The Dukes of Hazzard
Encyclopedia
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS
television network from 1979
to 1985
.
The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners
, which was also created by Gy Waldron
and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.
and Luke
Duke, two cousins living in a rural part
of the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia
, with their attractive cousin Daisy
and their wise old Uncle Jesse, racing around in their customized 1969 Dodge Charger
, which they christened The General Lee
, evading corrupt county commissioner Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg
and his inept county sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
. Bo and Luke had previously been sentenced to probation for illegal transportation of moonshine
; their uncle Jesse made a plea deal with the U.S. Government to stop brewing moonshine in exchange. As a result, Bo and Luke are not allowed to carry firearms (instead, they often use compound bows, sometimes with arrows tipped with dynamite
) or to leave Hazzard County, although the exact details of their probation terms vary from episode to episode: sometimes it is implied that they would be jailed for merely crossing the county line; on other occasions, it is shown that they may leave Hazzard as long as they are back within a certain time limit; several other technicalities of their probation also came into play at various times.
Corrupt politician Boss Hogg
, who either runs or has fingers in just about everything in Hazzard County (and whose exact powers, much like the terms of the Duke boys' probation, often vary between episodes) is forever angry with the Dukes, in particular Bo and Luke, for eternally foiling his crooked scams and is always looking for ways to get them out of the picture so that his plots have a chance of succeeding. Many episodes revolve around Hogg trying to engage in an illegal scheme with criminal associates. Some of these are get-rich-quick scheme
s, though many others affect the financial security of the Duke farm, which Hogg has long wanted to acquire for nefarious reasons. Other times, Hogg hires known criminals from out of town to do his dirty work for him, and often tries to frame Bo and Luke for various crimes such as bank robbery (thus resulting in imprisonment and allowing Hogg easily to acquire the Duke farm). Bo and Luke always seem to stumble over Hogg's latest scheme, sometimes by curiosity, and often by sheer luck, and put it out of business. Despite the Dukes often coming to his rescue (see below), Hogg forever seems to have an irrational dislike of the clan, particularly Bo and Luke, often accusing them of spying on him, robbing or planning to rob him, and other supposedly nefarious actions as he believes they are generally out to get him.
The other main players of the show are Cooter Davenport
, who in very early episodes was somewhat of a wild rebel, often breaking or treading on the edge of the law, before settling down and becoming much more laid-back, and who owns the local garage and is the Duke family's best friend (he is often referred to as an "honarary Duke"), and Enos Strate
, an honest but naive young Deputy who often finds his morals conflicted as he is reluctantly forced to take part in Hogg and Rosco's crooked schemes. In the third and fourth season, when Enos leaves for his own show
, he is replaced by Deputy Cletus Hogg, Boss's cousin, who is slightly more wily than Enos but who is generally also a reluctant player in Hogg's plots.
Owing to their fundamentally good natures, the Dukes often wind up helping Boss Hogg, albeit begrudgingly. More than once Hogg is targeted by former associates who are either seeking revenge or have turned against him after a scheme has unravelled in one way or another. Sheriff Rosco also finds himself in trouble more than once. On such occasions, Bo and Luke usually have to rescue their adversaries as an inevitable precursor to defeating the bad guys. These instances became more frequent as the show progressed, and later seasons saw a number of stories where the Dukes and Hogg (and Rosco) temporarily work together.
As well as its regular car chases, jumps and stunts, the show relied on character familiarity, with Deputy Cletus replacing Deputy Enos in the third and fourth season, and Coy and Vance Duke temporarily replacing Bo and Luke (due to a salary dispute, see later section) in the fifth season, being the only major cast changes through the show's run (Ben Jones and James Best both left temporarily during the second season due to different disputes with producers, but both returned within a couple of episodes). Of the characters, only Uncle Jesse and Boss Hogg appear in every single episode; Daisy appears in all but one, the third season's "To Catch a Duke".
The "celebrity speed trap" feature was essentially similar: Aware that a big-name country star was passing through the area, Boss Hogg would order Rosco to lower the speed limit on a particular road to an unreasonable level, so that the targeted singer would be in violation of the law. The singer would be required to perform at the Boar's Nest in exchange for having their citations forgiven; the performer would then perform one of their best-known hits or other popular country music standard, while the Dukes, Boss, Rosco, Cletus, Cooter, and other patrons whooped and hollered in enjoyment of the performance. More often than not, the performer would give a parting shot to Boss and Rosco.
Singers who were featured in the "speed trap" segments were:
Honorable Mentions: Mickey Gilley
and Loretta Lynn
Gilley's and Lynn's appearances were not solely for the celebrity speed trap. After performing a concert in Hazzard, Gilley was nabbed while leaving and forced to do a second show to nullify his citation. Lynn was kidnapped by criminals wanting to break into the music business.
, which immediately followed the show on CBS' Friday night schedule). Then, in the spring of 1982, as filming was due to begin on the fifth season, series stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider did not report to the set due to a contract dispute over their salaries and merchandising royalties owed to them. Catherine Bach also considered walking out due to similar concerns, but Wopat and Schneider convinced her to stay, insisting that settling the dispute was "man's work".
Production was pushed back by a few weeks as two lookalike replacements were subsequently, hastily hired: Byron Cherry
as Coy Duke and Christopher Mayer as Vance Duke. Bo and Luke were said to have gone to race on the NASCAR
circuit; how they managed to do this, bearing in mind their probation conditions, was never explained. Cherry and Mayer were originally contracted at just ten episodes as stand-ins, still with hope that a settlement might be reached with Wopat and Schneider (in total, they made 17 episodes). The scripts for Coy and Vance were originally written for Bo and Luke but with their names quite literally crossed out and Coy and Vance penned in. The new Dukes — previously-unmentioned nephews of Uncle Jesse, who were said to have left the farm in 1976, before the show had started — were unpopular with the great majority of viewers, and the ratings immediately sank. Much of the criticism was that Coy and Vance were nothing but direct clones of Bo and Luke, something that show creator Gy Waldron
himself has said was wrong, and that he insisted, unsuccessfully, that audiences would not accept direct character clones and the two replacements should be taken in a different direction characterwise. Waldron also commented that if Bach too had walked, the show would have most probably been cancelled. Hit hard by the significant drop in ratings, Warner Brothers renegotiated with Wopat and Schneider, and eventually a settlement was reached, and the original Duke boys returned to the series in early 1983, four episodes from the conclusion of the fifth season. Initially, part of the press release announcing Wopat and Schneider's return mentioned that Cherry and Mayer would remain as part of the cast, but it was quickly realised that "four Duke boys" would not work within the context of the series, and due to the unpopularity associated with their time on the show, were quickly written out of the same episode in which Bo and Luke returned.
While the return of Bo and Luke was welcomed by ardent and casual viewers alike, and as a result saw ratings recover slightly, the show never completely regained its former popularity. One of Wopat and Schneider's disputes even before they left was what they considered to be increasingly weak and formulaic scripts. With Wopat and Schneider's return, the producers agreed to try a wider scope of storylines, even including some science fiction
elements in certain episodes. However, although it continued for two more seasons, the show never fully returned to its former glory. As well as what was widely recognised to be increasingly inferior scripts, many fans, or indeed cast members, did not take to the miniature car effects used to make it appear as if the General Lee was performing even more breathtaking feats (in part to compete with TV's newer supercar, Knight Rider
). Finally, at the end of its seventh season, in early February 1985, The Dukes of Hazzard quietly ended its run.
Since it was built as a race car, the windows were - bar a couple of shots in very early episodes — always open, a rollbar was installed, and the doors were welded shut. Through the history of the show, an estimated 309 (the "LEE 1" website says 321; John Schneider says 329) General Lees were used; twenty-three are still known to exist in various states of repair. A replica was owned by John Schneider (Bo), known as "Bo's General Lee". In 2008 Schneider sold "Bo's General Lee" at the Barrett-Jackson
automobile auction for $450,000; the underside of the hood has the signatures of the cast from the 1997 TV movie. Schneider has also restored over 20 other General Lees to date. The show also used 1968 Chargers (which shared the same sheet metal) by changing the grille and taillight panel to the 1969 style, and removing the round side marker lights. These Chargers performed many record-breaking jumps throughout the show, almost all of them resulting in a completely destroyed car.
The Duke boys added a custom air horn to the General which played the first twelve notes of the song Dixie
. The Dixie horn was not originally planned, until, during one of the first days of shooting in Georgia, a local hot rod
racer drove by and sounded his car's Dixie horn. The producers immediately rushed after him asking where he had bought the horn. Warner Brothers purchased several Chargers for stunts, as they generally destroyed at least one or two cars per episode. By the end of the show's sixth season, the Chargers were becoming harder to find, and more expensive — not to mention that TV had another supercar in Knight Rider to rival the General Lee's stunts — so the producers used 1/8 scale miniatures, filmed by Jack Sessums' crew, or recycled stock jump footage, which had always been used to a degree in episodes in previous seasons.
The show's third broadcast episode, "Mary Kaye's Baby", is the only episode of the entire run that the General Lee does not appear in. In that episode Bo and Luke drove around in a blue 1975 Plymouth Fury
they borrowed from Cooter (which unbenownst to them he'd loaded with moonshine to deliver for Boss Hogg, a slip-up that could've wrecked their probation) that Luke later blew up with a stick of dynamite
during a duel with some mobsters.
The theme song "The Good Ol' Boys" was written and performed by Waylon Jennings
. He was also "The Balladeer" (as credited), and served as narrator of the show. However, the Jennings theme song that is currently available for purchase is not the same version that was used in the show's opening credits. The differences are that the show version featured a different verse ["...Fightin' the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods"], an enhanced bass line, a shorter length, and the famous "Yee-haw" yell at the end.
