"King of the Hill" Season One DVD Collection

The original episodes that introduce the "King of the Hill" world are funny, but not spectacular. The writers seem to think the concept is funny without making actual jokes, dwelling on Hank's uretha and repeating the word "propane" about 11,000 times an episode. Sure, it's funny. But they don't seem to know what to do with it. The extras get a little too cute for their own good. A must-have for fans of "King of the Hill," but others shouldn't feel obligated to buy.

Season one of "King of the Hill" was a pale reflection of the show it would become. There's no excuse; Mike Judge wasn't exactly new to animation. But there's a lot of emphasis on story over laughs. "King of the Hill" would become a show where character development, plot and family were emphasized and balanced. But the synergy just hadn't happened yet.

The characters are mostly in place, but undeveloped. Dale is a conspiracy nut, but not the complete whacko he would become. Bill is pathetic, but not as desparate as the Peggy-obsessed barber's future holds.

The voices aren't quite right either. The story ideas are good, and there are lots of laughs, but the shows aren't immediately likable.

Don't misunderstand; there's big laughs. Watch for the yankee who wants Hank to be more Texan. Also, it's nice to know that the cameos from Chuck Mangione were there from the start.

The extras get points for being clever. But Bobby's introductions to the menus aren't funny. And Dale and Bill (or any of the characters) doing commentary sounds funny, but it's not. The actors just aren't as funny as the writers. I turned off the character commentaries after about five minutes with each. Life's too short.

These are solid shows. But if you don't have seasons two and three, buy those first.