Bo Duke
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Beauregard "Bo" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985. He was played by John Schneider.
Bo and his cousin Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) live in an unincorporated area of the fictional Hazzard County, in Georgia. Bo and Luke own a 1969 Dodge Charger,named The General Lee, which is painted orange, with the Confederate flag on top, and 01 painted on the sides with the words General Lee inscribed above the doors which were welded shut for safety. Bo and Luke evade the corrupt officials of Hazzard County, such as Boss Hogg and Rosco P. Coltrane.
The Duke family, including cousin Daisy and Uncle Jesse, is well known for their role in the moonshine business among other interests. Bo and Luke had both been sentenced to probation for illegal transportation of moonshine. As a result, neither are not permitted to use firearms, instead preferring to use bow and arrows. It should also be noted that the terms of Bo and Luke's probation included staying within the boundaries of Hazzard County (unless given special permission by their Probation Officer, J.D. Hogg).
Bo (the blond-haired Duke) was the younger of the two Duke boys, and the much wilder one of the pair. He often reacted to situations without first thinking or planning, and was the one most likely to get into a fight beside the fact that Luke was the better fighter from being in the Marines. Bo was also more of a "ladies man", known for his womanizing, which often resulted in him getting into compromising situations. In general, it was usually Bo who got the two into trouble. Bo was best known for his rebel yell exclamation of the catchphrase, "Yee-Haa!"
Most of the time, it was Bo who drove The General Lee, while his cousin Luke rode shotgun. Bo was an ex-stock car driver, and he was typically the one known for taking the General off most of its legendary jumps. Because its doors were welded shut, Bo and Luke always had to climb in and out of the car through the windows. Actors John Schneider and Tom Wopat admitted that on occasions that the roles were reversed, and Luke drove, they found it much more difficult to climb in and out of the opposite window to which they were accustomed.
Bo later left Hazzard County, along with his cousin Luke, to join the NASCAR circuit (they both returned the following year).
According to the 1997 Reunion movie, Bo left Hazzard again to pursue a successful NASCAR career, this time without Luke. Shortly before his return to Hazzard, he crashed his car, and is still in Hazzard in the 2000 Hazzard in Hollywood film. Although he was a lifelong bachelor, in the 2000 movie he met a woman named Gabrielle nicknamed Gabby in Los Angeles, which convinced her to go Hazzard to be with him for one last time.
[edit] Bo Duke in film
Bo Duke was later played by Seann William Scott in the subsequent cinematic version. Bo Duke will be played by Jonathan Bennett in the prequal film The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning.
[edit] Trivia
- Bo and Luke's probation generally indicated that they weren't allowed to leave Hazzard County; However, the exact details of this agreement varied in different episodes. Sometimes it seemed that if they simply set foot outside of Hazzard they would be breaking probation, whereas other times they seemed able to leave as long as they were back by a certain time. And just how they were able to leave to race on the NASCAR circuit in the fifth season was never explained, but their probation was back in place when they returned.
- Bo's famous "Yee-Haa" call was actually used for both Bo and Luke. For example, at the end of the opening credits, where it sounds like both Bo and Luke are calling it, it is actually Bo's used twice. Tom Wopat (Luke) didn't start to master it for himself until the mid-second season.
- The images of John Schneider as Bo during the opening credits were updated in the fourth season (even though the were still from the first few episodes, ("One Armed Bandits" and "Mary Kaye's Baby"), whereas the rest of the cast generally had the same shots throughout the run.
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| Characters | Bo Duke • Luke Duke • Daisy Duke • Uncle Jesse • Cooter Davenport • Boss Hogg • Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane • Enos Strate • Cletus Hogg |
| Minor characters | Lulu Coltrane Hogg • Hughie Hogg • Abraham Lincoln Hogg |
| Television | The Dukes of Hazzard • List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes • Enos • The Dukes (animated series) • The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (reunion movie) The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood!(reunion movie) |
| Film | Moonrunners (1975) • The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) • The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007) |
| Other | The General Lee • Hazzard County • Boar's Nest • Daisy Dukes • Jerry Rushing • The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee (video game) |
