What it means to be a "Dukes" fan

OK, BRB has been looking forward to this one all week ... It's a special story, designed to illustrate just what it means to be a fan of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Herein you'll find the qualities that Bo, Luke and Daisy represented on the show, the qualities that Jesse encouraged. And this one's all true, folks; it's not a script.

The storyteller here is Mr. Chad Fullerton of North Georgia, an avid fan of "The Dukes" who's been featured on the BRBTV News Blog before (see the November 17 post). Chad emailed BRBTV a week or two ago with this story, and the bottom line is, we felt compelled to pass it along ...

"When I arrived back up here in North Georgia on Tuesday night, I stopped by the post office to gather my mail. When I opened my box, I discovered another key with details of a "larger" box waiting for me in another bin.

"Well, as soon as I made my way over the larger bin, I immediately opened the box and found a rather large package waiting there for me. The first thing that I noticed was the cost of the postage for the item. It was just under $8.00. The second thing that I noticed was that the package had the word 'fragile' written all over it.

"I was going to wait until I got home to open the box, but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided that I had to open the box right then and there. Once I opened the box and pulled all of the packing out, I saw the item. Let me rephrase that. I saw the item secured in foam wrapped by many strips of duct tape. I then proceeded to tear away the duct tape. It took me nearly five minutes to get all of the tape off! That was one heck of a 'hillbilly' wrapping job! (lol)

"Anyways, when I finally got all of the tape off, I discovered that I had been sent a 'custom' 1:18th scale General Lee renamed as the 'GA-Duke.'

"I literally had tears fill my eyes as I read the brief letter that accompanied the car. My friend, Jason Bagwell, had taken the time to build the car and apply custom decals that he had made specifically for me. 'GA-Duke' came from the screen name that I use on the message boards. It also references my Charger's actual state license plate which reads 'GADUKE01.' Jason also had a custom license plate made that reads 'Chad's' on the back.

"I first met Jason back in '99 at a 'Dukes' convention in Covington. To this date, I consider him to be one of the best folks in our great hobby. He had a General Lee replica that had a neat history. His old LEE was actually owned by Warner Bros. back in 1984. The car sat, with a few other Chargers, on a Warner Bros. backlot waiting to be 'General-ized.' However, it was never officially given a General Lee uniform, as the show was cancelled, and the car, along with the other few Chargers, were sold off.

"Anyway, Jason's old LEE was used and featured on an episode of 'Good Day, Atlanta' in 2000 as well as the Travel Channel's 'TV Road Trip' in 2001, that featured none other than 'ol Cooter himself, Ben Jones, wheeling the car around the backroads of Covington and Conyers.

"Fast-forward to 2004: Jason was working in a lab and was exposed to some harmful chemicals. To say the least, his health became an issue. Then, a few months later, he was laid off. That of course, led to the sale of his LEE. He was so bummed, but he said that there was "no other way." He did, however, keep his car's trunklid, which had many autographs on, including Denver Pyle and Waylon Jennings.

"Throughout all the guy has been through, he has remained pretty upbeat. He has replaced his full-sized LEE with models now and has hopes of building another car one of these days.

"I was really touched that he took the time and the money to build me a car. He certainly didn't have to do it."

Thanks to Chad for sending us this story. If you know of another true-life "Dukes" fan story like this one, by the way, email us, and we'll be delighted to post it ...

Ken Howard makes "Sacrifices of the Heart"

Ken Howard, whom we know as Garrett Boydston of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," will star in a new Hallmark Channel movie in early March.

Howard shares the small screen with Melissa Gilbert of "Little House on the Prairie" fame in the film, "Sacrifices of the Heart," airing on Saturday, March 3 at 9 p.m. EST. He plays a character named Thane Weston, who begins having memory lapses, and his son, Ryan (played by Cyril O’Reilly, at right in the photo below), asks his estranged sister, Kate (Gilbert), to return home as they try to find the cause. In the process, old wounds are reopened for the family, giving them a last chance at healing, the Hallmark press info also says.

Photo: Hallmark Channel / Aaron Rapaport

Howard has a couple other 2007 movie projects coming up: "Michael Clayton," starring George Clooney and Sydney Pollack, and "Still Waters."

By the way ... did you know Howard was married in the 1970s to one of our "Santa Barbara" bright-lights, Louise Sorel (Augusta Lockridge)? Fun!

Coming up tomorrow ... "What it Means to Be a 'Dukes' Fan." You won't want to miss it.

