[identity profile] captain-slinky.livejournal.com


(This video includes both versions of the opening credits, watch to see the differences and similarities - it's fun!)

Most of what needs to be said about The Dukes (the cartoon based on the popular "Dukes Of Hazzard" tv show) has already been said in the Speed Buggy post from 1982, but in summary...

Cartoon was nearly complete thanks to Hanna-Barbera, actors went on strike, replacement cartoon was late, Speed Buggy was aired instead, The Dukes debuted in the Spring of 1983 with "Coy and Vance" instead of "Bo and Luke".

Now, further fun stuff :)

This cartoon was doomed from the moment CBS decided to use it as a bargaining chip in their negotiations with the actors. Putting it on the air with two guys who WEREN'T the Duke Boys that everybody knew and loved drove away the viewers, and by the second season (once the real Duke Boys had returned) nobody was willing to give it a chance, probably because no one actually KNEW that the real Dukes were back on the show.

And speaking of that second season... the entire two-season run worth of 20 episodes ran in one year - Spring of 1983 till Spring 1984. Since H-B already had most of the second season (which had been intended to be the first season) completed, turnaround for getting these episodes on TV was no problem. Poor ratings were blamed for the quick cancellation.
[identity profile] captain-slinky.livejournal.com


Yet another of my personal failures as a child of the 1980's - I had NO IDEA that this cartoon existed till just a few years ago! And that's DESPITE my having been a pretty avid fan of The Dukes of Hazzard! And it's not like it was a simple throw-away one-season cartoon show to be forgotten forever... this thing was on the air for TWO WHOLE SEASONS!!! I owned a GI Joe - sized General Lee with Bo & Luke Duke, I owned a Dukes of Hazzard Wrist Racer, I watched the show every Friday night... HOW DID I MISS THE CARTOON?!?!? And to top it off, it even looks kind of incredible with The General Lee pulling off all sorts of Mach 5 / Speedbuggy-type stunts along the way!

Leave a few kind words or serious thoughts about The Dukes in the comments below and if it was one of your favorites then don't forget to go vote for this cartoon in our Best Cartoon of 1983 Poll!

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1980's Saturday Morning Historical Preservation Society

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