How much did Dukes of Hazard ratings fall during dispute?

The show is good old fashioned "leave your brain at the door" entertainment and sometimes we all need that.

 

I had the picture sleeve 45 of the theme. Played it over and over.

I remember seeing them on Smallville as well:

 

I had the picture sleeve 45 of the theme and played it over and over when I was a kid.

I also remember when they appeared on Smallville.

 

It was on after the Hulk. Kind of a dumb show but I watched it. Funny that my mom thought it was too violent....

 

I loved the show and lost interest after the Vance and Coy season. It was always a ridiculous plat bot at least it was fun. All the fun was gone once they brought in scab workers.

 

and yet somehow three's company could could pull it off and I never really cared.

 

I still remember the episode where they are visited by an alien.

 

I remember the episode where the Duke boys made boss hogg mad, and he had Roscoe and Enis chase them around the county.....

 

I don't think I saw that one.

 

It was suicidal of the network to think they could replace Bo & Luke on what was one of the biggest shows on TV at the time. I remember the change quite well, even as a kid. It was a merchandising phenomenon as well, though I wonder if the network was getting any cut of that. The change in the lead stars killed the show's entire momentum.

Warner has already put this show down the memory hole and basically pulled it from circulation on home video. Given the current political climate, hold onto any merchandise or DVDs you may have because it's never seeing the light of day again.

 

Still seems to be readily available at Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble and many other retailers from what I see today.

 

The thing that really killed the show was its use of minature cars for stunt scenes to save on production costs. Suddenly the General Lee could jump over buildings and helicopters, etc. When Tom Wopat was given a chance to direct an episode, he purposely avoided using them and got into trouble for it.

 

Early on, I pretty much watched the show every Friday night. It was a fun (mindless) way to wind down after a busy week of school.

Simple plots (that were largely the same), good-looking heroes, cartoonish villains, and pretty scenery.

A breezy and light confection, which was a lot of fun to veg out to before the weekend started.

Cut to about seven years ago. I had just started a new job that was stressing me out big time. On a whim, I bought one of the DVD sets when it was on sale, and began watching episodes after work on Friday nights.

The simple plots, good-looking heroes, cartoonish villains, and pretty scenery were just what the doctor ordered. The series actually helped me get through those crazy, stressful times.

Ended up buying the entire series, but seasons 5-7 are pretty rough. The rear-screen car chases were always cheesy, but adding the model kit special effects really killed whatever suspension of disbelief I could muster.

 

Never knew about them using models in stunts. Will have to look for some footage.

 

Season 7 maybe? What did they use? Small models?

 

I remember the look the initial 6 or so episodes had sine those where not shot on the studio backlot.

 

Yeah, it was definitely season seven and maybe even part of/all of season six. I think that I have seen a picture of one of the miniature General Lees up close and it didn't even look realistic then.

The stunts were one of the best parts of the show in the earlier seasons. It was said that stuntmen were begging to work on the show at it's peak.

 

Yeah, I believe the first 6-8 episodes were shot on location in Covington, Georgia. The whole tone of the show was different too. I actually prefer those first episodes over the others.

 

The thing that always confused me as a young kid in the UK was that you could get chased by the Police, drive across a road or jump a ditch and the Police had to stop.

As a 8 year old I thought that silly and far-fetched. As a 46 year old and even understanding the situation better, I still hold that opinion.

Not to mention all the spinal injuries.

 

When I was in high school (1980s) our school won the blood drive for the district. The prize was an appearance by KITT.

 

Was that the same episode where Daisy Duke wore those short cut-offs?

 

Tom "Luke Duke" Wopat lives in the same town as me.
My late brother-in-law worked at the garage where Tom brought his vehicles for service, so he saw him frequently.

However, I have only crossed paths with him once, in the local tobacco shop a few years ago. Seemed like a nice enough guy.

Needless to say, his recent arrest in Massachusetts (for improper conduct with female cast members of the show he was appearing in, with an additional side order of narcotics possession) was pretty big news around town.

 

I was in their PRIME demographic when that whole deal went down. One Bo and Luke left I completely lost interest and ever bothered to go back to the show. Seems like the ratings indicate I wasn't the only one who had that experience.

 

It would have been perfect if the musical's producers had replaced Wopat with the same guy who had played Vance Duke, but sadly that guy died in 2011.

 

Ahh, the Dukes. Between 1980 and 1982 (when I was in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade), Friday nights were all about Hulk and The Dukes. Then on Saturday we would ride our bikes around the neighborhood, re-enacting choice scenes from the previous night's episode.

Somehow I missed out on the "New Dukes," but my interest in the show may have been waning by then anyway. I do remember my younger sister seeing them and saying, "Eww! The New Dukes are ugly!" Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

A year or so later came The A-Team, who suddenly seemed an infinitely cooler bunch anyway.