| Based On: | The Dukes of Hazzard, |
| Theme Music Composer: | Hoyt Curtin |
| Opentheme: | "The Dukes" |
| Endtheme: | "The Dukes" |
| Composer: | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Network: | CBS |
| Producer: | Kay Wright |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 20 |
| Related: | The Dukes of Hazzard |
The Dukes is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series based on the live-action television series The Dukes of Hazzard which aired on CBS from February 5 to October 29, 1983. Hanna-Barbera Productions produced the series in association with Warner Bros. Television, producer of the original series.[1] 20 episodes were produced.[2]
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 dog Flash in a duel for the prize money which the Dukes hope to use to keep the family farm from being foreclosed by Boss Hogg.[3] Meanwhile, Boss Hogg wants the money and the land for himself so he, Rosco, and Flash plans various schemes to keep the Dukes from winning. Most of the adventures are read from a post card by Uncle Jesse Duke to his pet raccoon Smokey.
The first season took place during the period of the live-action series' temporary replacement of the original actors with similar characters, Coy and Vance Duke, after Tom Wopat and John Schneider walked out over a dispute about royalties from related merchandise. Thus, the first season of this animated series featured Coy and Vance. Bo and Luke eventually replaced Coy and Vance in Season 2 Episode 1 (14): "Boss O'Hogg and the Little People" after Tom and John simultaneously returned to the live series following the end of the dispute near the end of the fifth season. This episode also featured a new introduction and voice over that reflected the change in characters.
The series followed no particular logical geographic path; for instance, consecutive episodes feature appearances in Venice, Morocco, the Arctic Ocean, London, Greece, India, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Scotland.
Note: Live-action co-stars Waylon Jennings (narrator/"balladeer"), Ben Jones (Cooter Davenport), Sonny Shroyer (Deputy Enos Strate), and Rick Hurst (Deputy Cletus Hogg) did not appear in this cartoon version.
Starting in the very first episode of this season, Tom Wopat and John Schneider return as Luke and Bo in the regular Dukes of Hazzard series, and take over for Coy and Vance in the cartoon.
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.[4]