The Balladeer: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:05, 13 August 2017

TV Show

The idea of having a balladeer rather than a narrator in the TV series, and having country music legend Waylon Jennings play that role, came from the movie Moonrunners. Each story was a ballad, and the Balladeer took the viewers through that story, getting some of the best lines along the way. From the writers' point of view, having a balladeer provided a easy way to cover unshot scenes, or to get from point A to point B without having to write a page of dialogue for the actors. They simply let the Balladeer bridge the gap.

The implied storyline was that Waylon was a friend of Uncle Jesse, and that Waylon was forever in debt to the stranger who gave him enough money to buy another guitar after his had been stolen before his first professional gig.

Other Portrayals

TV Movies

For the TV movies, two more country music singers took on the role of the Balladeer. In The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! it was Don Williams, and in The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood it was Mac Davis. Unusually, Mac Davis' balladeer appears on screen a few times during the movie.

2005 Movie

It was another country music singer, Junior Brown, who played the Balladeer in the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard movie.

2007 Movie

In a break with tradition, the 2007 TV movie The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning used actor Gary Cole as the Balladeer.

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+__NOTOC__
 [[Category:Characters|Balladeer, The]]
+== TV Show ==
 [[File:Balladeer0303.jpg|320px|center]]
+The idea of having a balladeer rather than a narrator in the TV series, and having country music legend [[Waylon Jennings]] play that role, came from the movie [[Moonrunners]]. Each story was a ballad, and the Balladeer took the viewers through that story, getting some of the best lines along the way. From the writers' point of view, having a balladeer provided a easy way to cover unshot scenes, or to get from point A to point B without having to write a page of dialogue for the actors. They simply let the Balladeer bridge the gap.
-To help keep things straight, the viewer was assisted by country music legend Waylon Jennings. Jennings also wrote the shows theme song "Good Ol' Boys" which went to #1 on the country charts and in the top 20 on the pop charts. The implied story line was that Waylon was a friend of Jesse's and that Waylon was forever in debt to the stranger who gave him enough money to buy another guitar after his had been stolen before his first professional gig. Although Jennings feelings towards his six years spent as the Dukes balladeer appear clouded, fans agree he is the only one they prefer as balladeer. Some of the shows most classic lines come from the Balladeer himself. "Y'all better not go to the refrigerator now." and, "Aren't you glad they're the one's driving it, and we just have to watch it?"
+The implied storyline was that Waylon was a friend of [[Uncle Jesse Duke|Uncle Jesse]], and that Waylon was forever in debt to the stranger who gave him enough money to buy another guitar after his had been stolen before his first professional gig.
+== Other Portrayals ==
+=== TV Movies ===
+[[Image:BalladeerHiH.jpg|thumb|Mac Davis as The Balladeer]]
+For the TV movies, two more country music singers took on the role of the Balladeer. In [[The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!]] it was Don Williams, and in [[The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood]] it was Mac Davis. Unusually, Mac Davis' balladeer appears on screen a few times during the movie.
+=== 2005 Movie ===
+It was another country music singer, Junior Brown, who played the Balladeer in the [[The Dukes of Hazzard (Movie)|2005 Dukes of Hazzard movie]].
+=== 2007 Movie ===
+In a break with tradition, the 2007 TV movie [[The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (Movie)|The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning]] used actor Gary Cole as the Balladeer.