"King of the Hill" (1997) More at IMDb Pro »TV series 1997-????

Very excellent prime-time animated series from the highly creative and brilliant mind of Mike Judge ("Beavis and Butt-Head" fame). "King of the Hill" deals with a small town Texas family and their wild misadventures. Shades of "The Flintstones" and "The Simpsons" here as the show has vivid characters galore. Propane salesman Hank Hill and substitute Spanish teacher wife Peggy rear awkward adolescent son Bobby in the fictional town of Arlen. Hank has a wild World War II hero for a dad (Cotton), a niece who lives with him and his family (Luanne), a far from perfect boss (Buck Strickland), a slew of childhood friends (conspiracy theorist/bug exterminator Dale, lonely divorcée/Army barber Bill and often verbally incoherent swinging bachelor Boomhauer) and even Laotian neighbors. These vivid characters create a wholesome landscape of small-town Texas community life that accurately shows how lives intertwine and interweave. The situations in the series are hilarious and yet many times life-affirming as the show's brain trust do their best to have messages that center around family, friends and personal sacrifice. The running gags (Dale's wife having a torrid affair with a Native American new age healer who actually conceived her only son while her husband has no earthly clue) and the constant humanity and vulnerability of the featured characters make "King of the Hill" a real sight to behold. The art and science of television production combine to make a truly outstanding and intelligent sitcom for most all age groups. 5 stars out of 5.