Hank Hill Approved: King of the Hill Producer Locks Down Disney Deal

According to Deadline, Saladin Patterson has officially renewed his overall deal with 20th Television and 20th Television Animation, securing his role as the creative force behind Hulu's hit King of the Hill revival.

What’s Happening:

• Under a new agreement, Patterson will continue his role as executive producer and showrunner for the King of the Hill revival, which he co-developed alongside original series creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels.
• Beyond the Hill family, Patterson is set to develop, write, and executive produce original live-action and animated series for linear networks and streamers, with a specific focus on Disney Entertainment Television platforms.
• The renewal follows the massive success of King of the Hill Season 14, which premiered in August. The show drew 1.21 billion minutes of streaming time in the U.S. and secured a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, proving the revival is a critical and commercial hit.
• Fans can look forward to plenty more propane and propane accessories; Season 15 is slated to premiere on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in 2026, with the series already renewed for Seasons 16 and 17.

Return to Arlen:

• After a 15-year hiatus, the Hill family returned to screens in August with Season 14, quickly climbing the Nielsen charts to land just behind Netflix’s Wednesday.
• The revival has proven that the audience's appetite for the series hasn't waned, with the franchise amassing over 1 billion hours streamed globally since arriving on Hulu in 2018.
• Patterson, who has been under back-to-back deals at 20th TV since 2019, has been instrumental in modernizing the show while keeping its heart intact.
• His impressive resume includes creating the The Wonder Years reboot for ABC and working on major hits like The Big Bang Theory, Psych, and The Bernie Mac Show.
• You can stream the latest season of King of the Hill now on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

How King of the Hill has Changed:

• Disney/Hulu enforced a stricter profanity policy than the original Fox run. The revival had to tone down the language and keep humor PG-13-ish to avoid a TV-MA rating.
• Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble) passed away in 2023 before recording new episodes and was replaced by guest stars and sound-alikes for Season 14, with a permanent recast decision still pending for future seasons.
• Animation shifted from traditional hand-drawn cel animation to fully digital pipeline (similar to modern Family Guy or Solar Opposites). This was driven by cost, speed, and the near-extinction of traditional 2D studios capable of the original look.
• Storylines in Season 14 tackled 2025 issues (EVs, TikTok, Gen Z, etc.) while preserving the show’s grounded, understated tone.
• Season 14 dropped all at once instead of weekly, which reviewers have commented has forced tighter serialization and fewer “filler” episodes.

More About King of the Hill:

• “King of the Hill” Scores Two Season Renewal at Hulu Hulu is all-in on Arlen, locking in the Hill family through Season 17. This report details the multi-season commitment and the streaming numbers that made the decision a no-brainer for 20th TV Animation.
• TV Review: “King of the Hill” Returns After 15 Years with Propane, Eye-Rolling Jokes and a Little Heart Does the revival hold up? Our review dives into Season 14, discussing how the show handles the time jump, Bobby’s new career, and whether Hank can survive a modern world.
• Everything We Learned About Hulu's “King of the Hill” Revival at ATX
  A deep dive into the creative process behind the revival, featuring insights from the ATX Television Festival panel where Patterson, Judge, and Daniels discussed the decision to age the characters.