‘King Of The Hill' Season 14 Scores Best Adult Animation Premiere In 5 Years On Disney+ & Hulu
The premiere episode drew 4.4M views in its first seven days of streaming, marking the most-viewed adult animation season premiere across Disney+ and Hulu in five years, per Disney.
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Disney doesn't report viewership on its titles consistently enough to make a direct comparison here, though the company has shed light on streaming performance for a few other titles over the past several years. When it does release viewership numbers, Disney tends to be inconsistent with the measurement period.
Last year, for example, the first episode of Agatha All Along drew 9.3M views in the first seven days of streaming, according to the company. Meanwhile, The Acolyte hit 11.1M views in five days. More recently, Disney reported that Zombies 4 reached 9.3M views in 10 days. However, none of these titles could help directly illustrate King of the Hill's performance, since they don't target the same demographic.
Nielsen might also help paint a picture of the series' performance, but those numbers won't be available for another few weeks. Nielsen streaming reports are a month delayed.
Per Disney, King of the Hill Season 14 premiered on Hulu's Top 15 Today and has maintained a spot in the top 5 since its launch on August 4. Since early March, when buzz for the new season began, it has driven a 41% lift in viewing of previous seasons of King of the Hill, the company adds.
Overall, King of the Hill has now crossed 1B hours streamed globally across Disney+ and Hulu.
Set in the fictional Arlen, Texas, the original series followed the life of Hank Hill, an enthusiastic seller of propane and propane accessories; his wife, Peggy, local Boggle champ and substitute teacher; and their son, Bobby, who defied any expectation his father had for a son. Hank's friends – conspiracy theorist Dale, military barber Bill, and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer, along with Peggy's friends Minh and meteorologist Nancy, and Bobby's friend Connie helped the Hills navigate a changing world.
In Season 14, after years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas to reconnect with old friends Dale, Boomhauer and Bill. Meanwhile, Bobby is living his dream as a chef in Dallas and enjoying his 20s with his former classmates Connie, Joseph and Chane.
Cast includes Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, and Toby Huss.
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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Reports Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
NEW YORK, August 13, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: MSGE) ("MSG Entertainment" or the "Company") today reported financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter and full-year ended June 30, 2025. Fiscal 2025 was highlighted by another year of strong demand for the Company's array of live entertainment offerings. The Company hosted nearly 6 million guests at more than 975 events, including concerts, special events, family shows, and marquee sports, as well as the New York Knicks' ("Knicks") and New York Rangers' ("Rangers") regular seasons and the Knicks' playoff run. It also reflected approximately 1.1 million tickets sold across 200 shows of the Christmas Spectacular production, which delivered another year of record-setting revenues. In addition, the Company repurchased approximately $40 million of its Class A common stock during fiscal 2025. For fiscal 2025, the Company reported revenues of $942.7 million, a decrease of $16.5 million, or 2%, as compared to the prior year. In addition, the Company reported operating income of $122.1 million, an increase of $10.2 million, or 9%, and adjusted operating income of $222.5 million, an increase of $11.0 million, or 5%, both as compared to the prior year.(1) For the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter, the Company reported revenues of $154.1 million, a decrease of $31.9 million, or 17%, as compared to the prior year quarter. In addition, the Company reported an operating loss of $25.8 million, an increase of $16.9 million as compared to the prior year quarter, and an adjusted operating loss of $1.3 million as compared to adjusted operating income of $13.1 million in the prior year quarter.(1) Executive Chairman and CEO James L. Dolan said, "During fiscal 2025, we saw strong demand for our portfolio of entertainment assets. We see this momentum continuing in fiscal 2026, and believe we are well positioned to drive solid revenue and adjusted operating income growth in the year ahead." Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024: Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended June 30, Change June 30, Change $ millions 2025 2024 $ % 2025 2024 $ % Revenues $ 154.1 $ 186.1 $ (31.9 ) (17 )% $ 942.7 $ 959.3 $ (16.5 ) (2 )% Operating (Loss) Income $ (25.8 ) $ (8.9 ) $ (16.9 ) (191 )% $ 122.1 $ 111.9 $ 10.2 9 % Adjusted Operating (Loss) Income $ (1.3 ) $ 13.1 $ (14.4 ) NM $ 222.5 $ 211.5 $ 11.0 5 % Note: Amounts may not foot due to rounding. NM — Absolute percentages greater than 200% and comparisons from positive to negative values or to zero values are considered not meaningful. (1) See page 4 of this earnings release for the definition of adjusted operating income (loss) included in the discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. Entertainment Offerings, Arena License Fees and Other Leasing Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter revenues from entertainment offerings of $118.7 million decreased $24.1 million, or 17%, as compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to lower event-related revenues and a decrease in revenues subject to the sharing of economics with Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. ("MSG Sports") pursuant to the Arena License Agreements. Event-related revenues decreased $21.6 million, primarily due to lower revenues from concerts, partially offset by higher revenues from other live entertainment and sporting events held at the Company's venues. The decrease in revenues from concerts primarily reflects a decrease in the number of concerts at the Madison Square Garden Arena ("The Garden") and lower per-concert revenues, primarily due to a shift in the mix of events at The Garden from promoted events to rentals, partially offset by an increase in the number of concerts at the Company's theaters, all as compared to the prior year quarter. The increase in revenues from other live entertainment and sporting events primarily reflects higher per-event revenues. Revenues subject to the sharing of economics with MSG Sports pursuant to the Arena License Agreements decreased $2.4 million, primarily due to lower suite license fee revenues (excluding those retained by MSG Entertainment) as compared to the prior year quarter, which mainly reflects the impact of fewer Knicks and Rangers games played at The Garden. Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter arena license fees and other leasing revenues of $9.0 million increased $0.5 million, or 6%, as compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to an increase in other leasing revenues, partially offset by lower arena license fees due to a combined one fewer Knicks and Rangers regular season game played at The Garden as compared to the prior year quarter. Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter direct operating expenses associated with entertainment offerings, arena license fees and other leasing of $85.5 million decreased $14.2 million, or 14%, as compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to lower event-related expenses and, to a lesser extent, lower expenses related to the sharing of economics with MSG Sports pursuant to the Arena License Agreements, partially offset by an increase in expenses related to the presentation of the Christmas Spectacular production and other cost increases. Event-related expenses decreased $15.7 million, mainly due to lower per-concert expenses, primarily due to a shift in the mix of events at The Garden from promoted events to rentals, and a decrease in the number of concerts at The Garden, partially offset by an increase in the number of concerts at the Company's theaters, all as compared to the prior year. This was partially offset by higher expenses for other live entertainment and sporting events as compared to the prior year quarter. Expenses associated with the sharing of economics with MSG Sports pursuant to the Arena License Agreements decreased $1.8 million, reflecting a proportional decrease in contractual revenue sharing as a result of the decrease in suite license fee revenues. Food, Beverage and Merchandise Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter food, beverage and merchandise revenues of $26.4 million decreased $8.3 million, or 24%, as compared to the prior year quarter. This decrease was primarily due to (i) lower food and beverage sales at Knicks and Rangers games, primarily due to fewer games played at The Garden as compared to the prior year quarter, partially offset by higher per-event revenues, and (ii) lower food and beverage sales at concerts, primarily due to a decrease in the number of concerts at The Garden, partially offset by an increase in the number of concerts at the Company's theaters, both as compared to the prior year quarter. Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter food, beverage and merchandise direct operating expenses of $16.5 million decreased $6.2 million, or 27%, as compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to lower food and beverage costs at concerts at the Company's venues and lower food and beverage costs at Knicks and Rangers games at The Garden. Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter selling, general and administrative expenses of $59.9 million increased $4.1 million, or 7%, as compared with the prior year quarter. This increase was primarily due to higher employee compensation and related benefits, partially offset by lower rent expense and other net cost decreases. Operating Loss and Adjusted Operating (Loss) Income Fiscal 2025 fourth quarter operating loss of $25.8 million increased $16.9 million and adjusted operating income decreased $14.4 million to an adjusted operating loss of $1.3 million, both as compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to the decrease in revenues and, to a lesser extent, higher selling, general and administrative expenses, partially offset by lower direct operating expenses. About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a leader in live entertainment, delivering unforgettable experiences while forging deep connections with diverse and passionate audiences. The Company's portfolio includes a collection of world-renowned venues – New York's Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre – that showcase a broad array of sporting events, concerts, family shows, and special events for millions of guests annually. In addition, the Company features the original production, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, which has been a holiday tradition for more than 90 years. More information is available at Non-GAAP Financial Measures We define adjusted operating income (loss), which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as operating income (loss) excluding (i) depreciation, amortization and impairments of property and equipment, goodwill and other long-lived assets, including right of use assets and related lease costs, (ii) share-based compensation expense or benefit, (iii) restructuring charges or credits, (iv) merger, spin-off, and acquisition-related costs, including merger-related litigation expenses, (v) gains or losses on sales or dispositions of businesses and associated settlements, (vi) the impact of purchase accounting adjustments related to business acquisitions, (vii) amortization for capitalized cloud computing arrangement costs and (viii) gains and losses related to the remeasurement of liabilities under the executive deferred compensation plan. We exclude impairments of long-lived assets, including right-of-use assets and related lease costs, as these expenses do not represent core business operating results of the Company. We believe that the exclusion of share-based compensation expense or benefit allows investors to better track the performance of our business without regard to the settlement of an obligation that is not expected to be made in cash. We eliminate merger, spin-off, and acquisition-related transaction costs, when applicable, because the Company does not consider such costs to be indicative of the ongoing operating performance of the Company as they result from an event that is of a non-recurring nature, thereby enhancing comparability. In addition, management believes that the exclusion of gains and losses related to the remeasurement of liabilities under the executive deferred compensation plan, provides investors with a clearer picture of the Company's operating performance given that, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, gains and losses related to the remeasurement of liabilities under the executive deferred compensation plan are recognized in Operating (income) loss whereas gains and losses related to the remeasurement of the assets under the executive deferred compensation plan, which are equal to and therefore fully offset the gains and losses related to the remeasurement of liabilities, are recognized in Other income (expense), net, which is not reflected in Operating income (loss). We believe adjusted operating income (loss) is an appropriate measure for evaluating the operating performance of the Company on a consolidated basis. Adjusted operating income (loss) and similar measures with similar titles are common performance measures used by investors and analysts to analyze our performance. Internally, we use revenues and adjusted operating income (loss) as the most important indicators of our business performance, and evaluate management's effectiveness with specific reference to these indicators. Adjusted operating income (loss) should be viewed as a supplement to and not a substitute for operating income (loss), net income (loss), cash flows from operating activities, and other measures of performance and/or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. Since adjusted operating income (loss) is not a measure of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP, this measure may not be comparable to similar measures with similar titles used by other companies. For a reconciliation of operating income (loss) to adjusted operating income (loss), please see page 5 of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results, developments or events may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including financial community perceptions of the Company and its business, operations, financial condition and the industries in which it operates and the factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections titled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained therein. