Mike Judge, the creative mind behind modern television staples including Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill, has recently had his latest series, In the Know canceled by Peacock. The animated series in question, In the Know, followed the life of a fictional NPR radio host, Lauren Caspian, who frequently interviews real, live-action celebrities in quirky and unique ways. All six episodes of the streaming series dropped onto Peacock on January 24, 2024. Just before 2025 kicked off, Peacock had decided not to renew the stop-motion workplace sitcom for another season.
The Origins of Mike Judge’s In the Know
The inspiration for the series was born out of a network probing Mike Judge and King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation co-creator Greg Daniels on the concept of an interview show. Judge claims, according to an interview with The Wrap, that they never pursued the project at the time but kept the idea on the back burner. He soon recognized the comedic improv talent of Silicon Valley star Zack Woods and figured he’d be the perfect host.
Woods has given props to the hit Adult Swim sitcom Space Ghost Coast to Coast as it was the template for shaping how they wanted to construct episodes of In the Know. Although the series has only aired six episodes, a myriad of A-list luminaries are featured in interviews with Caspian, who Zack Woods plays. Former boxing heavyweight turned Hollywood heavyweight Mike Tyson, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, and indie Canadian pop duo Tegan and Sara are just a sample size of the celebrities interviewed throughout the series’ short-lived run.
The pop duo’s partially improvised interview with Woods was a highlight during the making of the show as the female singers understood the assignment while the kinks of In the Know were still being ironed out. “The second I cut them off, they immediately understood the dumb joke I was trying to make,” Woods said. “They played along in a way that really elevated the series.”
King of the Hill’s Upcoming Revival
The news of In the Know’s unforeseen premature end may not bode well for the upcoming sequel series of Judge’s King of the Hill. The Primetime Emmy award-winning show creator and actor is reportedly still working on continuing the legacy of the 13-year-old animated series since the official announcement was made more than two years ago in January 2022. In an interview with Pamela Adlon (the voice of Peggy and Hank Hill’s son, Bobby), the new series will feature a now 21-year-old Bobby Hill who has found work as a chef at a fusion restaurant in Dallas, TX.
It’s unclear how the new series will tackle addressing or utilizing characters whose voice actors have since passed away. Brittany Murphy (the voice of Luanne) and acclaimed vocalist Tom Petty (the voice of Lucky) both died after production wrapped on the original series. Johnny Hardwick, famously known for the notable conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble, was stated to have recorded “a couple” of the episodes set for the new show.
Like his co-stars, his untimely passing was announced on August 8th, 2023. It has not been confirmed how Judge and his team will handle his character in the episodes set after Hardwick’s death. Arranging to hire a soundalike similar to how Family Guy recast the role of one of Peter Griffin’s best friends and next-door neighbors Cleveland Brown is entirely possible but could be seen in poor taste due to replacing an iconic character like Dale.
Where Will Mike Judge Go From Here?
Coming to terms with the cancelation of a series can considerably hinder the creative flow of a showrunner, especially a television veteran on the level of Mr. Judge. He does have more time now to devote to ensuring these new King of the Hill episodes are truly strong material before sending them over for streaming. He also currently serves as an executive producer of and stars in the Adult Swim animated series Common Side Effects. The upcoming series follows high school friends Marshall and Frances, who reconnect and discover a new kind of drug that can allegedly cure any disease.
Although waking up to this news just at the start of a new year and experiencing many unexpected hurdles while working on his projects can be upsetting, his talent as a writer and creator has only strengthened over time given his new productions set to release in the new year. He is a gifted storyteller and should take his time to release projects that will be worth the wait.
