In January 1979, the popular American action comedy series, The Dukes of Hazzard, first aired. This series, consistently among top-rated television shows from the late 70s to the mid 80s, drew in millions of fans. This series quickly became a big hit which spiked the launch of toys (1980), video games (1984-2004), movies (1997-2007), and more. The Dukes of Hazard storyline centered around cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) who constantly got into trouble. As they ran from the law and their nemesis, Boss Hogg, these characters’ wild adventures led to comedic escapes and lots of memories for fans. Learn more about the characters and take a journey with us through the years in this Dukes of Hazzard Retrospective.
Join us on a Retrospective of The Dukes of Hazzard
Join us as we take a journey through the years with these memorable and loved characters. First, we will take our journey back to the late 70s when the series first aired. Additionally, we will dive into the toys, video games, and movies released throughout the years. Whether you are a long term fan or a new one, you’ll be sure to enjoy this Dukes of Hazzard Retrospective.
The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985)
Get ready for some fun, Hazzard County style! Bo and Luke Duke, joined with their cousin, Daisy, and Uncle Jesse, take on wild adventures in every episode. The cousins ride around the county in their bright orange customized 1969 Dodge Charger stock car (named “The General Lee”), painted with a confederate flag on the top. These cousins are always looking to cause trouble with the county commissioner, Boss Hogg, and the county sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane. There is certainly never a dull moment in Hazzard County when the Dukes are around.
The Dukes of Hazzard was originally created from the 1975 movie, Moonrunners which was produced by Gy Waldron. In 1977, Waldron was approached by Warner Bros. who wanted to turn the movie into a television series. Waldron reworked parts from the movie and in October 1978, production began for The Dukes of Hazzard. Filming for the show took place in Georgia for the first five episodes but the cast then moved to film in California. Waldron and Warner Bros. decided to take the original nine expected episodes and make them into a full series. The series aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985 and consisted of 147 episodes.
The Dukes of Hazzard figures (1980)
Many toys were released for The Dukes of Hazzard American action comedy series. A line of action figures was released in 1980 by Mego, an American toy company. The toyline consisted of an 8 inch series as well as a 3 3/4 inch series. The 8 inch series featured four basic figures and the 3 3/4 inch series featured eight different figures with four vehicles, spread out over two waves. This toyline unfortunately only had it’s running for a year before it’s discontinuation in 1981. Lunchboxes, mini toy cars, games, and many other popular merchandise were also released throughout the years for The Dukes of Hazzard.
8 Inch Figures
The four characters of the 8 inch series are: Bo Duke, Luke Duke, Boss Hogg, and Daisy Duke. Both the Bo Duke figure and the Luke Duke figure wore a cloth shirt, pants, belt, and boots. They had a few variations during the time of their run, including either a short or long sleeve shirt and a gold or silver belt buckle. The Boss Hogg figure wore a cloth coat, shirt, vest, shoes, pants, and hat. Boss Hogg also had a few minor variations, the main one being different types of snaps on his vest. Lastly, the Daisy Duke figure wore a cloth shirt, shorts, and sandals. The first releases of Daisy Duke featured her in a green top with blue shorts. However, this changed to a blue top with white shorts in later releases.
3 3/4 Inch Figures
The first wave of the 3 3/4 inch series released by Mego featured these same famous characters: Bo Duke, Luke Duke, Daisy Duke, and Boss Hogg. The second wave featured four more characters: Cletus, Cooter, Roscoe, and Uncle Jesse. Along with these eight figures, Mego also released four vehicles for the 3 3/4 inch series. Of these, Boss Hogg’s Caddy, Daisy’s Jeep, the Police Chase Car, and the General Lee Car were all released for the corresponding characters. Mego also proposed a Cooter’s Garage playset but it unfortunately did not get enough orders from retailers to be released.
The Dukes of Hazzard Video Games (1984-2004)
After the release of the series, The Dukes of Hazzard, four different video games were also released over the span of 20 years! From the ColecoVision Family Entertainment System to the Xbox, these games continued to bring in fans everywhere. Continue reading and find out more about the development of the games through this Dukes of Hazzard Retrospective.
The Dukes of Hazzard 1984
The first of these video games, The Dukes of Hazzard was released in 1984 by Coleco for the ColecoVision Family Entertainment System. During the game, the player drives around in the car known as the “General Lee”. The player tries to catch up to Jeremiah Stinge, a new character made for the game who tries to capture Daisy Duke. While dodging obstacles like hills and oil spills, the player also has to get away from Boss Hogg and his police force as they chase the General Lee car. The player can get more points by increasing the time on the bonus timer shown on the screen. The General Lee car has four different gears to increase speed and try to catch Jeremiah Stinge. As the player successfully completes levels, obstacles also increase on the road.
The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home (1999)
The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home video game was immediately a big success. It also rereleased later as a Greatest Hit on PlayStation. It released in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation and then the next year for the Game Boy Color and PC. The player in this game takes on the role of Bo and Luke Duke as they race to pay off the loved family farm. Like the 1984 video game, this one also has a new character, Blackjack Perril, who looks for revenge on the cousin’s uncle Jesse. This game also featured the voices of almost all of the cast members. The player can choose either the General Lee car or another car from the show to drive. The objective in this racing game is to complete missions. Some of these are to save Daisy from Blackjack Perril and to run from Roscoe and the police.
