In a somewhat surprising move, the FOX network has decided to cancel one of the staples of its Sunday night line-up. On the eve of Halloween, the King of the Hill TV show has been cancelled after 13 seasons on the air.
King of the Hill follows the animated adventures of the Hill family from the small town of Arlen, Texas. The family’s patriarch, Hank (Mike Judge), is a propane salesman who’s obsessed with his lawn and the Dallas Cowboys. His well-meaning wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy) holds several part-time jobs and together, they raise their husky teenage son, Bobby (Pamela Adlon). Other characters include niece Luanne (Brittany Murphy), neighbor Bill (Stephen Root), and conspiracy-lover Dale (Johnny Hardwick).
The series debuted on January 12, 1997 on FOX and quickly became a staple of the network’s animation line-up. Having survived to produce over 240 episodes, King has become the second longest-running animated series, following The Simpsons. It’s become very popular in syndication, both in the US and internationally.
In recent years, King has been on the verge of cancellation several times. Earlier this month, Gary Newman, the co-chair of 20th Century Fox TV, hinted to TV Week that it may be time to pull the plug. He said, “I don’t know if the network will be ordering more seasons or not. That show has had its last rites read to it several times, and keeps rearing its head again.”
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This season, King has been averaging seven million viewers and a 3.4/8 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic, a far cry from the series’ heyday. Simpsons and Family Guy, the shows that air before and after, both attract better numbers.
Back in early April, FOX ordered 13 episodes for the show’s 13th season. Production is nearly completed on those and the network has decided that they will be the series’ last. The episodes that are currently airing are actually from the show’s 12th season. FOX won’t begin showing King’s final batch of episodes until February 2009 which means that, though cancelled, the series could end up on the network’s 2009-10 schedule.
King isn’t scheduled to have any kind of series-closing finale. Executive producer John Altschuler says that this is by design. If there’d been a series finale when the show ceased production in the past, it would have been difficult to revive it.
If this is truly the end of King, Altschuler feels good about the run but ultimately isn’t totally convinced it’s over. He told Variety, We’ve been here before… When it’s time for King of the Hill to go, it will go. But I think with the ratings this good, and with quality that doesn’t seem to be diminishing, it would be very odd for King of the Hill not to keep going.”
Influencing the network’s decision to cancel King, aside from the declining ratings, is the fact that FOX is hot to introduce two new animated series in midseason; Sit Down, Shut Up, from Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz, and The Cleveland Show, a spin-off of Family Guy. Stay tuned! 
Image courtesy FOX.
This show was absolutely awful. Thank god.
For once FOX cancel a show that deserves it.
How in the world did it get 13 Seasons in the first place.
How about cancelling The Simpsons next, and bringing back Futurama, you bunch of idiots.
it was only not funny to an idot, go watch family guy Ike
THANK GOD. it was not funny
My belief that king of the hill is(was) a great show is forever stuck with me.So pls. don’t take it away from me by killing it.What you did is murder,and left us wonder why.
I will admit I am dissapointed in Fox for cancling King Of The Hill. It was a “Family Show” that I watched with my 6 year old and 16month old sence they day they were born. Instead it has been replaced with wonderful entertainment like Family Guy, American dad and now the Cleveland Show, wow, these are shows I would realy let my 6 year old watch…. A dog pot smoking, dog in lust with his owner, and a baby that is trying to kill him mom. How about a Fish that is always looking for sex. and a pot… Read more »
While KOTH may not hit a home-run very episode, it has stood the test of time. Just a very clean and clever show that the entire family can enjoy. Very few shows can attest to that.
I’ve watched KOTH without fail and Sunday night will surely have a certain void now that one of the best show’s ever created is now heading for the locker room.
Hank represents good ole American values which are fading fast due to the “every man for himself” mentality that has taken hold. The reason being is that we all, whether we are aware of it or not, realize that this country is in a period of rapid decline which no one can prevent. As my family and I look to an uncertain but, most certainly a troubled future, I will wish I had a friend like Hank Hill.
It’s too bad that they cancelled KOTH! Family guy, american dad and this new Cleveland show are all the same. I know this is just a cartoon show, but at least it wasn’t all teenager humor and your kids could watch it with you. As for just turning the channel if i don’t like it? Well to those classic shows like– The biggest loser? Anna nicole? jerry springer?? there is nothing but crap on TV anymore so there is nothing to watch. Now with KOTH over we are over with TV too….
It will be like “Family Guy”…Fox originally cancelled it, the show went to cable, did well there and now Fox has it back on its schedule.
I hope King of the Hill is also picked up by cable…seems cable is able to broach more mature subject matter and anyone with teen aged kids know that there are dramatic times in a teens life.
Maybe it will come back…but again I hope that cable picks this show up…it still has many more episodes before its buried.
Man thats a real shame. KOTH was a smart show. It had good values and was very consistent. There are some real classic episodes. Now Everything is Seth Macfarlane. I liked the variety. Plus American Dad sucks ass. Family Guy is still really funny, but those shows have the exact same kind of humor. It gets so played out. I saw the finale it was decent, Spoiler- Boomhower was a texas ranger all along. Anyhow, I think this is one of Fox’s dumber decisions.
I missed the showing of the series finale when will they show it again?
Also, your spelling and grammar *leave* something to be desired.
I support this petition. There has to be something wrong with how the networks are receiving their ratings. Extremely popular shows are being canceled with little to no warnings lately. And the new shows that replace these once highly popular shows…omg..pure stupidity, and trash. They themselves fail before the first season ends. It is my honest belief that they really do not care about ratings, popularity, or quality. There appears to be a new form of making money these networks love… Start a show, run it for 1 or 2 seasons, and cancel it. They get big money while it’s… Read more »
I was glad to hear your opinions on “koth” (know to the rest of the community as King of the Hill) however, your arguments lack backing. Your inital argument accusing the author of not being mature cannot be fully supported with such a childish comment as, “not.” Also, your spelling and grammar leaves something to be desired.
Wow the maturity in this thread is amazing not!! you do realize that your argueing over a cartoon show. I agree koth was a good show which i enjoy including the simpsons which is fantastic.I personally think them cancelling koth is a mistake just like futuramma .So be it you can always watch koth on cartoon network etc…For those of you who cut down family guy sure the humour is crude i personally won’t let my children watch it so here’s a piece of advice for you if your so offended change the channel !!!