Little-Known Mistakes and Bloopers in The Dukes of Hazzard
When The Dukes of Hazzard first aired in 1979, it quickly became one of television’s most beloved action-comedy series. With its wild car chases, over-the-top stunts, and larger-than-life characters, it captured the charm of small-town mischief in fictional Hazzard County.
But behind all that fun were the realities of fast-paced TV production in the late 1970s and early ’80s — tight deadlines, big stunt budgets, and the challenge of keeping continuity straight when you’re jumping cars over rivers every week.
As a result, the show is filled with mistakes, bloopers, and continuity slips — many of which flew under the radar for years. Here’s a deep dive into some of the most entertaining and little-known ones.
1. The Ever-Changing General Lee
The General Lee — the bright orange Dodge Charger with the “01” on the doors — is as much a star as Bo and Luke Duke. But sharp-eyed fans will notice the General Lee changes from scene to scene:
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Number of headlights: Some episodes show a Charger with two headlights on each side, while others briefly show four — because they used multiple model years of Dodge Chargers during filming.
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Interior changes: The roll cage sometimes appears and disappears, depending on which car was used that day.
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Different wheels: In some shots, the General Lee’s wheels are a tan/gold color, while in others, they’re a dull silver or even black — because replacement cars often weren’t painted exactly the same.
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Damage that disappears: The car might take a huge dent in one scene, only to be pristine in the next shot. That’s because they often cut between footage of different takes.
2. Recycled Stunt Footage
One of the most famous Dukes of Hazzard bloopers isn’t a single mistake — it’s the fact that the show reused the same stunt footage in multiple episodes.
For example:
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The same shot of the General Lee flying over a police car is used at least five times in different episodes.
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In some cases, you can spot foliage, buildings, or background cars that don’t match the rest of the scene.
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The color of the car sometimes changes mid-jump because they spliced footage from older takes.
This wasn’t just laziness — it was a cost-saving measure. Each jump destroyed a car, and the production went through hundreds of Chargers over the show’s run.
3. Missing or Misplaced License Plates
In some episodes, the Duke family’s vehicles have license plates… in others, they don’t. Sometimes the same vehicle will have plates in one scene, then none in the next. This continuity slip was common, especially with the General Lee.
The confusion came from the fact that they often used multiple cars to film a single chase scene. One Charger might have a license plate, while its stunt double didn’t.
4. Bo and Luke’s Magic Wardrobe
If you binge-watch the series, you’ll notice Bo and Luke sometimes magically change outfits mid-scene. This is especially noticeable during chase sequences where they cut between close-ups (shot on one day) and wide stunt shots (shot days or weeks earlier).
Sometimes the color of Bo’s shirt or the length of Luke’s sleeves changes between shots — a telltale sign of pickup filming and stock stunt footage.
5. Continuity Slips with Rosco’s Patrol Car
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane’s police cruiser was a staple of the show — and it took quite a beating. But it also had some very noticeable bloopers:
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Changing models: Rosco’s “same” patrol car might be a Dodge Monaco in one scene and a Plymouth Fury in another.
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Vanishing damage: The car might lose a door in one shot, then reappear completely intact moments later.
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Mismatched decals: Some cars had different sheriff’s department decals, betraying the fact they were just whatever old police car the studio could find.
6. The “Fake Hazzard” Problem
Much of The Dukes of Hazzard was filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot in California, but the show was supposed to be set in rural Georgia. Sometimes the backlot sets gave this away:
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California hills: In background shots, you can often see dry, brown California hills instead of lush Southern greenery.
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Palm trees: A dead giveaway in some episodes — not exactly something you’d see in small-town Georgia.
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Modern buildings: Occasionally, downtown Hazzard featured suspiciously modern architecture for a supposed rural county.
7. The Sound Effect Slip-Ups
One of the funnier small bloopers in The Dukes of Hazzard involves sound effects:
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The General Lee’s famous horn sometimes plays… when the car isn’t even moving.
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Tire screech sounds are often dubbed over dirt-road driving, which would never make that noise in real life.
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In some chase scenes, the revving engine sound clearly comes from a completely different type of car.
8. Daisy’s Jeep Mystery
Daisy Duke’s white Jeep, “Dixie,” had its own share of continuity quirks:
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The roll bar changes color between episodes — sometimes white, sometimes chrome.
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The “Dixie” decal on the hood isn’t always there.
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In a few episodes, the Jeep’s tires change style between shots within the same chase.
9. The Background Extras Who Reappear
Because the show used a lot of extras on a small backlot, you can spot the same “Hazzard County townsfolk” playing different roles in different episodes.
Even funnier: In some bar scenes, the same background actors appear multiple times in different outfits — sometimes even in the same episode.
10. Stunt Driver Cameos
In high-speed chase shots, if you freeze-frame, you can sometimes clearly see the stunt driver instead of the actor. For example, Bo Duke’s stunt double often wore a blond wig, but it was sometimes so poorly fitted you could spot it bouncing during jumps.
11. Prop Disappearances
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In one episode, Rosco is holding his hat while chasing the Dukes on foot — cut to the next shot, and the hat has magically returned to his head.
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In another, Luke loads hay bales into a truck, but the number of bales changes between shots.
12. The “Flying Hat” Problem
The General Lee’s open windows meant that hats were constantly flying off during jumps and turns. In many scenes, you can watch Bo or Luke lose their hats, only for them to magically reappear in the very next shot.
Why These Mistakes Happened
TV production in the ’70s and ’80s was fast-paced. Episodes were shot quickly, often out of order, and the stunt work was expensive and dangerous. The producers reused footage, swapped cars, and filmed on different days with mismatched props to save time and money.
Given the sheer number of jumps, crashes, and chase scenes each week, it’s amazing the show looked as smooth as it did.
The Charm of the Bloopers
Far from ruining the show, these little goofs add to its charm. Fans love spotting continuity errors and laughing about them online. They’re reminders that The Dukes of Hazzard was a high-energy, lighthearted show — never meant to be taken too seriously.
And for many viewers, noticing that Rosco’s car magically repairs itself or that Bo’s shirt changes mid-jump is part of the fun. It makes the show feel like an old friend telling the same tall tale again, with a few new twists each time.
