With the show having already debuted to a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes,King of the Hillis also setting major streaming records. A little over a decade after it first went off the air, creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels have brought back their fan-favorite series for a new season, this time set inmodern-day Arlen, Texaswith aged-up characters.
TheKing of the Hillrevival sees Hank and Peggy Hill returning to America after the former took a propane job in Saudi Arabia to save enough money for their retirement. Upon returning home, however, they find the country has changed drastically, while also striving to reconnect with Bobby, who is the head chef of a Japanese-German-American fusion restaurant.
Having premiered on August 4 and now showrun byWonder Yearsalum Saladin K. Patterson,King of the Hilldebuted to widespread acclaimfrom critics, holding a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for some time before dropping to its current 98% rating. It’s also just the start of the show’s return, as it’s expected to run for at least two seasons on Hulu.
Just a week after the revival made its dual-platform premiere,King of the Hillhas already become a major streaming hit for Disney+ and Hulu, perThe Hollywood Reporter. The series drew in a combined 4.4 million views across both streamers within the first seven days of airing, making it the most-viewed adult animation series premiere for either platform in five years.
Additionally, figures show that the original 13-season run of the animated sitcom has been enjoying a successful lead-up to its season 14 premiere, with Hulu sharing thatKing of the Hillhas amassed 26 million hours of viewing since early March. Now, combined with prior data and its new numbers, the show has crossed the billion-hour mark on Hulu and Disney+, just ahead of the former platform’s closing.
What This Streaming Record Means For King Of The Hill’s Future
While there has always been a passionate fanbase for the show,King of the Hillseason 14breaking a streaming record for Disney+ and Hulu is an encouraging sign for its future. Not officially greenlit yet by the streamer, given Patterson, Daniels and Judge reportedly have plans for a season 15, having this kind of viewership should give the streamer confidence if it remains consistent.
What’s more interesting is the fact that this comes ahead ofDisney’s plans to kill Hulu offin an effort to create a unified app for it and Disney+ in 2026. The creative team did already work under the House of Mouse for season 14, and even recalled notes given by the studio during production, which could prove more troublesome when fully integrated with Disney+.
GivenAlien: Earth’s reviewsare already hailing it as one of the best installments in the sci-fi horror franchise, both it andKing of the Hill’s successes could be massive for Disney’s new streaming app. They could also invigorate the studio to back shows akin to it, especially as other adult animated shows likeInvincibleandHazbin Hotelcontinue to be hits.
Our Take On King Of The Hill’s Streaming Record Breaking
Given there’s been 15 years since the show first went off the air, part of me wondered if there’d still be an audience forKing of the Hillon its return. It was very much a product of its time that, in the wake ofsuch shows asRick and Morty,Solar Oppositesand Seth MacFarlane’s roster of shows, it felt like it’d be out of place for a modern audience.
And yet, not only am I glad to seeKing of the Hillsucceed with its story and humor, but is also drawing in viewers accordingly. That kind of early acclaim certainly goes a long way for a show that was off the air as long as this, but Judge is also the king of cult classics, and to see that turn into a smash hit like this gives me hope for its future.
King of the Hill
Cast
King of the Hill is an animated series centered around Hank Hill, a propane salesman in Texas. The show explores Hank’s life with his confident wife Peggy, son Bobby, and niece Luanne, as they navigate challenges to Hank’s conservative values involving family and his beer-drinking neighbors.
