It was 40 years ago today... First UK broacast

[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.

Edited March 3, 2019 by P.J. Gathergood

[HossC]

I knew this anniversary was coming up, but had a busy weekend and forgot. I could've sworn I'd posted the listing below already on HNet, but couldn't find it. It's from British TV guide the Radio Times, and shows details of the debut of 'One Armed Bandits' (NB. I've rearranged the original layout to make it more screen-friendly).
 
I've just noticed that they misspelled Gy's names as Guy near the bottom.

[RogerDuke]

What a hysterical day that was.....and historical. Thanks so much for posting these. It' s so good to have PJ back here in Hazzard County. It sure doesn't seem like 40 years whenever I put a DVD in and hit play. 

[Hobie Hartkins]

WOW!! I can't believe it's been that long! I remember the big thing for us when we were in 9th-10th grade, was Friday night sitting in front of the TV, watching the show. My friends did the same! We were too young to drive and go cruising, so this was the big time for us! 40 yrs.....so hard to believe.....!! Oh, and welcome back PJ! Don't be a stranger! Long time no see!  

[Boss JD Hogg]

I watched The Dukes Of Hazzard from the beginning.  I was 9 years old when it first aired.  I was so happy that the show did well in the ratings and was on for a few years.

[Hobie Hartkins]

I was 14 when it started and it still brings back memories and I keep one DVD in my machine and fall asleep to it every night. It's the comfort of going to a world I love and remember, whether I literally lived there or not!

[Skipper Duke]

On 1/29/2024 at 11:24 PM, Boss JD Hogg said:

I watched The Dukes Of Hazzard from the beginning.  I was 9 years old when it first aired.  I was so happy that the show did well in the ratings and was on for a few years.

Boss JD Hogg... You were the same as me when I discovered it. Wow! Small word. I discovered it on TNN(The Nashville Network/The National Network/Spike TV)in 1996 when that channel aired reruns. I was 9.