The Dukes of Hazzard
| Relationship | Randy discusses the series as a longtime fan, including its characters, fifth-season cast changes, precursor film, and deceased cast members. |
|---|---|
| Sentiment | Positive |
| Assessment | Randy calls the series one of his favorites and a wonderful show; his criticism is limited to particular production ideas and his former dislike of the Coy and Vance episodes. |
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American action-comedy television series that aired from 1979 to 1985. Randy describes it as one of his favorite shows, praises its characters and the General Lee, and says that although he did not care for it at first, he fell in love with it after watching several episodes. He also recalls dressing as Boss Hogg during his final two childhood trick-or-treating outings.
Coy and Vance episodes
Randy says John Schneider and Tom Wopat left for most of the fifth season during a dispute over merchandise compensation, leading Christopher Mayer and Byron Cherry to appear as cousins Vance and Coy Duke. He remembers disliking those episodes when they first aired, but says he developed a soft spot for them over time. He also comments on the fifth-season DVD packaging and changes in how Rosco P. Coltrane was credited.
Moonrunners
Randy discusses Moonrunners as the film that preceded and inspired the television series. He compares its characters with their later Dukes of Hazzard counterparts and notes that Waylon Jennings served as balladeer in both. Randy considers the earlier film decent, but says it did not equal The Dukes of Hazzard.
Related commentary
In another video, Randy discusses a report he read that the series might once have included a character based on Floyd the Barber from The Andy Griffith Show. He says he likes Floyd but believes that such a character would not have fit The Dukes of Hazzard. Because Randy presents the premise as something he read and says he does not know whether it is true, the production claim remains uncertain.
Randy has also made tribute videos about deceased members of the show's cast. In the surviving transcript for the second tribute, he discusses actors including Denver Pyle, Sorrell Booke, James Best, Christopher Mayer, Peggy Rea, and Waylon Jennings, while also mentioning other parts of their careers. Automatic-caption errors make some names and details in that transcript difficult to recover precisely.
Related articles
Source note: Several transcripts contain automatic-caption distortions in actor and character names. The article attributes production claims and memories to Randy rather than independently confirming them.
References
- Randy Johnson, Floyd and The Dukes of Hazzard (randy commentary), archived transcript.
- Randy Johnson, The Dukes of Hazzard (randy commentary), archived transcript.
- Randy Johnson, The Dukes Of Hazzard: Coy and Vance episodes (randy commentary), archived transcript.
- Randy Johnson, The Dukes Of Hazzard Deceased Actors Tribute - Part II (randy commentary), archived transcript.
- Randy Johnson, Moonrunners & Dukes of Hazzard (randy commentary), archived transcript.