P.J. Gathergood

Hi folks,
My first time on the forum in a LONG time (in fact, I've just spent two hours trying to remember which email I used so I could access my old account).
One of my goals is to post MUCH more regularly this year, but for now... It's a key date for U.K. fans such as myself... as Sat 3rd March 1979 marked the first time 'The Dukes of Hazzard' was ever broadcast in the United Kingdom!

My all-time favourite TV series, that shaped myself, my interests and my character in so many ways. Literally my first memories in life are sitting on my father's knee watching the series (he watched it religiously every week, on the excuse that "he (meaning me) likes it")!
BBC1 showed the first four episodes in a Saturday 9 p.m. slot, before a brief break and resuming a month or so later with episode 5, "High Octane" on Mondays at 7:20 p.m. (a year or two later it would move again to it's early Saturday evening slot where the series would enjoy it's highest U.K. viewing figures). Although I'm pretty certain I would have been tucked up in bed for those first four episode (I would have been 1 year old at the time), I'm pretty certain that by some of those earliest Monday broadcasts I would have been sat on my Dad's knee watching it all.

Last year I pieced together the original U.K. broadcast history and order for the series (I might share it on the forum at some point actually), just to see what was shown in what order... and to try and piece together my very earliest memories; it was actually quite therapeutic.

For those of us that were there originally (even us who can barely remember it), we were very lucky. Will never see the likes of such a TV series again.

Hi folks,
My first time on the forum in a LONG time (in fact, I've just spent two hours trying to remember which email I used so I could access my old account).
One of my goals is to post MUCH more regularly this year, but for now... It's a key date for U.K. fans such as myself... as Sat 3rd March 1979 marked the first time 'The Dukes of Hazzard' was ever broadcast in the United Kingdom!

My all-time favourite TV series, that shaped myself, my interests and my character in so many ways. Literally my first memories in life are sitting on my father's knee watching the series (he watched it religiously every week, on the excuse that "he (meaning me) likes it")!
BBC1 showed the first four episodes in a Saturday 9 p.m. slot, before a brief break and resuming a month or so later with episode 5, "High Octane" on Mondays at 7:20 p.m. (a year or two later it would move again to it's early Saturday evening slot where the series would enjoy it's highest U.K. viewing figures). Although I'm pretty certain I would have been tucked up in bed for those first four episode (I would have been 1 year old at the time), I'm pretty certain that by some of those earliest Monday broadcasts I would have been sat on my Dad's knee watching it all.

Last year I pieced together the original U.K. broadcast history and order for the series (I might share it on the forum at some point actually), just to see what was shown in what order... and to try and piece together my very earliest memories; it was actually quite therapeutic.

For those of us that were there originally (even us who can barely remember it), we were very lucky. Will never see the likes of such a TV series again.

I apologise, I feel so ashamed! Coy and Vance's car does have a white stripe... over the top; I was thinking about down the sides!
Well, if any luggage did survive, I think we can at least agree that Coy and Vance's underwear will be just a little more toasty warm after this!!

Hi folks,
My first time on the forum in a LONG time (in fact, I've just spent two hours trying to remember which email I used so I could access my old account).
One of my goals is to post MUCH more regularly this year, but for now... It's a key date for U.K. fans such as myself... as Sat 3rd March 1979 marked the first time 'The Dukes of Hazzard' was ever broadcast in the United Kingdom!

My all-time favourite TV series, that shaped myself, my interests and my character in so many ways. Literally my first memories in life are sitting on my father's knee watching the series (he watched it religiously every week, on the excuse that "he (meaning me) likes it")!
BBC1 showed the first four episodes in a Saturday 9 p.m. slot, before a brief break and resuming a month or so later with episode 5, "High Octane" on Mondays at 7:20 p.m. (a year or two later it would move again to it's early Saturday evening slot where the series would enjoy it's highest U.K. viewing figures). Although I'm pretty certain I would have been tucked up in bed for those first four episode (I would have been 1 year old at the time), I'm pretty certain that by some of those earliest Monday broadcasts I would have been sat on my Dad's knee watching it all.

Last year I pieced together the original U.K. broadcast history and order for the series (I might share it on the forum at some point actually), just to see what was shown in what order... and to try and piece together my very earliest memories; it was actually quite therapeutic.

For those of us that were there originally (even us who can barely remember it), we were very lucky. Will never see the likes of such a TV series again.

Hi folks,
My first time on the forum in a LONG time (in fact, I've just spent two hours trying to remember which email I used so I could access my old account).
One of my goals is to post MUCH more regularly this year, but for now... It's a key date for U.K. fans such as myself... as Sat 3rd March 1979 marked the first time 'The Dukes of Hazzard' was ever broadcast in the United Kingdom!

My all-time favourite TV series, that shaped myself, my interests and my character in so many ways. Literally my first memories in life are sitting on my father's knee watching the series (he watched it religiously every week, on the excuse that "he (meaning me) likes it")!
BBC1 showed the first four episodes in a Saturday 9 p.m. slot, before a brief break and resuming a month or so later with episode 5, "High Octane" on Mondays at 7:20 p.m. (a year or two later it would move again to it's early Saturday evening slot where the series would enjoy it's highest U.K. viewing figures). Although I'm pretty certain I would have been tucked up in bed for those first four episode (I would have been 1 year old at the time), I'm pretty certain that by some of those earliest Monday broadcasts I would have been sat on my Dad's knee watching it all.