In 1980, the song reached #1 on the American Country chart and peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Notably, television stations that aired the show in syndication include KCOP
Los Angeles, WGN-TV
Chicago, KBHK San Francisco, WKBD
Detroit, KTXL
Sacramento, WVTV
Milwaukee, KMSP
Minneapolis–Saint Paul, among others. It has also aired on ABC Family
(2000–2001, 2004) and CMT
(2005–2007, 2010–present). WMAZ-TV
in Macon, Georgia 1979–1985.
WGXA-TV Macon, Georgia 1984–1990.
Season one managed to average 18.39 million viewers in 1979. Season 2 grew 15.6% to 21.81 million viewers while Season 3 dropped 15.5% to 18.41 million viewers in 1980 - 1981. Season 4 dropped extensively to below 14.327 million viewers but as ratings below the top 30, Seasons 4 - 7 ratings are unknown.
The second season episodes "Jude Emery", about a Texas Ranger, and "Mason Dixon's Girls", about a travelling private investigator and his female associates, were both pilots
written by Dukes creator Gy Waldron for proposed new shows. Both failed to sell.
(1997) and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood!
(2000).
A feature film remake of the series, The Dukes of Hazzard
premiered on August 5, 2005. It earned over $113 million dollars worldwide, although it was critically panned. A second Dukes of Hazzard film, The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
, a prequel to the original (and the first film) was a TV movie and also went straight to DVD release.
has released all seven seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard on DVD in regions 1 and 2. The two TV-movies that followed the series were released on DVD in Region 1 on June 10, 2008. In Region 4, Warner has released only the first six season on DVD.
The series has been referenced in many modern shows, including, amongst many others, The Simpsons
, South Park
, Family Guy
, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold
. Martians
stop to watch the The Dukes of Hazzard in midst of invading Earth in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks!
.
The series is also held up by many for being a wholesome family show with strong morals, something that is championed by its various stars, including Ben Jones (Cooter) and John Schneider (Bo).
Members of the Canadian alternative rock
band Barenaked Ladies
appear driving and riding in a replica of the General Lee
car from the series in the music video
for their song "One Week".
The distinctive "01" door number on orange paint from the General Lee car appears in the background of a scene in the music video for the song "Rockstar
" by Canadian rock band Nickelback
.
On their 1985 album Frankenchrist
the Punk Rock
band Dead Kennedys
named the song "Goons of Hazzard", which satirized "macho" attitudes in general, and the show in particular, after the show.
In 2005, Tom Wopat and John Schneider were reunited during "Exposed", a fifth season
episode of the Superman
-inspired television series Smallville
. Wopat guest-starred as Kansas State Senator
Jack Jennings, an old friend of Clark Kent
's adoptive father Jonathan Kent (portrayed by Schneider). In the episode, Jennings drives a 1968 Dodge Charger—the same body style as The General Lee which was a 1969 Dodge Charger.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network from 1979
1979 in television
The year 1979 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.-Events:...
to 1985
1985 in television
The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
.
The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners
Moonrunners
Moonrunners is a 1975 film starring James Mitchum, and the precursor to The Dukes of Hazzard television series. Mitchum had co-starred with his famous father, Robert Mitchum, in the similar drive-in favorite Thunder Road eighteen years earlier, which also focused upon moonshine-running bootleggers...
, which was also created by Gy Waldron
Gy Waldron
Gyneth Markley "Gy" Waldron is an American screenwriter and director best known as the writer/director of the movie Moonrunners, and creator of the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard.-Life and career:...
and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.
Overview
The Dukes of Hazzard follows BoBo Duke
Beauregard "Bo" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985. He was played by John Schneider. The name of Beauregard may have been chosen after the famous Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard.Bo and his cousin Luke Duke live in...
and Luke
Luke Duke
Lucas K. "Luke" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard which ran from 1979 to 1985. Luke was played by Tom Wopat....
Duke, two cousins living in a rural part
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, with their attractive cousin Daisy
Daisy Duke
Daisy Mae Duke is a fictional character, played by Catherine Bach, from the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. She was the cousin of Bo and Luke, the main protagonists of the show, who were also cousins, and the three lived on a farm on the outskirts of Hazzard County with their Uncle...
and their wise old Uncle Jesse, racing around in their customized 1969 Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
, which they christened The General Lee
The General Lee
The General Lee is the modified Dodge Charger driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out...
, evading corrupt county commissioner Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg
Boss Hogg
Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
and his inept county sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
On the American TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, Rosco Purvis Coltrane is the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County and right-hand man of its corrupt county commissioner, Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg ....
. Bo and Luke had previously been sentenced to probation for illegal transportation of moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
; their uncle Jesse made a plea deal with the U.S. Government to stop brewing moonshine in exchange. As a result, Bo and Luke are not allowed to carry firearms (instead, they often use compound bows, sometimes with arrows tipped with dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
) or to leave Hazzard County, although the exact details of their probation terms vary from episode to episode: sometimes it is implied that they would be jailed for merely crossing the county line; on other occasions, it is shown that they may leave Hazzard as long as they are back within a certain time limit; several other technicalities of their probation also came into play at various times.
Corrupt politician Boss Hogg
Boss Hogg
Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
, who either runs or has fingers in just about everything in Hazzard County (and whose exact powers, much like the terms of the Duke boys' probation, often vary between episodes) is forever angry with the Dukes, in particular Bo and Luke, for eternally foiling his crooked scams and is always looking for ways to get them out of the picture so that his plots have a chance of succeeding. Many episodes revolve around Hogg trying to engage in an illegal scheme with criminal associates. Some of these are get-rich-quick scheme
Get-rich-quick scheme
A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 1900s....
s, though many others affect the financial security of the Duke farm, which Hogg has long wanted to acquire for nefarious reasons. Other times, Hogg hires known criminals from out of town to do his dirty work for him, and often tries to frame Bo and Luke for various crimes such as bank robbery (thus resulting in imprisonment and allowing Hogg easily to acquire the Duke farm). Bo and Luke always seem to stumble over Hogg's latest scheme, sometimes by curiosity, and often by sheer luck, and put it out of business. Despite the Dukes often coming to his rescue (see below), Hogg forever seems to have an irrational dislike of the clan, particularly Bo and Luke, often accusing them of spying on him, robbing or planning to rob him, and other supposedly nefarious actions as he believes they are generally out to get him.
The other main players of the show are Cooter Davenport
Cooter Davenport
Cooter Davenport is a fictional character from the American TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. He was played by Ben Jones.Cooter was the mechanic in the fictional Hazzard County, in Georgia. He owned The Hazzard County Garage in Hazzard County Square, directly across from the Police Department and the...
, who in very early episodes was somewhat of a wild rebel, often breaking or treading on the edge of the law, before settling down and becoming much more laid-back, and who owns the local garage and is the Duke family's best friend (he is often referred to as an "honarary Duke"), and Enos Strate
Enos Strate
Enos Strate is a character on the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard played by Sonny Shroyer.-Fictional biography:Enos was born in Hazzard County to a loving family, and grew up as friends with Bo and Luke Duke. At the age of sixteen, he enrolled at the Hazzard Police Academy, graduated at the...
, an honest but naive young Deputy who often finds his morals conflicted as he is reluctantly forced to take part in Hogg and Rosco's crooked schemes. In the third and fourth season, when Enos leaves for his own show
Enos (TV series)
Enos is an American television series from the 1980–1981 season that aired on the CBS network. A spinoff of The Dukes of Hazzard, Enos focused on the adventures of Enos Strate, a former small-town deputy in Hazzard County, now having moved to Los Angeles to join the L.A.P.D...
, he is replaced by Deputy Cletus Hogg, Boss's cousin, who is slightly more wily than Enos but who is generally also a reluctant player in Hogg's plots.
Owing to their fundamentally good natures, the Dukes often wind up helping Boss Hogg, albeit begrudgingly. More than once Hogg is targeted by former associates who are either seeking revenge or have turned against him after a scheme has unravelled in one way or another. Sheriff Rosco also finds himself in trouble more than once. On such occasions, Bo and Luke usually have to rescue their adversaries as an inevitable precursor to defeating the bad guys. These instances became more frequent as the show progressed, and later seasons saw a number of stories where the Dukes and Hogg (and Rosco) temporarily work together.
As well as its regular car chases, jumps and stunts, the show relied on character familiarity, with Deputy Cletus replacing Deputy Enos in the third and fourth season, and Coy and Vance Duke temporarily replacing Bo and Luke (due to a salary dispute, see later section) in the fifth season, being the only major cast changes through the show's run (Ben Jones and James Best both left temporarily during the second season due to different disputes with producers, but both returned within a couple of episodes). Of the characters, only Uncle Jesse and Boss Hogg appear in every single episode; Daisy appears in all but one, the third season's "To Catch a Duke".
Main characters
- Lucas K. "Luke" DukeLuke DukeLucas K. "Luke" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard which ran from 1979 to 1985. Luke was played by Tom Wopat....