Coming up in Archie Comics: Veronica travels the world, and Cheryl Blossom taunts (as always)

ARCHIE #573
“Later Than You Think”: Archie learns life is about trade-offs: the good news is he’ll save money if he rents a DVD for his date with Veronica … the bad news is he’ll pay another way, by suffering through a gooey-sappy-syrupy chick flick! SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Career Daze”: As part of “career week,” the Riverdale High students get to spend a week participating in the career of their choice, so Archie decides to be Veronica’s new butler! SCRIPT: Bill Golliher. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Right on the Kisser”: Betty and Veronica argue over who is the better kisser … and of course, to determine the answer they’ll have to demonstrate on Archie! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #107
THE WEB RETURNS … ALONG WITH A NEW SIDEKICK, KATY KEENE! “The Web Returns”: It’s the return of that “Mighty Hero,” the Web … sort of! It’s the filming of the latest super-heroic multiplex mega hit starring everyone’s OTHER favorite arachnid-inspired hero, the Web. Katy has the plum role of the hero’s spunky girlfriend, but when things get seriously deadly on the set, Katy may have to put on her detective hat. Who is sabotaging the stunts, and why? SCRIPT AND ART: Andrew Pepoy. “Riverdale’s Got Talent”: The latest TV talent show sensation comes to Riverdale in a benefit to fund the high school’s education programs … and the first thing the judges will learn is that not all of the faculty and students have the “talent” they claim to have! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST #177
Double your pages, double your Archie and double your fun in this double digest full of new stories and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.

BETTY #163
“A Study in Studying”: Betty’s dreams of high marks on her midterms are foiled by dreams of another sort – daydreams of Archie! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Everything is Beautiful”: Did you ever have one of those times where everything went so wrong that something was bound to go right?! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Sales Help!”: Betty’s new job helping customers at a department store has its obstacles … the biggest being that the customers all want to help themselves! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA #225
“Poor Little Rich Girl”: Veronica decides to help Betty by donating her time to charity in this poignant tale. SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Jeff Shultz. “Now for a Really Super Story”: When Cheryl Blossom threatens to steal Archie away, Betty and Veronica become super-heroic protectors of their man in this costumed-crusader fable! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Jeff Shultz. “The Pampered Pet Set”: High society is going to the dogs … literally … when Veronica hosts a masquerade party for country club pets! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Jeff Shultz.
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #77
“The Great Outdoors: Betty Style!”: Camping in the wilderness has its disadvantages for Veronica – namely, no malls, no electricity and no plumbing. But before she can bail, Veronica spots hunky Donald on the trail … and suddenly, the lack of luxuries become irrelevant! “The Great Outdoors: Veronica Style”: In a flip of the previous story, Veronica hosts a camping trip – and no convenience is left behind! But even high energy power lines aren’t infallible, so Betty may get her wish of “roughing it” yet! SCRIPTS AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
32-page, full0color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #173
Bright and brassy, bold and beautiful, blonde and brunette -- teen dream queens Betty & Veronica romp through this collection of new stories and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #18
"Cousin Calamity!": Look out guys, Reggie's cousin Regina is in town, and she's a knockout. She's also as devious and mischievous as Reggie, which the guys soon learn as she makes fools out of them with one practical joke after another! All except one: Jughead. Can Regina fool Jughead with one of her patented gags … and is there a possibility of romance with the crowned one?! SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales by various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #129
Its double-decker sandwiches and double-trouble as the irrepressible Jughead tilts the laugh-o-meter in this uproarious collection of new stories and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.


PALS-N-GAL’S DOUBLE DIGEST #110
The spotlight is on the wonderful cast of Archie supporting characters, in this double digest featuring new stories and classic tales. SCRIPT & ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #83
"Batty Bartholomew": Sabrina decides to return to magic, and just to make sure she does, her aunts find an ancient wizard to tutor her. The only problem is, he's beyond rusty and seems more than a little wacky. Or is he? Meanwhile, Llandra has no interest in reconciling with Sabrina, but Shinji is hoping he and Sabrina can put their differences aside so Sabrina will rejoin the Four Blades. On the human side of things, Sabrina laments the fact that her new relationship with Harvey can't be as "normal" as she hoped -- once again, she has to hide her magic abilities! SCRIPT AND ART: Tania del Rio .
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #18
"The Class of 2027": A sideshow seer gives Mr. Weatherbee a peek into the future, and not only is Riverdale High still standing, amazingly, it's standing under the leadership of Principal Archie! As the Bee peeks deeper, he learns that it's because Archie has become a great disciplinarian due to his great role model, Mr. Weatherbee! Will Archie's future success soften the Bee's wrath when it comes to Archie's present failures? SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

