The Dukes (TV series)
Animated spin-off of The Dukes of Hazzard featuring a global race.
The Dukes is a 30-minute Saturday morning cartoon that spun off from the live-action series *The Dukes of Hazzard*. It aired on CBS from February 5 to October 29, 1983, and was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions alongside Warner Bros. Television, which made the original show. A total of 20 episodes were produced.
In the series, the Duke boys and their cousin Daisy race around the world in a car competition against Boss Hogg, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, and Rosco’s pet basset hound Flash. The prize money is what the Dukes need to stop Boss Hogg from foreclosing on their family farm. Boss Hogg, however, wants both the cash and the land for himself, so he, Rosco, and Flash cook up various schemes to stop the Dukes from winning, with comical results. Most of the adventures are narrated by Uncle Jesse Duke as he reads a postcard to his pet raccoon, Smokey.
The series only had one season of 20 episodes. The first 13 episodes featured Coy and Vance Duke, voiced by Byron Cherry and Christopher Mayer, following a dispute over merchandise royalties in the live-action series. The final 7 episodes saw the return of Bo and Luke Duke, voiced by Tom Wopat and John Schneider, after they returned to the live show near the end of its fifth season. The episode “Boss O’Hogg and the Little People” introduced a new opening and voice-over to reflect the character swap.
The series didn’t follow any logical geographic route. Consecutive episodes, for instance, visit Venice, Morocco, the Arctic Ocean, London, Greece, India, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, and Scotland.
The voice cast included Byron Cherry as Coy Duke (first 13 episodes), Christopher Mayer as Vance Duke (first 13 episodes), Tom Wopat as Luke Duke (final 7 episodes), John Schneider as Bo Duke (final 7 episodes), Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke, Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse Duke, James Best as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, Sorrell Booke as Boss Hogg, and Frank Welker as Flash, Smokey, and the General Lee. Live-action co-stars Waylon Jennings, Ben Jones, Sonny Shroyer, and Rick Hurst did not appear in the cartoon. Many additional voice actors contributed across the series.
On December 7, 2010, Warner Archive released *The Dukes: The Complete Series* on DVD in region 1 as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action / Comedy
- Based On
- The Dukes of Hazzard · Gy Waldron · Jerry Rushing
- Developer
- Ray Parker
- Director
- Oscar Dufau / George Gordon (season 2) / Carl Urbano (season 2) / John Walker (season 2) / Rudy Zamora (season 2)
- Voices
- Byron Cherry / Christopher Mayer / Tom Wopat / John Schneider / Catherine Bach / Denver Pyle / James Best / Sorrell Booke / Frank Welker
- Theme Music Composer
- Hoyt Curtin
- Open Theme
- "The Dukes"
- End Theme
- "The Dukes" (Instrumental)
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Network
- CBS
- Executive Producer
- William Hanna / Joseph Barbera
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series features the Duke boys and their cousin Daisy in an automobile race around the world against Boss Hogg, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, and Rosco's pet basset hound Flash for prize money the Dukes hope to use to keep the family farm from being foreclosed by Boss Hogg. Boss Hogg wants the money and the land for himself, so he, Rosco, and Flash plan various schemes to keep the Dukes from winning with comical results. Most of the adventures are read from a postcard by Uncle Jesse Duke to his pet raccoon Smokey. The series ran for a single 20-episode season: the first 13 episodes featured Coy and Vance Duke, while the final 7 episodes featured Bo and Luke Duke.
Reader's Guide
The Dukes is notable as an animated spin-off of a prime-time live-action series, airing during a period of cast changes in the original show. The first season featured Coy and Vance Duke, reflecting the temporary replacement of the original actors in the live-action series after Tom Wopat and John Schneider walked out over a dispute about royalties from related merchandise. In Season 2, Bo and Luke replaced Coy and Vance after Tom and John returned to the live series. The series followed no particular logical geographic path, with episodes set in locations such as Venice, Morocco, the Arctic Ocean, London, Greece, India, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, and Scotland. The series was released on DVD by Warner Archive on December 7, 2010, as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection.