(Tom WopatTom WopatTom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
) is the dark-haired, slightly older cousin. More mature and rational than his cousin Bo, he is typically the one who thinks of the plan that will get the two out of whatever trouble they have gotten into. Luke wears a checked blue shirt (a plain blue shirt in most, though not all, second season episodes), and a denim jacket over it in first season and a few later second season episodes. He is a veteran of the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and a former boxer. Luke was the first Duke to perform the "hood slide" across The General Lee, which is seen in the opening credits of the show (a shot taken from the second episode, "Daisy's Song") and later told by Tom Wopat to be an accident because his foot got caught on the side of the General Lee when he attempted to jump across the hood; he also caught his thigh on the hood's radio aerial, cutting himself, resulting in such aerials being removed from later versions of the General Lee. However, the "hood slide" quickly proved popular and became a regular feature of episodes. The only episode to directly reference the slight age difference between Luke and Bo is in the seventh season opener, the "flashback" episode "Happy Birthday, General Lee", where it is stated that Luke had already been in the Marines whilst Bo was in his last year at High School.
- Beauregard "Bo" DukeBo DukeBeauregard "Bo" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985. He was played by John Schneider. The name of Beauregard may have been chosen after the famous Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard.Bo and his cousin Luke Duke live in...
(John SchneiderJohn Schneider (television actor)John Richard Schneider III is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a...
) is the blond-haired, slightly younger Duke boy. He's the younger, wilder one of the pair. He's more of a "shoot first, ask questions later" type, and is often the one to get the duo into the various scrapes in which they find themselves. Bo usually wears a cream-yellow shirt (though he can be seen wearing a red or blue one in very early episodes), and for most of the first three seasons, a blue t-shirt underneath (brown in the first episode). An ex-stock carStock car racingStock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
driver, Bo is the one who, in the earlier episodes at least, drives The General LeeThe General LeeThe General Lee is the modified Dodge Charger driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out...
most of the time (very early episodes suggest that it belongs solely to him; Luke is said have a car that Cooter has wrecked shortly prior to the start of the opening episode, "One Armed Bandits"). Bo is known for his rebel yellRebel yellThe rebel yell was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Confederate soldiers would use the yell during charges to intimidate the enemy and boost their own morale, although the yell had other uses. The exact sound of the yell is unknown and the subject of much...
, "Yeeeee-Haaa!"
- The Duke boys share the CB call signCall signIn broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
or handle "Lost Sheep."
- Daisy May DukeDaisy DukeDaisy Mae Duke is a fictional character, played by Catherine Bach, from the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. She was the cousin of Bo and Luke, the main protagonists of the show, who were also cousins, and the three lived on a farm on the outskirts of Hazzard County with their Uncle...
(Catherine BachCatherine BachCatherine Bach is an American actress. She is known for playing Daisy Duke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard and Margo Dutton in African Skies.-Career:...
) is Bo and Luke's pretty young cousin. She's honest and kind, although she can sometimes be slightly over-trusting and naïve, which leads the Duke family into trouble on a number of occasions. She sometimes aspired to be a songwriter and singer, and at other times a reporter. She raced around Hazzard with her cousins, first in a yellow and black 1974 Plymouth Road RunnerPlymouth Road RunnerThe Plymouth Road Runner was a muscle car built by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation in the United States between 1968 and 1980. In 1968, the first muscle cars were, in the opinion of many, moving away from their roots as relatively cheap, fast cars as they gained options...
(later on it was a Plymouth SatellitePlymouth SatelliteThe Plymouth Satellite is an automobile introduced in 1965 as the top model in Plymouth's mid-size Belvedere line. The Satellite remained the top of the line model until the 1967 model year, where it became the mid-price model with the GTX taking its place as the top model. The Fury name was moved...
) and then, from the mid-second season, in her trademark white 1980 Jeep CJ-7 christened "Dixie" with a Golden Eagle emblem on the hood (and the name "Dixie" on the hood sides). Daisy worked as a waitress at the Boar's Nest, the local bar owned by Boss Hogg, as part of an agreement with Boss Hogg so that he would give Uncle Jesse and the boys a loan for a lower interest rate so the boys could purchase the entry fee for a race that they wished to race General Lee in. The arrangement was supposed to be for an indefinite time, but there were several times throughout the series that Hogg fired her. However, he always ended up rehiring her at the end of each episode because of various circumstances. Daisy often used her looks and her position at the restaurant to get insider information to help the Dukes in foiling Hogg's various schemes. Daisy also has the distinction of having her trademark provocatively high-cut jean short shorts named after her: "Daisy Dukes". Her CB handle was "Bo Peep."
- Jesse L. Duke (Denver PyleDenver PyleDenver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
), referred to by just about everyone in Hazzard other than Boss Hogg as "Uncle Jesse", is the patriarch of the Duke clan, and the father-figure to all Dukes who stayed with him on the dilapidated "Duke Farm." Jesse apparently had no children of his own, and happily provided for his nephews and niece in the unexplained absence of all of their parents (Gy Waldron, the creator of the show, states on the DVDs that their parents were killed in a car wreck, but it was never mentioned in the show). In the third broadcast episode, "Mary Kaye's Baby", Jesse says that he has delivered many babies, including Bo and Luke. Jesse Duke, in his youth, had been a ridgerunnerMoonshineMoonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
in direct competition with J.D. HoggBoss HoggJefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
. However, it should be noted that, while both Boss Hogg and Uncle Jesse would scowl at the mention of the other's name, the two enjoyed a lifelong "friendship" of sorts, with one helping the other when in desperate need. Jesse educated his nephews against Hogg, and often provided the cousins with inspirational sage advice. Uncle Jesse drove a white 1973 Ford F-100Ford F-SeriesThe F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150...
pickup truck. In the barn, he also had his old moonshine-running car, called "Sweet Tillie" in its first appearance (in the first season episode "High Octane"), but referred to as "Black Tillie" in subsequent appearances. In the second season episode "Follow That Still" and the sixth season episode "The Boars Nest Bears", the marriage to and death of his wife is mentioned; he also mentions marrying her in the first season episode "Luke's Love Story". His CB handle was "Shepherd."
- Rosco Purvis ColtraneSheriff Rosco P. ColtraneOn the American TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, Rosco Purvis Coltrane is the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County and right-hand man of its corrupt county commissioner, Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg ....
(James BestJames BestJames Best is an American actor best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He has also worked as an acting coach, artist, and musician.-Early years:...
) is the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County and right-hand man and brother-in-law of its corrupt county administrator, Jefferson Davis "J.D." HoggBoss HoggJefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
("Boss Hogg"), whom Rosco referred to as his "little fat buddy", "Little Chrome Dome", "Little Meadow-Muffin", and several other names. In the very early episodes, it was mentioned that Rosco spent the first 20 years of his career as a mostly honest lawman, but after the county voted away his pension Rosco joined Hogg in an effort to fund his retirement in his last couple of years as Sheriff. As the series settled down and found its footing, this was soon dropped into the background, and by the end of the first season had been virtually forgotten (and his role as Sheriff appeared to be open ended). He is also the younger brother of Lulu Coltrane Hogg, Boss Hogg's wife. Rosco frequently initiated car chases with Bo and Luke Duke (whom Hogg wanted to get rid of due to them constantly exposing his corrupt schemes), but the Duke boys were usually able to easily elude Rosco, who often wound up crashing his patrol car in various ways whether it be pulling a trick or jumping over a creek (always escaping uninjured). These chases were often the result of Rosco setting up illegal speed traps such as a 55 mph speed limit sign that would change to 35 mph at the press of a button when somebody drove by, or a "Hospital Zone" sign in the middle of nowhere. While he enjoyed "hot pursuit" much like a little boy playing with toy cars would, he (and Boss Hogg as well) never intended for anyone to get seriously hurt. His middle initial, 'P', was added at the start of the second season, and only one episode (the third season's "Mrs. Rosco P. Coltrane", in which he is subject to a scam marriage) revealed his middle name, 'Purvis'. Rosco also had a soft spot for his dog Flash, introduced at the start of the third season. His radio codename was "Red Dog". When James BestJames BestJames Best is an American actor best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He has also worked as an acting coach, artist, and musician.-Early years:...
briefly boycotted the show during the mid-season season, he was temporarily replaced several "one off" Sheriffs, the longest standing being Sheriff Grady Bird, played by Dick SargentDick SargentRichard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
, who appeared in two episodes ("Jude Emery" and "Officer Daisy Duke").
- Boss Jefferson Davis "J.D." HoggBoss HoggJefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
(Sorrell BookeSorrell BookeSorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
) is the wealthiest man in Hazzard County (except in a 4th season episode, "Ten Million Dollar Sheriff", in which Rosco allegedly inherits $10 million), and owns most of its property and businesses — whether directly or by holding the mortgages over the land. Usually dressed in an all-white suit, he was the fat, greedy, corrupt County Commissioner with visions of grandeur, a voracious appetite for fatty foods, and constantly orders his bumbling sheriff, Rosco, to "Get them Duke Boys!" Boss Hogg was also married to Rosco's fat sister, a point that did not always sit well with either Boss Hogg or Rosco; Hogg often claimed that Rosco was indebted to him because of it. His vehicle was a white 1970 Cadillac Coupe de VilleCadillac Coupe de VilleThe Coupe de Ville was a model of the Cadillac marque of General Motors from 1949 through 1993.- Early History :The name "de Ville" is from the French de la ville or de ville meaning "of the town"...
convertible, with bull horns on the hood. In the first couple of seasons, he was almost always driven around by a chauffeurChauffeurA chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
; from the fourth season onwards, he usually drove himself. His old moonshine-running car was called the "Grey Ghost".
- Cooter DavenportCooter DavenportCooter Davenport is a fictional character from the American TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. He was played by Ben Jones.Cooter was the mechanic in the fictional Hazzard County, in Georgia. He owned The Hazzard County Garage in Hazzard County Square, directly across from the Police Department and the...
(Ben JonesBen Jones (US)Ben Lewis Jones is an American actor, politician, playwright and essayist, probably best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jones was elected to be a member of the United States House of Representatives in 1988 and re-elected in 1990. He served for four years, until Jan...
