Dukes of Hazzard Bucket o’ News!

Has being on the lam kept you out of the loop? We got ya covered! Here’s all the latest Dukes of Hazzard news, in no particular order, because we’re lazy like that. Here we go!

Tickets for the Tom Wopat and John Schneider concert at the Fallsview Casino Resort go on sale January 13!  The casino doesn’t have it listed yet but Tom himself released this information. The shows are April 12 & 13 in Ontario, Canada, just on the other side of Niagra Falls. You’ll need a passport, but you got plenty of time to get that together. Your local post office can give you the passport application and explain what’s required.

Next, if you’ve got a million dollars in your pocket, why not blow it on LEE 1? Yes, the most famous, and also infamous, first General Lee is up for a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ, starting January 15. The car is famous for being the very first jumped General Lee in the first Dukes of Hazzard episode, “One-Armed Bandits.”  It later appeared in the episode “Repo Men” , repainted green, posing as a wrecked stock car.

When Dukes production left Georgia, LEE1 was left behind in a junkyard. It was eventually discovered in the late 90’s  and purchased  for an alleged $400 bucks.  The new owner, after much ballyhoo, turned around and auctioned the thing for some 24 grand or so, as-is, wrecked and rusted. How many times LEE1 changed hands after that, we don’t know, but it was eventually restored to be drivable and show-worthy.  In Duke circles, arguments abound about whether or not there’s enough original parts on the car to qualify it as “original”, as this was more like building the Bionic General than a normal restoration.  Yet somebody will pay a terrific price for LEE1  just for the bragging rights, if past history is any indication.

In other news, the lovely Catherine Bach has joined the cast of “The Young and the Restless”, a long-running daytime soap opera.  She will join the set Jan 10, with her first episode appearance expected around Feb 7. She will play a scheming, conniving mother of a scheming, conniving daughter, heck-bent on ruining marriages and fostering mistrust among friends. Sounds like fun!

One more quick thing, tickets for the 2012 Hazzard Homecoming are already on sale. We don’t know who’s gonna be there or what’s happening yet, but hey, it’s on! You’ll get a discount if you buy an e-ticket by March.  Swing over to Cooter’s Place for details.

That’s a wrap for now! Stay tuned to HazzardNet, we’ll have more for you soon!

Tom Wopat and John Schneider in Concert!

Photo credit: Paul Harrington

Forever known as Bo and Luke Duke to fans of “The Dukes of Hazzard,” Tom Wopat and John Schneider have come a long way from Hazzard County. Their diverse careers include success in vocal recordings, Broadway performances, theatre productions, concerts, TV and movie roles, and more. They are, without doubt, consummate entertainers who know how to engage and delight an audience.

When peforming together, the audience is treated to a combined talent that is augmented by genuine camaraderie. Rare is the friendship that lasts over 30 years, rarer still a friendship that has survived the brutal pressures of Hollywood and the media.

In concert, Wopat and Schneider display an obvious ease around each other, clearly enjoying themselves and the music that unites them. They give audiences the same good time that they’re having! The only drawbacks to seeing them peform live together, is that the event is far too rare, and the evening seems to end too quickly.

So far for 2012, you have exactly two chances to catch Tom and John in concert: April 12 and April 13 at the Fallsview Casino & Resort in Niagra Falls, Ontario. Tickets will be going on sale in January 2012. Seating is limited to 1,500 in the intimate concert venue, meaning that tickets will go fast. 

At this time, we do not know exactly when tickets will become available in January. We will make every effort to post an alert when tickets are on sale.  With a total of only 3,000 tickets being available for the weekend, you’ll want to stay in the loop!

Double Episodes of Dukes of Hazzard on CMT!

Now you have twice as many reasons to stay up all night. CMT is airing 2 episodes of “The Dukes of Hazzard” back-to-back every night this week! So go ahead and have a pot of coffee with dinner, and stay awake to catch these classics:

The Dukes in Hollywood – Wed 11/16 at 1:00 a.m. 

Cool Hands Luke and Bo – Wed 11/16 at 2:00 a.m.

Go West Young Dukes – Thurs 11/17 at 1:00 a.m.

Cale Yarborough Comes to Hazzard – Thurs 11/17 at 2:00 a.m.

Danger on the Hazzard Express – Fri 11/18 at 1:00 a.m.

Sittin’ Dukes – Fri 11/18 at 2:00 a.m.

“Cool Hands Luke & Bo” offered fresh excitement late in the series, by getting the Dukes in a heap of trouble outside of Hazzard.  For once, the bad guys aren’t coming to Hazzard from out of town – they’re at home in Osage County, and the Dukes just happen to wander over there.  Nice goin’, boys.  And can anyone listen to Daisy’s emotional protest without feeling sympathy? It’s rare we see Daisy in tears, even if  just for a moment.

