King Of The Hill Revival Image Reveals First Look At An Adult Bobby & His Self-Taught Job

A new image from the upcoming King of the Hill revival shows that Bobby Hill grew up to become a chef. Created by Beavis & Butthead‘s Mike Judge and future Office and Parks and Recreation co-developer Greg Daniels, the animated sitcom premiered on Fox in 1997, and originally ran for 13 seasons. The series officially ended in 2009, though some scattered episodes aired after. In the show’s original run, Bobby was shown as a child, living with parents Hank and Peggy Hill. The King of the Hill revival is being developed for Hulu, which will follow the characters years later.

As the show awaits a premiere date, star Grey DeLisle took to her Instagram to share a new image from the King of the Hill revival. In the post, it shows a portrait of an adult Bobby, wearing a chef’s uniform and a brand new beard. The image was captured by CBR shortly before DeLisle deleted the post:

Under the picture, there is an “About the Chef” section that talks about Bobby and his work as a robata chef. In the section, it talks about the memories he has associated with food, which includes dinners prepared by his mother, as well as times spent grilling with his father. It describes that he is a self-taught chef, who runs a fusion restaurant of his own. Bobby was also one of the youngest contestants on King of the Grill.

The section also talks about how, as a chef, Bobby combines “flavors from around the world” with classic Texas food. Bobby’s food is described as “innovative fusion dishes.” The full “About the Chef” section about Bobby can be found below:

Chef Bobby Hill has loved food his whole life. From weeknights around the dinner table eating his mom’s ‘Spa-Peggy and Meatballs,’ to overindulging in lutefisk at church potlucks, to celebrations with family and friends at Luly’s Cafeteria, food and the people it’s enjoyed with are the ingredients for his best memories. In fact, his career as a robata chef was inspired by his most cherished memory of all-weekends spent grilling with his dad.

A self-taught chef and one of the youngest contestants on
King of the Grill
, Chef Hill believes ‘good food can solve any problem.’ He draws on the influences of his childhood by combining classic Texas dishes with flavors from around the world. With Robata Chane, Chef Hill hopes to honor the art of Japanese robata and the German heritage of the Texas Hill Country while pushing culinary boundaries through his innovative fusion dishes.

What Bobby’s Career Means For The King Of The Hill Revival

Bobby’s career as a chef is a different future than the one he dreamed about when he was younger. Throughout the original run of King of the Hill, Bobby talked about how his dream was to be a comedian/entertainer. Bobby was also often shown trying to imitate material from some of his favorite comedians, but his dreams have apparently been set aside in recent years. By becoming a chef, it shows that he chose instead to find a steady job like his father, who was a propane salesman, and his mother, a substitute teacher.

Bobby’s career also shows that he may now have a different relationship with his father than he did in the original series. Although Hank loved his son, he did not approve of Bobby’s ambitions to become a comedian. However, as a chef, Bobby now has a job that Hank can better understand. Hank was often shown grilling food, so he may more easily appreciate his son’s grounded ambitions. Bobby’s career as a chef, as well as the photo talking about his father’s grilling, shows how influential Hank was to his son and is a touching sign of his growth.

The King Of The Hill Revival Is Changing More Than Just Bobby

Major Characters May Need To Be Written Out Of The Show

With an eight-year time jump, the show will likely be different. The jump was initially reported to be 15 years, but changes in Bobby’s age from 13 to 21 indicate that the show will instead be leaning towards a shorter leap. Because of that difference, the older characters may not necessarily change quite as much. They have only aged a relatively short amount, leaving inevitable changes in the core relationships, but Hank should still be chugging along with his friends. His connection to Bobby may be different, but not much has been revealed about most other changes.

Unfortunately, there will still be some necessary shifts. Some characters may need to be recast or written off entirely after the tragic death of King of the Hill cast members. Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble), Brittany Murphy (Luanne Platter), and Tom Petty (Lucky) all passed away in the years since the show was at its height. They all played relatively important characters who had consistent appearances throughout the show. Their absence is undoubtedly notable, so the show will need to explain where they have gone. It is hard to imagine the show without Dale, for instance.

The time jump can offer a good explanation for the missing characters. After nine years, some standouts in the town will inevitably move away, pass away, or have falling outs with the Hills. Though a falling out is unlikely, given that the creators will likely want to offer tributes to the actors, the other explanations could easily explain away any unfortunate absences. The years could also have introduced new faces to the Hills, including whichever character becomes Bobby’s partner. The show has hinted at a relationship for the chef, and a new character could easily fill that role.

Our Take On Bobby’s Career As A Chef

The Revival Will Put The Hill Son In New Situations

Since the new changes in the King of the Hill revival will include a time jump of approximately eight years, one of the most exciting things about the new episodes is that audiences will have the chance to see Bobby as an adult. His career as a chef will also allow the revival to tell different types of narratives that the original series was never quite able to. The new series could also address if he still has the ambition to become an entertainer like he did as a child, or if he has now put that dream behind him.

Source: Grey DeLisle/Instagram & CBR

From the creator of Beavis and Butthead comes King of the Hill, an animated comedy series that follows the misadventures of Texan native propane salesman Hank Hill and his family and friends. Between struggling to understand his son, Bobby, keep his wife happy, and find enough time to drink beer and mow his lawn, Hank will realize the simple American life is a bit harder to grasp than he thought, as everyone around him is every bit as eccentric as one would expect. From a ladies’ man who speaks a million words a minute to a paranoid conspiracy theorist, Hank’s friends keep his life more than a little bit interesting.

Cast

Mike Judge

Release Date

January 12, 1997

Seasons

13

Network

FOX

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Disney+

Writers

Greg Daniels , Mike Judge

Directors

Greg Daniels , Mike Judge

Showrunner

Greg Daniels

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