It’s been exactly 41 years since the iconic orange Dodge Charger, known as the General Lee, made its last daring jump across the screen, marking the end of one of television’s most beloved action-comedy series. On this day in 1985, “The Dukes of Hazzard” aired its final episode on CBS, concluding a run that spanned seven seasons and 147 episodes, captivating audiences with high-speed chases, Southern charm, and a hefty dose of good ol’ boy mischief.
You can find The Dukes of Hazzard on Amazon HERE.
The series, which premiered on January 26, 1979, quickly became a Friday night staple, blending elements of rural adventure, family loyalty, and over-the-top antics in the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia. Created by Gy Waldron and inspired by his 1975 film “Moonrunners,” the show followed the exploits of cousins Bo Duke (played by John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat), who lived with their feisty cousin Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach) and wise Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle) on their family farm. The Dukes were perpetually on probation for moonshining, which put them at odds with the corrupt local authorities: the scheming county commissioner Jefferson Davis “Boss” Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and his inept sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best), along with deputies like Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer) and later Cletus Hogg (Rick Hurst).
At the heart of the show was the General Lee, a customized 1969 Dodge Charger painted in bright orange with “01” on the doors and a Confederate battle flag on the roof – a detail that would later spark significant controversy. The car’s signature horn, playing the first 12 notes of “Dixie,” and its gravity-defying jumps became legendary, often destroying multiple vehicles per episode (rumor has it over 300 Chargers were wrecked during production). Narrated by country music legend Waylon Jennings, who also sang the theme song “Good Ol’ Boys,” the episodes typically followed a formula: out-of-town crooks commit a crime, the Duke boys get wrongly accused, and they spend the hour clearing their names while evading the law in spectacular fashion.
The show’s popularity soared in the early 1980s, drawing millions of viewers and spawning a massive merchandising empire, from toy cars to lunchboxes. However, it wasn’t without its bumps in the road. In the spring of 1982, stars Schneider and Wopat walked off the set amid a contract dispute over salaries and royalties from merchandise. They were temporarily replaced by cousins Coy (Byron Cherry) and Vance Duke (Christopher Mayer) for much of the fifth season, a move that led to a noticeable dip in ratings. Warner Bros. eventually settled with the actors, and the original Dukes returned in early 1983, restoring the show’s momentum.
By the mid-1980s, though, the series had begun to lose steam. The finale, titled “Opening Night at the Boar’s Nest,” aired on February 8, 1985, and provided a lighthearted send-off. In the episode, Boss Hogg kidnaps Rosco during a charity talent show, leading to the usual chaos and chases. It ended on a high note, with the Dukes triumphant once again, but without any grand fanfare – the show wasn’t officially canceled; CBS simply chose not to renew it for an eighth season. As Sorrell Booke reflected during the final days of filming, “The final day has to come sooner or later…in this case it was later.”
In the years following its conclusion, “The Dukes of Hazzard” enjoyed a robust afterlife in syndication, spin-offs like the animated series “The Dukes” (1983), and reunion TV movies such as “The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!” (1997) and “The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood” (2000). A 2005 feature film reboot starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, and Jessica Simpson introduced the characters to a new generation, though it received mixed reviews.
Yet, the show’s legacy is complicated by modern sensitivities. The prominent display of the Confederate flag on the General Lee drew renewed scrutiny after the 2015 Charleston church shooting, prompting TV Land to pull reruns and Warner Bros. to halt production of flag-bearing merchandise. During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Amazon considered removing the series from its streaming platform. Defenders, including cast members like Schneider, have argued that the flag represented Southern heritage in the show’s context, not hate, but the debate underscores how cultural symbols evolve over time.
Despite these controversies, “The Dukes of Hazzard” remains a touchstone of 1980s pop culture, celebrated for its unapologetic fun, memorable characters, and adrenaline-pumping action. Fans still gather at conventions, and the General Lee’s image endures in car enthusiast circles. Forty-one years later, the spirit of Hazzard County lives on, reminding us of a simpler era when justice was served with a side of yee-haw.
You can find The Dukes of Hazzard on Amazon HERE.
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