VERONICA #178
“It’s a Small World”: When Ginger is assigned an article on the “best place in the world” for Glitz Magazine, she immediately turns to famous world-traveler Veronica for help! You know what that means – Ginger and Veronica are about to travel the world in 30 days! Their whirlwind tour covers all the most exciting and exotic spots, but will they be able to narrow it down to one in time to meet Ginger’s deadline … and will their final selection surprise even themselves?! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

Stella Parton checks in with 2007 projects

Stella Parton, the lovely country-music songstress who starred in the "Dukes of Hazzard" episode "Deputy Dukes" and took the stage at last year's DukesFest in Nashville, has some neat stuff planned for 2007.

One project is "A Dance for Bethany," scheduled for release this year. The film uses recordings by Parton, she says in her e-update. It's directed by Brian Gurley and written by Yvonne G. Williams. (The movie also stars lovely redhead Robyn Lively, whose family was very active in the "Dukes" world -- father Ernie Lively played Longstreet B. Davenport and Dobro Doolan, while brother Jason Lively played Rod Moffet in the episode "The Boar's Nest Bears" and Rudy in the pilot.)

Parton appears in another film scheduled for release in 2007: "Ghost Town," filmed in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. "They will be using some of my music as well," Parton says. She shares the screen with Terence Knox and Charles Matthau, son of Walter Matthau. That one's a western directed by Jeff Kennedy and Dean West and written by D.J. Perry.

Parton has a new CD coming out, called "Testimony." "We are very excited about these new all-original songs and hope to have it available by early spring," she says.

On top of all that ... "You should be seeing me in 2007 on the QVC network promoting my third cookbook, 'State Fairs and Church Bazaars.' Please call everyone and order as many copies as you can for friends and family. A portion of the proceeds will go to battered women and children's shelters across the country."

Keep an eye on her website, www.stellaparton.com, for details on these and other projects, and be sure to check out her "Dukes" page.

"God has blessed us and I hope you've been blessed, as well," Parton says as a parting note on her update for fans. "Let's pray for a prosperous, healthy and safe 2007."

Coming up later this week: Another "Dukes" post, and this one is a wonderful story we're gonna call ... "What It Means to Be a 'Dukes' Fan."

The Celebrity Meet and Greet's got it covered!

Holy-heckin'-cow ... If you're a fan of classic television, you'll be as happy as a pig in slop at the Celebrity Meet and Greet this weekend in Buena Park, California!

Bo Hopkins, the hunky Matthew Blaisdel from "Dynasty." Ed Marinaro, the equally hunky Cray Boyd of "Dynasty." Charlene Tilton, our own little Lucy Ewing of "Dallas. Michele Scarabelli, who terrorized Ray Krebbs as Connie Hall on "Dallas." Christopher Atkins, the enticing Peter Richards to Sue Ellen on "Dallas." Richard Herd, who played Jim Ellison on "Dynasty" and John Mackey on "Dallas." And from "The Dukes of Hazzard" ... not only the lovely Catherine Bach, our original and finest Daisy Duke, and Byron Cherry, our own Coy Duke, but even Lydia Cornell, who was the mobster daughter in the two-part episode "Undercover Dukes"! Meow! Now, that's rockin'!

It's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom and the Marguis Ballroom at 7000 Beach Blvd. in Buena Park. Advance tickets are $15, and at the door they're $20, with free parking. There'll be a raffle and silent auction. To learn more, check out the website at http://www.celebritymeetandgreet.com.

Lane Davies heads into the "Steamroom"

Lane Davies, our original (and BRBTV's favorite) Mason Capwell of "Santa Barbara," let fans know on the forum of his official website a couple months back about his role in the small film "Steamroom." Davies took a break from his stage work in November to do some shooting for his role as Frank in the film, directed and written by Kyle Schickner.

"Steamroom" was filmed in various locations in Franklin, New Brunswick and Highland Park, New Jersey by Schickner, who's a native of the area and set the story there, as well.

"The story is about three women — all at different stages in their life — who meet in a steam room and talk," Schickner told the local newspaper, the Home News Tribune. "They are each going through changes in their lives and the movie follows each of their stories, which become connected through the steam room and they learn about themselves from each other."

Brat-Pack refugee Ally Sheedy also stars in the film, as does Ruby Dee, whom you might recall from Stephen King's "The Stand" miniseries in the mid-1990s, among many other things.