) is the Hazzard County mechanic, nicknamed "Crazy Cooter". In the very early episodes, he was a wild man, often breaking the law (such as stealing the Sheriff's patrol car in "One Armed Bandits", reportedly wrecking Luke's car prior to the same episode, running moonshine for Boss Hogg in "Mary Kaye's Baby", seemingly breaking into Boss Hogg's home to retrieve a trophy for an upcoming race in "Luke's Love Story", and 'borrowing' the President's LimousineLimousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
for a joy-ride in "Limo One Is Missing"). By the end of the first season, he had settled down and become an easy going good ol' boy. Although not mentioned in the first couple of episodes, by the mid-first season, he owned "Cooter's Garage" in Hazzard County Square, directly across from the Sheriff's Department. Cooter was an "Honorary Duke", as he shared the same values and often assisted the Dukes in escaping Rosco's clutches, or helped them to foil Boss Hogg's schemes. During the second season, Ben Jones left the series for a few episodes due to a dispute over whether the character should be clean shaven or have a full beard. In his absence, Cooter's place was filled by several of Cooter's supposed cousins who were never mentioned before or since. Jones returned when the dispute was solved—Cooter would be clean shaven (although, for continuity reasons, with the episodes being broadcast in a different order to that which they were filmed, he was not clean shaven until the third season onwards). Cooter drove a variety of trucks, including Fords, ChevysChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, & GMCsGMC (General Motors division)GMC is a manufacturer of trucks, vans, military vehicles, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors Company. In January 2007, GMC was GM's second-largest-selling North American vehicle division after Chevrolet, ahead of Pontiac....
. His CB handle was "Crazy Cooter" and he often started his CB transmissions with "Breaker one, Breaker one, I might be crazy but I ain't dumb, Craaaazy Cooter comin' atcha, come on." - Deputy Enos StrateEnos StrateEnos Strate is a character on the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard played by Sonny Shroyer.-Fictional biography:Enos was born in Hazzard County to a loving family, and grew up as friends with Bo and Luke Duke. At the age of sixteen, he enrolled at the Hazzard Police Academy, graduated at the...
(Sonny ShroyerSonny ShroyerOtis Burt "Sonny" Shroyer, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in various television and movie roles. He is best known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Enos Strate in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He also starred in a spin-off called Enos based on his Dukes of Hazzard character...
) (1979–80; 1982–85) is generally a friend of the Dukes, but, working under Rosco and Boss was often forced into pursuing the Dukes and/or arresting them on trumped up charges. In the very early episodes, Enos was shown to be a rather good driver (and respected as such by Bo and Luke), but by the end of the first season, he was shown to be as an incompetent driver as Rosco (and later Cletus). When he returned from his stint in Los Angeles, he seemed to be able to stand up to Boss and Rosco slightly more, and sometimes refused. In the very early episodes, Rosco frequently called him "Jackass", which soon evolved into the more family friendly "dipstick" as the show become a hit with younger viewers. Enos had a crush on Daisy Duke that she often used to the Dukes' advantage in unraveling Hogg and Rosco's schemes. Enos is very much in love with Daisy, and although Daisy is indicated to love him back, it is only as a close friend. In the last-but-one episode, "Enos and Daisy's Wedding", the two plan on getting married, only to have Enos call it off at the last minute due to an attack of hives, brought on by the excitement of possibly being married to Daisy. Later, in the first Reunion movieThe Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! is a made-for-television film from 1997 which aired on CBS and reunites the surviving cast members of the American TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard...
, Enos and Daisy become a pair again and plan to get married — but this time Daisy backs out at the last minute, upon the unexpected sight of her ex-husband. Enos' radio code name was "Blue Fox". However, he frequently got both his own and Rosco's codes confused — saying instead "Hound Dog", "Red Fox" or other variations.
- Deputy Cletus HoggCletus HoggDeputy Cletus Hogg is a fictional character featured in the American television series, The Dukes of Hazzard. He was played by Rick Hurst....
(Rick HurstRick HurstRichard Douglas "Rick" Hurst an American actor who portrayed Deputy Cletus Hogg, Boss Hogg's cousin, in the 1980 to 1983 seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard....
) (1979–82), Boss HoggBoss HoggJefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
's second cousin twice removed, is also generally friendly and dim-witted. Like Enos, Cletus would often be forced by Rosco and Hogg to chase the Dukes on trumped up charges. While Cletus was generally good-hearted, and sometimes resentful of having to treat the Dukes in such way, he was generally more willing to go along with Hogg and Rosco than Enos. Cletus had a crush on Daisy and was even convinced she wanted to marry him. Like Enos, Cletus often ended up landing in water when pursuing the Duke boys in a car chaseCar chaseA car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
. Cletus made his first appearance as the driver of a bank truck, part of Hogg's latest get-rich-scheme, in the first season episode "Money To Burn", and became temporary deputy while Enos was away in the second season episodes "The Meeting" and "Road Pirates". Leaving a job at the local junkyard, he became permanent deputy in the third season's "Enos Strate To The Top" when Enos left for California. When Enos returned at the start of the fifth season the pair both served as deputies and shared the same patrol car for five episodes before Cletus disappeared (his last appearance being in the episode "Big Daddy"), said to have gone on vacation, never to return (until 1997's Reunion movieThe Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! is a made-for-television film from 1997 which aired on CBS and reunites the surviving cast members of the American TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard...
after Enos' apparent return to California after the series). Each of the Hazzard County Sheriff's Department officers drove various mid to late '70s Chrysler mid-size B bodyChrysler B platformThe Chrysler B platform was the basis for rear-wheel drive Chrysler cars from 1962 through 1979, and the front-wheel drive Eagle Premier / Dodge Monaco 1988 through 1992. All of the B-body cars in a given model year for either make were built upon the same chassis...
patrol cars, most often a Dodge MonacoDodge MonacoThe Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
or Plymouth FuryPlymouth FuryThe Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms....
. - Coy DukeCoy DukeCoy Duke 1982-1983 season of The Dukes of Hazzard), the replacement for Bo, was another blond-haired cousin who moved to Uncle Jesse's farm along with cousin Vance after Bo and Luke left Hazzard to join the NASCAR circuit.-Fictional character biography:Coy Duke, along with cousin Vance Duke, had...
(Byron CherryByron CherryByron Cherry is an actor. He portrayed Coy Duke, one of the new Duke Boys, in the 1982-1983 season of The Dukes of Hazzard, replacing John Schneider's Bo Duke character.-The Dukes of Hazzard:...
) (1982–83), the replacement for Bo, is another blond-haired cousin who moved to Uncle Jesse's farm along with cousin Vance after Bo and Luke left Hazzard to join the NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
circuit. Supposedly, with cousin Vance, Coy had previously lived on the Duke farm until 1976, before the series had started. - Vance DukeVance DukeVance Duke was a television character on the 1982-1983 season of The Dukes of Hazzard. Vance was a replacement for Luke...
(Christopher Mayer) (1982–83), an obvious replacement for Luke, filled the void of a dark-haired Duke on the show. Like Luke, Vance was more the thinker and the planner of the duo. - The Balladeer (voice of Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
) sang and played the Dukes of Hazzard theme song, "Good Ol' Boys", and also served as the show's narrator. During each episode, he provided an omniscient viewpoint of the situations presented, and regularly interjected comical asides during crucial plot points (often, during a freeze frame of a cliffhangerCliffhangerA cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
scene right before a commercial break) and "down home" aphorisms. (Note that these freeze frame cliffhangers were often abridged in showings in some countries, such as the commercial-free BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the United Kingdom). After numerous requests from fans to see the Balladeer on-screen, Waylon finally appeared in one episode, the seventh season's aptly titled "Welcome, Waylon Jennings", in which he was presented as an old friend of the Dukes. - Flash (Sandy and others) is a slow-paced Basset HoundBasset HoundThe Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog of the hound family. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt rabbits and hare by scent. Their sense of smell for tracking is second only to that of the Bloodhound....
and Rosco's loyal companion, who hated Hogg but loved the Dukes. She first appeared in the first official third season episode "Enos Strate To The Top" (season opener "Carnival of Thrills was held over from the previous season), although was not formally "introduced" in that episode. Initially referred to as a boy, Flash was later regularly a girl (despite an occasional male reference afterwards). Flash was added at the start of the third season, after James Best suggested to the producers that Rosco have a dog. Flash was portrayed by several Basset Hounds (distinguishable by different facial colors), the most regular being "Sandy".
