THE General Lee...1979, not 1861!

A³ Mathematically, the symbolism represents A to the third power. With focus on the word 'power', not much is more entertainingly powerful than...The Actors. The Action. The Automobiles. Car chases and stunts monopolize scene after scene where the hero(s) somehow manages to escape unscathed. The 'guy gets the girl' with her swooning over the mesmerizing ambiance of the hero's wheels. Ah-h-h! The wheels, often the focal point of the camera lens.

This Day in Television History: January 26, 1979

The family-friendly television series "The Dukes of Hazzard" created by Gy Waldron premiered on CBS, January 26, 1979. The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was created by Gy Waldron in collaboration with ex-moonshiner Jerry Rushing and had many identical or similar character names and concepts. Although itself essentially a comedy, this original movie was much cruder and edgier than the family-friendly TV series that would evolve from it.

The setting: Hazzard County, Georgia.

The theme: The adventures of the fast-drivin', rubber-burnin' Duke boys of Hazzard County.

The wheels: 1969 Dodge Charger, aka, The General Lee

It (The General Lee) is known for its signature horn, its police chases, stunts — especially its long jumps — and for having its doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out through the windows. The car appears in every episode but one ("Mary Kaye's Baby"). The car's name is a reference to American Civil War general Robert E. Lee. It bears a Confederate flag (a rectangular variant of the square battle flag of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia) on its roof, and also has a horn which plays the first twelve notes of the song "Dixie". [Source: wikipedia.org]

Times are a changin':  Saying goodbye to the General Lee as you’ve always known it.

Cousins Bo and Luke Duke and their car "General Lee", assisted by Cousin Daisy and Uncle Jesse, have a running battle with the authorities of Hazzard County (Boss Hogg and Sheriff Coltrane), plus a string of ne'er-do-wells often backed by the scheming Hogg.

Then/Now: The Cast of 'The Dukes of Hazzard'

1975 - The BBC showed a documentary on David Bowie called "Cracked Actor."

1959 - "Alcoa Presents" debuted on ABC-TV. The show would later be renamed "One Step Beyond".

1979 - The first episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard" aired on CBS.

1984 - CBS television debuted Mickey Spillane's "Mike Hammer."

1994 - "Babylon 5" began airing on TNT.