See My Lee!

Ahhh ... it's another great day for our occasional "See My Lee!" feature, where we give you a glimpse of the many "Dukes of Hazzard" fans out there who own their own General Lee car ... Up today is Derrick, who lives just south of Lexington, Kentucky.

A couple things are special about Derrick and his Lee. For one thing ... well, it's not just one thing -- it's two! Derrick actually has two General Lees, which he calls "Lee 1" and "Lee 2." Shown here with Derrick is Lee 1, and these shots were taken in a theater parking lot on a very hot day in Lexington a week ago, while Lee 2 was at home (hopefully where it was cooler!). Derrick had both of his Lees at the Hair Dare Dukes Days in Ontario a couple weeks before, and he was offering folks rides in them. He also had the cars' trunk lids signed by Byron Cherry and Don Pedro Colley at the event, to add to the many other cast autographs he has.

The other special thing about this Lee owner? Well, you're lookin' at it! (That is, if you're lookin' at the photo above!) Derrick has installed a video camera in his Lee 1 to capture some great "motion pictures," so to speak. The camera was rolling at Hair Dare. Derrick filmed some great stuff with Cousin Don at the event. Here are some links:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZOYW64w8oRA

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8csYjwXmv_w

http://youtube.com/watch?v=A-b8UlPdwpo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5aar5mytJPM

Armed with the U.S. flag and the U.S. Marine Corps seal, this Lee is certainly a "Charger"! In fact, Derrick calls his Lees the "HARDCHARGERS."

Derrick's beautiful, blazin' orange Lees are available for parties and other special events. Just give 'im a call at (859) 329-9282, or email hrdchgr69@aol.com.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Joanna Cassidy: From "Anderson's Cross" to "American Standards"

On "Dallas," Sally Bullock, wife of Mr. Eugene Bullock, was smart, shrewd and sexy as she cut a deal or two with the dastardly J.R. Ewing. Sally Bullock also was Ms. Joanna Cassidy, a prolific TV actress of many years. Her gigs have included CBS' "Dallas" follower "Falcon Crest," as well as the short-lived "Dukes of Hazzard" spinoff "Enos." She even did a voice (Maggie Sawyer) on the "Superman" animated series.

Now, Cassidy has several projects going on this year.

"Anderson's Cross," from Illumination Pictures, is written and directed by Jerome E. Scott. Cassidy plays Mrs. McCarthy in the film, which has been making the rounds this summer. The story revolves around the close friendship of three people. Kimmy Robertson of "Twin Peaks" pops up, as a teacher; she was also the memorable voice of Alice in the "Mad as a Hatter" episode of "Batman: The Animated Series," plus a "Batman Beyond" voice.

"Kiss the Bride," scheduled for release next March, has some other big names in it. Tori Spelling, for one, as well as Tess Harper and Robert Foxworth (who reportedly once turned down the role of J.R. Ewing). Cassidy portrays Evelyn in the movie, directed by C. Jay Cox and written by Tyler Lieberman. This one is also a comedy and deals with a longtime friendship / gay relationship.

In "The American Standards," Cassidy is front and center as Ann Jennings, with a nice shot on the film's promo poster. She's joined by James Brolin and Corin Nemec. And when is the last time you saw France Nuyen of that well-known vintage "Star Trek" episode, "Elaan of Troyius"? (And if you say, "As Dr. Chen in 'Santa Barbara,' " you get a gold star! She was the one who helped Cruz escape San Sebastian!) Anyhow, we do digress ... Written and directed by Joe Wehinger, the movie centers around the darker secrets of a seemingly perfect family. The flick was filming a couple years ago in Louisiana, though a release date is not clear. Learn more about the movie at the Skinny Giraffe Films site.

Slater does L.A. con, and a JLA flick in the works?

Helen Slater may have been the lovely blond Supergirl on the big screen, but to us fans of "Batman: The Animated Series," she's the voice of Talia, daughter of the sinister egomaniac Ra's Al Ghul.

