| July 20, 2026 
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‘King of the Hill’ returns | | The 15th season of “King of the Hill” premieres on Monday, on Hulu. Mike Judge/Disney |
Dear Watchers,“King of the Hill,” the animated series about the proud propane salesman Hank Hill, returned last summer to an America that was much more visibly divided than it was when the show ended its original run, in 2009. The revival addressed this somewhat, acknowledging the cultural effects of the pandemic and taking shots at recent phenomena like manosphere podcasters. But overall, “King of the Hill” stayed pretty down-the-middle. In the consistently funny 15th season, debuting Monday on Hulu, the sitcom leans slightly more into social issues but does so slyly. Hank (voiced by Mike Judge, one of the creators), now retired, remains a conservative resident of the fictional Arlen, Texas. In the first episode he freaks out when an electric truck parks in front of his house, afraid someone might think he bought a vehicle that doesn’t run on good old-fashioned gasoline. But he is still the kind of man who admits when he’s wrong and tries to stay open to other perspectives. Under the supervision of the showrunner Saladin K. Patterson — Judge and the other creator, Greg Daniels, remain executive producers — the new season repeatedly asks its characters to be less judgmental of others. Sometimes the context is apolitical, as when Hank and his wife, Peggy (Kathy Najimy), must overcome their biases while volunteering at a marriage counseling retreat. In other story lines the writers cleverly, gently Trojan Horse social commentary into the show. An episode in which Hank and Peggy decide to raise chickens in their backyard — eggs have gotten too expensive — becomes an exploration of transgender rights and overprotective parenting. In another, Hank’s buddies Dale (Toby Huss) and the unintelligible Boomhauer (Judge) become concerned that their neighbor Kahn (Ronny Chieng), now divorced, is taking advantage of their slow-witted pal Bill (Stephen Root). It is a classic sitcom story about silly misunderstandings, but you don’t have to squint much to also see a tale about white men assuming the worst about a Laotian immigrant. This season, Hank even does the unthinkable, by his standards: He crosses state lines to buy marijuana to help Peggy relieve her menopause symptoms. (“Smells like … Austin,” he declares upon arriving at the dispensary.) “King of the Hill” is not doing anything radical — it’s still an enjoyable, smartly written comedy with broad appeal. But at a time when many Americans seem more likely to double down on their beliefs than to even consider re-evaluating them, watching Hank move out of his comfort zone may inspire some hope. Also this week | | From left, John Ross Bowie, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman and Brian Posehn in “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.” Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max |
- “Bill Maher: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor,” recorded last month in Washington, premieres on Tuesday, on Netflix.
- “Gone,” a British mystery about a school headmaster (David Morrissey) suspected of being involved in his wife’s disappearance, debuted in Britain earlier this year to positive reviews. It comes to BritBox on Thursday.
- “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” is another “Big Bang Theory” spinoff. This one is focused on Stuart the comic book store owner (Kevin Sussman), who somehow manages to mess with the space-time continuum. It debuts on Thursday, on HBO Max.
- The title character of another spinoff, “President Curtis,” originated on “Rick and Morty” and is voiced by Keith David. The animated series premieres on Sunday at 11:30 p.m., on Adult Swim, and the next day on HBO Max.
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