Recurring characters
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Info | |
| Lulu Coltrane Hogg Lulu Coltrane Hogg Lulu Coltrane Hogg is a fictional character on the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard played by the late Peggy Rea.Lulu is Boss Hogg's wife, and Roscoe's "fat sister", making Boss and Roscoe brothers-in-law. Boss and Lulu are childless and live in a large mansion in Hazzard County.... |
Peggy Rea Peggy Rea Peggy Jane Rea was an American character actress known for her many roles in television, often playing matronly characters... |
| Boss Hogg's wife, and Rosco's "fat sister". Lulu constantly challenged her husband for authority and rallied for the equality of women in Hazzard, and was one of the few people in Hazzard that Hogg was actually scared of, though he seemed to genuinely love and care for her. | |
| Myrtle / Mabel Tillingham | Lindsay Bloom |
| Mabel is Hogg's cousin who runs the Hazzard Phone Company, who often sneak listens to calls and lets Hogg know what's going on. Her name mysteriously changed from Myrtle to Mabel between the second and third season. | |
| Longstreet B. Davenport | Ernie Lively Ernie Lively Ernie Lively is an American actor.Lively was born Ernest W. Brown in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1979, he married talent manager Elaine Lively and took her name. They are the parents of actors Blake Lively and Eric Lively, and he is stepfather of her children from her previous marriage Lori Lively,... (credited as Ernie W. Brown) |
| L.B. was Cooter's cousin. He also filled for Cooter when he was away from the garage in several second season episodes (in reality, this was to cover for Ben Jones' absence, after a disagreement with producers as to whether Cooter should have a beard or not). L.B. first appeared in "Duke of Duke" and appeared in several other episodes; a couple of other second season episodes also feature similar "Cooter replacements" while Jones was away. Ernie Lively also played a different character named "Dobro Doolan", a friend of Bo and Luke, in the first episode of the series, "One Armed Bandits" (where he was credited as Ernie Brown). | |
| Hughie Hogg Hughie Hogg Played by comedian Jeff Altman, Hughie Hogg is a fictional character on the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard.Hughie was Boss Hogg's equally crooked nephew. Hughie also wore an all-white suit, but unlike Boss Hogg had a slender build... |
Jeff Altman Jeff Altman Jeff Altman is an American stand-up comedian who has appeared as a guest on Late Show with David Letterman 40 times, most recently on October 7, 2011. He has also had numerous acting roles in movies and television such as Dr... |
| Boss Hogg's young nephew, said to be as crooked — maybe even more crooked — as Hogg himself. He drove a white VW Beetle Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003... with bull horns on the hood, similar to Boss Hogg's Caddy Cadillac Coupe de Ville The Coupe de Ville was a model of the Cadillac marque of General Motors from 1949 through 1993.- Early History :The name "de Ville" is from the French de la ville or de ville meaning "of the town"... . The character was first introduced in the episode "Uncle Boss", produced as the second episode of the second season, but this episode was not broadcast until the third season (for unknown reasons, and just several episodes prior to "The Return of Hughie Hogg"), and by which time, Hughie had already been seen as Temporary Sheriff in the second season episode "Arrest Jesse Duke" (in which he was written into, in a secondary role, at the last minute, to cover Sheriff Rosco's absence during James Best's temporary boycott of the show). Typically, Hogg would call in Hughie once per season to come up with a particularly dastardly scheme to get rid of the Dukes, before Hughie would turn on Hogg and out-smart him. Hogg would end up throwing him out of Hazzard at the end of the episode. Despite this, Hogg would always give Hughie "one last chance" on his next appearance. |
|
| Wayne / Norris | Roger Torrey |
| One of Hughie's loyal duo of henchman. Played by the same actor but with different names on different occasions. | |
| Floyd / Barclay | Pat Studstill Pat Studstill Pat Studstill is a former National Football League punter and wide receiver from for the Detroit Lions, the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.... |
| The other of Hughie's duo of henchman. He and Norris were both bigger than Bo and Luke, but nonetheless struggled in fights against them. Again played by the same actor, but with different names on different occasions. | |
| Emery Potter | Charlie Dell |
| Emery Potter is the part-time Hazzard County registrar and chief teller of the Hazzard Bank. Emery is a soft-spoken man with a low tolerance for anything exciting. He is a friend of the Dukes, and sometimes falls under Hogg's crooked schemes simply because he is too timid to stand up for himself. He has also served as Temporary Deputy on occasion. | |
| Dr. Henry "Doc" Petticord | Patrick Cranshaw Patrick Cranshaw Joseph Patrick Cranshaw was an American film and television actor known for his distinctive look and deadpan humor. He is best known for one of his last roles, that of Joseph "Blue" Pulaski, a fraternity brother in the 2003 hit comedy Old School... |
| Hazzard County's ancient, long-serving physician. | |
| Miz (Emma) Tisdale | Nedra Volz Nedra Volz Nedra Volz was an American film and television actress.-Early life and career:Born Nedra Gordonier in Montrose, Iowa, she began her career in the family tent show, and appeared in vaudeville as a toddler... |
| The postmistress of the Hazzard Post Office, Miz Tisdale ("Emma" to Jesse Duke) was an elderly woman who drove a motorcycle Motorcycle A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most... and had a huge crush on Uncle Jesse. She was also a reporter for the Hazzard Gazzette. |
|
| Sheriff Edward Thomas "Big Ed" Little | Don Pedro Colley Don Pedro Colley Don Pedro Colley is an American actor.Colley was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon to Muriel and Pete Colley. He attended Klamath Union High School and actively played American football and athletics, which led to an unsuccessful try-out for the 1960 Summer Olympics... |
| The chief law enforcement officer (driving a 1975 Plymouth Fury Plymouth Fury The Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms.... patrol car) for neighboring Chickasaw County, he had a tendency to knock fenders off of cars when he wrecked. He was also not afraid to pull out his trusty 12-gauge shotgun and open fire. The ill-tempered sheriff hated Bo and Luke immensely and they were well aware that they were not allowed to enter his county. Sheriff Little was also constantly frustrated by the bumbling performance of Hogg and Rosco, although he thought highly of Enos. His unseen wife's name was Rachel. Before Sheriff Little was introduced, in the third season episode "My Son, Bo Hogg", several first and second season episodes saw several similar tough-as-nails Sheriffs from adjoining counties. |
|
| Mr. Rhuebottom | John Wheeler John Wheeler John Wheeler may refer to:* John Wheeler , American Emmy Award-winning audio/video engineer* John Wheeler , Union officer in the Civil War; killed at Gettysburg* John Wheeler John Wheeler may refer to:* John Wheeler (audio/video technologist) (born 1957), American Emmy Award-winning audio/video... |
| A local store owner, seen occasionally from the fourth season episode "Pin the Tail on the Dukes" onwards. (The Rhuebottom General Store shopfront is seen as early as the first season episode "Luke's Love Story") | |
| Dr. "Doc" Appleby | Elmore Vincent, later Parley Baer Parley Baer Parley Edward Baer was an American actor in film, television, and radio.-Radio:Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Baer had a circus background, but began his radio career at Utah station KSL... |
| Elderly successor to Doc Petticord. Played by Elmore Vincent on the character's first appearance, in the fourth season episode "Dear Diary", before Parley Baer took over the role in subsequent appearances. | |
Notable guest appearances
Throughout its network television run, The Dukes of Hazzard had a consistent mix of up-and-comers and established stars make guest appearances.- Cale YarboroughCale YarboroughWilliam Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
- Robert AldaRobert AldaRobert Alda was an American actor. He was the father of actors Alan Alda and Antony Alda.-Life and career:...
- Carlos Brown/Alan AutryAlan AutryCarlos Alan Autry is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows...
- James Avery
- Pat ButtramPat ButtramMaxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram was an American actor, known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. He had a distinctive voice which, in his own words, "... never quite made it through puberty"...
- Conlan CarterConlan CarterChester Conlan Carter is a former film and television actor best known for the role of "Doc", featured in sixty-six episodes of the Rick Jason and Vic Morrow ABC World War II television series Combat!...
- Ben DavidsonBen DavidsonBenjamin Earl Davidson is a former collegiate and professional American football player between 1961 and 1972, most notably in the American Football League with the Oakland Raiders from 1964 through 1969, and for the NFL Raiders from 1970 through 1972. He had also played in the NFL for the league...
- Elinor Donahue
- Jonathan WintersJonathan Winters-Early life:Winters was born in Bellbrook, Ohio, the son of Alice Kilgore , a radio personality, and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an investment broker. He is a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in Dayton, Ohio...
- Jonathan FrakesJonathan FrakesJonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
- Janie FrickeJanie FrickeJanie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
- Mel TillisMel TillisLonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
- David GrafDavid GrafPaul David Graf was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the Police Academy series of films...
- Henry GibsonHenry GibsonHenry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
- Dennis HaskinsDennis HaskinsDennis Haskins is an American actor known for his role as principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000...
- Ernie HudsonErnie HudsonErnest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
- Stepfanie KramerStepfanie KramerStepfanie Kramer is an American actress, writer, and singer/songwriter. She is probably best known for her role as the tough-minded detective, "Sgt...
- Lance LeGaultLance LeGaultLance LeGault , sometimes credited as W. L. LeGault, is an American film and television actor, best known as Colonel Roderick Decker in the 1980s American television series The A-Team.-Personal life:...
- Loretta LynnLoretta LynnLoretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
- Dottie WestDottie WestDottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and co-recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists...
- Arte JohnsonArte JohnsonArthur Stanton Eric "Arte" Johnson is an American comic actor. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".-Early life:Johnson...
- John MatuszakJohn MatuszakJohn Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981...
- Richard MollRichard MollCharles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
- Charles NapierCharles Napier (actor)Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:...
- Roy OrbisonRoy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
- Avery SchreiberAvery SchreiberAvery Lawrence Schreiber was an American comedian and actor. He was a veteran of stage, TV, and film.-Biography:...
- Judson ScottJudson ScottJudson Earney Scott is an American stage, film and television actor. He has appeared in a number of science fiction productions, especially within the Star Trek franchise, as well as V and three episodes of The X-Files....
- Reid SmithReid SmithReid Smith is a wealthy Los Angeles, California, real estate businessman, who maintained a sporadic acting career from 1970 until about 1990.-Acting career:...
- William SmithWilliam Smith (actor)William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
- Hal WilliamsHal WilliamsHarold "Hal" Williams is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as the black cop Officer Smith on Sanford and Son, and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on 227....
