For some reason, I always seem to be drawn to shows that don’t get any respect from their home network. Fox, in particular, seems to undervalue some great shows, and King of the Hill is no exception (House, on the other hand, does seem to be an exception. Maybe they secretly hate comedy?). One need only compare the lavish promotion they bestow on the far-inferior Family Guy (compare the 3-second promos of first-run Family Guy episodes to the full promos of rerun Family Guys appearing on the same night to see what I mean) to see the full Fox folly.

In Fox’s defense, King of the Hill’s appeals aren’t always readily apparent: The animation is frankly sub-par and a little off-putting. The main character of the show is a retread of a “villain” from the old Beavis and Butthead MTV show, and every major character on the show is flawed or annoying in some fashion. The show, however, has heart and a genuine affection for its characters, and the sense of community and dignity it conveys is rare in current television. The writers for the show have a keen eye for personalities and social trends, and their commentary on modern life is genuinely surprising and refreshing. Given the inherent constraints of animated television, the show has done a surprisingly good job developing its characters in believable--yet surprising--ways.  Unlike Family Guy or even the Simpsons, who rely on cheap non-sequiturs or increasingly stupid character choices to motivate their plots, King of the Hill’s characters have complex, interesting, and often surprisingly deep motivations for their actions, giving the show an authenticity that belies its 3rd-grade animation style. And its theme song is cool.