Here’s What ‘King of the Hill’ Fans Do (And Don’t) Want to See in the New Revival Season

With just a week left before the return of King of the Hill, the show’s loyal fandom is gripped with both fear and excitement. A great many beloved shows from yesteryear have returned recently with varying results — Beavis and Butt-Head rocked, but Frasier most decidedly did not. So how will the citizens of Arlen, Texas fare in 2025? 

I waded through hell and high water in Facebook’s biggest King of the Hill fan group to better understand the hopes and fears of the show’s biggest fans.

The very first response I got from my initial post was from a user who expressed their fear that the show could “go completely WOKE.” This is, of course, to be expected in our godforsaken political climate, but I was still surprised by the number of comments utterly consumed with this worry. One person even shared their brazenly ignorant hope that there are no “racial changes to pander to a soft audience.” 

Other fans on the opposite end of the political spectrum quickly countered by pointing out that “the show was ‘WOKE’ back in 1997!” Or as one commenter argued, “The entire premise was Hank learning to accept things he didn’t understand, something MAGA is incapable of doing.” 

In non-political matters, many advocated for the return of their favorite characters, with Hank’s dad Cotton Hill receiving by far the most vocal support. Cotton died in Season 12 of the original run, but that’s nothing a few choice flashback sequences couldn’t solve, according to his most die-hard supporters. Others called for the return of Bill’s cousin Gilbert, Hank’s old boss Buck Strickland, Bobby’s idiot classmate Dooley, Hank’s Japanese half-brother Junichiro, Hank’s other half-brother G.H. and Boomhauer’s brother Patch. 

Apart from Cotton Hill, fans were most concerned about the status of Luanne and Lucky’s baby Gracie, who was born toward the end of the original series. With the deaths of Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty, who played Luanne and Lucky, fans wondered if the characters will be recast, remain off-camera or killed off, and some advocated for Gracie moving in with Hank and Peggy.

Other fans brought up the death of Hank’s loyal bloodhound, Ladybird. To overcome the loss, one suggested they get a new dog and name it for First Lady Melania Trump, as Ladybird was named for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s wife. This seems unlikely, however, if for no other reason than the current First Lady isn’t Texan. 

A good number of fans also threw out ideas for episodes. “I’d love to know Hank’s opinion on some of the simpler things that compete with his everyday preferences,” wrote Rob Greissinger. “For example, IPA beer or his beloved Alamo, (or) how pellet grills have become a popular rival to propane.” Meanwhile, Dava Cartee pitched Hank getting a new car with modern features that drive him crazy, and Kaitlin McCann suggested pitting Dale against an Alexa that he believes is listening to him.

Numerous fans mentioned that they were excited to see where the show goes without having to worry about the network restrictions it had to abide by during its original run. “What I’m looking forward to the most: seeing KOTH without cable restraints,” Madison Payne wrote. “I cannot wait to see KOTH without limits as it’s made for the Hulu platform!” J.R. Sears added. “They no longer need to adhere to FOX censorship, which I’m sure will be very freeing for them. I hope one of the core four alley boys hangs some dong.” 

I assume that last bit was a joke, but if not, the alley guy hanging dong would have to be Boomhauer, right?

There were, of course, concerns about the changes in the voice cast. Some wanted to see Dale removed instead of being recast — even if it was by Toby Huss, who was a big part of the original show. Others expressed frustration that Huss would no longer voice Hank’s Laotian neighbor Kahn (which, I’m sure for some, is already evidence that the reboot is going to be “woke”).

The most thoughtful responses pointed to a desire for the show to retain its slice-of-life style of storytelling. “What I hope is the reboot continues to focus on the small things,” wrote Caroline Zelonka. Thomas J. Murashie agreed, saying he hopes the show “continues to point out the humor in everyday, mundane life.” Domenico Col also echoed this, writing, “One of the best things about the original series is how believable and grounded in realism it was/is. The entire show could have been done with live actors and nothing would have needed to change, which is incredibly rare with animated shows.”

The two very best responses to my query, however, were from a duo who clearly understand the show’s most unifying element. To my question of what people want to see in the new episodes, Jared Bates replied with just a single word: “Propane.” Only for Rachel Marie to add: “And propane accessories.”