- Gerald McRaneyGerald McRaneyGerald Lee "Mac" McRaney is an American television and movie actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows Simon & Simon, Major Dad, and Promised Land. He was a series regular for the first season of Jericho.-Early life:McRaney was born in Collins, Mississippi, the son...
- Tammy WynetteTammy WynetteVirginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
- Johnny PaycheckJohnny PaycheckJohnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"...
- Kim RichardsKim RichardsKimberly "Kim" Richards is an American actress, former child actress, and television personality. She had roles in several Disney movies in the 1970s and later TV shows in the late 1970s and early 80s before returning to the screen with her sister Kyle Richards on Bravo's The Real Housewives of...
- Wallace Wilkinson, who played an FBI Agent in the second episode, would go on to become Governor of KentuckyGovernor of KentuckyThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
.
- NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver Terry LabonteTerry LabonteTerrance Lee Labonte is a semi-retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in the Sprint Cup Series when called upon and is a two-time Winston Cup and IROC champion. He currently drives the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had...
makes a brief, uncredited appearance as a crew man in the episode Undercover Dukes Part 1. The race cars supplied for both part 1 and part 2 of Undercover Dukes were supplied by Labonte's race owner, Billy HaganBilly HaganBilly Joe Hagan was a NASCAR driver/owner from Lillie, Louisiana, USA.-Career:He made three starts in NASCAR's Grand National/Winston Cup division, finishing eighth in his first start, the inaugural Talladega 500 in a self-owned 1968 Mercury Cyclone. He did not field another car until 1975,...
. However, the sponsors of the cars (at that time Labonte was sponsored by BudweiserBudweiserBudweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
) were covered to avoid paying royalties.
The celebrity speed trap
During the show's second season, the show's writers began flirting with the idea of incorporating a "celebrity speed trap" into some of the episodes, as a means to feature top country stars of the day performing their hits. On its first couple of instances, the "Speed Trap" was featured early in the story, but for most of the cases, it was featured in the last few minutes of an episode, often used when the main story was running too short to fill episode time.The "celebrity speed trap" feature was essentially similar: Aware that a big-name country star was passing through the area, Boss Hogg would order Rosco to lower the speed limit on a particular road to an unreasonable level, so that the targeted singer would be in violation of the law. The singer would be required to perform at the Boar's Nest in exchange for having their citations forgiven; the performer would then perform one of their best-known hits or other popular country music standard, while the Dukes, Boss, Rosco, Cletus, Cooter, and other patrons whooped and hollered in enjoyment of the performance. More often than not, the performer would give a parting shot to Boss and Rosco.
Singers who were featured in the "speed trap" segments were:
- Hoyt AxtonHoyt AxtonHoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...
- Donna FargoDonna FargoDonna Fargo is an American country music singer-songwriter, who is best-known for a series of Top 10 country hits in the 1970s...
- Freddy FenderFreddy FenderFreddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
- Doug KershawDoug KershawDoug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
- The Oak Ridge BoysThe Oak Ridge BoysThe Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...
(twice) - Roy OrbisonRoy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
- Buck OwensBuck OwensAlvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
- Johnny PaycheckJohnny PaycheckJohnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"...
- Mel TillisMel TillisLonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
- Dottie WestDottie WestDottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and co-recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists...
- Tammy WynetteTammy WynetteVirginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
Honorable Mentions: Mickey Gilley
Mickey Gilley
Mickey Leroy Gilley is an American country music singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s, bringing him further success on not just the country charts, but the pop charts as...
and Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
Gilley's and Lynn's appearances were not solely for the celebrity speed trap. After performing a concert in Hazzard, Gilley was nabbed while leaving and forced to do a second show to nullify his citation. Lynn was kidnapped by criminals wanting to break into the music business.
Coy and Vance
The Dukes of Hazzard was consistently among the top-rated television series (at one point, ranking second only to DallasDallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, which immediately followed the show on CBS' Friday night schedule). Then, in the spring of 1982, as filming was due to begin on the fifth season, series stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider did not report to the set due to a contract dispute over their salaries and merchandising royalties owed to them. Catherine Bach also considered walking out due to similar concerns, but Wopat and Schneider convinced her to stay, insisting that settling the dispute was "man's work".
Production was pushed back by a few weeks as two lookalike replacements were subsequently, hastily hired: Byron Cherry
Byron Cherry
Byron Cherry is an actor. He portrayed Coy Duke, one of the new Duke Boys, in the 1982-1983 season of The Dukes of Hazzard, replacing John Schneider's Bo Duke character.-The Dukes of Hazzard:...
as Coy Duke and Christopher Mayer as Vance Duke. Bo and Luke were said to have gone to race on the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
circuit; how they managed to do this, bearing in mind their probation conditions, was never explained. Cherry and Mayer were originally contracted at just ten episodes as stand-ins, still with hope that a settlement might be reached with Wopat and Schneider (in total, they made 17 episodes). The scripts for Coy and Vance were originally written for Bo and Luke but with their names quite literally crossed out and Coy and Vance penned in. The new Dukes — previously-unmentioned nephews of Uncle Jesse, who were said to have left the farm in 1976, before the show had started — were unpopular with the great majority of viewers, and the ratings immediately sank. Much of the criticism was that Coy and Vance were nothing but direct clones of Bo and Luke, something that show creator Gy Waldron
Gy Waldron
Gyneth Markley "Gy" Waldron is an American screenwriter and director best known as the writer/director of the movie Moonrunners, and creator of the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard.-Life and career:...
himself has said was wrong, and that he insisted, unsuccessfully, that audiences would not accept direct character clones and the two replacements should be taken in a different direction characterwise. Waldron also commented that if Bach too had walked, the show would have most probably been cancelled. Hit hard by the significant drop in ratings, Warner Brothers renegotiated with Wopat and Schneider, and eventually a settlement was reached, and the original Duke boys returned to the series in early 1983, four episodes from the conclusion of the fifth season. Initially, part of the press release announcing Wopat and Schneider's return mentioned that Cherry and Mayer would remain as part of the cast, but it was quickly realised that "four Duke boys" would not work within the context of the series, and due to the unpopularity associated with their time on the show, were quickly written out of the same episode in which Bo and Luke returned.
Bo and Luke return
Although Coy and Vance were never popular with the majority, many viewers were disappointed by their departure episode, "Welcome Back, Bo 'N' Luke", which was very much a standard episode, with the return of Bo and Luke and the departure of Coy and Vance tacked onto the beginning (Bo and Luke return from their NASCAR tour just as Coy and Vance leave Hazzard to tend to a sick relative). Many viewers commented that they were disappointed by this, and that they would have liked to have seen both pairs of Duke boys team up to tackle a particularly dastardly plot by Boss Hogg but as it turned out, Coy and Vance had very little dialogue and were gone by the first commercial break, never to be mentioned again.While the return of Bo and Luke was welcomed by ardent and casual viewers alike, and as a result saw ratings recover slightly, the show never completely regained its former popularity. One of Wopat and Schneider's disputes even before they left was what they considered to be increasingly weak and formulaic scripts. With Wopat and Schneider's return, the producers agreed to try a wider scope of storylines, even including some science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
elements in certain episodes. However, although it continued for two more seasons, the show never fully returned to its former glory. As well as what was widely recognised to be increasingly inferior scripts, many fans, or indeed cast members, did not take to the miniature car effects used to make it appear as if the General Lee was performing even more breathtaking feats (in part to compete with TV's newer supercar, Knight Rider
Knight Rider
Knight Rider is an American television series that originally ran from September 26, 1982, to August 8, 1986. The series was broadcast on NBC and starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a high-tech modern-day knight fighting crime with the help of an advanced, artificially intelligent and...
). Finally, at the end of its seventh season, in early February 1985, The Dukes of Hazzard quietly ended its run.
Vehicles
- The General LeeThe General LeeThe General Lee is the modified Dodge Charger driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out...
was Bo and Luke Duke's 1969 Dodge ChargerDodge ChargerThe Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
. It was orange with a Confederate battle flag painted on the roof, and the words "GENERAL LEE" over each door and the number "01" on each door. In the original five Georgia-filmed episodes, a Confederate flag along with a checkered racing flag in a criss-cross pattern could be seen behind the rear window; this was removed when it was felt that this extra detail didn't show up enough on-screen enough to warrant the already very tight time constraints of preparing and repairing each example of the car. The name refers to the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
ConfederateConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General Robert E. LeeRobert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. The television show was based on the movie Moonrunners, itself based on actual moonshine runners who used a 1958 Chrysler named Traveler, after General Lee's horse. Traveler was originally intended to be the name of the Duke boys' stock car too, until producers agreed that General Lee had more punch to it.
Since it was built as a race car, the windows were - bar a couple of shots in very early episodes — always open, a rollbar was installed, and the doors were welded shut. Through the history of the show, an estimated 309 (the "LEE 1" website says 321; John Schneider says 329) General Lees were used; twenty-three are still known to exist in various states of repair. A replica was owned by John Schneider (Bo), known as "Bo's General Lee". In 2008 Schneider sold "Bo's General Lee" at the Barrett-Jackson
Barrett-Jackson
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction provides products and services to classic and collector car owners, collectors and automotive enthusiasts...
automobile auction for $450,000; the underside of the hood has the signatures of the cast from the 1997 TV movie. Schneider has also restored over 20 other General Lees to date. The show also used 1968 Chargers (which shared the same sheet metal) by changing the grille and taillight panel to the 1969 style, and removing the round side marker lights. These Chargers performed many record-breaking jumps throughout the show, almost all of them resulting in a completely destroyed car.
