In this day and age, nothing gets people more excited or has more groan-induced eye rolls than a reboot of a nostalgic show. I'm not saying they can't be successful, as I am a huge fan of the 2017 DuckTales, which I will argue should be studied on how to do a reboot properly. It's why I'm both nervous but hopefully optimistic about the King of the Hill revival coming this summer.
A lot of these feelings are because I love King of the Hill. It is one of my personal favorite shows of all time. While I didn't discover it until I was older, it has become a staple favorite in my house. Even recently, as we had a hospital scare last month with my stepmom, we binged King of the Hill in her hospital room on my laptop to keep spirits up and pass the time. The series is our go-to when we just want to put something on to make us laugh. It's a show that I constantly quote, and lord knows how bad I want to track down THAT Bobby Hill purse to personally own.
I think part of my hesitancy is because of how deeply I love the original show. I know there will be changes made.
One thing I wonder is how they will handle the cast members. Brittany Murphey passed away years ago, and I know I will personally miss her yelling, "IT'S THE MANGER BABIES!" Then, with Johnny Hardwick, he at least recorded for a few episodes before his passing, but that still leaves the rest of the series open. I also wonder if they would recast Kahn, Minh, and Connie Souphanousinphone, all played by non-Laotian actors in the original show. I am a major supporter of recasting characters, so I would argue for these changes. To me, letting characters continue on is one of the best ways to honor the original creators.
Despite all of my worries, I do have faith and confidence in these creators. If there is a group that has always brought wonderful social commentary about the current state of the world, it's King of the Hill. It's never shied away from poking fun while having powerful things to say through the characters we love. It has a heart at the core of its story. If anything, I know I can believe in that.
While I'm nervous about the King of the Hill revival, I'm also tentatively excited. I know there will be changes, but I want to catch up with the Hills, the Gribbles, Boomhauer, and hope that poor Bill might have found some happiness in his life. I'll be tuning in this summer on Hulu, reservations and all.