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein. Conference Call Information: The conference call will be Webcast live today at 10:00 a.m. ET at Conference call dial-in number is 888-660-6386 / Conference ID Number 8020251Conference call replay number is 800-770-2030 / Conference ID Number 8020251 until August 20, 2025Investor presentation available at CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 Revenues Revenues from entertainment offerings $ 118,723 $ 142,872 $ 712,294 $ 723,897 Food, beverage, and merchandise revenues 26,402 34,713 150,506 162,092 Arena license fees and other leasing revenue 9,013 8,489 79,934 73,276 Total revenues 154,138 186,074 942,734 959,265 Direct operating expenses Entertainment offerings, arena license fees, and other leasing direct operating expenses (85,501 ) (99,716 ) (444,256 ) (475,502 ) Food, beverage, and merchandise direct operating expenses (16,489 ) (22,661 ) (91,387 ) (93,334 ) Total direct operating expenses (101,990 ) (122,377 ) (535,643 ) (568,836 ) Selling, general and administrative expenses (59,927 ) (55,807 ) (214,974 ) (206,963 ) Depreciation and amortization (15,432 ) (13,904 ) (57,768 ) (53,876 ) Impairment of long-lived assets (1,502 ) — (11,202 ) — Restructuring charges (1,041 ) (2,846 ) (1,055 ) (17,649 ) Operating (loss) income (25,754 ) (8,860 ) 122,092 111,941 Interest income 881 701 2,328 2,976 Interest expense (11,708 ) (14,193 ) (50,506 ) (57,954 ) Loss on extinguishment of debt (6,132 ) — (6,132 ) — Other income (expense), net 542 (3,127 ) (2,221 ) (4,672 ) (Loss) income from operations before income taxes (42,171 ) (25,479 ) 65,561 52,291 Income tax benefit (expense) 14,994 92,406 (28,130 ) 92,009 Net (loss) income $ (27,177 ) $ 66,927 $ 37,431 $ 144,300 (Loss) earnings per share attributable to MSG Entertainment's stockholders: Basic $ (0.57 ) $ 1.42 $ 0.78 $ 2.99 Diluted $ (0.57 ) $ 1.41 $ 0.77 $ 2.97 Weighted-average number of shares of common stock: Basic 47,611 47,067 48,031 48,275 Diluted 47,611 47,599 48,330 48,589 ADJUSTMENTS TO RECONCILE OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) TOADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)(in thousands)(Unaudited) The following is a description of the adjustments to operating (loss) income in arriving at adjusted operating (loss) income as described in this earnings release: Depreciation and amortization. This adjustment eliminates depreciation and amortization of property and equipment and intangible assets. Impairment of long-lived assets. This adjustment eliminates the impairment of long-lived assets, including right of use assets and related lease costs. Share-based compensation. This adjustment eliminates the compensation expense relating to restricted stock units, performance stock units and stock options granted to employees and non-employee directors. Restructuring charges. This adjustment eliminates costs related to termination benefits provided to certain corporate executives and employees. Merger, spin-off, and acquisition-related costs. This adjustment eliminates costs related to mergers, spin-offs and acquisitions, including merger-related litigation expenses. Amortization for capitalized cloud computing arrangement costs. This adjustment eliminates amortization of capitalized cloud computing arrangement costs. Remeasurement of deferred compensation plan liabilities. This adjustment eliminates the impact of gains and losses related to the remeasurement of liabilities under the executive deferred compensation plan. Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended June 30, June 30, $ thousands 2025 2024 2025 2024 Operating (loss) income $ (25,754 ) $ (8,860 ) $ 122,092 $ 111,941 Depreciation and amortization 15,432 13,904 57,768 53,876 Impairment of long-lived assets 1,502 — 11,202 — Share-based compensation (excluding share-based compensation included in restructuring charges) 5,860 4,983 27,694 24,544 Restructuring charges 1,041 2,846 1,055 17,649 Merger, spin-off, and acquisition-related costs 113 — 1,474 2,035 Amortization of capitalized cloud computing arrangement costs 161 172 713 1,008 Remeasurement of deferred compensation plan liabilities 359 63 508 452 Adjusted operating (loss) income $ (1,286 ) $ 13,108 $ 222,506 $ 211,505 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) (in thousands) June 30, 2025 2024 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 43,538 $ 33,555 Accounts receivable, net 66,781 77,259 Related party receivables, current 22,487 17,469 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 104,326 90,801 Total current assets 237,132 219,084 Non-Current Assets: Property and equipment, net 621,075 633,533 Right-of-use lease assets 484,544 388,658 Goodwill 69,041 69,041 Indefinite-lived intangible assets 63,801 63,801 Deferred tax assets, net 54,072 68,307 Other non-current assets 140,177 110,283 Total assets $ 1,669,842 $ 1,552,707 LIABILITIES AND DEFICIT Current Liabilities: Accounts payable, accrued and other current liabilities $ 184,360 $ 203,750 Related party payables, current 23,830 42,506 Long-term debt, current 30,469 16,250 Operating lease liabilities, current 35,100 27,736 Deferred revenue 228,642 215,581 Total current liabilities 502,401 505,823 Non-Current Liabilities: Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs 568,780 599,248 Operating lease liabilities, non-current 566,484 427,014 Other non-current liabilities 45,477 43,787 Total liabilities 1,683,142 1,575,872 Commitments and contingencies Deficit: Class A Common Stock (a) 461 456 Class B Common Stock (b) 69 69 Additional paid-in capital 44,843 33,481 Treasury stock at cost (5,483 and 4,365 shares as of June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively) (180,204 ) (140,512 ) Retained earnings 153,034 115,603 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (31,503 ) (32,262 ) Total deficit (13,300 ) (23,165 ) Total liabilities and