Slater will be appearing at the Los Angeles Comic Book and SciFi Convention on September 23:
http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=3827 http://www.comicbookscifi.com/

Slater, who's kept up some roles here and there in the past few years, starred earlier this year in an episode of "Crossing Jordan."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the "B: TAS" realm ... is there a JLA film in the works? No, we're not talking about a larger movie take on the fabbo animated series brought to you by some of the same folks who did "B: TAS," in keeping with the recent "Superman: Doomsday" production. We're talking live-action here. Are you cringing, because you're thinking about the hideous and lowly regarded Justice League TV movie of a few years back? Well, consider the recent Batman and Superman big-screen incarnations ... that should help. And read more about it at SyFiPortal.com:
http://www.syfyportal.com/news424077.html

Billy Dee Williams, Jack Coleman do the interview circuit

Life can be good in the post-"Dynasty" world, many of the primetime hit's cast members are showing us. Beyond the highly publicized "Legends" stage romp of two of The Big Three, Joan Collins and Linda Evans, you also have the steady careers of their costars, Jack Coleman and Billy Dee Williams.

The fall TV schedule is going to be starting soon, and that means the opportunity to watch Jack Coleman, once again, in his role as Noah Bennett, father to the invincible Claire, on NBC's highly imaginative "Heroes." Coleman discusses his character, still affectionately known as Horn Rimmed Glasses, in a recent interview with Kyle Braun:

http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=17728&sectionId=7

Williams, meanwhile, landed a great gig on the recently launched "General Hospital" spinoff "Night Shift," airing on SoapNet. Williams talks about his career, which has been varied and robust, with interviewer Kam Williams:

http://newsblaze.com/story/20070827135553tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html

BRBTV News Blog Blip: The BRBTV News Blog is pleased to announce that BRB has been named an entertainment community leader on the new Congoo.com networking site. In her new role, BRB posts on entertainment-related topics several times a week for Congoo's entertainment channel: http://www.congoo.com/Entertainment. Check it out, and comment at will! And consider joining this network, yourself; it's a great professional forum and source of up-to-the-minute information.

Robert Symonds of "Dynasty" dies

Actor Robert Symonds, who began his career as Dr. Taney in the 1973 hit movie "The Exorcist," but who is known better to us as Dr. Jonas Edwards of "Dynasty" and Martin Porter of "Dallas," has died. The actor, who on "Dynasty" showed such great care for the often-despicable Adam Carrington, had prostate cancer. He was 80 years old, ContactMusic.com reports.

Besides being married to Priscilla Pointer, his co-star on not only "Dallas" but on various other productions, Symonds did lots of great classic TV through the '70s and '80s. He kept up the work, too, nailing 2006 roles on "Alias" and "Cold Case." He and Pointer were married 26 years.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Meanwhile, over in "Dallas," we've got another crew shuffle. Director Gurinder Chadha, who had gone out on maternity leave, has been replaced by Betty Thomas. With this, the movie has taken a more comedic turn, several news agencies report:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/08/25/dallas-movie-is-now-a-comedy/
http://www.variety.com/VR1117970755.html

Welcome, "Batman Beyond"

The BRBTV family of classic TV reference guides just got a little bigger with the release of "Batman Beyond: A BRBTV Report" on Amazon.com. This Amazon Short -- selling for a nifty little 49 cents -- is a magazine-length feature story covering the Kids' WB! animated series.

Set 50 years in the future from its "prequel," the wildly popular "Batman: The Animated Series," "Batman Beyond" features a graying Bruce Wayne and a new, young, teen Batman, who flies around Gotham in a high-tech red-and-black Batsuit to defend against crime. "Batman Beyond: A BRBTV Report," in addition to discussing the making of the series and its major elements, includes a nicely detailed episode guide and cast list, like the other BRBTV Reports / Amazon Shorts you see listed on the right side of this page.

And because we've published this Amazon Short and added "Batman Beyond" to the official BRBTV family, you might just accidentally see news pertaining to the show or its creators on this very news blog. Of course, the creators and voices of "Batman Beyond" have a lot of crossover with "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures," so you've already been seeing some news pertaining to them!

(Next up, in case you wonder? Might just be a little animated series called "Justice League" ... or maybe a little "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" ... whichever gets done first ... )

Thanks for reading, as always (you and your love of classic television are why we do this crazy thing), and feel free to email us any feedback / questions you have at BRBTV@brbtv.com.

