I remember this show with an embarrassed fondness. I even remember when it
jumped the shark, although I only learned this term recently. It seemed that the producers preceived the real star of the show to be the car, The
General Lee. They fired the actors that played
Bo and Luke Duke, and hired some replacement lookalikes named cousins Coy and Vance. They had identical hair colors so that the dolls wouldn't need to be changed. As a fan of the show, I was confused. Why did Bo and Luke go off on the
stock car racing circuit? Why didn't they visit? Why hadn't we seen Coy and Vance before now? And wouldn't Bo and Luke want to hang on to the General Lee?
Imagine my consternation when, after the ratings sagged, they brought back Bo and Luke and fired the guys who played Coy and Vance. It seemed that Bo and Luke had won all sorts of races. Why hadn't we heard? I felt like there must have been some other show that we just weren't getting.