...but King Of The Hill axed

The Fox network has ordered a new run of Seth Macfarlane’s cartoon about a right-wing CIA agent, even though the fourth season has not yet finished airing.

And the show’s writers believe the programme could be given a new lease of life if Barak Obama wins next week’s US elections.

Executive producer Mike Barker told Hollywood trade magazine Variety: ‘The election will probably cause us to come up with a whole new dynamic. We're excited for what that could mean for Stan. It'll be interesting to see him on the losing side of things.’

Meanwhile, Fox has cancelled King Of The Hill after 13 years and nearly 260 episodes; saying the current series will be the last.

However, some of those working on the show refuse to believe it is actually over. It has been cancelled before, only to be recommissioned; while Fox has also reversed previous decision to axe Family Guy and Futurama.

‘We've been here before,’ executive producer John Altschuler told Variety. ‘When it’s time for King Of The Hill to go, it will go. But I think with the ratings this good, and with quality that doesn't seem to be diminishing, it would be very odd for King Of The Hill not to keep going.’

The programme is the second longest-running primetime animated show in history, behind The Simpsons.

Fox has recently commissioned new animated comedies The Cleveland Show – a spin-off from Family Guy – and Sit Down, Shut Up.

Published: 31 Oct 2008