You can help rename Archie & Friends

For years and years, they've been Archie & Friends. But in the second quarter of 2008, the comic title Archie & Friends will be replaced with a new anthology title featuring both new characters and some of our best-loved classic characters that have not seen the spotlight in some time. As part of the new title launch, 10 proposed titles are now on the archiecomics.com website so that you can vote for the title you like best.

Your choices:

Archie Playground
Archie Fun House
Archie Toy Box
Archie Playhouse
Archie Plus Presents
Archie Anything Goes
Archie Theatre
Archie All-Stars
Archie Comic Publications Presents
On-Stage

Coming up in Archie Comics ...



ARCHIE #578
"Zero Hero": Inspired by extreme skateboard star Tony Eagle and looking to help Pop Tate increase business, Archie persuades Pop Tate to open a "skateboard wing" of the Choklit Shoppe! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg.
"A ‘Tax’-ing Situation": Cast your vote for hilarity: Mr. Andrews and Mr. Cooper sit on different sides of the fence when a new property tax to fund parks is proposed, so both of them run for town council! SCRIPT: Bill Golliher. ART: Stan Goldberg.
"A Trust Thing": Claiming it’s trust that keeps him and Veronica together, Archie can’t help but be "helpful" to the new girl in school. But can he "trust" the new girl’s boyfriend with Veronica? SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand September 18, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25


ARCHIE & FRIENDS #112
THE FULL-THROTTLE SEQUEL TO BETTY COOPER’S RACE TRACK DEBUT!
"Crash Course": The wheel screeching action never stops as the saga of radical teen racer Betty Cooper and the Lodge Racing Team pit crew continues! Fresh from her thrilling victory lap in the pages of ARCHIE #572, Betty once again dons her racing duds and puts the pedal to the metal Danica Patrick style! This is one full-throttle sequel that is sure to rev your engine! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand August 28, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25


ARCHIE DIGEST #237
"The Big Rescue": A day at the beach is anything but for Archie as he plays pack mule for the girls while they entertain surfers and lifeguards! Will Archie get his day in the sun with the girls, or will the tide wash all his hopes away? SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Pat Kennedy.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale newsstand August 28, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49


ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST #182
"Ghost of the Coast": When Mr. Lodge flies the gang to a small beach community he vacationed at as a child, the teens get lost and soon find themselves in an abandoned part of town. Could it be a literal "ghost town," or is it just the kids’ imaginations that are haunted? SCRIPT: Angelo DeCesare. ART: Fernando Ruiz.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale newsstand September 18, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69


BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #79
"High School Switcheroo!": To offer a taste of variety, foster new interests and develop hidden talents, Riverdale High switches each student’s elective courses. We’re sure savvy Betty will do fine studying corporate business, but can pampered Veronica possibly handle "domestic living?" SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand September 4, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25



BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #177
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 pin-ups!
On sale newsstand August 21, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49


BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #154
THE EXPLOSIVE CONCLUSION OF A SPECIAL FOUR-ISSUE SAGA FEATURING RIVERDALE’S FAVORITE TEENS IN A WHOLE NEW LOOK!
"Bad Boy Trouble Part 4": It all comes down to this: the months and months of debate over and media coverage surrounding Betty and Veronica’s new looks culminate in a climactic conclusion as the "Bad Boy Trouble" saga draws to a close! The world will finally learn whether rough-and-tumble Nick St. Clair is a true "wild hog" on a souped-up cycle, or merely a misunderstood Romeo worthy of Veronica’s affections. You won’t want to miss the heart-thumping answer, so be sure to reserve your copy of this much-anticipated issue, drawn in an all-new realistic style that has everyone talking! SCRIPT: Melanie J. Morgan. ART: Steven Butler.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale newsstand September 4, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69


JUGHEAD #184
"The Right Moves": After breaking one of Mr. Lodge’s prized crystal chess pieces, Jughead goes on a quest to find a replacement, and ends up being used as a "pawn" himself!
"The Expert": When a virus knocks out the school’s top competitors, Jughead is called upon to fill in – with the promise of food, he can accomplish anything!
"The Chip Whisperer": Jughead convinces Reggie that corn chips talk to him… after all, a free burger is at stake!
SCRIPTS: Craig Boldman. ART: Rex Lindsey.
On sale newsstand September 11, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25


JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #133
It’s 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 pin-ups!
On sale newsstand August 21, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69


SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #87
"A New Leaf": To complete her Four Blades mission, Sabrina must get some dead leaves from the dying Mana tree… and that means a trip to the mysterious floating island of Sylphanari! Not wanting to go this perilous journey alone, Sabrina takes Harvey along. Getting alone time together does wonders for their relationship… until they run into Shinji’s girlfriend Hemlock, that is! On top of that, there are no fallen Mana leaves in sight… and the eerie fox-man Vosblanc is on hand as well! It’s more thrilling romantic intrigue as only Sabrina can deliver it! SCRIPT & ART: Tania Del Rio.
On sale newsstand August 21, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25


TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #23
GUEST-STARRING NEARLY EVERY TEEN IN THE ARCHIE UNIVERSE!
"Civil Chores Part Two": Last issue, the world of Riverdale was rocked when Archie decided to go on strike claiming there was no equity between his chores and his allowance. Before too long, the other teens in town chose sides… but when the other side is headed by Veronica and Reggie, watch out! They only want to maintain their status as Riverdale’s richest teens, but when Jughead joins their side for his own ulterior motives, it turns everything upside down! As the story continues, the rest of Riverdale’s fabled teens will choose sides… and you’ll be surprised at not only who turns up but which side they choose! What will be the outcome? Whatever it is, we wouldn’t be surprised if the crowned-one has the last laugh! Who are the guest-stars? Reserve your copy today to find out! SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your pin-ups!
On sale newsstand September 11, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49


VERONICA #183
"Madame President": Cast your vote for hilarity when Veronica decides to run for class president! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
"Camera Shy": When the Lodge mansion is profiled on TV’s "Rich Folks’ Cribs," Mr. Lodge insists that Archie stay off the premises – never realizing he’s there all the while! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand September 18, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25

Batman animated fans, will our hero go anime?

Just a few brief tidbits today, because BRBTV is on the road!

A new Batman animated movie in the anime style? A new straight-to-DVD animated movie focusing on Wonder Woman, too? Those are the rumors swirling the Internet:
http://www.comics2film.com/index.php?a=story&b=28419

And, just in case you didn't have enough Joan Collins yesterday, here's another dose, this time taking a look at her relationship with her sis, novelist Jackie Collins:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=476896&in_page_id=1879

AND ... here's another bit of ink, so to speak, about Collins' possible future roles in the Malaysia Sun:
http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/275659/cs/1/

Joan Collins gets some more newsprint, along with Linda Gray

OK, there's been some action in the past week while the BRBTV News Blog has been in Ontario with the Hair Dare Dukes Days ... Joan Collins, for instance, has been generating some buzz, no doubt helped along by the release of the second season of "Dynasty." Here, for your perusal, are some bits and pieces found around the Web pertaining to the beloved shows of BRBTV ...

The Daily Mail in the U.K. explores Collins' Hollywood career:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=476107&in_page_id=1773

The Daily Mail then follows it up with a highlight of a new biography of Collins, focusing on her love life and hubby Peter Holm in particular:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=476617&in_page_id=1879

The (York) Press of the U.K. discusses the new role of Linda Gray of "Dallas" fame in Dan Gordon's stage version of the flick "Terms Of Endearment":
http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/whatson/theatre/display.var.1627004.0.preview_terms_of_endearment_york_theatre_royal_august_24_to_september_15.php

The Northern Echo in the U.K. does basically the same thing for Gray:
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/features/leader/display.var.1611813.0.grays_anatomy.php

And if you've been living in a (Bat)cave and haven't heard that Sen. Patrick Leahy, who did a voice in "Batman: The Animated Series," has nailed a role in the upcoming Batman big-screen movie, you can read about it here, among many other places on the Web:
http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/2007/08/batman-movie-news-us-senator-patrick.html

