The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985. It was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners.
The television series The Dukes of Hazzard followed Bo and Luke Duke, two cousins living in an rural part of the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia, racing around in their modified 1969 Dodge Charger, The General Lee, evading corrupt county commissioner Boss Hogg and his inept county sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. Bo and Luke had been sentenced to probation for illegal transportation of moonshine - Jesse made a plea bargain to stop brewing moonshine in return for the boys to forgo jail time and instead be placed on probation. As a result, Bo and Luke were not allowed to carry firearms (they often used compound bows) or leave Hazzard County (although the exact details of their probation terms varied from episode to episode; sometimes it was implied that they would be jailed for merely crossing the county line; on other occasions, it was shown that they may leave Hazzard as long as they were back within a certain time limit).
Corrupt politician Boss Hogg, who either ran or had fingers in just about everything in Hazzard County (and whose exact powers, much like the terms of the Duke boys' probation, often varied in different episodes) was forever angry with the Dukes, in particular Bo and Luke, for eternally foiling his crooked scams and was always looking for ways to get them out of the picture so his plots had a chance of succeeding. Many episodes revolved around Boss trying to engage in an illegal scheme with criminal associates. Some of these were get-rich-quick schemes, though many others affected the financial security of the Duke farm, which Boss had long wanted to acquire for nefarious reasons. Other times, Boss hired known criminals from out of town to do his dirty work for him, and often tried to frame Bo and Luke for various crimes such as bank robbery (thus resulting in imprisonment and allowing Boss easily to acquire the Duke farm). Bo and Luke always seemed to stumble over Boss' latest scheme, sometimes by curiosity, and often by sheer luck, and put it out of business.
Due to their fundamentally good natures, the Dukes often wound up helping out Boss Hogg, albeit begrudgingly. More than once Boss was targeted by former associates who were either seeking revenge or had turned against him after a scheme unraveled in any number of ways: Boss' greedy nature, Rosco's bumbling, the criminals simply outsmarting the two or their consciences came to the surface. Sometimes criminals who were even more crooked and ruthless than Boss came to town. Sheriff Rosco also found himself in trouble more than once. On such occasions, Bo and Luke usually had to rescue their adversaries as an inevitable precursor to defeating the bad guys; these instances became more regular as the series went on.
Main characters- "Luke" Duke (Tom Wopat) (1979–1982 & 1983–1985) is the dark-haired, slightly older cousin. More mature and rational than his cousin Bo, he was typically the one who thought of the plan that would get the two out of whatever trouble they had gotten into. Luke wore a checked blue shirt (a plain blue shirt in most second season episodes), and a denim jacket over it in early episodes. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a former boxer. He was the more physical of the two, often doing stunts like jumping onto moving cars. Luke was best known for his famous "hood slide" across The General Lee, which was seen in the opening credits of the show 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 walk across the hood. In the pilot episode "One-Armed Bandits", he mentioned having a car of his own (which Cooter had secretly "borrowed" to run Rosco off the road "to make him mad", upon which he stole his patrol car for a subsequent car chase with the Duke boys) that mysteriously was never mentioned again after this episode, although it might be assumed that Cooter wrecked it.
- Beauregard "Bo" Duke (John Schneider) (1979–1982 & 1983–1985) is the blond-haired Duke boy. He's the younger, wilder one of the pair. He's more of a "shoot first, ask questions later" type, and was often the one to get the duo into the various scrapes they found themselves in. Bo usually wore a cream-yellow shirt (though could be seen wearing a red or blue one on occasion 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 car test driver, Bo was the one who, in the earlier episodes at least, drove The General Lee most of the time. He was known for taking the car off wild jumps (and landing without a scratch). Along with Luke, Bo regularly fought on the side of justice against the corrupt law officials in Hazzard. Bo was known for his rebel yell, "Yeeeee-Haaa!"
- Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach) is Bo and Luke's pretty young cousin. She's honest and kind, although she could sometimes be slightly over-trusting and naïve, which led the Duke family into trouble on occasion. She sometimes aspired to be a singer, and at other times a reporter. She raced around Hazzard with her cousins, first in a yellow and black 1974 Plymouth Road Runner (later on it was a Plymouth Satellite) and then in her trademark white 1980 Jeep CJ-7 enchristened "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 Boss 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 Boss's various schemes. Daisy also has the distinction of having her trademark provocatively high-cut jean short shorts named after her: "Daisy Dukes." She appeared in every episode of the series except one, Season 3's "To Catch a Duke" and her CB handle was "Bo Peep."