deficit $ 1,669,842 $ 1,552,707 ______________________ (a) Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, 120,000 shares authorized; 46,076 and 45,556 shares issued as of June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively. (b) Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, 30,000 shares authorized; 6,867 shares issued as of June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024. SELECTED CASH FLOW INFORMATION (in thousands) (Unaudited) Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 115,297 $ 111,266 Net cash used in investing activities (23,693 ) (62,371 ) Net cash used in financing activities (81,621 ) (99,695 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 9,983 (50,800 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 33,555 84,355 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 43,538 $ 33,555 View source version on Contacts Ari Danes, CFASenior Vice President, Investor Relations, Financial Communications & TreasuryMadison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.(212) 465-6072Justin BlaberVice President, Financial CommunicationsMadison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.(212) 465-6109Grace KaminerVice President, Investor Relations & TreasuryMadison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.(212) 631-5076 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Verge
15 minutes ago
- The Verge
Drag x Drive is more drag than drive
When Nintendo announced Drag x Drive, a Joy-Con mouse-controlled wheelchair sports game, for the Switch 2 I was tentatively excited. I have a lot of time for developers trying new things, and sports video games are hardly replete with disability representation. Having been hands-on with the game, however, Drag x Drive has left me baffled and in significant pain. As a "driver" - wheeled robots that come in three mostly indistinct flavors: guard, center, and forward - Drag x Drive has you play pickup games of three-on-three wheelchair basketball. You navigate the game by pushing and pulling your Joy-Cons across a surface in a motion vaguely s … Read the full story at The Verge.
Atlantic
17 minutes ago
- Atlantic
King of the Hill Now Looks Like a Fantasy
When Hank Hill, the stalwart, drawling protagonist of King of the Hill,returns to Texas, he kneels in the airport and kisses the floor. More than 15 years have passed since audiences last saw him—the show, which debuted a new season last week, ended its original 12-year run in 2009. Viewers learn that Hank and his wife, Peggy, have recently moved back to their yellow house on Rainey Street, in suburban Arlen, after several years living in Saudi Arabia. Hank had taken a job as a propane consultant there, where the couple had lived in an idyllic simulacrum of an American small town, a place that put Hank in mind of 'what things were like in the '50s.' Then and now, the slice-of-life comedy—which also stars Hank and Peggy's son, Bobby— mainly concerns neighborhood antics unfolding across Rainey Street's living rooms and lawns. (Bobby, for his part, is now a chef who lives in Dallas.) Yet its premise lands differently today than it did a decade and a half ago. Today, when only a quarter of Americans reportedly know most of their neighbors, and nearly as many say they feel lonely and disconnected from their community, King of the Hill 's focus on neighborly relations is comforting, even idealistic—a vision of suburban America with strong social ties that, for the most part, isn't riven by cultural or political divisions. As such, the show feels like a playbook for a type of rosy coexistence that, in the real world, seems harder and harder to come by. From the Hills' perspective, Arlen has primarily changed in ways they find inconvenient. Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him. But these signs of the times are easier for him to accept than the realization that some things, or people, haven't changed; they've deteriorated. Almost immediately after reuniting with his friends, Hank learns that Bill Dauterive, his longtime friend and neighbor, hasn't left his bedroom since the COVID lockdowns of 2020. Hank had been Bill's de facto lifeline for years, helping his friend even when it meant pushing himself wildly outside his comfort zone, such as getting a tattoo of Bill's name and donning a dress alongside him. Without Hank's stabilizing presence, Bill's well-being seems to have declined to the point that even Netflix—which he'd been watching nonstop—sent someone to his house to perform a wellness check. Horrified by Bill's sorry state, Hank vows to get his friend 'back on track.' But when his former boss calls to offer him an attractive job that would take him back to the Middle East, alongside all the amenities he could want, Hank's new dilemma seems to crystallize. Listening to the tempting offer, Hank stares across his lawn toward Bill, who's using a garden rake to drag a package in through his window without leaving his room. Does Hank really want to be back in this neighborhood, where his relationships create inescapable obligations and daily nuisances? By choosing to stay in Arlen, Hank and Peggy reaffirm King of the Hill 's core message: that belonging to a community is a worthwhile enterprise that requires ongoing commitment. In