TV Land drops ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ reruns

The General Lee has been recalled.

TV Land has dropped reruns of “The Dukes of Hazzard” from its schedule, the network confirmed Wednesday.

“The Dukes of Hazzard” aired on CBS from 1979 to 1985. It starred John Schneider and Tom Wopat as Bo and Luke Duke, troublemaking cousins in fictional Hazzard County, Ga. Their 1969 Dodge Charger, named the General Lee, was painted with the Confederate battle flag on its roof and was featured prominently in the show’s opening credits and many chase sequences.

A spokesperson for the network declined to elaborate about the reason for the decision, but it comes in the midst of a nationwide debate over the Confederate flag following the murder of nine African Americans in a racially motivated attack on June 17 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.

The Viacom-owned network also declined to say whether the show has been permanently shelved.

Since the Charleston shooting, retailers including Wal-mart and Amazon have agreed to stop selling merchandise emblazoned with the symbol. Warner Bros., which distributes “The Dukes of Hazzard” television series, also announced it would cease licensing merchandise featuring the flag.

“The Dukes of Hazzard” was adapted into a 2005 film starring Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville. The movie version of the General Lee was also decorated with the Confederate emblem.

Both versions remain widely available through online retailers.

This is not the first time that TV Land has pulled controversial reruns. The network stopped airing episodes of “The Cosby Show” in November as numerous women came forward with sexual assault allegations against star Bill Cosby.

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For the Record:

July 3, 10:45 a.m.: A previous version of this story said Bo and Luke Duke were brothers. They were cousins.

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