Last year I pieced together the original U.K. broadcast history and order for the series (I might share it on the forum at some point actually), just to see what was shown in what order... and to try and piece together my very earliest memories; it was actually quite therapeutic.

For those of us that were there originally (even us who can barely remember it), we were very lucky. Will never see the likes of such a TV series again.

Howdy,
Haven't been on-line much last week or so, but I'm still around
I'll have to double-check "Mrs. Rosco P. Coltrane"; my memory is telling me that in a few close-ups or Rosco, the 'E' disappears and re-appears.

I almost explode with delight when I find these threads For so many years I've collected such bits of trivia, and finally have a place to share and exchange them.
One of my favourite "real life things" is in the second episode, "Daisy's Song". Near the start, as Daisy's song finishes playing on the radio, The Balladeer comments that "..for those of you ignorant of good music, Jessi Colter is one of the world's greatest singers - 'though I'm partial to June Carter myself." Jessi Colter was of course, Waylon's wife. As an in joke, possibly in keeping with the risque humour of the first couple of episodes, June Carter was the wife of Waylon's friend and collaborator Johnny Cash.
One of the fun things I loved spotting was the references to Burt Reynolds in the early episodes. In "One Armed Bandits", Luke comments that Burt Reynolds never seems to get lost, to which Bo responds "But he's got a moustache!"; and in "Repo Men", Cooter asks Luke what he thinks Burt Reynolds "would be doing at a time like this", to which Luke tells him whatever it was, it would be with someone better looking than Cooter! With 'Smokey and the Bandit' being a huge hit the previous year (and arguably helped the Dukes get on air), seems like they wanted to reference it quite a bit, and in my mind "Bandit" and "Dukes" have always inhabited the same universe! They certainly have similar adventures.
...'Course, Burt Reynolds would go on to play Boss Hogg in 2005's (terrible) Dukes film; not even Burt could save that mess!
(I won't mention Ben Jones / Sonny Shroyer / John Schneider appearing in 'Smokey' as surely we all know that; John also appears as a Sheriff in one of the 1990s TV Bandit movies, too)
But if you want "real stuff in Hazzard", look no futher than Jerry Rushing. He and his brother were the "original Duke boys" (Jerry claims he was the inspiration for Bo), had an Uncle Worley (spelling?) who became Uncle Jesse, and an attractive cousin who inspired Daisy. They used to hunt with crossbows, and their car was 'Traveler', named after General Lee's horse (also the name of the car in 'Moonrunners' and the name for what became the General Lee when the TV series was being conceived).
Between himself and Waldron collaborating on the series, apparently the likes of Swamp Molly and similar from first season episodes were based on real people and events they had known.
There has been contradiction over the years as to the original real life Boar's Nest. I've heard that Jerry (I think? Or was it Gy) claim that it was a place that they frequented; but I've also heard it cited as a music hangout that Waylon Jennings visited earlier in his career.
Finally, trying to remember if my memory is playing tricks, or maybe it was a myth doing the rounds on early Dukes web sites - there is an episode (probably fourth season) where John Schneider can be seen wearing his wedding ring, having just previously got married. If memory serves, he left it on as a little hidden on-screen "easter egg" to his new wife. Anyone?
Damn I gotta stop finding and catching up on these great threads, I have too much to contribute!!

Ha, no, I didn't mean that the series might have ended with the Dukes leaving Hazzard and the whole country being destroyed. Can you imagine the series ending like that It would have always been written with the same outcome as we see on-screen; I meant it was likely conceived as one 'final, ultimate challenge' to the Dukes, with them literally fighting to save everything they love dearly.
Also the show thankfully ran for two more seasons, I think that "Farewell, Hazzard" in terms of design would make a really good final episode.

Has anyone else ever considered / noticed that season five's "Farewell, Hazzard" may have been conceived as a possible finale to the show?
Think about it. After the show had Coy and Vance in place of Bo and Luke for most of the season (as well as slowly declining script quality), ratings were seriously down on the previous seasons. So it was uncertain for a time if the series would be renewed for another season.
As such, "Farewell, Hazzard" can really be seen as a bookend finale to the show. Boss finally succeeds in taking the Duke farm from the Dukes, leaving them homeless and forced to leave town. Meanwhile, a dodgy property developer is conning him and plans to obliterate much of the whole county for strip mining. It really does have a "(possible) final episode" feel to it. Even the unusual General Lee engine sound effects being used with the closing credits kind of feels to be a "send off" of sorts. Not to mention the episode title itself!
It's a very strong episode with a real challenge to the Dukes and one of my personal favourites; The final few minutes, with the General Lee vs. the villains in the helicopter, is one of the most exciting climaxes to an episode of the entire show's run.
Of course, the show was renewed (helped in no small part by the return of Bo and Luke), and it was shown prior to "Daisy's Shotgun Wedding" as the penultimate episode of season five. (It's not uncommon for an episode of such a show to be held back in case of a writer's strike or need of an additional episode in the schedule).
Has anyone else ever noticed or felt this? It's great that the series was renewed, it would have made a terrific show finale.