The Duke boys added a custom air horn to the General which played the first twelve notes of the song Dixie
Dixie (song)
Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
. The Dixie horn was not originally planned, until, during one of the first days of shooting in Georgia, a local hot rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
racer drove by and sounded his car's Dixie horn. The producers immediately rushed after him asking where he had bought the horn. Warner Brothers purchased several Chargers for stunts, as they generally destroyed at least one or two cars per episode. By the end of the show's sixth season, the Chargers were becoming harder to find, and more expensive — not to mention that TV had another supercar in Knight Rider to rival the General Lee's stunts — so the producers used 1/8 scale miniatures, filmed by Jack Sessums' crew, or recycled stock jump footage, which had always been used to a degree in episodes in previous seasons.
The show's third broadcast episode, "Mary Kaye's Baby", is the only episode of the entire run that the General Lee does not appear in. In that episode Bo and Luke drove around in a blue 1975 Plymouth Fury
Plymouth Fury
The Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms....
they borrowed from Cooter (which unbenownst to them he'd loaded with moonshine to deliver for Boss Hogg, a slip-up that could've wrecked their probation) that Luke later blew up with a stick of dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
during a duel with some mobsters.
- The 1974 AMC MatadorAMC MatadorThe AMC Matador is a mid-size car that was built and sold by American Motors Corporation from 1971 to 1978. The Matador came in two generations: 1971 to 1973 and a major redesign from 1974 to 1978...
was one of many different Hazzard County police cars used on the series, mostly in the first season; they had light bars and working radios. A 1970 Dodge PolaraDodge PolaraThe Dodge Polara was an automobile introduced in the United States for the 1960 model year as Dodge's top-of-the-line full-size car; after the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880 in 1962, the Polara nameplate designated a step below the full sized best trimmed Dodge model; the Polara that year had...
and a 1975 Dodge MonacoDodge MonacoThe Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
were used during the pilot episode "One Armed Bandits", these were also seen in the shows title sequence. From the second season, the 1977 Dodge MonacoDodge MonacoThe Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
was mostly used. From mid season four the similar looking 1978 Plymouth FuryPlymouth FuryThe Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms....
was used instead. - A 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner (yellow with a black stripe) was used by Daisy Duke in the first five episodes of the first season. For the last episodes of the first season and the second season, a similarly painted 1972 Plymouth SatellitePlymouth SatelliteThe Plymouth Satellite is an automobile introduced in 1965 as the top model in Plymouth's mid-size Belvedere line. The Satellite remained the top of the line model until the 1967 model year, where it became the mid-price model with the GTX taking its place as the top model. The Fury name was moved...
with a matching "Road Runner" stripe was used until Bo and Luke sent it off a cliff in "The Runaway" after the brakes failed. At the end of that episode, she is given her Golden Eagle Jeep "Dixie" (Due to the episodes being broadcast in a different order from that in which they were filmed, the Plymouth made several returns after it was supposedly destroyed). - Dixie was the name given to Daisy Duke's trademark white 1980 Jeep CJ-7 "Golden Eagle" which had a Golden Eagle emblem on the hood and the name "Dixie" on the sides. Like other vehicles in the show, there was actually more than one Jeep used throughout the series. Sometimes it would have an automatic transmission, and other times it would be a manual. The design of the roll-cage also varied across the seasons. When the Jeep was introduced at the end of the second season's "The Runaway", it was seen to have doors and a slightly different paint-job, but from thereafter the doors were removed and the paint-job was made all-white, with 'Dixie' painted on the sides of the hood. These Jeeps were leased to the producers of the show by American Motors Corporation in exchange for a brief mention in the closing credits of the show.
- Uncle Jesse's Truck, a white FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Pickup truckPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, most commonly a Sixth generation (1973–1977) F100 Styleside. However, in the earliest episodes it had a Flareside bed, and varied between F100 and F250 models throughout the show's run. Daisy also drove Jesse's truck on occasion. - Boss Hogg's Cadillac, a white 1970 Cadillac De Ville convertible, with large bullBullBull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
horns for a hood ornament. While in earlier seasons a chauffeur (normally nameless, but identified on occasion as being called "Alex"; and played by several different uncredited actors, including stuntman Gary Baxley) drove it, in later years, Hogg became the car's principal driver and frequently challenged others by invoking his driving expertise from his days as a ridge-runner. Unlike other vehicles in the series, Boss Hogg's Cadillac is typically treated with kid gloves.
Theme song
- Main article: "Theme from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' (Good Ol' Boys)"
The theme song "The Good Ol' Boys" was written and performed by Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
. He was also "The Balladeer" (as credited), and served as narrator of the show. However, the Jennings theme song that is currently available for purchase is not the same version that was used in the show's opening credits. The differences are that the show version featured a different verse ["...Fightin' the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods"], an enhanced bass line, a shorter length, and the famous "Yee-haw" yell at the end.
In 1980, the song reached #1 on the American Country chart and peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Broadcast history
- The series was originally broadcast in America by CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on Friday nights, at 8:00 p.m., preceding DallasDallas (TV series)Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
. - Until TNNSpike TVSpike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
(The Nashville NetworkThe Nashville NetworkThe Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
) was purchased by ViacomViacomViacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
, it aired reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard. Some months after the creation of "The National Network" (shortly before its change to "Spike TV"), the program was absent from much of television for quite some time. ViacomViacomViacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
's country music-themed cable network CMTCMT- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
(the former sister network to TNN) aired the show from 2005 to 2007 at 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. eastern time every weekday. CMT began airing the series in late February 2005. It also aired Monday–Thursday on ABC FamilyABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
. - The series was broadcast by BBC OneBBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in the United Kingdom, debuting on Saturday 3 March 1979 at 9 pm (just several months after it began in the US). Popular with all ages (and as some of the more adult elements of very early episodes faded out of the series), it quickly moved from its post-watershed position to a more family-friendly Monday evening slot at 7:20 pm. Soon a massive hit, it moved from Monday evenings to prime time Saturday evening (times varied, but typically around 5:25 pm), where it stayed for a number of years. Later when ratings began to dip (partly caused by the change to Coy and Vance, and partly to do with competition from ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, with new hit shows such as The A-TeamThe A-TeamThe A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
), it moved back to Mondays, making the odd return for short runs on Saturdays. Late episodes also popped up occasionally on Sunday afternoons, and the remaining episodes of the final season were broadcast on weekday mornings during school holidays in the late 1980s. - In 1992, UK satellite channel Sky1 bought a package of the program, owning the rights to the first 60 episodes produced (running up to "The Fugitive"), showing the series on Saturday afternoons at 4 p.m. They later showed the episodes they owned again, including a stint showing it in a weekday 3 p.m. slot, running for fifty minutes (including commercials) with the episodes heavily edited for time as a result, often leaving gaps in the plot. Despite requests from fans, they did not secure the rights to later episodes. The series was later run on the satellite channels Granada PlusGranada PlusPlus was a digital channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting. It was launched on 1 October 1996 under the original name of Granada Plus, and during its availability it underwent successive rebrands as G Plus, G+ and then simply Plus. However, it remained widely referred to by the public at large by...
and TNTTurner Network TelevisionTurner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
. UK satellite channel Bravo began airing reruns in August 2005. - The series was also shown in the Netherlands by Dutch broadcasting organization AVROAVRO (broadcaster)AVRO is a Dutch public broadcasting association operating within the framework of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep system.-Television programmes:* Andermans veren...
, with Dutch subtitles, rather than being dubbed. - It was shown on the 0-10 Network (now Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
) in Australia from September 1979 until the end of the series, and repeated throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was briefly rerun on Pay TVPay TVPay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...
channel TV1TV1 (Australia)TV1 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms.-History:TV1 launched as part of the original Galaxy lineup. The channel is jointly owned by Sony International Television, Universal Studios and Paramount. The channel shows...
in the 2000s, but is now shown on Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's subchannel, Go!Go! (Australian TV channel)GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
. - The series was popular in ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, dubbed to Spanish. Some late-night reruns continue to the present time. - In ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
the series started to air in September 1981 on Canale 5Canale 5Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
, under the title Hazzard and quickly became very popular with the viewers. - CMTCMT- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
aired "The Dukes Ride Again", a special marathon which featured episodes from the first two seasons, on the weekend of September 10, 2010 and have begun airing episodes weeknights at 7 pm and 11 pm Eastern time starting September 13, 2010. - The series is currently airing episodes weekdays on New Zealand's channel The BoxThe BoxThe Box may refer to:In television:* The Box , a music video television formerly known as Video Jukebox Network, originally from Miami, but now only available in the UK and Ireland** The Box , a defunct U.S...
. - CMTCMT- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
is currently airing reruns of the show on weekdays,as noted below.
Syndication
Soon before the series ended its original run on CBS, The Dukes of Hazzard went into off-network syndication. Although not as widely run as it was back in the 1980s and the years since, reruns of the program do continue to air in various parts of the United States.Notably, television stations that aired the show in syndication include KCOP
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
Los Angeles, WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
Chicago, KBHK San Francisco, WKBD
WKBD
WKBD-TV, virtual channel 50 , is an owned and operated station of the CW Television Network, based in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned and operated by the CBS Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with sister station WWJ-TV . Its studios and transmitters are located at 11 mile and...
Detroit, KTXL
KTXL
KTXL, channel 40, is a Fox Broadcasting Company-affiliated television station in Sacramento, California, owned by the Tribune Company. Its studios and offices are located in South Sacramento, and its transmitter is near Walnut Grove, California.-History:...
Sacramento, WVTV
WVTV
WVTV is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA and serves as Southeast Wisconsin's The CW Television Network affiliate. The station broadcasts from the Milwaukee Public Television tower on Milwaukee's northeast side with WMVS/WMVT, along with WCGV , WVTV's sister station...
