A little more Hazzard Fest: the "Fall Guy" truck

This author sure wishes she could still take in those "Dukes of Hazzard" events that used to be so prolific in the South, particularly in Georgia but also in Tennessee, where the latest one just occurred this past weekend. Hazzard Fest has wrapped up in Newport, Tennessee, and our roving reporter Jason has supplied us with some great glimpses from the event. We tack on a couple more photos from Jason now, of a "Fall Guy" truck owned by our buddy Kevin in Tennessee. 

There were actually multiple "Fall Guy" trucks at the event, celebrating another popular show from this glorious TV era, this one starring our beloved Lee Majors. "This was a used truck from the show," Jason tells us. "The engine was set back farther so the jumps wouldn't destroy the truck. Meaning the weight of the engine in its stock location would cause the truck to land heavier and destroy it."

Photos by Jason; please do not copy without permission

Uncle Jesse says hey, and we-love-it-we-love-it!!!

This cosplayer is great -- we're thinking we really would love it if he actually was our Uncle Jesse! Thanks so much to Jason for grabbing this clip for us yesterday at Hazzard Fest in Newport, Tennessee.

More shots of Hazzard Fest, which charges onward today!

We love that our buddy Jason is in Tennessee having a great time at Hazzard Fest. We also love that he's giving us a peek at the event with these great photos. There are cast members there (BRBTV has always wanted to meet Jeff Altman, who played Hughie Hogg with such great enthusiasm on the series!) and lots of other "Dukes of Hazzard" fun.

"That Elect Hughie poster is cool, looks period correct," Jason says. Somebody drummed this up for their General in honor of Jeff Altman, meeting and greeting fans at the event.

Who is with our roving reporter Jason? Why, it's ChunkeyMonkey40, aka Derek, avid "Dukes" researcher and YouTuber! He's not chunky or a monkey, but he sure creates some awesome "Dukes"  content on his channel.

This awesome Uncle Jesse cosplayer recording a greeting for us -- see today's other post!

Here, Jason is with the "Gingerbilly."

Photos by Jason; please do not copy without permission.

The view from Hazzard Fest: Thanks, Jason, for this first look!

Our roving reporter Jason is on the scene when this author can't be, at the Hazzard Fest happening this weekend in Newport, Tennessee. And now he's filing his first report, so to speak ... He spotted the first "Dukes of Hazzard"-related car at the Cracker Barrel, of course! These folks are from Canada, Jason learned. More fun to come!

Photos courtesy of Jason; please do not copy without permission.

Terrific TV Toys: Batman Beyond figure by Hasbro, 1999

The "Batman Beyond" animated series of 1999 presented a futuristic view of the Caped Crusader, set 50 years ahead of the events of the original "Batman: The Animated Series" of 1992. Besides the scary fact that we're three-fifths of the way to that "Batman Beyond" timeframe here in real life, the series still holds up as a fun alternate-universe sort of view of the Dark Knight. 

In the second season of the T3 series, you saw a set of fast-food toys celebrating the series, and now we turn our attention to a 9-inch figure released by Hasbro as the show was airing, a rather Mego-esque approach years after Mego's original heyday and years before Mego rebooted and started producing all kinds of great figures again. I guess that makes this figure even more futuristic, right?

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.

Terrific non-TV Toys: Superman Red and Superman Blue figures by Hasbro / Kenner, 1998-99

Some of you out there will have no idea what this Superman Red and Superman Blue business is, and some of you will be like, "Oh, yeah, that's right -- I remember when they did that in the comics." And actually, this DC Comics storyline for its flagship character (well, I guess he probably shares that mantle with Batman) actually goes back further than you thought. To the 1960s. This author was surprised by that when doing the research, and you'll get a little history lesson in the latest episode of Terrific non-TV Toys.

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

From the VHS vaults: Some early hosting and interviews

This author was digging out the VHS-to-digital video converter a week ago to transfer a video from a rather old crime scene for the latest true-crime book project. And while I was at it, I was thinking, you know, I've got all those old VHS tapes that are deteriorating more by the year that I should probably transfer, too. I didn't necessarily want to spend the time on it, but hey, none of us have as many hours in the day as we would like, right? There's stuff in those tapes that is highly original and preservation-needy.

So on I charged, all this past week, reviewing video after video. And I decided to queue them up in my other YouTube channel, the one I've used for just playlists of other people's videos until now. (The one that nobody knows about -- five subscribers right now, LOL.) It's my author YouTube channel that's more geared to the non-BRBTV stuff. So anyway, the first one has dropped, and others will follow each Friday. 

I cringe a bit. Maybe I'll go hide in a cave next Friday, because that installment will be the very first episode of the very first TV hosting gig I ever had. It's rough in parts. It's 1990s. But it's all in good fun. 

This first clip is a promo interview for a book-signing I was doing for my first novel back in 2005:

Area 52 Diner serves up some saucy, spacey surprises

If you find yourself in mid-Michigan anywhere near Highway M-52 and a place called Owosso, make sure you grab some lunch at the Area 52 Diner. This author has been down this stretch a zillion times, having grown up just a few miles down the road, but imagine my surprise rolling through there on the way to my brother’s place, traveling from Metro Detroit, and seeing that this eatery has reopened under a new name. When did that happen??? (About three months ago, our waitress said.) But this restaurant, which I am pretty sure my parents and I went to after church on Sundays many eons — and no doubt many name changes — ago, not only reopened under a new name but with the coolest theme ever. The photos will say it all!

