With quarantine keeping many of us glued to our streaming devices, entertainment options have started running thin. It seems like every conversation I have ends with a plea for something - anything - that I can recommend my friends and family to watch. I have a few go-to recommendations, but for cartoon lovers my answer is always the same: King of the Hill. "King of the Hill" is a head and shoulders above most adult cartoons due to its dynamic characters, focus on family values, and use of situational humor.
Set in a simpler time (the early 2000s), King of the Hill is a love letter to small-town America and family values. It follows Texas native Hank Hill and his small family in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas. While this program is considered an "adult cartoon," it is blissfully free of the typical low-brow humor that tends to come from that medium. I would dare say that it is clean enough to watch with most 10-13 year old children, and was a great bonding tool for my dad and me growing up.
The appeal of King of the Hill isn't that it's clean, however. There are still plenty of mature themes (relatively speaking). The real genius of the show comes from how relatable and dynamic the characters are. None of the relationships in King of the Hill are simplified, and they all grow and develop as the series goes on. The core character of the show whom all other relationships revolve around is Hank, who is the most steadfast, unmovable, and traditional character. This leads to a lot of friction between Hank and other characters. One of the most iconic images in "King of the Hill" is the opening scene in which Hank Hill stands in the back alley with his 3 best friends: Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer. Dale is a paranoid conspiracy theorist oblivious to his wife's affair, Bill is a washed-up former football star who peaked in high school, and Boomhauer is a quiet bachelor who lives a decadent 2000s chic lifestyle. These characters have nothing in common other than one core thing - their history together. Loyalty and integrity drives connections and community to remain strong in Arlen, which means that nobody gets left behind. No matter how irritating, odd, or downright malicious his friends and family may be, Hank always come through for them when they need him. Which leads me into my next point: "King of the Hill" is a show with strong moral undertones.
If you're looking for a cartoon for your older children that also had a strong moral backbone, "King of the Hill" is an ideal pick. Mr. Hill is the quintessential archetype of the benevolent father trying to preserve the moral backbone of his family. He spends at least part of every episode trying to imbue his son with the values of responsibility, integrity, and determination - despite outside influences undermining him at every turn. Hank is always pushing people around him to do the right thing by conventional standards, even if the moral lines on the issue are becoming foggy. This puts Hank in the center of the show as his unpredictable and zany friends and neighbors attempt to adapt to the times, sometimes at the expense of acting like decent people. But in the end, no matter what, Hank always comes out on top as a "good guy." If he's wrong, he learns his lesson and grows. It's refreshing to see a television show that exults the nobility of the American father instead of tearing him down. It also leads to great lines that I use in my day to day life, like "You're making a mockery of the break-down lane!"
Another genius aspect of King of the Hill is the use of situational humor. It is rare to find writing in a television show that is so perfectly organized, especially in "slice of life" type shows. Nevertheless, the writers for "King of the Hill" are able to come up with some situations that most people would never think of. One of my favorite examples is from an episode titled "Hank's Bully," where a local neighborhood child (probably around 7 or 8) begins terrorizing Hank. When Hank tries to intervene, he is condemned by the child's parents, who refuse to discipline him. The whole episode revolves around Hank trying to find a solution when he can't punish a child that isn't his. Some other great episodes involve Hank saving his friend from a cult-like men's choir, learning he has a half-brother in Japan, and discovering that he may in fact be a Yankee. There is no shortage of wacky circumstances to be found in this series.
If you're looking for something to watch with your family, or just to pass the time during quarantine, "King of the Hill" is for you. It's a smart, down-to-Earth show that has rich character development, themes of family values, and refreshing episode plots. You can stream all available seasons now on Hulu. I can't recommend it highly enough.