Also in the "B: TAS" realm, Adrienne Barbeau, whom we know as the voice of Catwoman, is in the news for her scheduled appearance at the Erie Horror Film Festival in October:
http://movie.moldova.org/stiri/eng/66374/

If you're curious, catch this blogger's analysis of the ninth season of "Dynasty":
http://atthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/death-decay-and-the-carringtons-an-alternative-reading-of-soap-opera-dynastys-season-9/

And, because we just love trying to keep up with the myriad recent film roles of John Schneider of "The Dukes of Hazzard," we'll pass along this addendum to a post a couple weeks ago, regarding John-John's new role in the film "Sydney White"; thanks to Renee of the All-John blog for the link to this trailer that shows Schneider, if only for a moment ... (sigh) ... :
http://www.movie-list.net/exclusive5107/sydney-white.mov

Hair Dare Dukes Days: One last note!

Beggin' your indulgence for just a moment ... After a full week's worth of coverage on the BRBTV News Blog of the rockin' Hair Dare Dukes Days event in lovely and sunny Leamington, Ontario, Canada, and before heading back from Michigan to Georgia later this week, we simply must make one last footnote ...

How can you see something as cute as this and not post it? This was a quick "chase" on the event grounds over the weekend, just like old times, as if Rosco P. Coltrane and Bo and Luke Duke were behind the wheels ...

BRB was roaming the grounds, snapping a few shots of the various cars in attendance, when she saw the General that was giving rides all weekend suddenly take off, followed by you-know-who. In a flash of gravel dust and police lights, they were gone ... And that was Cousin Don in the police car, chasing Derrick in the Lee ... if you're a-wonderin' ...

What a great weekend! Special thanks again to Paul Harrington and his wife, Cheryl, and diligent work crew Jason, Mike, Kevin, Glenn and Lance, and anyone else who helped along the way. They did a great job. See y'all next year!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
(You know the drill!)

Hair Dare Dukes Days: The cars, the cars, the cars ...

Ahhhhhh ... the cars .... You know, the Hair Dare Dukes Days event was a great one for raising money for a worthwhile cause, fighting cancer. But it was also a car show, and the selection of shining beauties on the lawn this past weekend was vast and varied. Today's post, the closer of a week's worth of coverage of the annual event in Ontario, Canada, is light on the words and heavy on the photos. Because, as you know, a picture is worth a thousand words, and all that!

Photos by BRB except for this one above, courtesy of John (thanks!) and the one of BRB and Derrick taken by Derrick's helper for the General Lee rides (thanks, Derrick, for the photo printouts and for the "lift," so to speak!)

Hair Dare Dukes Days: See My Lee, the Chick Edition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, we really did mean to add all those exclamation points, because BRBTV can't help but get excited about a Chick General Lee!

Everybody knows that for a lot of "Dukes" fans, it's all about the car. And collecting that blazin'-orange beauty known as the General Lee is a largely "male" sport. But once in a while, you might accidentally encounter a female who loves and appreciates this 1969 Dodge Charger just as much.

Andrea, avid "Dukes of Hazzard" fan, found her own General over the Internet in the first week of June. "I have been looking for a couple years for a car, and I've found total junk heaps that I myself wouldn't know how to work on," she says. "The scenario with this car was perfect."

A friend of Andrea's who lives just an hour away from the car's location, in Kentucky, picked up the car for her and took it to his place. Then Andrea, along with a friend, traveled with a U-Haul trailer from Michigan to Kentucky to spend some time working on the car.

The car was already orange, and it already had the horn and vectors. It did not have the decals, however. "Everything was factory on it," Andrea says. Nothing had to be done with the engine, she notes. "It was in excellent driving condition."

"We did entire restoration photos and everything. We worked for like 14 hours a day on the car, scrubbing and sanding. We did a heck of a lot."

Her friend had already sent her the broadcast sheet and the actual warranty sheet from the car, which she says is rare to have. Andrea is still in contact with the car's most recent (second) owner, whose name is Chris, who is still in contact with the original owner, who still has the original title for the car. "We're working on getting that. Chris had gone to the hall of records and searched around."