As of late last year, the plan was to show the movie at this year's Sundance Film Festival and then release the movie into theaters. Read more at:
http://www2.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=20801015&postID=6023612816601208845

Heather Locklear gets in "Shape," then "Angels Fall"

Anybody who's followed Heather Locklear in her career can't help but be awed by her petite, perfectly proportioned physique. Now, Shape magazine has taken note of our "Dynasty" belle and is featuring her on the cover of its next issue.

Also, tune in later this month for the latest TV project of Locklear, which the BRBTV News Blog reported on October 19. It's "Angels Fall," based on the Nora Roberts book, and it will air on Lifetime cable on Monday, January 29. Locklear shares the small screen with Johnathan Schaech, and she plays a woman who hits the road to begin a new chapter in her life. When her car breaks down in rural Wyoming, she thinks she's found that new chapter, but it also leads to murder. Learn more at Lifetime's website. The movie is directed by Ralph Hemecker, with a teleplay by Janet Brownell.

Wopat does "Chicago" ... in St. Paul

We just love how Sheri keeps us informed of the movements of Tom Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Sometimes you sign up for an email news list and you never hear from 'em again, but that Sheri just keeps at it ...

We reported on November 20 that Tom Wopat has some performance dates coming up in New York and in Palm Beach, Florida. Now, he's got a date in St. Paul, Minnesota. On January 16-21, he'll be with "Chicago" at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Check the website for more info.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: It's the policy of the BRBTV News Blog to concentrate on the professional careers of our stars and not their personal lives, so we'll make this brief, just in case you haven't heard it elsewhere ... Victoria Principal, our own Pamela Ewing of "Dallas," has divorced her husband of a whopping 21 years (and we applaud her for sustaining a multiple-decade marriage in Hollywood, for sure). Principal (whose birthday is today) and Harry Glassman were separated this past summer.

Spotted: A wonderfully young and handsome James Best of "The Dukes of Hazzard," long before Gy Waldron ever dreamed up our beloved CBS hit, on a vintage episode of "The Twilight Zone" during Sci-Fi's New Year's marathon Monday. We've reported here that we've seen him in other "Twilight Zone" episodes, but in this one he was the star. It was "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank," an episode we hadn't seen (and just how do they do that, anyway? everytime we watch, no matter how much we watch, there are always episodes we haven't seen! that's a "twilight zone" in itself), Best plays a country bumpkin type who dies -- apparently -- then pops up out of his coffin and goes right back to livin'. Many Rosco-like intonations were evident in his voice, and boy, was he spry. There was a bit of a dark side in his smiling character, at the end, too. Fabbo!

Coming up in Archie Comics

Archie Digest #231
The adventures of America's favorite teen continue with new stories and classic tales. SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to "Find Your Name in Print!"
On sale newsstand January 3, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

Betty & Veronica #223
"Working Hand in Glove": A famous designer asks Veronica to give him a hand -- as a hand model modeling his high-fashion gloves! "Instrumental to the Story": Veronica would rather listen to classic rock than classical music -- but the hunky new Riverdale High tenor may have her singing a different tune! "Offering Lip Service": Archie refuses a kiss from Veronica because of his chapped lips, but Betty offers to share the last of her lip balm with Archie. Problem is, it happens to be on her lips, and when Veronica finds out they're smooching, guess who might get a fat lip?! "Don't Miss This": Could it be true -- an all-new love triangle between Midge, Moose, and -- BETTY?! You'll have to read this story to find out! SCRIPTS: Kathleen Webb. ART: Jeff Shultz.
On sale newsstand January 3, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

Archie & Friends 106
“The Monster Museum ”: Seeking inspiration for Chuck’s comic books, Archie and Chuck visit the town’s new “ Monster Museum .” It is filled with monster movie memorabilia… or at least it was, as the boys find out when they arrive to find a real live crime scene there! Meanwhile, Nancy feels so neglected she starts wearing “goth” outfits! Can Chuck help recover the museum’s missing merchandise… and will he recover his original, NON-goth girlfriend, too? SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg. PLUS: SUPERMODEL KATY KEENE IN ANOTHER ALL-NEW TALE! “May I Have This Dance?”: Katy’s sister MacKenzie has a crush, but her crush has designs on Katy! Can MacKenzie find a way to swing the subject back around to herself? It’s love in the “fashion lane” as only Archie Comics can deliver! SCRIPT AND ART: Andrew Pepoy.
On sale newsstand January 9, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

Betty & Veronica Double Digest #148
What's better than a digest full of those teen dream queens Betty & Veronica? A double digest full of them! Featuring new stories and classic tales. SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand January 9, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year from BRBTV, and warmest wishes for a 2007 full of good things!