- Jesse Duke, (Denver Pyle) 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 (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). Jesse Duke, in his youth, had been a Ridge-Runner in direct competition with J.D. Hogg, thus beginning the "feud" between the Dukes and the Hoggs. 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 Boss, and often provided the cousins with inspirational sage advice. Uncle Jesse drove a white 1973 Ford F-100 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. There seems to be conflicting viewpoints on Jesse's driving style. Sometimes he likes to take things easy, like in one particular episode where he refuses to let Bo and Luke jump the General Lee while he is riding in the back, while at other times he himself performs a jump or two and does plenty of skidding around the corners, like the old ridgerunner he is. 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 appeared in every episode and his CB handle was "Shepherd."
- Sheriff Rosco Purvis Coltrane (James Best) is the bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County and right-hand man and brother-in-law of its corrupt county administrator, Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg ("Boss Hogg"), whom Rosco referred to as his "little fat buddy", "Little Chrome Dome", 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 not mentioned again (and his role as Sheriff appeared to be open ended). He is also the little 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, 'Pervis'.
- Boss Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, (Sorrell Booke), 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; Boss often claimed that Rosco was indebted to him because of it. His vehicle was a white 1970 Cadillac Coupe de Ville convertible, with bull horns on the hood. In the first couple of seasons, he was almost always driven around by a chauffeur; from the fourth season onwards, he usually drove himself. His old moonshine-running car was called the "Grey Ghost". Like Rosco, Boss never tried to hurt anybody, including the Dukes, and when one of the Dukes did get hurt by a bad guy from out of town, Boss and Rosco would usually call a truce with the Dukes until said bad guys were caught. Along with Uncle Jesse, Boss appeared in every episode.
- Cooter Davenport (Ben Jones) is the Hazzard County mechanic, nicknamed "Crazy Cooter". In the very early episodes, he was a wild man, often breaking the law (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", and 'borrowing' the President's Limousine 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. 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 unshaven 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. Cooter drove a variety of trucks, including Fords, Chevys, & GMCs. His CB handle was "Crazy Cooter" and he often started his CB transmissions with "Breaker 1, Breaker 1, I might be crazy but I ain't dumb Craaaazy Cooter comin' atcha, any y'all Dukes got yer ears on? Come back!"
- Deputy Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer) (1979-1980; 1982-1985), 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 Boss 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 movie, 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.
- Deputy Cletus Hogg (Rick Hurst) (1979-1982), Boss Hogg's second cousin twice removed, is also generally friendly and dim-witted. Like Enos, he would often be forced by Rosco and Boss to chase the Dukes on trumped up charges, but while generally good-hearted and sometimes resentful of having to treat the Dukes in such way, he was generally more willing to than Enos. Like Enos, Cletus often ended up landing in water when pursuing the Duke boys in a car chase. Cletus made his first appearance as the driver of a bank truck, part of Boss' 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 movie 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 body patrol cars, most often a Dodge Monaco or Plymouth Fury.
- Coy Duke (Byron Cherry) (1982-1983), 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 NASCAR circuit. Supposedly, with cousin Vance, he had previously lived on the Duke farm until 1976, before the series had started. Coy was somewhat more prone to falling in love with the various women that he met during his adventures, and the conflict of interest between his love and his family drove most of the plots during his brief stint on the air. Both characters proved to be unpopular with fans and were written out after 19 episodes due to being a "clone" to Bo. Cherry and Mayer replaced Schneider and Wopat while the latter two were in contract negotiations.
- Vance Duke (Christopher Mayer) (1982-1983), 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 Jennings) 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 cliffhanger 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 BBC in the United Kingdom). Waylon actually 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 is a slow-paced Basset Hound and Rosco's loyal companion, who hated Boss (shown by barking at him when she got the chance and Boss would normally scream and tell Rosco "get that flea-bitten hound out o' here, will you?!") but loved the Dukes. She first appeared in the third season episode "Enos Strate To The Top" (although was not formally "introduced" in that episode). According to Sheriff Rosco, Flash was going to replace Enos after he left to work for the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). Rosco's plans didn't work out, and Enos was replaced by Cletus Hogg. After that Flash mostly rode around with Rosco in "Hot Pursuit". Initially referred to as a boy, Flash was later regularly a girl (despite an occasional male reference afterwards). Flash was added after James Best suggested to the producers that Rosco had a dog.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dukes_of_Hazzard
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