King of the Hill
The Game
King of the Hill is a game, the object of which is to stay on top of a large hill or pile (or any other designated area). This is available as a mode of gameplay in many video games. In this mode, a player or team of players must keep control of a specific area or object for a predetermined amount of time.
The Animated Series
King of the Hill is also the title of a long-running, satirical US television comedy animated series in a similar vein to The Simpsons and depicts the life of a typical American family, the Hills, in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas. Unlike most other animated series it attempts to retain realism. It is broadcast weekly on the Fox Network. It's almost cultlike following allows King of the Hill to be re-run by Fox on Monday through Friday, sometimes twice a day.
The series follows the life of the Hills, a conservative God-fearing family, and proud Texans. King of the Hill deals with different aspects of the modern world -- women's liberation, female pastors, sex education, proctological examinations, Asian American neighbors, social workers, traffic school, addiction support groups, etc.
The series is the brainchild of Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge, a former resident of Garland, Texas, possibly the inspiration for the fictional town name Arlen. After a successful run of Beavis and Butthead on MTV, he went on to co-create King of the Hill with former Simpsons producer/writer, Greg Daniels.
Characters
- Hank Hill, assistant manager at Strickland Propane. Sells "propane and propane accessories."
- Peggy Hill, wife of Hank, substitute teacher.
- Bobby Hill, son of Hank and Peggy, wants to be a prop comic.
- Luanne Platter, niece of Peggy, creator of Manger Babies, student of the beauty academy and later, local college.
- Boomhauer, womanizing friend of Hank who mutters incomprehensibly.
- Dale Gribble, chain smoking neighbor to the Hills, insect exterminator, conspiracy theorist.
- Bill Dauterive, overweight neighbor of the Hills, a barber and sergeant in the United States Army whose wife left him.
- Joseph Gribble, son of Dale (although John Redcorn is the biological father, unbeknownst to Dale).
- Nancy Gribble, wife of Dale, weather girl on local television station, had affair with John Redcorn
- Cotton Hill, Hank's coarse and politically incorrect father, "had his shins blown off in WWII", resulting in his short height and stumpy gait.
- Kahn Souphanousinphone, Hill's Laotian American neighbor
- Minh Souphanousinphone, Kahn's wife
- Kahn, Jr "Connie", daughter of Kahn and Minh, violin player, A-student, former girlfriend of Bobby
- Buck Strickland, owner of Strickland Propane, compulsive gambler, womanizer
- Buckley, boyfriend of Luanne, died in a propane explosion while working at Mega Lo Mart. With tiny angel wings, Buckley came back and visited Luanne after his death.
- John Redcorn, Native American Nancy's 'healer' and adulterous lover, biological father of Joseph Gribble, drives a Jeep
- Stuart Dooley, Bobby's thin classmate
- Clark Peters, Bobby's fat classmate
- Eustis, moustached neighbor and successful patent lawyer, father of Bobby's friend Randy
- Chuck Mangione, playing himself, who promoted Mega Lo Mart until he got tired going to every Mega Lo Mart opening and hid himself in the Arlen Mega Lo Mart
- Lenore, Bill's ex-wife (also the name of his iguana)
- M. F. Thatherton, former employee of Strickland Propane who struck out on his own and opened up Thatherton Fuels across the street from Strickland. He is a foil to Hank Hill. Thatherton joked that he sold propane to nursing homes by telling them it was oxygen.
Recurring Settings
Arlen
Arlen is a fictional town located in the equally fictional Heimlich County, Texas. Arlen is loosely based on the real-life town of Garland, a suburb of Dallas, where series creator Mike Judge lived for some time.
Arlen's primary education schools are named after Dallas Cowboys legends ("Tom Landry Middle School" and "Roger Staubach Elementary School." The town features a giant discount department store called Mega Lo Mart, and other similar 'jabs' at American cultural icons.
Strickland Propane
Strickland Propane, owned by businessman Buck Strickland, it's founder, is where Hank Hill "sells propane and propane accessories."
The town of Arlen features a giant discount department store called Mega Lo Mart, a satirical creation lampooning Wal-Mart, Costco, and other similar American business landmarks.