2006 has been a great year for BRBTV. Not only was the print edition of "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" released in January, followed up with the second (and final!) edition in August, but this very BRBTV News Blog that you're lookin' at was launched, too! In fact, the BRBTV News Blog was born on January 10 of last year.

Also in 2006, a new product was launched for BRBTV: the BRBTV Reports, published initially as electronic Amazon Shorts by Amazon.com. These BRBTV Reports / Amazon Shorts allow us to offer you great reference information, similar to the BRBTV reference books, but in a smaller format and focusing on classic animated TV series. The first two Reports focus on the cartoons "Archie's Weird Mysteries" and "The Dukes." In the coming weeks, you'll see two additional BRBTV Reports released; stay tuned for more info. You'll also see the full-color, splash-out, graphic-intensive versions of the Amazon Shorts released under the umbrella of BRBTV.com. These will be the more colorful counterparts of the Amazon e-files. In addition, this year will bring the print edition of another of the BRBTV reference books.

In 2007, there will only be small changes to the BRBTV News Blog: The birthday feature will move to monthly rather than weekly, and additional (animated) shows will be folded into the BRBTV family, once their corresponding Reports / Shorts are released. As always, we welcome your comments, criticisms, cookies, whatever ... send 'em on to BRBTV ...

We'll kick off the new year with the month's birthdays. January is a big month for the stars of the four shows covered by BRBTV:

- Rick Hurst, Cletus Hogg of "The Dukes of Hazzard," turns 61 today, January 1!
- Rawley Valverde, Amado Gonzalez on "Santa Barbara," turns 41 today, January 1.
- Victoria Principal, Pamela Ewing of "Dallas," turns 61 on Wednesday, January 3 (though we've seen some sources indicate she was born in 1950, not 1946).
- Sorrell Booke, the unforgettable Boss J.D. Hogg of "The Dukes," was born January 4, 1930, and passed on February 11, 1994.
- Pamela Sue Martin, the supercool 'n' sassy original Fallon on "Dynasty," turns 53 on January 5.
- Kristen Meadows, Victoria Lane of "SB" (whom you can watch on the current edition of "The Mason Chronicles"), turns 50 on January 7.
- Tony Wike, who voiced Mr. Weatherbee on "Archie's Weird Mysteries," turns 52 on January 7.
- Krista Tesreau, the psycho Andi Klein of "SB," turns 43 on January 10.
- Richard Moll, who did a few wonderful turns as the skanky Milo Beaudry on "The Dukes," and who voiced Harvey Dent / Two-Face on "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 64 on January 13.
- Arte Johnson, also a notable guest as Irving in the "The Dukes" episode "Double Sting," turns 78 on January 20.
- Joe Marinelli, the mobster cross-dresser with a heart of gold, Bunny, on "SB," turns 50 on January 21.
- Leigh Taylor-Young, Kimberly Cryder on "Dallas," turns 55 on January 25.
- Cathy Podewell, country-bumpkin Cally Harper on "Dallas," and Paul Johansson, long-lost Capwell son Greg Hughes on "SB," both turn a young 43 on January 26.
- Donna Reed, the Miss Ellie replacement on "Dallas," was born on January 27, 1921, and passed on January 14, 1986.
- Carrington Garland, a very lovely Kelly Capwell (we liked her every bit as much as Robin Wright) on "SB," turns 43 on January 27.
- John Beck , a BRBTV double-shot with a stint as Mark Graison on "Dallas" and a turn as David Raymond on "SB," turns 64 on January 28.
- Susan Howard, longtime Donna Krebbs on "Dallas," turns 61 on January 28.
- Harley Jane Kozak, the wonderful Mary Duvall on "SB" and one of our favorites, turns 50 on January 28.
- Marc Singer , a little spooky as Matt Cantrell on "Dallas," and who voiced Dr. Kirk Langstrom on "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 59 on January 29.
- John Forsythe, the amazing Blake Carrington on "Dynasty," turns 89 on January 29.
- Katharine Ross, the much-put-upon Francesca Colby on "Dynasty" spinoff "The Colbys," turns 65 on January 29.
- Justin Gocke, a very memorable Brandon DeMott on "SB," turns a most-young 29 on January 31.

