Does King of The Hill Seem to be Unnoticed?

[Matt B.]

I know theres a few King of the Hill fans here but does this show seem to be unnoticed by general public compared to the other FOX cartoons? I mean not only with the FOX Sunday ratings but with merchandising and syndication. My local UPN shows it at 1:30 AM. And that all of the FOX cartoons (Simpsons,Futurama,Family Guy) have got or producing a movie.
Another fact is everyone who I knew who watches Futurama, Simpsons have never eard of King of the Hill

[grissom]

It just isn't that popular. I know plenty of people who have heard of it, they just don't like it.

[Sniper Squirrel]

I just think it's not as good as it was during it's first 6-7 seasons

[raheem]

I think the fact of the matter is people just don't get it, I mean I found it boring to begin with but then when I came back to it I started to "get" the style of humor and now I really enjoy it.

I just think the fact of the matter is the Simpsons can appeal to anyone and its been on forever so it has an extremely large fan base. Family guy basically runs on crudeness, shock value and "randomness" which is what the people seem to want these days.

The fact of the matter is KOTH probably just goes over too many people's heads because of it's slower pace and the fact that the jokes don't scream:"THIS IS A JOKE! LAUGH NOW!".

[Gatorgod]

If Mike Judges "Beavis & Butthead" can get a Movie, Then I wish King of the Hill would make one when they call it quites. I'd go see it! and the best part is I wont have to fight any first day crowds!
:cricket:

[Jakebert]

KOTH, like already mentioned, has a very unique humor style so it's hard to really get into. I know at first I really didn't care for it, but somehow it just clicked with me when I was giving it another chance, and now it's one of my favorite shows.

Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Futurama all get a lot of media coverage as well for various reasons. KOTH really doesn't, and it doesn't seem like it wants to. It was never big on merchandising it's show as a brand, unlike the 3 above which all do just that. (Not saying that's a bad thing)

As for the person who says it's not as good as it was, I think that up until season 10, it's been basically consistantly funny for almost every season, which is another thing about it that really impresses me.

[Malachy]

The quality of the show started to go down in season 6, but it still hasn't had an extreme drop-off like OFF. And this may sound elitist, but most people simply don't get it, especially not the target-audience for most cartoons.

One scene from season 5 The Exterminator stands out especially.

DALE: I have more pressures than any of you. You ever try replacing a cockroach's blood with root beer?
HANK: You know I haven't.
DALE: Then don't judge me.

Without knowing the personalities of Dale and Hank, this would come off as unfunny and pointless. The majority of the jokes are plot- and character-driven. Season 3 Pretty Pretty Dresses might just seem bizarre at a glance, though it's often considered a classic to the fans.

[brody]

I have seen a few episodes of KOTH and I enjoy it. I'm planning on Netflix-ing it. Anyways, I think that the reason it isn't as popular as shows like "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" is because the animation looks more realistic, the voices aren't as cartoony, and the humor is very subtle.

[Rowdy Roddy Peeper]

Well, it's not even shown in the UK anymore, that's how noticed it seems to be here :(

[conor.]

its seemingly a miracle that its lasted 10 years, its pretty dry humor i would say. i cant sit down to watch it on tv but i pick up the new shitty dvds whenever they come out simply because i love the episodes.

[Drew]

It's not a bad show, but it's just pretty bland. Not many can relate to a republican cartoon family from Texas.

[Gatorgod]

I often wonder if KOTH would have lasted as long on another night or network. It surely has benefited from being scheduled back to back with the momentum the Simpsons create on sundays

[Sniper Squirrel]

not to mention they give it a timeslot that often coincides with football, it's kind of a pre-prime time slot anyways

[Jakebert]

It's not a bad show, but it's just pretty bland. Not many can relate to a republican cartoon family from Texas.

It's not bland, it's just very character driven, and to some people, it's just really hard to get. The style of humor is much more subtle than most sitcoms, let alone cartoons.

But a lot of it does come from relatability. I live in North Eastern Ohio, and it's kind of like Arlen in a way because I recognize a lot of the people in the show. Hell, most of my friends think that my dad looks and acts exactly like Hank. And maybe it's because I can relate that makes me like it, but still, I think if you get the humor it's good to anybody.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Well, it's not even shown in the UK anymore, that's how noticed it seems to be here :(
I saw an episode a few weeks ago, actually ;) I don't remember which channel, may have been one of the digital ones (Paramount or something). I'm pretty sure they show it on FX (Sky only) too.

