Gilmore Girls:
Season 1
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Review: The Dukes of Hazzard: The Complete First Season
Written by Craig Byrne (PlanetKrypton@aol.com)

Twenty-three years before John Schneider became the adopted father of Superman, he starred in an amazingly popular TV series called The Dukes of Hazzard.

The Dukes features two cousins - Bo (played by John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat) - two "good ole boys" who would fight the system. They lived with their cousin, the sexy Daisy (Catherine Bach), whose shorts inspired the "Daisy Dukes" fashion craze; and their wise uncle, Jesse (Denver Pyle). The crime in their home of Hazzard County was run by the county commissioner, Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg, played by Sorrell Booke, and his right-hand man, bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best). The Dukes travelled around Hazzard in their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger, "The General Lee."

The Dukes of Hazzard holds a special place for me because it was the first series I could call my "favorite show." Granted, I was only three years old at the time, but when TNN started showing repeats a few years ago, I was hooked again. My excitement and love of The Dukes is part of what made me excited when I heard John Schneider would be playing Jonathan Kent on Smallville.

Of course, when TNN did their repeats, several extra minutes (usually hilarious scenes between Boss and Rosco) had to be on the cutting room floor in favor of more commercials. I also found then that the early episodes of the series - which I really didn't like as a kid because they were "too serious" - were far superior to what came later. The show was actually naughty, and a lot of fun.

Luckily, those early shows are kept in their full, uncut posterity on The Dukes of Hazzard: The Complete First Season from Warner Home Video. The first half dozen episodes, filmed in Covington, Georgia, of course are the highlights; but it's equally fun to see the early Burbank-filmed episodes, where Sheriff Rosco starts to become unwound. (Most people remember the cackling Sheriff Rosco of later seasons who would spout catch phrases like "dipstick" and "little fat buddy," and would hang out with his bassett hound, Flash)

The early episodes feature a more competent Sheriff Rosco and a much more ruthless Boss Hogg; also, the naive Deputy Enos and "crazy" mechanic Cooter are treats of this season's worth of episodes. John Schneider is only 18 years old when these episodes are being filmed, and you'd swear there was a resemblance between the Schneider at this time and his TV son, Tom Welling.

The DVD includes a commentary of the show's pilot episode, "One Armed Bandits," with John Schneider and "Daisy" Catherine Bach. John actually makes a comment about the previously-mentioned resemblance to Welling during the commentary. Both John and Cathy really seem to know what they're talking about, and it made me wish or hope that there's a John Schneider commentary coming to a future Smallville DVD. (Perhaps with Annette O'Toole?) There's also a filmed reunion of the cast (sans Tom Wopat) and a feature on race car drivers who were inspired by the Dukes. The reunion has a really funny story, previously told in Catherine Bach's foreword to The Dukes of Hazzard: The Unofficial Companion, involving James Best (Rosco), a Polaroid picture, and a cowboy hat. You try and figure it out.

Anyone who's open to watching an older TV series that at the same time has a very strange timelessness would and should love this DVD set. There are fast cars and family values, although the true all-ages feel of the show won't come until its second or third season. It's worth watching not only to see a younger John Schneider, but also so you, too, can be introduced to the comic gold that is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. This is by far one of my favorite DVD sets of a series that's 25 years old. It would be a great gift for someone who grew up with the Dukes, or someone who's curious for some good ole fun.

My only complaints? I would have liked to have seen the mid-episode "And now, back to the Dukes" that was on the show during its original run. I also was really put off by the promo for the upcoming video game The Return of the General Lee, which, in the interest of political correctness, has removed the Confederate flag from the General's roof. Yes, some hateful people have used that flag for bad reasons, but the Dukes are far from hateful, and the removal of the flag was insulting.

My final two complaints are just the feeling that I'd really love to see some other Dukes stars (Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, or James Best maybe?) on Smallville at some point, and the yearning is no fun; but also, the quality of the show's first season makes me fear whatever the Warner movie division plans to do with the franchise. But again, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and it's a really fun set.

You can order the Dukes of Hazzard DVD (and support KryptonSite!) by clicking here to this Amazon.com link!

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