Andrea is actually putting together a scrapbook of the history of her treasured possession, which will include the broadcast sheet, warranty sheet, title, restoration photos and more. But there's still some work to be done, she says, beyond what folks saw on the lawn at the Hair Dare Dukes Days.

"When I brought the car to Paul's show, it still needed wet-sanding. I still have that to do. In turn, I didn't put any of the trim on the car for Paul's show. But that's it. Down the road I want to give the engine more power. Put a 383 in it."

A labor of love for this "Dukes" fan? You betcha! "I watched the show when it was brand-new every Friday night, and got into John Schneider's fan club, and have been a fan of his ever since," she says. "When I first saw the show, I fell in love with the car and had to find out the history of what kind of car it is. I loved it, I loved the style and the body, and everything about it."

What a fun journey it's been, no doubt. And did Andrea ever imagine that at the very first show she took her new Lee to, the car would actually be driven by none other than Coy Duke? Here he is below, Byron Cherry behind the wheel of Andrea's car, with Paul Casey at his side and us girls in the back, on our way to a restaurant during the Hair Dare weekend! Fun!

You can learn more about Andrea and her Lee at her website: http://www.katzcharger.com/. She's a huge cat lover, too, by the way! You can see that at her home. "I have cat things everywhere, sheets, blankets, calendars, trinkets. Anything and everything is cat-shaped."

And hey, while we're talking General Lees, we just can't help but add in these two photos sent along by Bruce and Carole. This is their lovable poochie Tucker, who made friends with BRB during the Hair Dare show. Tucker loves to ride in Bruce and Carole's own Lee, you can see by these photos. Thanks, you guys, for sending them along ...

Hair Dare Dukes Days: Don Pedro Colley

OK, so ... what do you do when you see the imposing, stern, lumbering Sheriff Little of "The Dukes of Hazzard" riding around on a kids' motor scooter, his legs hanging out all over the place? You laugh and take photos, that's what! And that's exactly what he was doing -- and we were doing -- at the fifth annual Hair Dare Dukes Days event in Ontario, Canada, this past weekend!

Don Pedro Colley, who told us on Saturday morning that he's 69, set up shop at the table next to BRB at the event and told all kinds of great "Dukes" stories, and other stories about the many roles he's had in Hollywood. But did you know that he also wrote an episode of "Little House on the Prairie"? Yessireee, he called the episode "The Celebration," and in it a young girl gets lost and is helped by Dr. Tain, the physician to the Indians, who is discriminated against because he is black. It's the only television Colley has written. "I got an inspiration," he said.

Colley spoke well about his "Dukes" days and his costars. Denver Pyle, for instance, was the first actor that he ever met when he began his career in 1966. Colley called Pyle a wonderful human being. He also shared some tidbits about the making of the show. Sheriff Little is remembered so well for yanking the doors off cars or kicking off the fenders. Colley explained how this was done, by taking off the nuts and bolts, then reattaching with piano wire. Someone off screen would be waiting for the cue to yank the fender off when Colley kicked. Fun!

Colley also told about a time when his Sheriff Little persona came in handy in real life. His home in Oregon was broken into by some neighborhood thugs that had been hitting a lot of houses. The police considered them longtime criminals and were trying to catch them. Colley took matters into his own hand, a la Sheriff Little. He actually got a double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun and went over to the thieves' house. "Sheriff Little went to work," he says with a smile. He asked them who their fence was. A bit of a shootout ensued. "I didn't shoot at anyone," Colley clarifies. "I did it to scare them. They were avoiding being brought out of the shadows."

Colley also talked about the creation of the Sheriff Little character on the show. "The producers said the reason they were developing Sheriff Little was as the antithesis of Boss Hogg," he says. The kind of sheriff who has a presence without saying a word, he adds. "That's the kind of presence that I tried to project into the character."

He says he sure had a lot of fun with the lumbering lawman. "Sheriff Little is based on a lot of people I've seen in my life. This head is like a card file -- I've got all kinds of stuff I can pull out if I need it."

The local TV news station interviewed Colley as he signed autographs at Hair Dare. In the midst of all his other roles on movies such as "THX 1138" and "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," Colley sure didn't mind reminiscing to the TV audience, or the myriad fans at the event, about his co-starring role as the stern sheriff of Chickasaw County, Georgia. "You don't mess with him. He's a good guy, but he's a cop. ... He's a real person. I try to bring that into him."

