Where is Arlen, TX?

Very cute. Mayor Shackleford has too much time on his hands ;^)

On 29 Jan 2003 14:27:30 -0800, [email] (Otterland) wrote:

On 29 Jan 2003 14:27:30 -0800 Otterland wrote:

} Hi, I found a web site for the real Arlen, TX } (http://arlentexas.tripod.com), but I've looked on a few maps of } Texas, trying to find Arlen County (where Arlen supposedly is, } according to the web site), but I can't seem to find it! Near which } cities is the real Arlen, TX? Just wondering... (BTW, I live in Texas, } in Copperas Cove, Coryell County).

Arlen was in Arlen County only for the first episode or two, and has been in Heimlich County for the rest of the time. It kind of floats around Texas according to the minute hand of the clock in the Hills' kitchen, not too far from Houston, not too far from New Braunfels, and not too far from Port Aransas, but way far from Northern Texas. The ZIP Code (78104 in the episode where Bobby Hill lives in the dog house at 84-1/2 Rainey Street) is a ZIP Code for Beeville, which as luck would have it is at the crossroads of U.S. 181 and U.S. 59. Arlen varies in size from a couple thousand to a couple hundred thousand. _King of the Hill_ is a television show, and an animated one at that; but, if you want Arlen to be a real place, Beeville is as good as any. Bee County, right? But, if they confirmed it, people in Beeville might get offended. Believe it or don't.

"Otterland" wrote:

Aw man, that's dang ol' alright man!

Just wish they'd have gotten the county right. Heimlich County.

BTW I see old Seinfeld characters are the Arlen High School Administrators. That's what struck me. Anyone else notice names from other TV shows. There probably is but I don't watch a lot of TV except Seinfeld and KOTH and very few current shows, so names could go right over my head.

bill n

On 29 Jan 2003 14:27:30 -0800, [email] (Otterland) wrote:

I think it's near Springfield where the Simpsons live.

According to KotH's creative team, the "real life" Arlen is Garland, TX.

On Wed, 05 Feb 2003 22:53:22 GMT The One: Orgasmatron wrote:

} According to KotH's creative team, the "real life" Arlen is Garland, TX.

Yeah, but what do they know? They just say that to irritate the people in Arlington. You'd think they'd mention Dallas or Fort Worth in the show if there were anything to it. But no, everything's got to happen up and down U.S. 181 and U.S. 59. They blew it when they confirmed that Nancy Gribble and John Redcorn were actualy having the affair that all the other cartoon characters were so sure of. It might as well be Springfield.

"R J Valentine" wrote:

Well, they do mention Dallas in the show fairly frequently. Peggy's boggle tournament in Dallas was described as being about "a half hour away" from Arlen, while the trip to Houston is about "three hours" away. Of course, then they say they're only eight or nine hours from the Mexican border. I have no idea if any of that describes Garland at all. I'm not a Texan, nor have I ever even been to Texas. If the Hills lived in Rhode Island, well ... that would be different.

The One: Orgasmatron wrote:

Yes, I've heard that Garland is in fact the model for Arlen, TX. It is a suburb of Dallas, on the NE side, so "a half hour away" makes sense--I lived in Garland briefly, working in Dallas. Thirty minutes was my average commute. The border would be 8 or 9 hours away, etc.

What's more interesting is that I seem to recall reading in the local press that there were certain landmarks in the Garland area that managed to show up on KOTH. Not being a longterm resident of Garland, I was never able to verify this. Anyone?

Bill

"I dearly love the state of Texas, but I consider that a harmless persversion on my part, and discuss it only with consenting adults." --Molly Ivins--

"William Perkins" wrote:

The don't show many Arlen landmarks on the show, but here are the ones I can think of that Garlandites might be able to confirm or deny the existence of.

First, the giant water tower with "ARLEN" written on it. I have no idea if there's a water tower on a big hill in Garland with "GARLAND" written on it, so there's one.

Second is the Hotel Arlen, the "tallest building in Arlen", built in a rather ho-hum late nineteenth/early twentieth century style. As Garland is the 10th biggest city in Texas, it would be hard to imagine that such a modest building would be the tallest building in Garland.

Arlen has a large quarry on "unincorporated Arlen" grounds. I have no idea if a similar quarry exists in Garland.

On Fri, 21 Feb 2003 16:46:49 GMT The One: Orgasmatron wrote:

}    The don't show many Arlen landmarks on the show, but here are the ones I
} can think of that Garlandites might be able to confirm or deny the existence
} of.
}
}    First, the giant water tower with "ARLEN" written on it. I have no idea
} if there's a water tower on a big hill in Garland with "GARLAND" written on
} it, so there's one.
...

There's a water tower with the town's name on it in just about every town in America.

But don't let's forget Port Aransas at the end of the road with Arlen on the way from Arizona, Arlen being in South Texas and all.