In an effort to freshen up its animated slate, FOX has decided not to renew its long-running series King of the Hill as the network prepares to launch several new skeins in its Animation Domination lineup, including The Cleveland Show and Sit Down, Shut Up.

Created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, King of the Hill is a two-time Emmy Award-winning series that revolves around a suburban Methodist family proud of its Texas heritage.  Unlike other animated sitcoms, the program attempts to offer a realistic approach, seeking humor in the otherwise conventional or mundane.

Judge and Daniels launched the series after a successful run with Judge's earlier Beavis and Butt-head on MTV.  King of the Hill premiered on January 12, 1997 on FOX, becoming an early hit that has led to syndication by many local affiliates as well as several international networks.  Over the years, the show has emerged as one of the network's long-running series, and the second longest-running animated series behind The Simpsons.

King of the Hill is slated to wrap up production after 13 years and nearly 260 episodes, though a complete finality is never certain when it comes to FOX animation.  The network has actually pulled the plug on King of the Hill in the past only to turn around and pick up more episodes later on.

"We've been here before," exec producer John Altschuler said. "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."

Nevertheless, if this really is King of the Hill's end, then Altschuler said he's at peace with the decision.

"It's been a great run," he said.

Fans can still catch the remaining episodes of King of the Hill every Sunday at 8:30pm on FOX.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Variety, Zap2it.com, FOX
(Image courtesy of FOX)