The Dukes of Hazzard

Review

Common Sense Media says

Yee haw! Original Dukes leap the generation gap.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

AGE
8
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that it's no accident that this longtime favorite has hung around long enough to entertain a whole new generation of fans. The show's lovably indomitable heroes prove time and again that, in Hazzard County, corrupt businessmen and inept cops are no match for them and their orange cohort, the General Lee. While the humor is silly (and sometimes is at the expense of exaggerated Southern stereotypes) and the plots are predictable (with all loose ends neatly tied up by the hour's end), ubiquitous car chase scenes help ensure that the show never gets boring. The only real eyebrow-raisers are some characters' use of guns -- although the shots are laughingly poor and never manage to hit anyone -- and Daisy Duke's skimpy attire, including the famous high-cut shorts that were named after her character. It's all pretty tame, though, which is why we're giving it an "on" rating.

  • Positive messages1
    Helping people and doing the right thing are major themes here. Contains lots of stereotypes about the South.
  • Positive role models1
    The Duke boys are polite and always try to do the right thing by exposing injustice and corruption in their community. Daisy is sexually objectified, but is also a strong character.
  • Violence3
    Episodes almost always include a car crash or two, but no one's ever seriously hurt. Law enforcement officials carry handguns and often shoot out windows or tires of cars. Some characters also use bows and flaming arrows to ignite the occasional building. Fistfights are common, and the players sometimes use nearby items (chairs, beer bottles) during the scuffles. But aside from some bumps and bruises, no one suffers lasting injury.
  • Sex3
    The main female character wears skimpy tops and provocatively high-cut jean shorts that leave nothing to the imagination. Adults often engage in playful flirting, and occasionally there's some kissing.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism0
    Dukes merchandise is available on the toy shelves.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    The favorite hang-out is a bar, and overage characters drink beer when they're there (and occasionally when they're not).
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What's the story?

THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, which originally ran on CBS from 1979 to 1985, follows the adventures of two "good ol' boy" cousins who live on their uncle's dilapidated farm in the outskirts of fictional Hazzard County, Georgia. On probation for running moonshine for Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle), Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat) are legally obliged to stay within the county lines. They spend their free time (which apparently is all of it, since neither one has a job) careening through dusty back roads in their orange, Confederate flag-clad '69 Charger, the General Lee. Though they've put their law-breaking days behind them, the Duke boys are often forced to avoid getting arrested on trumped-up charges by the county's bumbling sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best), whose many failures at incarcerating the Dukes haven't dampened his hopes of putting them behind bars. The Dukes also have to deal with the antagonism of county commissioner/corrupt businessman Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke), who owns or runs pretty much all of Hazzard. Cousin Daisy (Catherine Bach), who also lives with them, and local mechanic Cooter (Ben Jones) often pitch in to help Uncle Jesse rescue Bo and Luke from the inept lawmen.

Is it any good?

 

The Dukes of Hazzard is a down-home classic, having maintained a fervent fan base for more than 25 years (it even inspired a big-screen version in 2005). Its combination of silly comedy, lovable characters, and memorable car chases and jumps is just plain fun entertainment that spans the generational gap -- though parents may want to check it out before showing it to really young kids. Some characters carry and shoot guns, Daisy wears fairly provocative attire (including those famous high-cut jean shorts that were later dubbed "Daisy Dukes"), and some of the humor is based on some pretty broad stereotypes.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about respecting law enforcement officials. Why do police officials deserve our respect? Why don't the characters in the show respect Rosco, even though he's the sheriff? What rights do citizens have in the presence of police officers? Parents can also discuss how the media portrays negative stereotypes. Kids, what examples of stereotyping have you noticed in movies or TV shows? What about in the news? How are the characters in this show exaggerated for laughs?

This review was written by Emily Ashby
Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
this show is ok but there is always car chases with fightitng but harkly ever get carried away
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Teen, 15 years old
April 15, 2011
AGE
6
 
Great for all ages!!!!
Great show!!!! In the entire like, 8 seasons there are only about 4 uses of bad language. My whole family loves it!!!!
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Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (4)
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Kid, 13 years old
March 25, 2011
AGE
9
 
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (3)
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This review was written by Emily Ashby
Topics:cars and trucks
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:CMT
Cast:Catherine Bach, John Schneider, Tom Wopat
Genre:Comedy
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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