evolve over the past 15-plus years. Even the animated Texans of “King of the Hill.”
Most of them at least. Chain-smoking conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble used to seem like an outlier, but over the years, Dale has ended up more “mainstream,” Toby Huss, who voices the character on Hulu’s Season 14 revival (streaming now) of the popular sitcom, says with a laugh. “He got out-righted on the right.”
Created by Mike Judge (“Beavis and Butthead”) and Greg Daniels (“The Office”), “King of the Hill” ran for 13 seasons, fostering a loyal fan following until it exited the Fox lineup in 2009. The new season again centers on Hank (voiced by Judge) and Peggy Hill (Kathy Najimy), their son Bobby (Pamela Adlon), and their friends and family around small-town Arlen, Texas. And just like most folks, the Hills need to acclimate to all-gender restrooms, rideshare apps and Zoom.
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
Hank and Peggy are returning to a much different America than they left, after years spent in Saudi Arabia where Hank worked a propane job to build up their retirement nest egg. “When we were first doing the show, at the very beginning, we used to say it's like Andy Griffith is back and he's pissed off. Now it's kind of like Hank is back and he's pissed off,” Judge says. The revival is full of “a whole new world of things to be annoying to someone like Hank.”
