FOX's veteran animated comedy KING OF THE HILL will not continue beyond this, its 13th season, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The 20th Century Fox TV-produced show is wrapping production on 13 episodes that Fox picked up in April. Creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge have long since moved on to other projects: Daniels developed and is the show runner on NBC comedy THE OFFICE and Judge's new animated series THE GOODE FAMILY, will premiere on ABC this winter.
Judge still voiced the main character, propane salesman Hank Hill, with Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Brittany Murphy, Tom Petty, Johnny Hardwick and Stephen Root voicing the other characters in the fictional Texas town of Arlen.
Exec producers on the show have included Judge, Daniels, John Altschuler, Dave Krinsky, Michael Rotenberg, Howard Klein, Jim Dauterive and Garland Testa.
Fox has two new animated comedies coming this midseason: SIT DOWN, SHUT UP from Mitch Hurwitz and FAMILY GUY spinoff THE CLEVELAND SHOW from Seth MacFarlane.
Also announced Thursday was AMERICAN DAD co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman signing new seven-figure overall deals with series producer 20th Century Fox TV.
AMERICAN DAD was also picked up for a fifth season by FOX. Barker and Weitzman will be with the show for at least two more years, with an option for a third.
The duo, who created the show with MacFarlane, have exec produced and run the show since its launch in 2005.
"The world is screwed up, so we think we still have some semi-poignant things to say about it through the show," Weitzman said to the REPORTER.
Fox TV chairman Dana Walden said having a duo on DAD has made the difference: "Matt and Mike are covering far more territory in the executive producer slot than one person can ever cover," she said. "That enables Seth to focus on his other projects."
Barker and Weitzman have the option to develop new projects under their new deal, but for now are focused on keeping the momentum going on DAD. Walden calls this "a critical year for the show."
DAD's audience is up about six percent over last year in adults 18-49, up eight percent in total viewers and up 19 percent in teenagers.
Season five, which the writing team is already working on, follows the almost-concluded presidential race.
"If [Barack] Obama wins, that would provide an interesting wrinkle to the show as Stan is such a die-hard Republican," Weitzman said. Added Barker, "If [John] McCain wins, it would be great for the show and horrible for our grandchildren."