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Hair Dare Dukes Days: Byron Cherry

When you meet Byron Cherry, our own Coy Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard," in real life, there are plenty of descriptors that can come to mind ... boisterous, fun-loving, always smiling ... the life of the party! And we have to admit, looking back now on that 1982 season of the show where he and Christopher Mayer nobly took on the role of the "replacement Dukes" and spun it for all it was worth, that cute Coy sure was "boisterous" and "fun-loving," too, wasn't he?

At the Hair Dare Dukes Days, Byron Cherry could be counted on for injecting a big laugh into virtually any moment, all weekend long, from the second his plane landed to when he was taken back to the airport on Monday! He stuck with the fans, not just on the Colasanti's grounds, but at the hotel, at the Applebee's on Sunday night, everywhere! This is just a great guy, and because of that, and because every time BRBTV travels to a show like this we like to bestow an honorary "Most Congenial in Show" award to a celebrity, that goll-darn Coy gets the award this time around.

So ... when you're a celebrity, how do you take a role on a wildly popular show, a role where you step into some very hard shoes to fill, where you were essentially cast as a "bad" guy, and make it a good thing? With grace, if you're Byron Cherry -- even years later. He speaks well of those days, and of John Schneider, the guy whose blond hair and fun-loving demeanor he "replaced" for a time on the show. Cherry tells BRBTV that he actually auditioned for the role of Bo Duke at the same time that Schneider did, right there in Atlanta. Cherry is from Atlanta originally, and his family still lives there. He says that at the time, he and Schneider had the same agent in Atlanta. Schneider joked to him, at the time, that he, not Cherry, was going to get the role of Bo! And indeed, he did, and Cherry took it in stride.


Do you remember that episode "Comrade Duke," where Coy and Vance meet the defecting Russian gymnast Natasha? Coy flips for the girl, literally and figuratively, performing an aerial flip during the episode. Cherry tells BRBTV that he was into gymnastics, among other sports, in his younger years. When the producers considered hiring a stunt guy to do the flip, to the tune of $1,200, Cherry stepped up and offered to do it. That flip took 28 takes, he says, and one of those takes was right on his head! (He wouldn't do the flip again at the Hair Dare event -- we asked! And take note: This guy is a very nice-looking age 52 -- his IMDb year of birth is wrong.)

While BRBTV was chatting with fellow fans at the Hair Dare Dukes Days, the topic of the Mean Green Machine came up. The tanklike vehicle only appeared in two "Dukes" episodes, during the Coy and Vance season. Whatever happened to that? one fan wonders. And what exactly was it, anyway? At a show like this, where everything from the General Lee to Daisy's Jeep Dixie to the "00" Mustang, the "Carnival of Thrills" car and everything else shows up, you sure don't see a Mean Green Machine pull into position on the lawn, now do ya? Well, BRBTV posed the question to Cherry, who laughs that the Mean Green Machine was essentially "some plywood over a chassis." It was a car engine with a steering wheel sticking up, he says, and just a plywood casing that was painted the green color. Where did this contraption ever disappear to? Cherry has no idea. Hmmm ....

Don't look now, but it's BRB's three best new buds! With Byron Cherry is Kevin (middle) and "Zealand," as he's now so aptly called -- our fellow "Dukes" fan Andrew, who traveled to the event all the way from New Zealand!

(That Zealand -- he was just outta control! And it was our own Coy who penned that nickname, by the way!)

Here, Coy Duke, aka Byron Cherry, drives the one and only "Chick" General Lee in attendance, owned by Andrea of Kalamazoo, Michigan. You'll learn more about Andrea in the special chick version of our occasional "See My Lee!" feature on Thursday ...

Nowadays, Cherry lives on the West Coast, near Ventura, California, about an hour away from the home of his fellow Duke boy Mayer (who was scheduled for this show but couldn't make it). The two, bonded by a single "Dukes" season and "The Dukes" cartoon, still keep in touch.

It's been said, in the "Dukes" world, that Coy and Vance never really got their due. And we'd have to agree, especially after meeting the lively and extremely fun and kind Byron Cherry.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Email if you want higher-resolution copies!

