'Dukes of Hazzard' returns in high definition

The hit CBS comedy “The Dukes of Hazzard” ended production in 1985, but reruns of the show have been broadcast in syndication ever since. Starting in January, the Country Music Television (CMT) cable channel began airing the series for the first time in high definition.

“I saw some and it looks great,” said James Best, who starred as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane throughout most of the series. “Parents who watched the show in prime time 30 years ago are now sharing it with their children, creating a whole new generation of ‘Dukes' fans.”

Best says that despite the rural setting and corny comedy, the show had broad appeal.

“You had two handsome young men (John Schneider and Tom Wopat), Catherine Bach in those short shorts, Denver Pyle as a grandfather figure, Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg) as the villain, me acting the fool for comedy, and the General Lee — an amazing car that leapt over canyons,” Best said. “That was a pretty good formula for family entertainment and all without cussing or excessive violence.”

A veteran of stage, screen and television who turns 88 this summer, Best appeared most recently in the 2013 TV movie “The Sweeter Side of Life” on the Hallmark Channel. In 2012, he co-wrote and starred in “Return of the Killer Shrews,” the sequel to his 1959 horror/sci-fi classic, “Killer Shrews.”

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Despite appearing in more than 600 TV shows and about 90 feature films, Best is still mostly identified with his “Dukes” character. But he says he almost left the series permanently during the second season.

“My dressing room was a bunch of 50-year-old plywood boxes that they dragged around on a tractor,” he said. “I was always falling in mud and getting filthy, and to clean off I had to stand between two blankets while someone hosed me down. I was around 55 years old and thought I should have access to proper shower facilities. So I quit for five episodes, and when I returned, got my bathroom!”

These days, Best participates in live DukesFests with other cast members.

“Just a couple of years ago, some 80,000 people came to one in Nashville,” Best said. “We had around 120 General Lee-like cars there.”

Best, also a respected painter, now travels the country with his one-man show (see www.jamesbest.com for 2014 dates), talking about his career.

“I started doing it last year and love it,” he said. “I stay after the show and meet a lot of fans. I truly appreciate their support over the years.”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala. His features and columns have appeared in more than 400 newspapers and magazines. He can be reached at his blog: http://getnickt.blogspot.com.