Posted in: Hulu, TV | Tagged: king of the hill

King of the Hill Team Discuss Doing Right by Hardwick, Murphy, Petty

During ATX TV Fest, the creators and cast from Hulu's King of the Hill discussed honoring Johnny Hardwick, Brittany Murphy, and Tom Petty.

On the same day that the new opening credit sequence for Hulu's upcoming revival of Mike Judge and Greg Daniels' animated series King of the Hill hit, some of the folks behind the show's return made it out to ATX TV Fest for a special panel honoring the past and celebrating the future. As you know, Judge, Kathy Najimy, Stephen Root, Pamela Adlon, Lauren Tom, and Toby Huss have returned for Season 14. Huss has taken over the role of Dale Gribble from the late Johnny Hardwick, who recorded six episodes of the upcoming season before passing away in August 2023. Huss is no stranger to the series, having voiced two characters during the show's original run: Kahn Souphanousinphone and Cotton Hill. With Judge, Daniels, Adlon, Tom, Huss, and Showrunner/EP Saladin K. Patterson attending, Huss opened up about how it felt taking over a role that Hardwick had made famous. In addition, Daniels and Patterson discuss two additional losses to the KOTH family: the late Brittany Murphy, who voiced Luanne over the course of the original series' run, and the late Tom Petty, who voiced recurring character Lucky, as well as Mud Dobber.

Toby Huss on taking over for Johnny Hardwick: "Johnny was one-of-a-kind and a wonderful fellow. I'm not trying to copy Johnny…I guess I'm trying to be Johnny. He laid down a really wonderful goofball character…he had a lot of weird heart to him, and that's a credit to Johnny. So all I'm trying to do is hold on to his Dale-ness. We love our guy Johnny, and it's so sad that he's not here." Mike Judge also added: "Johnny Hardwick is in six episodes. He's still going to be in the show."

Greg Daniels on Brittany Murphy Bringing Something Special to Luanne: "I would also say, to give the compliment back to the actors, one person I learned so much from, who is no longer here, is Brittany Murphy, who never read it the way you thought it was going to be read. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Luanne."

Saladin K. Patterson on Honoring Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty's Legacy & Influence: "We talked about the best way to honor them, the show, and the fans as well. I don't want to give any spoilers, but we found opportunities to let them be referenced, in a very respectful way that people are going to appreciate."

King of the Hill: Some Previous Updates on Series Return

Speaking with Variety on a wide range of subjects, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich was asked earlier this month if there was ever any talk of ABC or Hulu making a first-run play for any of the Disney-owned animated series that have a home on FOX. Yesterday, FOX announced that it had given four-season renewals to The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and the returning American Dad!

"I think we're really happy with the arrangement that we have. Hulu is the home to adult animation. We have the best offering by a mile. 'The Simpsons,' 'Family Guy,' past and now new seasons of 'Futurama,' and past and now new seasons of 'King of the Hill,'" Erwich responded before taking a moment to drop a tease about what viewers can expect from the animated series' return. "I think people are going to love the new 'King of the Hill.' It is so perfect for our times without trying too hard. You see Hank Hill in a whole new way."

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Grey DeLisle posted several images from a King of the Hill event from October 2024 that included an "ABOUT THE CHEF" poster  – with the profile spotlighting Chef Bobby Hill. Along with some interesting intel on what Bobby has been up to, we also get fun easter eggs ("Spa-Peggy and Meatballs"), learn that he was one of the youngest contestants on the "King of the Grill" competition series, and have our "feels" punched when a reference to grilling with his dad on the weekends gets dropped. Another interesting tease? When asked if she was voicing Bobby, DeLisle responded that she wasn't – but that she would be voicing "somebody very cool."

"It feels really special," Adlon shared back in March 2024 about how it felt to be returning to the beloved animated series during the red carpet for Variety's Power of Comedy event earlier this year – crediting the "new generation of young writers" for finding that "sweet spot" between what viewers love and respect about the series and tweaking it for a new generation of viewers. But Adlon also shared how tough it was losing Hardwick, even though they all feel that he's been with them during recording – with Adlon adding that Harwick had recorded four episodes.

"We're in the second season [creating] the reboot, and Bobby is 21. He's a chef in a fusion restaurant in Dallas. And it's been incredible. It's just been really fun. I think it's been freakier for Mike [Judge] and Greg [Daniels] to think about Bobby going from 12 to being 21 and having a relationship and being a person," Adlon shared with MovieWeb two months later, in May. "But don't we all go through that with our kids and our friends' kids? It is shocking when I see my friends' kids and they're all grown up. And I'm like, 'Wait a second, what just happened?' So, it's just a little bit of a mess."

Set in the fictional Arlen, Texas, King of the Hill followed the life of Hank Hill (Judge), an enthusiastic seller of propane and propane accessories; his wife, Peggy (Najimy), local Boggle champ and substitute teacher; and their 13-year-old son, Bobby (Adlon), who defies any expectation his father had for a son. Hank's friends – conspiracy theorist Dale (Hardwick), military barber Bill (Root), and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer (Judge), along with Peggy's friends Minh (Tom) and meteorologist Nancy (Ashley Gardner), and Bobby's friend Connie (Tom) help the Hills navigate a changing world.

Stemming from 20th Television Animation, Judge and Daniels are creating and executive producing the series – with 3 Arts' Michael Rotenberg & Howard Klein and Bandera Entertainment's Dustin Davis also executive producing.

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