News

We love the folks over at TVShowsOnDVD.com. Back in October, they broke the news and we passed along to y’all about the rumours of WB releasing the two original cast reunion movies to DVD (along with the “Enos” series and the short lived Dukes cartoon series). Well mark your calendars y’all! June 10th, The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood are being released together! Check out the packaging!!

You can read more about the upcoming release here.

(Thanks Jax for the heads up!)

Despite a weak storyline and endless close-ups of Ford logos, the new Knight Rider tv-movie solidly captured its Sunday night time slot.

Knight Rider pulled away with the highest audience numbers, being over 12 million people, including the all-important male demographic of 18 to 40-something. We’d break down all the numbers in more detail, but we’re lazy and this ain’t about the Dukes of Hazzard anyhow.

NBC is in full peacock strut over Knight Rider’s Sunday night victory, and barring anything unforeseen, the new Knight Rider series is locked in for the fall.

A number of questions remain in light of the Knight Rider resurgence. Will KITT’s new camouflage colors include Hemi Orange? As a Ford, will KITT require even more trips to the maintenance bay for repairs? Can he tow himself?

Meanwhile, The General Lee remains the number 01, all-time popular tv and movie car. Will Warner Bros ever wake up and smell the motor oil?

In 1982, NBC rolled out Knight Rider as their answer to CBS’s wildly popular series, The Dukes of Hazzard.

The two fandoms have raged debates ever since about which car is cooler; The General Lee or the Knight Industries Two Thousand. KITT was everything the General Lee was not; modern, gadget-laden, and smarmy. While the General Lee couldn’t talk, there was something more genuine about the legendary abilities of our favorite Dodge Charger.

Whatever side you’re on, that debate is gearing up to start anew, as the Knight Industries Three Thousand prepares to flash itself around this Sunday night on NBC. The new made-for-tv movie has been heavily promoted on television, radio, and the web, but there’s a fan base in particular NBC is hoping to reach.

It has not gone unnoticed by NBC that all recent Dukes of Hazzard incarnations have drawn a good sized audience. Just as NBC counted on Dukes fans to tune in to Knight Rider back in 1982, they’re hoping for us to show up again on Sunday night. If the ratings are high enough, Knight Rider will go into turbocharged production for a new tv series next fall. A big-screen movie version, long-delayed, is also in the works.

Why should Dukes fans care? Well, if KR makes a successful comeback, it’s possible Warner Bros. might finally bless the new Dukes series project that has been nothing but hushed whispers for the last three years.

Meanwhile, here at HazzardNet, we recognize that Knight Rider fans share our neck of the woods more often than not. Indulge us while we pander to them with a  few KITT pictures. Our Forums contain a Knight Rider discussion, so if you have two cents to throw in about the new KITT, jump in!

HazzardNet has been hearing rumors about a possible new Dukes series for the past three years. While rumors abound and facts are hard to find, a couple of locals in Florida have spotted General Lees and filming crews in recent weeks.

We don’t know if this activity is connected to a Warner Bros. project or not. For all we know, it’s an elaborate tv commercial. Or maybe it’s something that John is up to. Or maybe it’s just filming for a one-minute segment on CMT.

To tell ya the honest truth, we just don’t know. Still, we thought the reports were worth sharing so ya’ll could speculate along with us. Here’s eyewitness accounts by fans by the name of Moriah and Tammy, as shown in quotes below:

“This is just speculation on my part, but on my way in to my real job today, I saw a film crew off to the side of the road by the everglades on Highway 27 in South Florida, just south of 1-75, and I saw what looked like the iconic General Lee along with lights and cameras. Keep an eye out, Hazzard fans…”

“This has yet to be totally confirmed, but I have spotted film crews around South Florida and among their sets have seen several General Lees.

“I’m not saying with any authority that they are making a new show or movie or commercial or something, but, it’s pretty obvious that’s what they’re doing. My friends and I drove into one of the spots where they were doing some filming, and after being told it was a closed set, we asked if they needed extras. After a few hopeful moments where we were led to believe they were going to use us, they came back with a ‘No, we have all the extras we need, we needed them an hour ago’. Oh well!”

“I saw the General Lee on my way to Orlando a month ago. We were using US 27 as well but near okeechobee and there were film crews and ramps and two cars. One with the numbers and one without, maybe a stunt or something! TOO COOL!”

There ya have it! Whatever it is. Stay tuned for more ignorance on our part – or facts when we get them!

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!