Happy birthday to all ...

Lee 1 at the Indy Auto Show, a photo report

The very first General Lee of "The Dukes of Hazzard," originally dubbed Lee 1 and lovingly restored (see the November 3 and 13 posts of the BRBTV News Blog), has now closed his first official appearance since his November 11 unveiling in Covington, Georgia. BRBTV offers you a little glimpse of Lee 1's two-day stint at the Indianapolis Auto Show, beginning with the fine shot above of lovely Katelynn, named "Little Miss Lee 1" during the Lee 1 Family Christmas at The Ram restaurant on Thursday ...

Marvin, the owner of the car (though he'll be quick to tell you that the car is owned by the fans!), takes a peek under the hood.

Special display banners tell the history and facts about this famous car.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates

BRBTV birthdays this week

- Dane Witherspoon, who originated the role of Joe Perkins on "Santa Barbara," turns 49 today, December 27.
- Terri Garber, who was the feisty Leslie Carrington on "Dynasty," turns 46 tomorrow, December 28.
- Barbara Carrera, who played the evil Angelica Nero on "Dallas," turns 55 on New Year's Eve, December 31.

Happy birthday to all!

Have you seen John O'Hurley's new book?

Long before he did "Seinfeld" or that whole "Dancing With the Stars" thing, John O'Hurley was Stephen Slade on "Santa Barbara." Smooth and confident, he was a delight. Now, O'Hurley is an author, releasing the book "It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump: And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs" just last month.

“Dogs, after all, have pure hearts, trusting natures, a zest for living, noble characters, and an ability to take things in stride,” O’Hurley explains in the book’s introduction. “They can be counted on, and are pleasant companions. They know what’s important, always. How many humans do you know about which you could say the same?”

The book had a quite-nice sales ranking of 251 on Amazon at BRBTV's weekend check. It's also available on audio CD.

And by the way, did you know that O'Hurley was married to his "SB" costar Eva LaRue (who played Margot Collins, and also popped up on "Dallas" as a character named DeeDee) for a couple years in the 1990s? LaRue went on, of course, to marry another of their "SB" costars, John Callahan (Craig Hunt -- who was part of the Stephen Slade storyline). Talk about a small world -- er, we mean, small set!

In the spirit of Christmas ...

OK, we weren't planning to post on Christmas Day, but we just got this update from Paul Harrington of the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club, about "Honest John" Ledbetter, aka Jack Gordon (see the December 1 post of the BRBTV News Blog) ...

"I hate to bring this up today," Harrington says, "but Jack is NOT LOOKING VERY GOOD, so please just take a few minutes and be kind to a great man, some of us on here have met Jack this past August, and he is a very nice person."

Paul is asking for your notes to Jack, wishing him a Merry Christmas or just saying hello and that you're thinking of him. Send your greeting to Paul at cdndukes@mnsi.net. Paul is going to print off all of our greetings and give them to Jack. So hurry and send yours along! BRBTV did this morning! And you can keep updated on Jack's progress at his fan club page: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/Honest_John_Ledbetter_Fan_Club/

Paul also sent along this updated photo from his weekend visit with Jack, when he gave him a copy of BRBTV's "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!", among other things. Thanks, Paul, for keeping us updated, and the thoughts, prayers, and best wishes of BRBTV are with Mr. Gordon, for strength and for a speedy recovery ...

Photo courtesy of Paul Harrington

And from the BRBTV News Blog . . .

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ultimate Dynasty site gets a snazzy redesign

For "Dynasty" fans familiar with the Ultimate Dynasty site, it's been a long wait, a wait relegated to just the message board of the site while the other pages were redesigned. The wait was a couple of years, truth be told. But now, at last, the redesign is complete, and the site is looking better than ever.

You'll see a sprinkling of news on the home page, features on the 2006 reunion movie and the current "Legends" show of the TV series' two leading ladies. The site, which turned five years old this past June, has complete bios on all the stars, as well as info on the production crew and episodes synopses and other goodies. The full-color photos are nice and lush, and be sure to check out the well-regarded "Dynasty" family tree.

Congratulations to Goran Markovic for his hard work with the site! Now "Dynasty" fans have both Ultimate Dynasty and nicely designed ShoulderPads.net to hang out at. (And if you have another "Dynasty"-related fan site you'd like to tell us about, post it to the comments forum, or send an email to dynasty@brbtv.com!)

