The Duke Family, cousins Bo and Luke, assisted by their cousin Daisy and their Uncle Jesse, fight the system and root out the corrupt practices of Hazzard County Commissioner Boss Hogg and his bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. The show became an instant hit, never failing to win its time slot during its original run on CBS, in the USA, for seven seasons from 1979-1985.

The Duke boys, a pair of 'Robin Hood' types, are assisted in their adventures by their car, The General Lee. The series is set in Georgia and the show's southern influence is felt throughout. Country singing superstar Waylon Jennings performed the famous theme song to the show ("Good Ol' Boys"), and acts as 'The Balladeer' narrating the adventures of each episode. Furthermore, many of the plots revolved around the Dukes' history as an ex-moon-shining family.

Innocently naive Deputy Enos Strate, though technically an officer of the law under Boss Hogg, strives for justice and fairness, while also having a major crush on Daisy. Ace mechanic Cooter Davenport helps the Dukes along the way and Deputy Cletus Hogg, though not as honest as Enos, subtlety assists the Dukes' escape from 'Hogg justice.'

The series had an extremely successful run in syndication beginning in 1996 on the Nashville Network. This led to a resurgence in the popularity of the Dukes, even though some critics believed the show gave out messages that could be immoral, dangerous and corrupting to the children watching if they were to copy their behaviour. Two reunion movies, featuring the surviving members of the cast, aired in 1997 and 2000, in the States, and plans are currently underway to produce a motion picture based on the original show.