None of the big cartoons are really shown on terrestrial. BBC showed Family Guy (and American Dad) for a while in a late night Saturday slot, but there's never any Futurama/South Park/KotH.

[Ivan]

I've seen a few episodes of it...it was pretty enjoyable...the one I remember most is when they went to some ranch place, that was about 2 years ago. Last christmas holidays it was on every day at about 2pm, but i havent seen anything of it here since then

[Cerpin Taxt]

I just think it isn't popular because of the premise.

[blueguy]

I have seen a few episodes of KOTH and I enjoy it. I'm planning on Netflix-ing it. Anyways, I think that the reason it isn't as popular as shows like "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" is because the animation looks more realistic, the voices aren't as cartoony, and the humor is very subtle.
I don't think there's anything subtle about Dale or Boom-whatever.

I'd catch the show in syndication, it's an ok show. It's good enough to sit and watch if you've got nothing else to do, but not good enough to want to go out of your way to see.

[Isaac]

King of the Hill, for me, is just another example of an animator with his head up his ass. I mean, it tries, it really tries, and the animation's good, but the series itself is just not that funny. I'm surprised it lasted so long.

[Mira]

It's personally on the same level as Futurama, The Simpsons and South Park. I don't find to be too subtle or hard to get into at all. I think it's just so super realistic compared to Simpsons, Futurama, FG and SP that fans of those shows can't sit through it without seeing something bizarre. It's hilarious though and easily the most consistent of every major animated program.

[Cerpin Taxt]

I think you're on to something with the reality bit.

[Jim Jones]

I know theres a few King of the Hill fans here but does this show seem to be unnoticed by general public compared to the other FOX cartoons? I mean not only with the FOX Sunday ratings but with merchandising and syndication. My local UPN shows it at 1:30 AM. And that all of the FOX cartoons (Simpsons,Futurama,Family Guy) have got or producing a movie.
Another fact is everyone who I knew who watches Futurama, Simpsons have never eard of King of the Hill

Well it's not as in-your-face as those aforementioned shows, the paces is similar to simpsons season 1. It's like how most people I know find Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back funny because it's Fast Paced and Exiting, and find Clerks boring because you have to reflect on it.

[raheem]

It's personally on the same level as Futurama, The Simpsons and South Park. I don't find to be too subtle or hard to get into at all. I think it's just so super realistic compared to Simpsons, Futurama, FG and SP that fans of those shows can't sit through it without seeing something bizarre. It's hilarious though and easily the most consistent of every major animated program.

Well I think the reality of it does have something to do with the subtlty because if you want the dialogue to be realistic the jokes can't be jumping out at you. I think season 2 of the simpsons did a good job at the same thing, which is why people may say it isn't as funny as the rest.

Also I agree that it is definatly the most consistant of the bunch.(except for maybe Futurama but it was around for less than half the amount of time.)

[Gibbles]

I used to hate this show when I was younger and it was really the only prime time animation that I never got in to. For some reason I rented the first two season DVDs when they were released here in the UK. Very soon after that I ended up buying the other four seasons off Playusa.com.

It really is a great show, sure Bobby and Peggy can be annoying at times but if you give this show a chance you're bound to love it.

[Dennis]

KOTH is brilliant...A lot of brilliant shows go unnoticed just because the majority of people don't GET them, or devote enough time to get used to the uniqueness of them.

I wouldn't say KOTH is unnoticed. It's been on for 10 seasons. People watch.

[StrideR]

King of the Hill's humor is based around the quirks in the personalities of its characters, as opposed to gags and one-liners a lot of other prime time animated shows depend upon. That's where it excells and ultimately loses. Few people want to spend half an hour chuckling to themselves at how Hank's uptightness clashes with Peg's free thinking, or how Bill, Boomhauer and Dale get themselves into very realistically (although not so much) precarious situations and Hank saves their asses with his practical genius. King of the Hill is possibly the one animated show that could cross over to live action without losing much in the way of humor.

I love the show when I catch it, but I don't make time for it. Sad, really.

[Jim Jones]

King of the Hill's humor is based around the quirks in the personalities of its characters, as opposed to gags and one-liners a lot of other prime time animated shows depend upon. That's where it excells and ultimately loses. Few people want to spend half an hour chuckling to themselves at how Hank's uptightness clashes with Peg's free thinking, or how Bill, Boomhauer and Dale get themselves into very realistically (although not so much) precarious situations and Hank saves their asses with his practical genius. King of the Hill is possibly the one animated show that could cross over to live action without losing much in the way of humor.