The Dukes of Hazzard 2: Daisy Dukes it Out (2000)
The same year the previous game released on PC and Game Boy Color, The Dukes of Hazzard 2: Daisy Dukes it Out released on the PlayStation. Although it is played similarly to it’s predecessor, this game is said to have more gameplay and a deeper story. The story is told through a series of animated cut scenes and begins with Daisy’s childhood friend, Missy Law, who shows up in Hazzard County disguised as a geologist. Missy has plans to rob the Hazzard bank and then frame Daisy for her crime.
The game features 18 levels, six of which the player takes the role of Daisy Duke. When played as Daisy, the player gets to drive her jeep. The player takes on the role of either Bo, Luke, or Uncle Jesse in the other 12 levels. Through these levels, the player gets to drive the famous General Lee car. Other vehicles, such as Jesse’s truck, can be driven during other modes such as the multiplayer mode. During the multiplayer mode, players compete against each other in a variety of game modes. The Dukes of Hazzard 2: Daisy Dukes it Out also features eight country rock soundtracks that the player can choose from to listen to during each level. These two games, released back to back, attracted lots of fans and kept The Dukes of Hazzard popular amongst other toys and movies.
The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee (2004)
The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee, a mission based racing game, released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2004.
The storyline in this game begins with a problem regarding the orphanage in Hazzard county. The Duke cousins have to pay off the debt of the local orphanage in order to keep it running. Unfortunately, Boss Hogg raised the mortgage for the orphanage in order to gain extra money to build a statue of himself in the town square. With plans of tearing down the orphanage and building a local water reservoir with the help of Sheriff Rosco, Boss Hogg looks to track down anyone who gets in his way. In this game, the player helps the Duke cousins complete different tasks to help save the orphanage in Hazzard County. Another part of the game allows the player to roam freely through the streets of the county. The player can enjoy ramming into things while exploring the county and unlocking hidden objects throughout the game.
The Dukes of Hazzard Movies (1997-2007)
From 1997 to 2007, four movies followed the original hit series of 1979. The first two movies showed a reunion of the original cast and the later two movies featured new hit stars for the same familiar characters from the series. Continue along with us in this Dukes of Hazzard Retrospective as we journey into the four movies produced.
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (1997)
The first of these movies, The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!, first aired on April 25, 1997. It aired on CBS and reunited the living cast members from the 1979 series. The 120 minute film began with the opening credits which showed a montage of old and new footage as Bo and Luke reminisce on their adventures together. The song “Carrying On”, sung by John Schnider and Tom Wopat, played in the background instead of the series’ theme song “Good Ol’ Boys”.
The movie’s story began with the Dukes’ return to save the Hazzard swamp and Uncle Jesse’s farm from being destroyed by Mama Josephine Max. Mama Josephine Max develops a plan to destroy the swamp and farm in order to build a theme park in it’s place. The Dukes have to win a cross-country moonshine race, while driving the old General Lee car from the television show in order to save the farm and swamp. Productions dedicated the film “In Loving Memory” specially to the cast members and crew whom had died in the years since the release of the television series.
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000)
This next movie, The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood features the stars back again as they travel to Hollywood. The movie reunited the original cast once again and for the last time.
The story begins with the arrival of an old partner of J.D. Hogg who came to donate a large amount of money to the hospital fund. The only condition was that the rest of the fund needed to be covered within a certain time. The Dukes quickly realized they needed to raise money to assist in building a new hospital in Hazzard County. The group decided to travel to Hollywood hoping to sell country music tapes to raise the rest of the money. Unfortunately, the Dukes’ money and music gets stolen along the way. The family wound up on the run and the adventures began for the cousins once again.
The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
The next movie to journey to on this Dukes of Hazzard Retrospective is the one with the same name as the series. The Dukes of Hazzard film released on August 5, 2005 featured five new stars in place of the original cast. Like in the show, cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke run a moonshine business for their Uncle Jesse. The group travels around the county in their orange 1969 Dodge Charger nicknamed “The General Lee”. In The Dukes of Hazzard film, the Dukes learn that Boss Hogg is evicting farmers from their homes. Boss Hogg plans to sell the farmers’ land to a coal mining operation. As a desperate attempt to save their family farm, cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy decide to fight back.
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007)
The last movie we will mention in this Dukes of Hazzard Retrospective is The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning. This movie released on March 4, 2007 on ABC Family and March 20, 2007 on DVD.
The plot began with Bo and Luke Duke’s arrest and their Uncle Jesse who gave the boys a summer of hard work as a consequence. After the County Commissioner’s prize pig escapes and hurts itself, Boss Hogg demands a large amount of money from Uncle Jesse. Uncle Jesse and the boys have to come up with the money in two weeks. In order to save the family farm and Uncle Jesse’s business, the cousins decide to help out. Luke Duke and Bo Duke set out to sell enough moonshine within two weeks to pay off the County Commissioner. However, they need a fast car to speed up the trip. Luckily, the boys find a 1969 Dodge Charger perfect for the job.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, The Dukes of Hazzard gained popularity throughout the years. Since it’s first release in 1979, millions of fans grew to love the characters from the series, toys, video games, movies, and other merchandise. Now, 35 years later, people still remember this adventure packed comedy storyline. The series and movies can be found on streaming services and the toys still bring joy to fans all over.
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Chris Ingledue
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Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab Pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!