Saturn’s onion rings, a black-and-white sci-fi movie playing above the counter, flying saucer lighting, and more. Somebody’s got a sense of humor. Love it. New favorite place. (And oh, yeah — the food was good!)

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Check out an eye-popping "Dukes of Hazzard" collection at Jon Holland's new YouTube channel

Our buddy and fellow author Jon Hollard, a longtime "Dukes of Hazzard" collector and historian, has started up a new YouTube channel to share the love. You can schedule an appointment to see his "Dukes" museum in Williamsburg, Virginia. We've gotta swing out that way one of these days!

Terrific TV Toys: Scooby-Doo toothbrush set, Meijer, 2020ish

Scooby-dooby-doo, let's brush those choppers! The latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys series gives you a gander at a pair of battery-operated toothbrushes from the Midwest retail chain Meijer, but there were other sets released under other labels. These are oh-so kid-friendly, but hey, us bigger kids can love 'em, too!

 

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.

Even “The Twilight Zone” has Christmas

It’s Christmas in July over there at the “Just Beneath the Surface” web series. The latest episode discusses the only Christmas episode of the classic “Twilight Zone” series, “The Night of the Meek.” Tune in as Bruce and Brian debate the episode’s ending, the episode’s message and even the production values …

Terrific non-TV Toys: Malibu Skipper by Mattel, 1970s

Skipper has arrived! You've seen her big sis, Barbie, as well as Ken and PJ. Now it's time to take a look at the Malibu Skipper from the 1970s, the fourth part in our miniseries on the Malibu dolls. Like the others, this one was a doll of this author's childhood, and boy, I loved this girl. Especially with all the fashions that you'll see in this episode. And it's not the last you'll see of the vintage Barbies -- there will be a future episode on a '70s Barbie vinyl doll case and another array of fashions, so stay tuned for that.

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

Cooter's Place has a great slate of events lined up for "Dukes" fans

We're glad that ole Cooter doesn't stop, because he has served up great "Dukes of Hazzard" events for many years now. In the coming weeks Ben Jones and his wife Miss Alma are welcoming "Dukes" cast members and others to the Cooter's Place locations in Luray and Pigeon Forge. This is straight from the e-blast:

WE HAVE LOTS OF EVENTS THIS SUMMER! CAST APPEARANCES, CAR SHOWS, AND LIVE MUSIC WITH BEN EVERY SATURDAY IN LURAY! BEN "COOTER" JONES & COOTER'S GARAGE BAND EVERY SATURDAY LIVE 1PM-3PM COOTER'S LURAY

CATHERINE BACH "DAISY DUKE" JULY 1-2 COOTER'S LURAY COOTER'S SUMMER CAR SHOW WITH "DAISY" JULY 1 COOTER'S LURAY RICK HURST "DEPUTY CLETUS" JULY 1-8 COOTER'S PIGEON FORGE TOM WOPAT "LUKE DUKE" JULY 28-29 COOTER'S PIGEON FORGE BEN'S BIRTHDAY BASH! AUGUST 26 COOTER'S LURAY BEN'S BIRTHDAY BASH CAR SHOW AUGUST 26 COOTER'S LURAY RICK HURST "DEPUTY CLETUS" OCTOBER 9-11 COOTER'S PIGEON FORGE HAZZARD RUN 2023 OCTOBER 14 COOTER'S LURAY RICK HURST "DEPUTY CLETUS" OCTOBER 14 COOTER'S LURAY HAZZARD RUN CAR SHOW WITH "CLETUS" OCTOBER 14 COOTER'S LURAY

Bobby gives us another look at his "Gilligan's Island" Skipper hat collection

You've seen Bobby's yummy collection of "Gilligan's Island" collectibles on this site before, and he's a real fan of Skipper, played by Alan Hale. (Check out the March 27, 2023, and April 11, 2022 posts, for two examples.) Now he's got another Skipper hat he is sharing with BRBTV. 

"This is my actual Lancaster brand Skipper hat replica," Bobby says. "The brand Alan Hale Jr. wore as the Skipper on the original show, the three seasons, 98 episodes, '64-'67, and the last two of the three reunion movies, '79 and '81. A friend got it for me as a Christmas present in 2017. I made it into the Skipper's Lancaster Yachting Hat/Captain Hat from a Lancaster Uniform Cap Co. police hat."

Bobby loves doing Skipper cosplay:

You can see more of Bobby's Skipper cosplay at his Rob "Skipper" Broadhurst, Alan Hale Jr. Tribute Artist Facebook page.

Photos courtesy of Bobby; please do not copy without permission.

Terrific TV Toys: "Dukes of Hazzard" calculator by Unisonic, 1981

We're back in Hazzard County for the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys series, with another selection from the massive array of merchandise that was released when the show originally aired in the 1980s. This item is quite a practical "toy," so to speak, as this author uses it every month to balance the checkbook! It works just great, and though it's a bit old-school, it is a treasure nonetheless.

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.