I love the show when I catch it, but I don't make time for it. Sad, really.

Thats what I was thinking, it's an animated live action show.

[TheForbiddenDonut]

I have seen very few episodes. When I first saw it, I didn't like it very much at all. Now, about a few months later, I think it's quite funny and enjoyable. I really do like the character driven humor, but I realize why a lot of people wouldn't like it.

[Cerpin Taxt]

I think I'm beginning to like it more and more the more I watch it.

[Sniper Squirrel]

Also, being more character driven, some jokes would be less funny to people who haven't seen previous episodes and aren't familiar with the characters

[Ryan]

i never really liked the show, like the majority of australians based on its ratings and timeslots. But then, it was killed in its first year when it was put up against the new simpsons.

[Stampie]

Well look they don't flog it off for starters and its alright just some episodes are ok and some episodes are dull what can I say.But overall the King of the Hill is a great cartoon. :)

[Tomacco]

Brilliant show, and surprisingly consistent in quality over its entire run so far. A bit of a drop-off in seasons 7-9, but I though 10 was pretty great. I was so glad to see it renewed for an 11th season.

[Stewie Griffin]

Never liked it used to watch it with my big brother but the simpsons is my thing now.

[invictius]

The quality of the show started to go down in season 6, but it still hasn't had an extreme drop-off like OFF. And this may sound elitist, but most people simply don't get it, especially not the target-audience for most cartoons.

One scene from season 5 The Exterminator stands out especially.

DALE: I have more pressures than any of you. You ever try replacing a cockroach's blood with root beer?
HANK: You know I haven't.
DALE: Then don't judge me.

Without knowing the personalities of Dale and Hank, this would come off as unfunny and pointless. The majority of the jokes are plot- and character-driven. Season 3 Pretty Pretty Dresses might just seem bizarre at a glance, though it's often considered a classic to the fans.

Seconded - my most memorable eps are Bill commiting himself, going to a support group about nobody listening to him in the alley, then telling hank "My feelings are valid. Valid feelings!". "Ho Yeah!" was a classic ep also, "Returning Japanese" is arguably one of the best 2-parters in animation history, "Bobby goes nuts" is a classic, as is the ep where Bill steals a tank, as is "Dang ol' love" - Boomhauer FINALLY has his bubble burst. Any pre-s8 Dale lines are a hoot, too. It seems to have started to run out of steam starting season 7-8, depending on your take on it, and many S9+ eps are pretty forgettable, and Peggy has just become pushy.

[DotheBartman]

I don't think this show is really as cult as people think it is. It's had it's troubles with ratings and with Fox, but the fact is that it's lasted ten seasons and is still running, which is huge. And it's a huge hit in syndication, too. I think it's more just a constant show that people tune in and out of, as opposed to a monster hit that's big for a while and then quickly fades out of public conciousness.

Personally I don't care for it. I like a lot of the show's ideas and I respect it, but what it ultimately comes down to is that you need to really love the characters to get into this show, and I just don't like them or relate to them very much personally. So the show is probably somewhat niche for that reason. But I think it really depends on the circles you're in. Yeah, hipster high school and college students aren't usually insanely interested in it, but what about the rest of the country?

[Good Moleman To Robert]

I think because it is so character based, an uncartoony for a cartoon, it turns alot of people who watch The Simpsons/Family Guy/American Dad off. It's humour is much drier compared to the rest of the Sunday night lineup. Another thing is it is on at a bad time. On Sundays it can be hard to make it in time to see The Simpsons, but 7:30 is too early when lots of people are having the Sunday family dinner.

[mrkatie]

KotH is a great show, but I would have to agree with the person who said it has gone downhill since season 6. After The Simpsons peaked, it simply became more outrageous to keep the audience's attention. King of the Hill seems to have taken the opposite approach. But any show is going to go downhill after awhile because shows tend to use up their best ideas in their first few years. King of the Hill's storylines tend to be less engaging now.

[H Thompson]

I basically feel the same as DTB.
I think it's very snootish to say "people don't get it because it's character based" because I think a lot of people do get it but just don't find these characters funny. And it gets very repetitive and formulaic. If 95% of the jokes are character based then there's only so many jokes you can get out of Hank and Peggy's characters conflicting before they start to repeat themselves. And You can usually tell early on how the plot will play out and how it'll be resolved so there's no tension there.

