Brian Coltrane

It's been awhile since we had one of these! And since MaryAnne is busy sorting out her handcuff collection, or who knows what, I figured I'd offer a challenge and see who's interested. We've done fic contests and story challenges in the past based on certain themes, like romance, or Christmas, what have ya. What I'm proposing this time, is a Dukes of Hazzard fanfic based on a Dukes of Hazzard episode. Confused yet? Good. Simply put, this is your chance to take any episode from the show...and re-write it. What would happen differently, in your version? What would the ending be like? Or, simply write out the episode as it stands. You can pick any episode and decide how you want to work with it: New characters? Ok! Original cast only? That's fine! Changing everything? Go for it! Keeping it all true to events as we saw them? Sure! Depending on the number of participants, and the type of entries, we'll have different levels of recognition: Best New Twist Best Adaptation of Episode to Written Story Best Surprise Ending Best Dialogue We're also going to be more flexible on the deadline. I'm gonna shoot for March 01, but if you have a work in progress and turn in a mostly-finished work, we'll extend the deadline. I just don't wanna put it so far out there that nobody starts writing until the end of February. Let's see what ya'll can do! Good luck, and happy writing!

These trivia questions are getting tougher all the time! I'm just going to tiptoe out of here now since I'm clueless....

MaryAnne's already sneakin' her first snooze of 2011. I'd already be hitting the hay myself, but we have some hillbillies in the neighborhood with fireworks, so I might as well stay up for 'em.

Got about an hour and a half to go before 2011 rolls in, where I'm at. Wheee!

Merry Christmas! Peace to all.

We're gonna ask WB to put the "Enos" series out there and see what they say. What the heck. There's been good momentum behind the "The Dukes" cartoon DVD, and with the whole production-on-demand concept, it's not like they have to eat a lot of overhead costs. Wikipedia has a list of the Enos episodes and plot summaries, if you're dyin' for some info in the meantime: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enos_%28TV_series%29

Ol' Boss n' Rosco could've had their own show. The comedic timing between Sorrell and Jimmie was always right-on. I got so used to it on the original series that I almost took it for granted, but then when I got "The Dukes" cartoon and they ran away with the show on their vocals alone, I was reminded of their clever ad-libs and timing. The Dukes of Hazzard gets knocked around by critics to this day, but the caliber of the cast was second to none. The loyalty of the fans speaks volumes for the show's enduring, multi-generational appeal.

I saw Tom during his "Annie Get Your Gun" performance on Broadway, and then saw him on tour in the musical "Chicago." I've caught some of his solo gigs on various tours. He's always surrounded by great musicians and great acting talents, and he always delivers a memorable performance. He's a top-notch entertainer. We usually announce Tom's upcoming gigs here on HazzardNet, but lately we haven't heard much news about him. Last I checked, his website had little to say. If you know of any upcoming shows or appearances for him, please feel welcome to post the info. Welcome to HazzardNet, by the way!

Uhhh.....oh, why not. S' Christmas, right? Least I can do. *fixes a hot cocoa for self, and clinks the mugs together* Merry Christmas, cousin.

I'll make it up to ya. *Fixes up a steaming mug of hot cocoa, complete with marshmallows and whipped cream. Offers it* Now, if I was locked up, I couldn't serve you hot chocolate, and bring you lunch, and wash your car, or whatever else it might take to smooth things over.

Yeah! The good news is, with a little photoshop, nobody can tell that you didn't shave your legs. Bahahaha -- JUST KIDDING! Don't shoot....

Not to worry! I've got enuff work to do around heah to stay out of trouble. Believe me. I got the Year End Yap n' Wrap Newsletter, the January Thaw Centerfold Issue, the... Well, I'm gettin' ahead of myself.

Argentina looks a little bit like Hazzard County, doesn't it?

That's a beauty. And it has a gas cap!

Chet's loose? There goes the neighborhood. Nice drawing, tho'!

