When you think of propane, does Hank Hill come to mind? Until 2010, King of the Hill ran on the the Fox network for 13 seasons with a total of 259 episodes. In 1997, Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge debuted this animated comedy series as a companion show for The Simpsons. Taking place in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, this series follows the life of propane salesman Hank Hill as well as his friends and family. Today we would like to further discuss the popular TV show that is so propane-friendly:

Arlen, Texas

Although Arlen, Texas is a fictional town, it is inspired by a suburb of Dallas, Richardson. If you’ve ever visited a small Texas town or suburb, you might notice the abundance of ranch houses with square lawns and wooden fences. Interestingly enough, Mike Judge actually grew up in Albuquerque, NM but now lives in Austin, Texas.

Luanne

One of the most beloved characters on King of the Hill is Luanne Platter. Believe it or not, her name is based off an actual platter at the popular Texas cafeteria, Luby’s (if you lived in Texas, you most likely visited this restaurant with your grandparents at some point). Luanne Platter is the niece of Hank’s wife, Peggy, and she lives with his family. Greg Daniels, co-creator of Parks and Recreation, dreamed up the idea of Luanne after Fox hired him to rewrite the King of the Hill pilot.

Strickland Propane

Strickland Propane, owned by the wily Buck Strickland, employs Hank Hill as a salesman. Unfortunately for Hank, Buck does not care to work all that much, so he passes most of his responsibilities on to his assistant manager, Hank. An employee of the month 41 times, Hank Hill often takes on more than he can handle.

Lucky

One of the love interests of Luanne, the writers wanted Lucky to look like “Tom Petty without the success.” The producers were curious if they could actually convince Tom Petty himself to audition for the show, which was no problem. King of the Hill was actually one of Petty’s favorite shows, and he happily agreed to voice the part.

Peggy Hill

Hank’s wife, Peggy often serves as the voice of reason in the household, keeping the peace between her son Bobby, Hank, and Luanne. Peggy’s downfall is her overconfidence, as she believes that she is smarter and more attractive than most people. However, after falling for multiple pyramid schemes and easily being conned into joining a cult, she proves to not be as intelligent as she thinks.

Bobby Hill

The polar opposite of Hank, Bobby Hill is a sweet, chubby, sensitive school-age boy. With a flair for the arts and theater, macho Hank does not really understand his son.

At DiSanto Propane, we of course love all the propane references in King of the Hill. Check out the show yourself to see why people loved it enough to air for over a decade. If you need home propane services in upstate New York, contact DiSanto Propane today. We can provide everything from installation, delivery, and services for your home.