Another original idea is explored in “Go West Young Dukes.”  It’s the closest thing to time-travel that we get in The Dukes of Hazzard, and it’s pulled off rather well. This Duke-ified western admits the remarkable resemblance between the current day Dukes and their storied ancestors, and from there, it’s just plain fun. It’s obvious that John Schneider and Tom Wopat relished the opportunity to do something different.

In the not-so-great department, “Cale Yarborough Comes to Hazzard”  is ruined by the over-use of model cars doing stunts that do not look believable in the least.  This episode had the potential to be a touching story about how a celebrity race car driver helps a  sick little boy. Instead, it was overstuffed with poorly executed, unnecessary “action” scenes of matchbox cars flying over toy buildings and landscapes. 

On the positive, Cale performs his role well, and Bo delivers a couple bad puns that are worth it just for Luke’s expression. James Best, as Rosco, delivers an ad-lib that we probably shouldn’t even mention.  This scene has often been cut from the TNN and CMT airings to make room for more commercials. Good thing we YouTube’d it.

The Must-Have Issue of Hot Rod Magazine!

The most anticipated new issue of Hot Rod magazine is now available! The November 2011 issue has hit the stands! You won’t want to miss the Bandit Trans-Am vs. the General Lee showdown!

Ask yourself. When is the last time you saw the General Lee in full splendor on the cover of a national magazine? Right there, we’re sold.  It’s worth getting your hands on this issue for the photos alone. This ain’t no showroom beauty contest; these rebel machines are kickin’ up gravel.

Like feuding kin, both of these legendary, iconic cars hail from the same Southern turf.  In their fictional settings, both are from Georgia; in real life, both are owned by Mark Osborne in Arkansas.  Mark is a dedicated Dukes of Hazzard fan who generously allowed the use of his cars and ranch property for this scientific automotive research.

Ultimately, it was up to Hot Rod readers to name the winner of this duel.  If you missed our earlier posting of Hot Rod’s Bandit vs. General video in our Duel to the Dust article, then go back and take a look!

Hot Rod magazine poses more debate-provoking topics in this issue, such as, Rosco vs. Sheriff Buford T. Justice, and Daisy vs. the chick who played Burt Reynold’s seat cover in Smokey and the Bandit.

John Schneider, ol’ Bo Duke himself, weighs in on these  sensitive matters with his own thoughts on page 51.

You’ll also want to check out Rob Kinnan’s “Starting Line” article about unforgettable cars in movies and TV.  And for you aspiring YouTubers or COPS audition wannabees, the car webcam article is essential reading!

HazzardNet users have found this issue of Hot Rod at Walmart and all major retailers, though they’re going fast.  Check your local magazine racks today! Get ahold of a copy, then shout out your opinions in our Forums!

Get Ready for More of John Schneider!

He began as Bo Duke, but John Schneider’s career has a wide variety these days. John is starring in an upcoming CMT series called “Trick My What?” featuring mechanical makeovers for the working man’s machine. From fishing boats to tractors to semi trucks, watch as John and a team of ace mechanics restore and rev-up these blue collar vehicles.

“Trick My What?” premiers Friday, October 7 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. As always, check your local cable listings. Meanwhile, you can watch a preview of the program right here:

In other John Schneider news, John also stars in an independent film called “Doonby” which was slated for a September 2011 release.  At the time of this writing, we were unable to confirm a specific release date.

“Doonby” is the story about a mysterious drifter without a past who arrives in a small Texas town.  Initially he finds acceptance, but after showing a knack for always being at the center of a crisis – in order to render aid – suspicion and resentment begins to replace admiration.  Did his arrival herald the onset of the town’s sudden woes? Or was his arrival timed to help it endure them? Who is Doonby?  You’ll probably never find out, by the looks of the movie, but that’s sort of the point.  Check out the trailer:

More of a thoughtful, provocative flick than a feel-good warm fuzzy, “Doonby” could either win people over or cause their avoidance, much like the lead character.  In fact, when we went digging to find out what was going on with the release date, we found that the sub-plot deals with messages about abortion and alcoholism.  The movie has been dubbed something like “It’s a Wonderful Life” without the wonderful.  Nonetheless, there’s nothing wrong with a movie that makes you think.  Any movie can have killer robots or car chases; but movies that take a hard look at humanity are rare today.

“Doonby the Movie” shows 7,822 “likes” on Facebook.  If you’re anxious to see this movie, you’ll need to make some noise.  If you have already seen the movie in an advance screening, share your review with us in the Forums!

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