King of the Hill co-creator Mike Judge recently revealed why Hank Hill spent several years in Saudi Arabia before returning to Arlen. In a new interview, the series creator said Hank’s overseas move became a key part of the Hulu revival. It sets up his reentry into a drastically changed America.
Mike Judge on Hank moving to Saudi Arabia in King of the Hill
In King of the Hill, Hank and Peggy Hill return to Arlen after several years in Saudi Arabia, where Hank worked as “assistant manager in charge of Arabian propane and Arabian propane accessories.” This takes place in Hulu’s King of the Hill revival, set 15 years after the original series.
Series co-creator Mike Judge said the idea of Hank and Peggy moving overseas came about naturally during early discussions for the revival. “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,” Judge told Deadline. He added, “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.”
Judge explained that aging up the characters was necessary to maintain the show’s grounded tone. “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.”
He also described Hank’s experience abroad as being somewhat idyllic. “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?’”
Judge said Hank’s return shows him confronting a changed world. “Hank Hill is back, and he’s pissed off.”
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.
