By Andrew Sanford | TV | May 20, 2024 |
By Andrew Sanford | TV | May 20, 2024 |
Studios would rather throw money at a proven concept than try anything new. That has taken many forms over the years. Sequels are always in fashion, even if they don’t always succeed. Remakes have always been around and dominated the scene for much of the last twenty years. Then, reboots became all the rage. Taking a property, adding a few original cast members, and continuing the story while starting a new one is a big trend in Hollywood right now.
Leading the charge and rebooting two of his biggest hit shows is creator Greg Daniels. The former Simpsons writer will be rebooting The Office. Gone is the East Coast paper company. The new show will take place at a Midwestern newspaper, albeit with the same documentary crew cataloging events. It will be a reboot of a remake. That isn’t the only show Daniels is dusting off. He’ll also return to the fictional town of Arlen, Texas.
A King of the Hill reboot was confirmed to be in development 14 years after it aired its final episode. The animated sitcom about a small family in Texas will air on Hulu with most of the original cast returning. Notable exceptions are Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty, who have both passed since the original run and Johnny Hardwick, who tragically died after recording for the new show had already begun.
Few details about the reboot have been revealed. We know that the show will still focus on Arlen’s favorite family. We also know that the show will feature a time jump. We now have a little more detail of how long that time jump will be. Pamela Adlon, the voice of Bobby Hill, recently had a chat with MovieWeb to promote Babes (her feature directorial debut).
“We’re in the second season [creating] the reboot, and Bobby is 21,” Adlon revealed. Last we saw Bobby, he was 13. This means the show is jumping forward about eight years. We also know what Bobby will be up to career-wise. Adlon mentioned “He’s a chef in a fusion restaurant in Dallas. And it’s been incredible. It’s just been really fun.”
While Adlon is enjoying the experience, she did bring up that it’s a little harder for creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge. “I think it’s been freakier for Mike and Greg to think about Bobby going from 12 to being 21 and having a relationship and being a person. But don’t we all go through that with our kids and our friends’ kids? It is shocking when I see my friends’ kids and they’re all grown up. And I’m like, ‘Wait a second, what just happened?’ So, it’s just a little bit of a mess,” Adlon shared with MovieWeb.
It sounds like everything is moving in the right direction. Now we play the waiting game. Still, knowing that we’ve got a grown-up, chef Bobby Hill on the horizon makes the wait easier. It excites me even more about what the other characters may be up to. It’s safe to wager that Hank will still be slinging propane. But will he be a member of Strickland Propane or have a business all his own? Time (jumps) will tell.