King of the Hill

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.

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.

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.

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.

I became addicted to KOTH at age eight. I was sitting on my dad's lap, drinking grapefruit juice and club soda and trying to shake off my migraine. Finally, after a lot of moaning on my part, Dad agreed to stop watching "Law & Order". He put in a tape of eight KOTHs and said that we could watch this instead.

I'm thirteen now, and I'm still hooked. The characters are memorable and extremely realistic. Being born and bred in the most ultra-prepster, WASP-ish town possible (with, ironically, liberal, agnostic parents) really made me appreciate Peggy and Bobby, because I interact with them daily, as well as Dale, Bill, and Hank (although I have a huge soft spot for Kahn, Minh, and Connie, as well as Kahn's mother. I have a friend how is the very epitome of Connie and with a Dad whose bigoted, holier-then-thou obnoxiousness makes Kahn look like Saint Pete.) The writing is more subtle then "The Simpsons", which was my earlier love and which now takes the back seat. Everything in this show could really happen, and often does. Even the bit-out-there affair of Nancy and John Redcorn isn't that far-fetched (with a husband as wacked an unsexy as Dale, what blonde D-cupped weather girl wouldn't go for a tall-dark-'n'-handsome Native American with sculpted biceps, perfect hair, and a New age healing center who gives massages for a living? Hmmm?) Some people may argue that this show is racist, bigoted, cynical, and Conservative. I was raised in a home where debates about original sin were allowed over vegan dinners and a dart board with Bill O'Reilly's image hangs on our dryer. I come from a mixed-race marriage with a bisexual uncle. And yet I can say that this show in fact tackles such important issues with dry wit and style. Those who act as though they are above Hank's mild "discomforts" with, for instance, gays and lesbians, are at least as hypocritical as Kahn. As for the Conservative argument, I think the show makes fun of Republicans as well, if not more, then left-wingers. Who doesn't laugh at Hank's utter devotion to his party? The argument that this show only has Anglo-Saxons in it is the most asinine I have ever heard. Does the beloved "Family Guy" in it's main cast list a Native American, several Hispanics, and an entire Laotian family? Sure, "The Simpsons" has more black people, but virtually no Asians and not a Hispanic in sight. Besides, Arlen is portrayed as remarkably diverse for a small Northern Texas community. Heck, i'm surprised it isn't pure Caucasian.

10/10. Brilliant writing, subtle but liberal amounts of dry humor, and a dose of humorous reality-blended satire. Curl up on a laid-back armchair, turn up the heat, and immerse yourself in "King of the Hill."