TORONTO - John Schneider, who played good ol' boy Bo Duke on "The Dukes of Hazzard," says the '80s TV show was one of the last programs that families sat down to watch together.
He's still riled about the raunchy 2005 movie version starring Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville.
"It was awful. Just awful," Schneider said of the "Dukes" film.
"It was offensive on every level. The car stuff was great. But to depict Uncle Jesse as a pot-smoking, grab-ass, lecherous old man was really a travesty as far as I'm concerned."
Schneider is scheduled to appear at a Toronto car show this weekend to sign autographs and shake hands at a "Dukes of Hazzard" booth alongside a 1969 Dodge Charger - the vehicle that was immortalized on the show as the General Lee.
Schneider estimates that at least 329 Dodge Chargers were used on "Dukes," which ran from 1979 to 1985 and chronicled the adventures of two cousins living in fictional Hazzard County.
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Most went the way of the wrecking yard due to the spectacular chases that Bo and Luke (Tom Wopat) frequently found themselves caught up in (says Schneider: "If you've never jumped a car before, you should really try it").
Schneider made headlines when he sold his own General Lee last year, although he refuses to say what it went for.
A self-professed car nut (he currently has five in his collection, but has had as many as 16) the actor says he sees all types of cars painted to resemble the General, including tow trucks, Humvees, Mini Coopers and Lamborghinis.
"People have a tendency of thinking: 'Well, you know, those "Dukes of Hazzard" fans, they're a certain demographic.' No, motorheads like myself come in all shapes and sizes and from all over the world," he said.
"Every country I've been in, I've either seen a General Lee in person, or somebody has said, did you know that right down the street ... there's a General Lee? Saw one in Milan, Italy, I've seen several in Australia. They're everywhere."
Most often, though, Schneider hears from "Dukes" viewers who decided to build their own version of the General Lee. When that happens, there's always a story.
"People have made them with their fathers and their grandfathers and their moms," he said.
"When you see somebody that has a General Lee that they made themselves, it represents many, many, many hours of spending time together with people that you love, people that you care about and you're sharing a passion about a particular hobby or even a particular car."
The American actor, also an accomplished musician who has recorded 10 albums, likens "The Dukes of Hazzard" to "I Love Lucy" and "The Andy Griffith Show."
He's stunned that the big-screen version was so totally devoid of that family spirit.
"It's interesting to me how a company as large as Warner Bros. could completely and totally miss the heart and soul of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' when they made that movie," he said.
The show, he says, embodies the same spirit that compels families to rebuild cars together.
"The show is a safe place you can go and take your kids."
The Motion Custom Car Show takes place March 27-29 at the Direct Energy Centre.
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