“King of the Hill” was always an odd duck.
Its predecessor, the legendary animated series “The Simpsons,” earned its acclaim by being endlessly inventive and funny.
“South Park,” which also premiered in 1997 like “King of the Hill,” weaponized its crude animation and gross-out humor to make a big impression.
Fans of “The Simpsons” venerate specific quotes and visual gags as if they were holy relics, while fans of “South Park” still remember certain episodes that shocked them.
The folks behind “The King of the Hill” weren’t especially interested in that stuff.
“There were definitely some writers …
pulling it more in the gag direction.
My strength is more observational stuff,” series co-creator Mike Judge told IGN in a 2006 interview.
“King of the Hill” could be funny, but Judge cared more about authenticity.
The result was a TV series committed to capturing the lives and mannerisms of working-class folks in Texas — like protagonist Hank Hill.
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