It looks like the Fox "Animation Domination" lineup will be changing. It took FOX long enough to put together a solid two hour block of animated cartoons on Sunday, but now comes word that the tides are a-changing. After thirteen years on the air, King of the Hill will wrap production at the end of this season. Of course, there will be new episodes in the can for airing even into next season. Not to mention that this isn't the first time Hill has been canceled, and ratings now are better than they were then. In fact, executive producer John Altschuler said, "It would be very odd for King of the Hill to not keep going."
At the same time, Seth MacFarlane's "other" show American Dad, has just been picked up for a fifth season. It makes sense for FOX to let King of the Hill go at this time, considering that Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show is waiting in the wings. On the other side, though, shouldn't they wait to see if that's going to work before they dump a solid perennial performer like Hill? The way they're going, Seth MacFarlane is going to own Sunday nights.
Here's an idea. Keep King of the Hill and give us a three hour block of animation. Put Futurama back on FOX as a series and we can have King of the Hill, Futurama, The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy and The Cleveland Show. Or, if you don't want MacFarlane back-to-back-to-back in the lineup like that you can mix it up. But let me tell you, that right there is a pretty solid animation lineup. I know I'm not even factoring in Sit Down, Shut Up, FOX's midseason animated series. Maybe Hill can go after all. What do you all think?
Six Mad Men characters who are in limbo after the finale
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-31-2008 @ 10:31AM
Payam said...
Sounds like a promising idea to showcase 3 hours of animation on Sundays. Would be silly of Fox not to consider promoting Futurama again since it is back in production on CN.
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 10:45AM
Adrienne said...
I think that's a great idea. Personally, I would rather watch almost anything than a McFarlane cartoon, but I LOVE the Simpsons and I adore King of the Hill. It seems to me a great waste to cancel King of the Hill. If that happens I'll have to just turn off my tv on Sunday nights until Desperate Housewives starts.
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 11:02AM
RC said...
Futurama is not really "back in production" on cartoon network. There have been 3 DVD movies made and then they are broken up into episodes and aired on TV. Apparently not enough people have bought the Futurama DVDs to bring it back to TV like Family Guy did.
http://www.bitsmack.com
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 12:06PM
BJ Wanlund said...
Thank God. King of The Hill just got so old and rerun abused to death...
BJ
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 1:16PM
judi said...
omg that picture is amazing! where did you get it!?
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 2:36PM
Jason Hughes said...
http://www.fox.com/animationdomination/
10-31-2008 @ 1:49PM
Erica said...
I will miss KOTH but I love Family Guy
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 2:13PM
Manuel Reis said...
The six-hour animation idea is really great. But wouldn't it be too expensive?
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 2:20PM
Riley Freeman said...
futurama should come back. i never liked king of the hill but if the ratings are better now. it doesnt make sense to cancel it
Reply
11-01-2008 @ 12:04PM
banderweir said...
Kinda sad to see KOTH go, I never tuned in for the new episodes, but if nothing else was on I watched sometimes.
This is the first I've heard about the Cleveland Show, and it sounds like a very bad idea. Family Guy has been so bad the last couple of seasons that I've stopped watching. My theory was that Seth was having trouble coming up with enough stuff to split between FG and American Dad, and maybe that's why FG has sucked as of late. Unfortunately, if my theory is even close to correct, dark times are definitely ahead with three shows to water down the content...
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 3:09PM
Prateek S. said...
King of the Hill will be missed. I don't watch much of newer seasons but I've rewatched the early years a bunch of times, F/X shows it a bunch. I'm not white or a texan, but yet I find myself laughing and relating to little bits and quirks here and there. Great and well developed characters better than any Seth Macfarlane cartoon. Good god I cannot stand anything of his and believe I gave Family Guy a chance... nope sorry. Most of my friends never got into king of the hill but will laugh at random bits when I put older eps on. I always tell them it's by the guy who made office space and the guy who produces the Office. And if you love those two things you will definitely see similar humor styles and well written characters abound. It is sad though but both daniels and judge have other projects so best of luck to them!
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 4:18PM
jayr2345 said...
I really think it would be a mistake to cancel KOTH, because right now that is the only thing to kind of balance out the comedy night. KOTH is great because it is more subtle humor whereas Simpsons, Family Guy and American dad is all in your face, stupid humor. Don't get me wrong, I love the other three shows alot, but I think that the whole Sunday night block being the Macfarlane shows and Simpsons be enough to alienate viewers that don't like that kind of humor but like the KOTH subtle humor
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 4:33PM
james said...
I LOVE KING OF THE HILL!!!! However 13 seasons for any show is enough. I think that with the Cleveland Show that Seth will become over-saturated and I really am un-interested in the show's premise. I also think that (contrary to what I have read) American DAD is the superior show. I really would not miss Family Guy (due to it's incessant repeats in syndication) if it were canceled; so if Cleveland replaced it, I think that would be cool. How about this, since the Simpsons won't seem to die, why don't they actually try to do something other than sitcoms with animation.
7pm - American DAD
7:30 - Cleveland Show
8pm - Simpsons
8:30 - Sit Down, Shut Up!
9pm - A SciFi Drama in the Katsuhiro Otomo style
9:30 - an Xfiles/Fringe animated spin-off
Or for that matter just revive Werewolf.
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 5:53PM
mrkorb said...
I hate King of the Hill. I almost wish they'd put it on at 8, so then I can just start watching at 8:30 with The Simpsons.
Reply
10-31-2008 @ 11:56PM
StillBash said...
Contract re-negotiations. That's all.
Reply
11-01-2008 @ 1:55AM
tingrin87 said...
i'll agree with this.
also, re: Futurama, i was under the impression that CC bought an exclusive contract, and that's why CN had their whole "every futurama EVAR" marathon at the end of 2007. but i may be mistaken.
and "Sit Down, Shut Up" (or "Class Dismissed" as wiki thinks it's going to be called) looks like it'll be good, what with Arnett, Bateman, and Keenan Thompson, but i'm not sure if i'll like the animation-over-live action backdrop... but i'll probably force myself to like it because of the cast.
Reply
11-01-2008 @ 3:46AM
Monkeydog said...
Yep Comedy Central now owns the airing rights to Futurama.
But they also negotiated the 5th season(or the set of four movies)...and they may continue the series from there, they may not. I certainly hope they do. Bender's Game wasn't as...movie centric as the first two were...but these three movies are some of the best Futurama I've ever seen, it'd be stupid to continue to keep it canceled.
11-02-2008 @ 9:57AM
jim said...
I hope KOTH gets a proper season finale. If it doesn't it will be as disrespectful as when Fox cancelled AD
Reply
11-03-2008 @ 10:15AM
mike said...
they have already have a episode made that they been saving as a possible series finale
11-06-2008 @ 7:36AM
Monkeyman said...
Long overdue. This show was and always has been horrible.
Reply