Dukes of Hazzard star John Schnieder slams TV Land for dropping show
John Schneider, who played Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, is putting TV Land on blast after the network pulled reruns of the hit series off its schedule.
TV Land’s move came Wednesday in the midst of increased debate over depictions of the Confederate flag, including the one painted on the roof of the 1969 Dodge Charger (dubbed General Lee) driven by the Duke boys on Hazzard.
“The Dukes of Hazzard was and is no more a show seated in racism than Breaking Bad was a show seated in reality,” Schneider told The Hollywood Reporter this week.
The actor added that he wants the show to continue because of the old-fashioned values it promotes, including honesty, courage, chivalry, and rebelliousness. Those now criticizing The Dukes of Hazzard because of the Confederate flag atop the General Lee, he says, are missing the point.
“I am saddened that one angry and misguided individual can cause one of the most beloved television shows in the history of the medium to suddenly be seen in this light,” Schneider said, referencing the suspect accused of killing nine people at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina last month, adding, “Come on, TV Land, can’t we all just watch TV?”
Warner Bros. previously said it will no longer license toys or model cars of the General Lee. Professional golfer Bubba Watson also said he plans to paint over the Confederate flag on the General Lee car that he owns, and wants to paint an American flag in its place.