Milwaukee, KMSP
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
Minneapolis–Saint Paul, among others. It has also aired on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
(2000–2001, 2004) and CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
(2005–2007, 2010–present). WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV, channel 13, is the CBS affiliate television station in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Gannett.-History:The station signed on for the first time on September 27, 1953, owned by Southeastern Broadcasting Company along with WMAZ radio...
in Macon, Georgia 1979–1985.
WGXA-TV Macon, Georgia 1984–1990.
Nielsen ratings
| Year | Viewers (Millions) | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1979–1980 | 18.38 | #9 |
| 1980–1981 | 21.81 | #2 |
| 1981–1982 | 18.41 | #6 |
| 1982–1983 | Not in top 30 | |
| 1983–1984 | Not in top 30 | |
| 1984–1985 | Not in top 30 |
Season one managed to average 18.39 million viewers in 1979. Season 2 grew 15.6% to 21.81 million viewers while Season 3 dropped 15.5% to 18.41 million viewers in 1980 - 1981. Season 4 dropped extensively to below 14.327 million viewers but as ratings below the top 30, Seasons 4 - 7 ratings are unknown.
Spin-offs
- The character of Deputy Sheriff Enos StrateEnos StrateEnos Strate is a character on the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard played by Sonny Shroyer.-Fictional biography:Enos was born in Hazzard County to a loving family, and grew up as friends with Bo and Luke Duke. At the age of sixteen, he enrolled at the Hazzard Police Academy, graduated at the...
was spun off into his own short-lived detective show called EnosEnos (TV series)Enos is an American television series from the 1980–1981 season that aired on the CBS network. A spinoff of The Dukes of Hazzard, Enos focused on the adventures of Enos Strate, a former small-town deputy in Hazzard County, now having moved to Los Angeles to join the L.A.P.D...
, which ran from 1980 to 1981. As a result, Enos was written out of The Dukes of Hazzard at the start of the third season in the episode "Enos Strate to the Top." After Enos was cancelled, the character returned to Hazzard at the beginning of the fifth season. - An animated version of the show called The DukesThe DukesThe Dukes is an animated series which ran on CBS in 1983 based directly on the popular live-action television series The Dukes of Hazzard.-Plot:...
aired in 1983. The first season fell under the Coy and Vance era of the live-action show and thus they were adapted into animated form. By the second season, Bo and Luke had returned, and they replaced Coy and Vance in the cartoon. - Several video games based on the show were created:
- The Dukes of Hazzard for ColecoVisionColecoVisionThe ColecoVision is Coleco Industries' second generation home video game console which was released in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, and the means to expand the system's basic hardware...
using Expansion Module #2 (1984) - The Dukes of Hazzard for the Sinclair Spectrum (1985)
- The Dukes of Hazzard (unreleased Atari 2600Atari 2600The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
prototype by Coleco) - The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home (1999)
- The Dukes of Hazzard 2: Daisy Dukes It Out (2000)
- The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General LeeThe Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General LeeThe Dukes of Hazzard: Return of The General Lee is a mission based racing game released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. Return of the General Lee is based on the popular Dukes of Hazzard television show...
(2004)
- The Dukes of Hazzard for ColecoVision
- In 2005, the Humana Festival of New American PlaysHumana Festival of New American PlaysHumana Festival of New American Plays is an internationally renowned festival that celebrates the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, this prestigious event showcases new theatrical works and draws producers, critics,...
premiered a full-length comedy-drama entitled Hazzard CountyHazzard County (play)Hazzard County is a full-length comedy-drama, written by Allison Moore, which premiered in 2005 at the Humana Festival of New American Plays.The story centers on a young widowed mother and a visit she receives from a big city television producer...
by Allison Moore. The story centers on a young widowed mother and a visit she receives from a big city television producerTelevision producerThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
. Interspersed with recollections of Bo, Luke, and Daisy, the play takes a deep look at southern "good ol' boy" culture and its popularization through the lens of American mass media.
The second season episodes "Jude Emery", about a Texas Ranger, and "Mason Dixon's Girls", about a travelling private investigator and his female associates, were both pilots
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
written by Dukes creator Gy Waldron for proposed new shows. Both failed to sell.
Films
There were two made-for-TV reunion movies that aired on CBS, The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! is a made-for-television film from 1997 which aired on CBS and reunites the surviving cast members of the American TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard...
(1997) and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood!
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood!
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood was a reunion film based on the American TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, and was aired on CBS television in 2000....
(2000).
A feature film remake of the series, The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard (film)
The Dukes of Hazzard is a 2005 comedy film based on the American television series of the same name. The film was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and released on August 5, 2005 by Warner Bros. Pictures...
premiered on August 5, 2005. It earned over $113 million dollars worldwide, although it was critically panned. A second Dukes of Hazzard film, The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning is a prequel to the 2005 theatrical-release film The Dukes of Hazzard. An edited version of the film debuted on the ABC Family cable television channel on March 4, 2007. 'R'-rated and unrated versions were released on DVD March 13.- Plot :Bo Duke is arrested for...
, a prequel to the original (and the first film) was a TV movie and also went straight to DVD release.
DVD releases
Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
has released all seven seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard on DVD in regions 1 and 2. The two TV-movies that followed the series were released on DVD in Region 1 on June 10, 2008. In Region 4, Warner has released only the first six season on DVD.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| The Complete 1st Season | 13 | June 1, 2004 | August 15, 2005 | August 17, 2005 |
| The Complete 2nd Season | 23 | January 25, 2005 | September 26, 2005 | August 17, 2005 |
| The Complete 3rd Season | 22 | May 31, 2005 | November 21, 2005 | March 1, 2006 |
| The Complete 4th Season | 26 | August 2, 2005 | February 13, 2006 | March 1, 2006 |
| The Complete 5th Season | 22 | December 13, 2005 | April 10, 2006 | August 9, 2006 |
| The Complete 6th Season | 22 | May 30, 2006 | July 24, 2006 | August 9, 2006 |
| The Complete 7th Season | 17 | December 5, 2006 | September 22, 2008 | N/A |
| Two Movie Collection | 2 | June 10, 2008 | N/A | N/A |
Legacy and influence in popular culture
A huge hit when it originally aired, in the decades since The Dukes of Hazzard has remained as something of a staple in popular culture, in both the US and overseas. Character names such as "Boss Hogg" and various other elements from the series are still well recognised and often referenced in daily conversation. Getting into a car "Dukes of Hazzard style" is a recognised term for entering a car through the windows, and "Daisy Dukes" is a recognised term for very short jeans.The series has been referenced in many modern shows, including, amongst many others, The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
. Martians
Life on Mars
Scientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, but it remains an open question whether life currently exists on...
stop to watch the The Dukes of Hazzard in midst of invading Earth in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
.
The series is also held up by many for being a wholesome family show with strong morals, something that is championed by its various stars, including Ben Jones (Cooter) and John Schneider (Bo).
Members of the Canadian alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
appear driving and riding in a replica of the General Lee
The General Lee
The General Lee is the modified Dodge Charger driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out...
car from the series in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for their song "One Week".
The distinctive "01" door number on orange paint from the General Lee car appears in the background of a scene in the music video for the song "Rockstar
Rockstar (Nickelback song)
"Rockstar" is the fifth U.S. single by the Canadian rock band Nickelback from their 2005 fifth studio album All the Right Reasons. It was only released in the U.S. and Canada, and has since been re-released worldwide...
" by Canadian rock band Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
.
On their 1985 album Frankenchrist
Frankenchrist
Frankenchrist is the third album released by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.The album was a subject of controversy because of a poster inserted in the original record sleeve. The poster, H. R. Giger's Landscape #XX, or Penis Landscape, was a painting...
the Punk Rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
named the song "Goons of Hazzard", which satirized "macho" attitudes in general, and the show in particular, after the show.
In 2005, Tom Wopat and John Schneider were reunited during "Exposed", a fifth season
Smallville (Season 5)
Season five of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 29, 2005. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
episode of the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
-inspired television series Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
. Wopat guest-starred as Kansas State Senator
Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term....
Jack Jennings, an old friend of Clark Kent
Clark Kent (Smallville)
Clark Kent is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. The character of Clark Kent, first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—this is the fourth...
's adoptive father Jonathan Kent (portrayed by Schneider). In the episode, Jennings drives a 1968 Dodge Charger—the same body style as The General Lee which was a 1969 Dodge Charger.
Further reading
- Best in Hollywood: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, by James Best with Jim Clark. Albany, 2009. BearManor Media. ISBN # 1-59393-460-2.
- Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: The Confessions of "Crazy Cooter", by Ben "Cooter" JonesBen Jones (US)Ben Lewis Jones is an American actor, politician, playwright and essayist, probably best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jones was elected to be a member of the United States House of Representatives in 1988 and re-elected in 1990. He served for four years, until Jan...
, 2008. Crown. ISBN # 0307395278 - The Dukes of Hazzard - The Unofficial Companion, by David Hofstede, forward by Catherine Bach. 1998. Renaissance Books. ISBN # 1-58063-038-3
External links
- Dukes of Hazzard Official site
- Dukes of Hazzard Information & Hazzard County Car Club
- The Dukes of Hazzard at CMTCMT- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
.com - HazzardNet
- Dukes Online
- Dukes of Hazzard horn
- Dutch Dukes of Hazzard website
- "The Dukes of Hazzard, Television's Simple South, and Resurrecting the Outlaw Hero" — An academic analysis of The Dukes of Hazzard
- Dukes of Hazzard DVD website