[Red Hot Homer Simpson]

I have no clue why King Of The Hill Has Lasted This Long. What were fox thinking cancelling Futurama Instead of this Piece Of Shit Show. I mean King Of The Hill Is Only The Second Longest Adult Cartoon Following The Simpsons

[SimpsonsFan89]

I like King of the Hill almost as much as I do the Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, and American Dad. It takes the humor style used in the Drew Carey Show, Married...with Children, and other live action shows - and then takes them into an animated atmosphere. Very Ingenious.


Ding dang ol' yep!

[Cerpin Taxt]

I guess I'll have to watch King of the Hill next season, and just dedicate my whole Sunday night to Fox...and Mondays too...well starting in Jan, that is.

[729]

I've known of it for years (mainly because it has the best theme tune on TV) but I never really gave it a chance because it seemed quite dull. One of my mates from college always insisted it was a great show but no-one else really seemed to give a toss about it so it continued to pass me by. After recently growing to appreciate Futurama I thought I might be more open to King Of The Hill than I would have been 5 years ago. Over the last couple of weeks I've watched it every day on FX and Channel 4 and am now well into it. I don't think the humour really is that subtle as my 10 year old sister finds it funny but, as somebody already said, you need to know the charaters for the jokes to make sense.

[Tenrai]

most people are to involved in other FOX productions (simpsons, american dad, futurama ect.), so they don't pay attention to other, less popular, programs.

[Cerpin Taxt]

I agree. Although American Dad is far from worth their time over KoTH.

[SimpsonsFan89]

I still do not think that King of the Hill is getting the respect that it deserves. I mean, all of this that I hear of people having never heard of King of the Hill makes my head spin. Besides, after you've watched it for as long a time as I have, how can you not like it?

[grissom]

I sat down and watched 2 episodes the other day and didn't really like either one. None of the jokes were funny and the plots just weren't that interesting. I really don't see what the hype is about.

[Red Hot Homer Simpson]

Unnoticed: No
Unwanted: Yes (by me and everyone i know... Beavis and Butthead was so much better)

Plus American Dad is actually very funny. That show seems to be unnoticed and underestimated. As soon as people see it they're like: Pfft. Rip Off of Family Guy!

[SimpsonsFan89]

I am aware of American Dad. I used to think that American Dad was just another stupid cartoon. But, once I watched a few episodes, I am hooked and am not looking back.

[SimpsonsFan89]

About King of the Hill, I still think that it just has not quite caught on yet. I remember the episode of the Simpsons (the one with the 1895 House reality show) where Homer and the family stand on the side of the street and reenact the opening sequence of King of the Hill. In the Family Guy episode, Petergeist, when Peter's face peels off in the sink, his face turns into Hank Hill's face. Otherwise, King of the Hill, I think, needs to make a movie to really catch on to the public.

[arlen_texas]

Well, I used to be the most KotH-centric poster here, so let me give my thoughts on this.

Short answer is, I don't think the show is exactly "unnoticed." As previously pointed out, it's a very long-running show that is a big hit in syndication. Fox picked it up for 20 episodes after they'd already cancelled it; somebody must be watching.

What we're really talking about is the fact that King of the Hill isn't a pop-culture phenomenon like The Simpsons and Family Guy. That's not to say that it never was. In its first two seasons it was as big a cultural phenomenon as Family Guy is now. But that level of popularity burned out pretty quickly and it never got it back.

In part this was because of bad scheduling -- being moved to Tuesday nights and then to the unnoticed 7:30 slot. But it can't only be that, because Futurama had the same problems.

What I think is that the emphasis of King of the Hill has shifted in ways that turn off the young-type viewers who make up the cult fanbase of the other Fox animated shows. When it started, it was much more of a satirical show; it sided with Hank but it made fun of him too, and it was very dead-on and prescient in its satire of things like Wal-Mart destroying small business.

As the show has gone on, and especially in the last few years, the satirical element has sort of been bled out of the show until it's much more of a straightforward celebration of Hank's values. He's always right, the interlopers are always wrong. And while it still takes off on real things -- almost every episode is based on something real -- there's not much of a satirical spin on the things the episodes are about; it's accurate, but doesn't have much of an angle.