I know you won't see this message for a couple days, but I have an idea. (Yeah, really! I do!) Why don't we just bug our Warner Bros contact and tell them we want the "Enos" series on DVD? We're being way too passive about this. If WB claims not to have any of the original film, I know of one other person who may have VHS copies, but I'd rather avoid that at all costs if I could. I'd have to disinfect myself after talking to the person I'm thinking of. And then check into rehab. I'd find it easier to fly to Burbank, CA and drop in on our contact first. So long as you expense the trip.

Dale was truly the King of All Message Boards. He had a razor-sharp wit and a keen intelligence. Yet he was one of the most compassionate people you could ever hope to know. He didn't suffer fools, but he would turn the other cheek and give people a second chance if they deserved one. I'm still in shock. I had a few conversations with Dale over the years, we had a few things in common that we would yap about. But mostly I knew him as everybody did. As a fellow Dukes fan. One who was passionate about the online community and about the real-life friendships that formed in it. I'll admit here and now...I didn't know he was sick. I was tuned out myself for much of the past year. I had no idea. Now he's gone. Nothing I could say about Dale, would equal the legacy left by his own words, antics, and friendships around cyberHazzard. I never thought goodbye would come this soon.

Roger, I'm gonna halfta whap you clean upside the head with this rolled up Dukes of Hazzard movie script I been workin' on heah. 'Cept I been savin' it for Warner Bros. If only they'd return my calls. *sigh*

You will. Nasty's gonna throw in a copy of Robot P. Coltrane, too. MEANWHILE! I been goaded into sharing a YouTube clip of "Eat My Dust." I know it has nothing to do with the 2005 movie, but it's a car movie. It's close, right? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6nYBXYylw&NR=1

Nasty's got you covered. You shoulda wished for somethin' better tho'.

Nice wheels! I can't recall for sure, but I think there was an ep where Rosco owned a LeMans. Bought it with the "nickles and dimes" he'd been saving. I'll have to defer this bit of Dukes of Hazzard trivia to the resident Pontiac experts. Or can somebody else confirm this? I wanna say the ep was "To Catch A Duke" but I'm not positive.

The thing that was hard about the 2005 movie, for me, was that WB had an opportunity in it's hand to make this a much better movie than it was. They threw some money at it, but made assumptions that the original fan base didn't care. Hello, we're living proof that the original fan base did care. We're still here. I haven't seen too many websites devoted to the 2005 movie. (other than WB's own one, and the numbers ain't exactly stellar.) Now, take Disney as the opposite example with a TRON sequel that's coming out...what, 30 years after the original? Was the original TRON so serious that Disney should have put as much time, energy, and exacting detail in the sequel as it has? What Disney's lesson is, is that the original fan base does indeed matter. If you can't capture the people who were loyal to the original to begin with, then why bother? To each their own on the 2005 Dukes movie. But to cap off my point, The Dukes of Hazzard was a top 20 show when it was cancelled. The two reunion movies had decent ratings when originally aired, enough to support the releases to DVD. Along with a lot of Dukes merchandise as a whole, ect. And these little shindigs called DukesFest. 100,000 people through the gates at Nashville. I'll never forget that one, as I was working for the gig at the time. Anyway, I'll never stop anyone from supporting whatever they enjoy about the Dukes of Hazzard. If it's the 2005 movie, good for you. I'm also very much into the "old school" car movies you mentioned, though some of them ( like Vanishing Point) might be too edgy for our younger fans. The hero in that one kills himself, so no, I'm not exactly gonna promote it in our merchandise section. But if you're paying attention, I've dug up some Ron Howard/Roger Corman team-ups in our last newsletter, that broach the subject. Nothing wrong with enjoying a car flick, I just try to stick with happy ending stuff that goes with the Hazzard flavor we have. Maybe Nasty the Reindeer will be handin' out copies of the 2005 movie to the bad boys and girls at the Christmas party.

Buttermilk is all yers, Roger.

Well, it does!