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King of the Hill
By Joly Herman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Wickedly funny at times, but not for all tastes.
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King of the Hill
Community Reviews
Based on 38 parent reviews
Parents should know that they sound let their kids watch it but, not until your 14 year old in 9th grade for high school because it has things like rootbeer floats teenage voices in it.
For 14 and up like High school and up.
What's the Story?
Set in the small town of Arlen, Texas, KING OF THE HILL centers around propane salesman Hank Hill (voiced by Mike Judge) and his family: wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy), son Bobby (Pamela Adlon), and daughter Luanne (Brittany Murphy). Although the Hills are constantly bombarded with the realities of contemporary life -- trouble with the law, drug-addled hippies ruining a camping trip, discovering the lies behind enculturation, traffic school, money issues, and so on -- they nonetheless attempt to keep their home free of bad influences. Try as they might, the Hills just can't keep the big bad world from infecting their little Texas town, but it's their old-fashioned values creaking along that make for the laughs -- and the heart -- of this series.
Is It Any Good?
Not everyone will "get" this show because it straddles the fence between good clean livin' and hedonism in a very interesting way. Troubles are hashed out by the community in a comic manner, though it's sometimes difficult to discern whether the moralistic views are real "American values" or a parody of them. This is where the conflict arises and the comedy comes through.
Keep in mind, however, that occasional mature topics are explored in funny but often crass ways. That said, King of the Hill can hit pretty close to home for families in its depiction of a loving but flawed family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the notion of using sarcasm and humor to make a point in King of the Hill. Do teens and adults find humor in the same elements of the program?
What are the underlying themes of the series? Is the subtext clear despite what the characters might say or do?
How do the characters in King of the Hill demonstrate integrity and humility? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 12, 1997
- Cast: Kathy Najimy , Mike Judge , Pamela Adlon
- Networks: Fox , FX , Syndicated
- Genre: Comedy
- Character Strengths: Humility , Integrity
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: March 1, 2022
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