TV Land Pulls “The Dukes of Hazzard”

[rangerrebew]

 

TV Land Pulls “The Dukes of Hazzard”

Posted on June 30, 2015   by willmckinley    
 

firstBo and Luke Duke may be “makin’ their way the only way they know how.” But that’s just a little bit more than TV Land will allow.

The Viacom-owned cable network quietly removed The Dukes of Hazzard from their programming schedule yesterday in the wake of recent controversy regarding the show’s extensive use of the Confederate flag. The 1979-85 series had been airing twice daily at 4:36 p.m. and 5:38 p.m. (ET) and, according to listings at TV Guide.com, was scheduled to continue in that slot. The classic Western Bonanza will now air in its place.

A TV Land spokesperson confirmed via email that the series has been removed from the schedule, but offered no further comment.

Thirty years after the CBS hit rode off into the Georgia sunset, The Dukes made headlines once again last week when Warner Bros. (which produced the series and still retains the rights) announced they would no longer license the show’s Confederate flag-emblazoned 1969 Dodge Charger (known as The General Lee). An on-line petition has since been launched by fans, arguing the series “was about family values, fighting corruption, helping friends, neighbors and even strangers… no matter what color they were.” Ben Jones (who played Cooter) also posted a defense of the series (and the flag) on Facebook.

Screen Shot 2015-06-30 at 1.14.23 PMTV Land, which began life in 1996 as a destination for retro reruns, has been seeking recently to shed its classic TV identity. The channel announced a rebranding on June 23, seeking to “overhaul of the network’s brand identity to complement a slate of new, original programming.” TV Land made its first foray into originals with the Golden Girls-esque sitcom Hot in Cleveland in 2010, but broke through this year with Younger, a comedy-drama about a forty-something (Sutton Foster) posing as a Millennial.The Darren Starr-produced series broke ratings records for the channel and attracted a more youthful demographic, including a 180% gain among women 18-34 in primetime.

Country Music Television (CMT) had also been airing The Dukes of Hazzard recently, but a quick check of their website indicates no scheduled broadcasts. CMT is also owned by Viacom.

There’s no word on whether or not The Dukes of Hazzard will return to TV, but all 145 episodes remain available on DVD and for VOD streaming on Amazon Instant for $19.99 per season.

https://willmckinley.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/tv-land-pulls-the-dukes-of-hazzard/

[flowers]

Geezus!

[Paladin]

Gosh, this will make everything better.

The Duke boys are being put on the bench.

TV Land has pulled reruns of Dukes of Hazzard in light of the recent uproar over the Confederate flag, which is emblazoned on the roof of the show's iconic General Lee 1969 Dodge Charger, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

[snip]

In a recent interview with THR, Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider defended the series' use of the flag. "Labeling anyone who has the flag a 'racist' seems unfair to those who are clearly 'never meanin' no harm,'" he said. His co-star Ben Jones has also come out in defense of the flag, saying it represents the "indomitable spirit of independence."

The Parents Television Council weighed in TV Land's decision Wednesday. Although the organization said they did not oppose the reasoning behind TV Land's actions, the council blasted the network and its parent company, Viacom, for "blatant hypocrisy" they say the media company demonstrated.

"When media companies are criticized for marketing programs that glamorize drug and alcohol use, or for sexualizing minors in television programs and movies, or for selling violent entertainment to children – despite overwhelming evidence of harm – or for trivializing rape, child sex abuse and pedophilia, all in the name of 'entertainment,' they are quick to wrap themselves in the banner of Free Speech," wrote PTC president Tim Winter.

"Restraint and responsibility do not infringe on the First Amendment and do not encroach on Free Speech rights. If TV Land is willing to pull The Dukes of Hazzard, out of concern for its harmful impact on our society (and it is good that Viacom is publicly acknowledging its programming can have a harmful impact on our society), they cannot then hide behind the First Amendment to refute the compelling evidence of harm from the violent and sexualized media content they continue to produce and air with impunity."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tv-land-pulls-dukes-hazzard-806265