the case of Bill, that ultimately means enticing him back into society with the appetizing waft and convivial chatter of a barbecue party—a small coup for social connection amid the inertia of alienation. Mike Judge, one of the show's co-creators, has said that the character of Hank was partially inspired by neighbors he once had in suburban Texas, who saw Judge struggling to repair a broken fence in his yard and helped him fix it, unprompted. This habitual caretaking—the act of showing up for others, regardless of convenience or reward—is part of what the political theorist Hannah Arendt called the ' web of human relationships,' conceived on an ethic of tolerance and responsibility that goes deeper than simply enjoying your neighbors' company. After all, Bill can be a buzzkill, and the Hills' other neighbors, such as the conspiratorial Dale Gribble across the alley and the holier-than-thou Minh and Kahn Souphanousinphone next door, are flawed too. For the Hills, staying in Arlen means forgoing a more comfortable life to lump it with some weird personalities. But without taking pains to help one's neighbors, a resilient, tolerant community could not exist. And without that web of relationships, even the most Stepford-perfect town is a spiritual desert. While Bill's storyline dramatizes how isolation can hollow out an individual's life, King of the Hill also explores how withdrawal can fray community ties more broadly. One episode finds Peggy aghast that her neighbors are pulling away from one another and receding into their technology: Many Arlen locals now pretend not to be home if their doorbell cameras reveal chatty-looking strangers on their doorstep; some even post paranoid warnings to an anonymous neighborhood forum, fearmongering about 'strange people' sightings (half of which turn out to just be Dale). Peggy takes it upon herself to bring the neighborhood together by erecting a lending library in her front yard. The initiative works well—until her books spread bedbugs, making everyone even angrier and more suspicious of one another. Peggy doesn't want to admit that she's responsible for a public-health fiasco, but the show underscores that a community can't function on good intentions alone. Sometimes, restoring harmony requires a willingness to lose face—which she does. After confessing to causing the outbreak, she leads a group effort to burn the infested books in a bonfire. 'Texas morons have book-burning party,' is how one anonymous forum user describes them. But at least the whole street comes together in the end, with someone strumming a guitar as the pages crackle. King of the Hill 's belief in the innate power of moral character remains one of its most appealing traits—but the revival glosses reality in order to preserve its gentle equilibrium. Many viewers have described the series as 'small c ' conservative: Hank values the familiarity of his traditions more than he's vocal about his political beliefs, but he also once refused to lick a stamp with an image of Bill Clinton on it. Judge has described its humor as 'more social than political.' In an episode of the original series, the Hills meet then-Governor George W. Bush at a presidential-campaign rally; world events that occurred during Bush's presidency, however—such as 9/11 and the Iraq War—never came up during the show's original run. Now neither do ongoing stories that have kept Texas in the news, such as the state's restrictive anti-abortion laws. The reveal that Dale was briefly elected mayor of Arlen on an anti-mask campaign is the closest the show comes this time around to commenting on today's culture wars. Some viewers may find it difficult to reconcile the show's good-humored, inclusive portrayal of everyday suburban life with the political and social fragmentation found within many American communities today. A version of the show that more directly explored real-world tensions could have sharply captured the moment into which King of the Hill returns. However, its obvious distance from real life encourages viewers to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves in its true politic: participating in the ritual of neighborhood life, regardless of whether that just means standing in an alley with a beer, contributing to a frog chorus of 'Yups' until everyone's made it through another day together. All of this principled neighborliness may sound Pollyannaish, but the show's optimism seems intentional. King of the Hill has always held a distinctive place in Judge's canon: Though his other film and TV projects, such as Idiocracy, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Silicon Valley, mercilessly skewer what some critics have defined as 'American suckiness,' King of the Hill celebrates American decency. The show's narrative arcs continually reinforce that social trust is key to communities weathering any crisis, that being moral in the world can be a matter of looking out our windows and recognizing how we can serve one another, whether that's by fixing a fence or checking in on a friend. That's the evergreen charm of the Hill family: their pragmatic belief that helping out is just what neighbors do. Or, as a Girl Scout chirps to Hank while handing over a box of Caramel deLites, 'It's nice to be nice.'