Tom Sarmento plans August stunt show

Tom Sarmento is well-known in the "Dukes of Hazzard" world as the lead mechanic for the show when it originally filmed and aired on CBS. He also worked on shows like "B.J. and the Bear" and "The Rockford Files." Plus, he's worked as a stunt guy. These days, Sarmento has a "Dukes" presence on the web, along with the likes of "Dukes" stunt men Corey Eubanks, Al Wyatt Jr. and Gary Baxley, in the Hazzzard County Stunt Team.

This week, Sarmento has let fans know that he's been talking to the folks at Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway (onetime site of DukesFest) concerning hosting a stunt show there in August 2007. The speedway has been a "Dukes" fan favorite.

Sarmento is gauging interest in the show, reportedly slated at this point for the first weekend in August. He wants to hear from owners of General Lees on if they'd like to attend, and what their preferences are for a show like this. You can weigh in by emailing wayne@bristolmotorspeedway.com.

"I think we can make this show a success," Sarmento says in a post at the Confederate General Lee Fan Club message board. "I hope all of you have a great Christmas and a safe NEW YEAR!"

The Hazzard County Stunt Team is also planning an event in Brunswick, Georgia, by the way -- in March 2007. Stay tuned for details about that, their website says.

BRBTV birthdays this week

- Brad Pitt, who was a very youthful Randy, boyfriend to Charlie, in one of his very first roles, on "Dallas," turned 43 on Monday, December 18.
- Karen Moncrieff, who played Cassandra Benedict on "Santa Barbara," turns 43 today, December 20.
- Jared Martin, our own Dusty Farlow of "Dallas," turns 63 tomorrow, December 21.
- John Callahan, who was Craig Hunt on "SB," turns 53 on Saturday, December 23.
- Susan Lucci, the evil Hillary Taylor in the latter years of "Dallas," has a birthday on Saturday, December 23, as well, turning 60 (although one of our sources says 58).

Happy birthday to all!

Betty and Veronica have a new look

Win a copy of the sixth-season "Dallas" DVD

The Ultimate Dallas website is offering a special opportunity for fans: a chance to win a copy of the next season of "Dallas" to be released on DVD, Season 6. This next DVD set is officially released on January 30, 2007, and includes juicy stuff like J.R. being removed by the rest of the family from his leadership of Ewing Oil, even while jockeying for a look-see at daddy Jock's will, and actually talking Sue Ellen into remarrying him!

For a chance to win a copy of the DVD from the Ultimate Dallas website, go to http://www.ultimatedallas.com/dvd/win.html. You can also win more "Dallas" prizes from the website's forum at http://www.oilbaronsclub.com.

"Have a fantastic Christmas," the website's editorial team says to fans, "and we would like to thank you for your continual dedication to 'Dallas.'"

Jack Coleman's new show gets some Golden Globe attention

"Heroes," the new NBC series featuring our own Jack Coleman (second Steven Carrington of "Dynasty"), has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best drama series. Coleman's co-star on the show, Masi Oka (BRBTV's own favorite on the series -- he very-innocently devours every scene he's in!) has been nominated for best supporting actor.

There are other connections to BRBTV shows in the Golden nominations:

- Brad Pitt, who was Charlie's bad-guy boyfriend Randy on "Dallas," stars in "Babel," up for best motion picture. Pitt is nominated for best supporting actor for "Babel."
- Another best-picture nominee, "The Queen," stars James Cromwell, our own Gerald Kane of "Dallas."

The Hollywood Reporter has your full list of nominees here.

Check out JETT's MySpace page

JETT, aka Jeff, is a diehard "Dukes" fan who lives in New York. The BRBTV News Blog showed you his own beautiful, blazin' orange beauty of a General Lee in the March 17 post, and it's also featured in the second edition of "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" Now, JETT has a MySpace page (just like John Schneider and Catherine Bach, don't ya know), and as you can imagine, it's all about "The Dukes" ...

http://www.myspace.com/jettspage

JETT can even be seen in the opening scenes of Schneider's new movie, "Collier and Co." He's one of the guys placin' bets at the bar when J.R. is getting ready to drag-race. Fun!

"Dallas" stars will head off to a French hoedown

Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton and Steve Kanaly, five megawatt "Dallas" stars, will appear at a country-music festival in France next year. It all happens in July, and you can learn more (if you read French!) and see a photo of the five-some at:
http://www.country-musique.com/ The event, the Mirande Country Music Festival, is billed as the largest such fest in Europe.

Michael Silberkleit talks about Archie's 65th anniversary

Happy Anniversary, Archie!

