It’s only right that a sneak peek of the upcoming “King of the Hill” reboot happened in Austin – the city creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge say they visited on fact-finding missions to inspire the world and stories of Arlen, Texas.
And no place was better to bring the cast together than ATX TV Festival. At any moment during the show’s hourlong reunion panel, deafening cheers could be heard silencing even the loudest of popcorn chewers. Attendees dressed in character and shouted out quotes to the cast.
“That’s my purse!” one yelled.
“And I don’t know you!” Pamela Adlon, who voices Bobby, yelled back in that perfect scratchy, squeaky, and deep voice.
Excitement for the reboot, which airs Aug. 4 on Hulu, is definitely there. Here’s what we learned about the show, which will have 10 episodes:
🫨 Bobby Is an Adult Now and Is … Using Charcoal
Characters have aged and Bobby is now 21. In the show’s new opening sequence, Bobby can be seen with scruff on his chin and this alone elicited screams from the crowd. Even louder were the boos that came when it was revealed that Bobby is working in Dallas as a chef at a German-sushi fusion restaurant. But worst of all – Bobby’s restaurant apparently cooks with charcoal instead of propane and propane accessories, Daniels and Judge said.
✈️ Hank and Peggy Have Been in Saudi Arabia
The show will see Hank and Peggy returning from living in Saudi Arabia. The pair is now retired.
♥️ Connie May Be Ethically Non-Monogamous
Connie, who is played by Lauren Tom, will be in the reboot. She’s in college and studying engineering and she may be ethically non-monogamous! Tom alluded to that when she said she had to look up what “ENM” means.
🫶 Johnny Hardwick Will Be in Six Episodes
Native Austinite Johnny Hardwick, who voiced Dale Gribble in the show, died in August 2023. Hardwick recorded six episodes of the reboot before he died. Toby Huss, who voices multiple characters, will take over as the voice of Dale for the remaining episodes.
💉 The Show May Acknowledge the COVID-19 Pandemic
The new opening sequence shows characters wearing face masks and standing apart from each other, so we’re thinking the pandemic may come up in the new episodes. Dale is, of course, shown wearing his mask below his chin.
😖 Hank Will Probably Be Annoyed
Hank and Peggy are returning to a different Texas, the creators said. For example, there’s bike lanes and scooters now, and you just know Hank is going to be annoyed.
When asked how Hank would promote the new show, Judge responded as Hank: “I’m pissed off!”