Production & Origins
The Dukes was a 30-minute Saturday morning cartoon that served as an animated spin-off of the hit live-action series The Dukes of Hazzard. Hanna-Barbera Productions handled the animation work in partnership with Warner Bros. Television, which had produced the original live-action show. The series ran on CBS from February 5 through October 29, 1983, producing a total of 20 episodes across two seasons. As a Saturday morning program, it was designed to bring the beloved Duke family to a younger audience in animated form, carrying over the core characters and antagonists from the prime-time original while adapting them to the conventions of children's television. The collaboration between Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. Television gave the project a dual pedigree, blending the animation studio's expertise with the network's ownership of the source material, and positioned the cartoon as a natural extension of the franchise into the weekend broadcast slot.
Plot & Narrative Structure
The central premise revolves around the Duke boys and their cousin Daisy entering an automobile race that carries them around the globe. Their motivation is deeply personal: they need the prize money to save the family farm from foreclosure by Boss Hogg. The antagonist trio—Boss Hogg, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, and Rosco's basset hound Flash—plot various comical schemes to sabotage the Dukes' chances, though their true aim is to claim both the money and the land for themselves. A distinctive narrative device frames most adventures: Uncle Jesse Duke reads stories from postcards to his pet raccoon Smokey. The series did not follow any logical geographic progression; consecutive episodes could jump from Venice to Morocco, the Arctic Ocean to London, Greece to India, Uzbekistan to Hong Kong, and Scotland, giving the show a wildly episodic and location-hopping quality that prioritized variety over continuity.
The Coy/Vance to Bo/Luke Transition
The animated series was directly shaped by a real-world dispute in the live-action show. During the period when Tom Wopat and John Schneider walked off the Dukes of Hazzard set over a royalties disagreement concerning related merchandise, the live series temporarily replaced them with similar characters named Coy and Vance Duke. This casting change carried over into the first season of the cartoon, where Byron Cherry voiced Coy and Christopher Mayer voiced Vance. The situation reversed when Wopat and Schneider simultaneously returned to the live-action series near the end of its fifth season. Their return was reflected in the animated show starting with Season 2, Episode 14, titled "Boss O'Hogg and the Little People," where Wopat and Schneider took over as Luke and Bo. That particular episode also introduced a new opening sequence and voice-over to acknowledge the character swap, making the transition a visible and documented part of the show's history.
Voice Cast & Home Media Legacy
The animated series benefited from the participation of several original live-action stars. Catherine Bach reprised Daisy Duke, Denver Pyle returned as Uncle Jesse, James Best voiced Sheriff Rosco, and Sorrell Booke brought Boss Hogg to life in animated form. Frank Welker handled multiple roles, including Flash, Smokey, and The General Lee. Notably, several supporting cast members from the live show—Waylon Jennings, Ben Jones, Sonny Shroyer, and Rick Hurst—did not appear in the cartoon. The additional voice cast included a wide range of actors, some appearing only in Season 1 and others only in Season 2. In terms of home media, Warner Archive released The Dukes: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 on December 7, 2010, as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection, making the full 20-episode run available to collectors and fans decades after its original broadcast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Dukes (TV series)?
The Dukes is an animated Saturday morning cartoon that aired on CBS from February 5 to October 29, 1983. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in collaboration with Warner Bros. Television as a spin-off of the live-action series The Dukes of Hazzard.
How many episodes of The Dukes (TV series) were produced?
The show ran for a single season comprising 20 episodes in total. It filled the Saturday morning slot on CBS for approximately nine months during the 1982–83 television year.
What is the main plot of The Dukes (TV series)?
The Duke boys and their cousin Daisy enter a worldwide car competition pitted against Boss Hogg, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, and Rosco's basset hound Flash. The prize money at stake is what the Dukes need to save their family farm from Boss Hogg's foreclosure.
Who voiced the main characters in The Dukes (TV series)?
The first thirteen episodes featured Byron Cherry as Coy Duke and Christopher Mayer as Vance Duke, while the final seven episodes swapped in Tom Wopat as Luke Duke and John Schneider as Bo Duke. Catherine Bach voiced Daisy Duke and Denver Pyle provided the voice of Boss Hogg throughout the run.
Why is The Dukes (TV series) notable to fans of The Dukes of Hazzard?
It stands as the only animated adaptation ever produced from the Dukes of Hazzard franchise, giving the characters a distinct cartoon identity. The global racing premise set it apart from the live-action show while preserving the core rivalry between the Dukes and Boss Hogg.
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