The first episode of The Dukes of Hazzard aired on CBS television on January 26, 1979. Twenty-nine years ago, the General Lee made its inaugural flight across our tv screens.

From seven seasons of critically disdained episodes, to a Saturday morning cartoon series,
and a spinoff for the TV series “Enos”, no one could get enough of the Dukes.

Toy General Lees were popular, as were Dukes of Hazzard lunchboxes, watches, and posters. County music was “in.” Muscle cars were hot. CB’s were all the rage. The
Dukes cast made appearances at car shows and were often interviewed by the media.

Here at HazzardNet, we’re happy to report that things haven’t changed much! Ok, we use cell phones more than CB’s nowadays, but when you add it up, there’s been a lot of steady attention paid to a tv show that was snubbed by television moguls.

The Dukes endured despite the odds, producing two made-for-tv reunion movies with the original cast, and then resurfacing with new faces for the 2005 big screen movie. Another made-for-tv movie with a new cast, “Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning,” aired on the ABC Family Channel in 2006.

Over the years, the original series has enjoyed syndicated reruns on WGN, TNN, and CMT. All seven seasons of the original series have been released on DVD, and the reunion movies are slated to be on DVD in 2008.

Meanwhile, new Dukes of Hazzard toy cars, along with remote control General Lees, have been on Walmart shelves around the country. Orange “01″ hats and shirts are more popular than ever.

It would take us most of the homepage to list every Dukes related event in the past 29 years. But we can’t recognize history without giving a hearty Yeehaa to DukesFest! This once-modest shindig has become the largest fan gathering of it’s kind in the world.

Originated by Ben “Cooter” Jones, the expanding crowds caused DukesFest to be relocated from Sperryville, VA, to Bristol TN, then finally to Nashville TN. DukesFest 2008 is being run by John “Bo” Schneider and will take place in Atlanta. Record attendance is expected again!

Last but not least, the Internet did it’s part in keeping the Dukes of Hazzard in front of enthusiastic fans. Numerous websites pay homage to the show, with HazzardNet celebrating nine years of continual nonsense as a veteran of the group.

Ebay carries a large collection of vintage Dukes memorabilia. Fan-created Dukes videos and slideshows populate YouTube. From Facebook to MySpace, it’s them Dukes!

29 years ago, the General Lee took flight, and it’s shown no signs of slowing down. Hit the dixie horn and give a yeehaa!

John Schneider’s General Lee sold for $450,000 yesterday at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, AZ.

“Bo’s General Lee,” built by John Schneider for the Dukes reunion movies and also featured in his movie “Collier & Co. Hot Persuit!” will be one of the featured cars to be auctioned tomorrow at the Barrett Jackson Scottsdale ‘08 Auto Auction.

Check out the auction listing here.

In our humble opinion, one of the most prized cars in the auction!

Blame The Dukes of Hazzard for this one; Jessica Simpson is officially going country. Desperate for a return to the limelight, Jessica has embraced country music as her best chance of getting back on the charts.

Jessica reportedly felt inspired after her role as Daisy Duke in the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard big-screen movie. Her hit single, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, was musically unremarkable, but it was successful as a music video. (not because of her singing, either.)

While all Dukes fans know that it was the General Lee’s appearance that made the video, Jessica feels she has a “fan base” waiting for her in country music. Columbia Records is the lucky label carrying her freshman effort, and you can expect to try and avoid it in stores later this year.

Whatever her musical assets, Jessica Simpson may be correct in the assumption that country music will provide her a new audience. Her recognizable name alone (among other things) will assure her new music videos plenty of air time. Whether she can deliver a true vocal performance, however, and not just a two-minute peep show, remains to be seen.

Thirteen deputies with the Hernando County (FL) Sheriff’s Department were suspended in December for violating just about every element in their department’s pursuit policy during a chase.

13 Deputies Disciplined for Car Chase

Now, either the county updated the traning manuals and began to implement the concepts from “Hot Pursuit! Procedures forPutting the Pedal to the Metal for Chasing the Bad Guys!” complied by somebody named R. Coltrane, a former Sheriff, OR somebody’s been watching too many reruns of the Dukes of Hazzard! The only thing missing was for one of the deputies to send his patrol car into a pond!