The showrunner of King of the Hill, Saladin K. Patterson, has shared details about the restrictions they faced during the production of the 14th season, recently released on Hulu. These limitations arise from the merger between Hulu and Disney, which requires a more family-friendly approach to content, significantly changing the dynamics of the show compared to its days on Fox.
The word with F cannot be said
Patterson mentioned that, although the conversations with Hulu executives reflected a shared desire to recapture the essence that made the original series special, there were necessary compromises to align with Disney’s more conservative standards. “There were situations where Disney’s influence set certain limits that we know Fox would not have imposed”, Patterson confessed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Among these changes is the removal of some vulgar words, including certain “words with the F.” You know which ones we are referring to. “The characters can still curse in ways they couldn’t on television”, Patterson explained. However, the demand to avoid the TV-MA rating led the team to eliminate those strong terms, which he considers was not a great loss. “I’m not a big fan of shows crossing those lines, so it wasn’t something that bothered me,” he added.
The 14th season of King of the Hill premiered on Hulu on August 4 and marks a significant time jump since its first airing on Fox, which occurred between 1997 and 2010. Critics have praised this new installment for its warmth and renewal in the connection between the characters and the audience, highlighting the new life of the character Bobby as a chef in a Japanese fusion restaurant.