So you have a show that's gotten more conservative culturally, less satirical and less fanciful. (The last season to have some really crazy plots was season 6, which coincidentally is the season after which its fanbase started to dwindle.) All that is diametrically opposed to the type of shows that get an online fanbase. To the extent that KotH has a fanbase it's much more likely to be among people who are themselves culturally conservative and like to recognize their own lives and culture in the series; hence its popularity in the South. (Remember the article last year about "King of the Hill Democrats?" That was about culturally conservative but politically liberal Southerners who are cult followers of King of the Hill.)

I would say that the show has lost some of my interest as it's shed the satirical edge. Greg Daniels is no longer working on KotH, but the show he does work on, The Office, has supplanted KotH as the show that combines realistic, observational humor with satire and character comedy. If you watch the early seasons of KotH you'll definitely see why the show was once a pop-culture phenomenon. I don't know that it's surprising that it's no longer that way.

[Sniper Squirrel]

As the show has gone on, and especially in the last few years, the satirical element has sort of been bled out of the show until it's much more of a straightforward celebration of Hank's values. He's always right, the interlopers are always wrong. And while it still takes off on real things -- almost every episode is based on something real -- there's not much of a satirical spin on the things the episodes are about; it's accurate, but doesn't have much of an angle.



I agree with that, the last couple of seasons, the whole Hank Hill is always right thing is what makes me grow less fond of the show, and it also took away from the character he was from the beginning of the show, when he wasn't always write and the writers could make more fun of him. Now it revolves around either Bobby, Peggy, or Hank's friends getting into trouble and Hank making things right

[SimpsonsFan89]

Well, I used to be the most KotH-centric poster here, so let me give my thoughts on this.

Short answer is, I don't think the show is exactly "unnoticed." As previously pointed out, it's a very long-running show that is a big hit in syndication. Fox picked it up for 20 episodes after they'd already cancelled it; somebody must be watching.

What we're really talking about is the fact that King of the Hill isn't a pop-culture phenomenon like The Simpsons and Family Guy. That's not to say that it never was. In its first two seasons it was as big a cultural phenomenon as Family Guy is now. But that level of popularity burned out pretty quickly and it never got it back.

In part this was because of bad scheduling -- being moved to Tuesday nights and then to the unnoticed 7:30 slot. But it can't only be that, because Futurama had the same problems.

What I think is that the emphasis of King of the Hill has shifted in ways that turn off the young-type viewers who make up the cult fanbase of the other Fox animated shows. When it started, it was much more of a satirical show; it sided with Hank but it made fun of him too, and it was very dead-on and prescient in its satire of things like Wal-Mart destroying small business.

As the show has gone on, and especially in the last few years, the satirical element has sort of been bled out of the show until it's much more of a straightforward celebration of Hank's values. He's always right, the interlopers are always wrong. And while it still takes off on real things -- almost every episode is based on something real -- there's not much of a satirical spin on the things the episodes are about; it's accurate, but doesn't have much of an angle.

So you have a show that's gotten more conservative culturally, less satirical and less fanciful. (The last season to have some really crazy plots was season 6, which coincidentally is the season after which its fanbase started to dwindle.) All that is diametrically opposed to the type of shows that get an online fanbase. To the extent that KotH has a fanbase it's much more likely to be among people who are themselves culturally conservative and like to recognize their own lives and culture in the series; hence its popularity in the South. (Remember the article last year about "King of the Hill Democrats?" That was about culturally conservative but politically liberal Southerners who are cult followers of King of the Hill.)

I would say that the show has lost some of my interest as it's shed the satirical edge. Greg Daniels is no longer working on KotH, but the show he does work on, The Office, has supplanted KotH as the show that combines realistic, observational humor with satire and character comedy. If you watch the early seasons of KotH you'll definitely see why the show was once a pop-culture phenomenon. I don't know that it's surprising that it's no longer that way.



I would like to respectfully say that it at least used to have a satirical edge, but there is more to the show than just satire - it is also about being at least semi-realistic while still being an animated sitcom. If any of you have paid enough attention to how the characters themselves look in the show, you would notice that the KotH characters look more realistic and the characters in other animated sitcoms are basically drawn to look more comical. Think about it - the Simpsons and Family Guy characters have hands with four fingers, whereas King of the Hill characters have all five fingers on their hands.
Obviously, this just shows the reality within the animation...