Hair Dare Dukes Days: What a weekend!

Welcome to Monday, and welcome to the beginning of a full week of coverage of the weekend's Hair Dare Dukes Days in hot 'n' sunny Ontario, Canada!

We had 'em comin' in from all over the place for this celebration of all things orange 'n' "01" -- Ohio, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Georgia, even New Zealand! We had the boisterous Byron (Coy Duke) Cherry, the still-lumbering Don Pedro (Sheriff Little) Colley, the entertaining and highly personable Paul Casey, and silly little BRB herself. And amid the sea of beautiful, classic cars from the "Dukes of Hazzard" realm, from other corners of the pop-culture world, and from the just-plain-classic-car-world in general, we had all kinds of fun. We had Will Rodgers (yes, that's his name) doing fabbo imitations of all the "Dukes" characters, joined by Billy on stage, we had Sheriff Little outta control riding a kids' scooter around the grounds (look for that photo later this week!), we had an-attendee-who-will-remain-nameless grabbing our own Coy Duke's nicely preserved behind numerous times, and we had Lees, Lees and more Lees. What more can you ask for?!

But this event wasn't just a time to get together and get all crazy about the "Dukes." Paul Harrington of the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club raised some good solid cash for the Canadian Cancer Society, shaving his head for the cause -- and even inspiring his little girl Sarah to cut her hair short for the very first time! She raised $2,100 just on her own. Check out the first two photos below, of Sarah getting her very long braid nipped off! She's joined by her dad Paul on the right, and mom Cheryl is on the left.

Very special thanks go out to Paul for all he does on the show. This is the fifth annual event, and he pays for a great deal of it out of his own pocket so that the Cancer Society can get as much as possible. He demonstrates what it means to be a Duke (and hey, just ask him about the criminal he caught in downtown Leamington on Saturday night!).

We're dishin' out the photos all week from the Hair Dare Dukes Days, so stay tuned! (Tomorrow: Byron Cherry, life of the party!)

Lots of folks took the "Hair Dare" over the weekend for a good cause.


It certainly was enough that Paul Casey, two-time entertainer of the year in Vegas, wore this cool black Johnny Cash shirt on Sunday, but then he went and sang "Folsom Prison Blues"!!! Meow!

So does having a name like Will Rodgers just automatically oblige you to a career in entertainment? Hmmm ... This Will Rodgers, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, shown here at the special celebrity dinner at Colasanti's Tropical Gardens on Friday night, wowed the crowd with dead-on imitations of "Dukes" characters like Rosco, Boss Hogg, Bo and Luke. An avid "Dallas" fan, as well, he opened up a big-ole geek vortex with BRB and fellow attendee Kevin, discussing Bobby, Pam, the shower scene, the Lee Raintree book and a whole lotta other Southfork stuff!

Doesn't the 501st just rock!?! They do a show like this just about every weekend, one member told BRBTV. And don't worry -- in the midst of the 90-degree heat they had fans inside those things to keep 'em cool!

Before we knew it, a song broke out ... and yes, they sure were some "Good Ole Boys" ... Paul Casey, with Byron Cherry and Don Pedro Colley, meeting and greeting at the Friday-night din-din.

We can have nothing but admiration for a shirt like this. Billy says he got it at a shop in Pigeon Forge. (That's Mark 16:15, by the way.)

Jason, the "Duke of Duke," as BRBTV likes to call him, checks under the hood of his Lee at the Comfort Inn in Leamington before the show on Saturday morning.



He was big and strong, that military man who took this shot of BRB in one of the several vehicles on display. (Good thing she jumped up there herself and didn't get his help, though, like when the kindly Derrick helped her through the window of his General Lee later that day -- yikes, that was embarrassing! Lots more slip showing than just the tiny sliver here! She'll leave that famous window hop to Bo and Luke!)



Colasanti's Tropical Gardens, the site of the Hair Dare Dukes Days, also featured some fun face painting for the kids.

All photos by BRB, except that one of BRB in the military vehicle. Share photos with credit if you like, and if you would like higher-resolution copies, just email us.