The creator behind the newly released King of the Hill revival revealed why series lead Hank Hill moved to Saudi Arabia between the end of the original series and the start of this new one. The beloved animated adult comedy is back after 16 years off the air, picking up the story of the Hill family, led by Mike Judge's propane salesman, Hank.
One of the unique things the King of the Hill revival does is pick up as if the ensuing years between Seasons 13 and 14 happened in real time. This means that viewers tune into the new series, and every character has continued living since the last time they saw them, growing, changing, and (in some cases) moving halfway across the world.
One of these new narrative to-and-fros in the latest season is that Hank and his wife Peggy (played by Kathy Najimy) live in Saudi Arabia for a time, leaving viewers wondering what could have brought the Hill family to the other side of the globe.
King of the Hill Season 14 is already streaming in its entirety on Hulu. It picks up the story of the Hill family 15 years after the original series ended. The latest season is supposed to be the first of a larger return for the series, with a Season 15 already reportedly in the works from creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels.
Why Did Hank Move to Saudi Arabia In King of the Hill?
Being dropped back into the world of King of the Hill, fans may be confounded to discover that series mainstay Hank Hill and his wife Peggy moved to Saudi Arabia for a time between Season 13's end and Season 14's beginning.
According to the show's official synopsis, this move came as Hank took the next steps in his career as a propane salesman, taking on a role as an "assistant manager in charge of Arabian propane and Arabian propane accessories" (via PBS)
The pair eventually returns to their more familiar surroundings in Arlan, Texas, returning after their travels abroad.
One may wonder what Hank and Peggy's international endeavors meant for their previously teenage son, Bobby. Well, Bobby (now 21) stayed in Arlan, working as a chef in a local German-Asian fusion restaurant.
In a conversation with Deadline, King of the Hill co-creator Mike Judge discussed his thoughts on having Hank move to the Middle East.
"We came upon this idea of Hank and Peggy, who were gone out of the country in Saudi Arabia," Judges posited, saying that their coming back from several years away was "a good way in" for the audience:
"Once we kicked around a lot of ideas, we came upon this idea of Hank and Peggy, who were gone out of the country in Saudi Arabia, for however many years, and then they come back and [things evolved from there]. It just seemed like a good way in. Also, when I would look on Twitter, I would see people saying that Bobby and Connie should be adults now. So, it just seemed like that’s what the universe was telling us."
He noted that aging the world of King of the Hill up was something they did not take lightly, as they had long wondered "how long" they could keep the characters the same age:
"Because our show is less surreal than other animated shows, like say, 'The Simpsons,' it just seemed that even during the original run of the show, especially with Bobby, how long can we get away with keeping him [a young kid and teenager]? So, for us, it just seemed like the right thing to do. We all did a reunion table read at San Francisco Sketchfest in 2017, and that’s when we started talking about the idea of doing the show again."
Judge revealed that the whole idea of Season 14 revolves around Hank Hil, someone he described as an "old-school person," coming back to America and seeing how every aspect of life had changed:
"During the original run of the show, Greg [Daniels] and I used to talk about this in the writers’ room. We had this concept of Andy Griffith being back and he’s pissed off, because we grew up on The Andy Griffith Show, and we wanted to bring that kind of old-school person into the world. Now we think of it as Hank Hill is back, and he’s pissed off. It’s funny because the Aramco base [petroleum company] has this idyllic, perfect American city for Americans over there. So, for Hank, it seemed great. He’s in this idyllic world, and then he comes back to America. And now he’s like, “What the hell?"
This tactic is similar to that of fellow Hulu streaming revival, Futurama, which also opted for a time jump between the end of its last season and the beginning of its new episodes, using that time between seasons as the crux of its story.