Archie Andrews and his Riverdale pals were "born" in December 1941, so this month is the official 65th anniversary, but Archie Comics has chosen to make the anniversary a yearlong celebration for 2007. Michael Silberkleit, son of one of the Archie founders, Louis Silberkleit, discussed the anniversary and more in an interview on the Comic Zone of World Talk Radio.

In the report, Silberkleit alludes to the long-awaited "Archie" movie as a possibility for 2007 (it was put on the back burner a few years ago for the "Josie and the Pussycats" movie). He also talks about his early days at Archie Comics, starting work for his dad in the lower levels of the company and learning all the different facets of the business.

"When the comics industry started, all the publishers were very friendly," Silberkleit says of his early days in the biz, when he knew the folks at DC, Marvel and the like. "They were fierce competitors, but they were also good friends." Times have changed substantially since then, he says.

He discusses why Archie Comics has stayed afloat all these years, while other comics (even Disney titles) have come and gone. "Archie is something kids look up to, as a role model," he says.

On the controversial topic of longtime Archie artist Dan DeCarlo, now deceased, who worked on several key Archie characters including the aforementioned Josie and BRBTV's fave, redhead Cheryl Blossom, Silberkleit is mostly mum, but does say: "He probably was the finest cartoonist / illustrator of women that ever walked on the face of this earth. He was a great artist, wonderful talent. And a nice guy. ... He had a great style, that has never been emulated since."

Some (eastern) Indian characters are coming to the Archies realm, as well as a reality TV show and more partnering with the singing duo "The Veronicas." Listen to the whole interview at: http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=8554

BRBTV birthdays this week

- Sheree J. Wilson, our own April Stevens Ewing of "Dallas," turns 48 tomorrow, December 12.
- Thaao Penghlis, who was Dr. Micah De Angelis in the tail-end of the run of "Santa Barbara," turns 61 on Friday, December 15.
- Christopher Cazenove, rugged and angry bro to Blake Carrington as Ben Carrington on "Dynasty," turns 61, also, but on Sunday, December 17.

Happy birthday to each!

Meet Lee 1 -- and the family -- in Indianapolis this month

Yes, that's right: Lee 1, the car that started this whole crazy General Lee thing, has booked its first official appearance since its November 11 unveiling in Covington. (And hey, since BRBTV has become friends with the car's owner, we heckin'-better start referring to the car in the proper way -- "him," not "it"!!!)

The Indianapolis Auto Show is the event that will kick off the beloved vehicle's two-year tour, leading up to "his" official 30th anniversary in 2008. Along with that, Lee 1's owner (though he will be quick to insist that you, the fans, are the real owners of the fiery-orange beauty) has something special planned. You are all invited to ...


THE LEE 1 FAMILY CHRISTMAS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DATE: December 28, 2006
TIME: 1-3 p.m.
PLACE: The Ram Restaurant, 140 S. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, Indiana; parking garage upstairs for a fee
SERVICE: It will be a sit-down lunch, where you will be able to order from menu and pay for own meal (for more info about the restaurant, check out www.theram.com)
FEATURES: There will be entertainment during the mealtime, along with the presentation of these members of the Lee 1 Family:
- "Little Miss Lee 1" 2007
- "Miss Lee 1" 2007
- "Mama Lee," the family disciplinarian
- President of the Lee 1 Family
- Curator for Lee 1
- Achiever for Lee 1 pictures and information
- Press agent for Lee 1 events
Special guests also will be recognized.

"Lee 1 has been given a place of distinct honor in this year's Indianapolis Auto Show," says the owner of Lee 1. "Never before has the auto show been able to make a special place in their event for such a special automobile. The sponsors of this event are excited to have Lee 1 join them to help showcase the restoration of an American icon."

Lee 1 will appear just inside the entrance of the auto show, at the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome at 100 S. Capital in downtown Indianapolis, an easy walk from The Ram Restaurant. Display dates are December 28 and 29. The Lee 1 Family Christmas will include a special showing of Lee 1 after 3:15 p.m. on December 28.

The admission for the auto show is $6 for adults, with children under 12 admitted free, and active members of the military, police and fire departments admitted free. To learn more about the show, visit www.indyautoshow.com.

Everyone is invited to the Lee 1 Family Christmas! This is a special opportunity for our more-Northern-based "Dukes" fans who might not have been able to make it to some of the Southern-based events such as the unveiling in Covington.

Team Lee 1 would like to get an idea of how many folks are coming, so please RSVP to GenLeeOne@aol.com.