Billie Rae Bates's Blog, page 36

Check out the new "Dukes" event coverage playlist on YouTube

Years worth of great "Dukes of Hazzard" events, all in one place. Now you can click on the new BRBTV "Dukes" event coverage playlist on YouTube and see great clips from waaaaayyyy back in the day, as well as just the other day!

This author has had the privilege of attending so many wonderful events over the years, and I think you'll enjoy these captured moments. From the '09 Hair Dare Dukes Days in Canada and even the Professional Stuntman Invitational in North Carolina, where you'll see the  jump of an "A-Team" van, all the way up through last weekend's Hazzard County Cars and Stars in Michigan, there's tons of great stuff here. These videos are designed as either relive-the-moment opportunities or live-it-if-you-never-got-to-in-the-first-place. Sooo ... Yeee-haaaa!!!!

Hazzard County Cars and Stars: Some track action

You've gotta love a "Dukes of Hazzard" event with a "Dukes"-style re-enactment. This author has loved the talents of folks like the Northeast Ohio Dukes and the Hazzard County Stunt Team at their own stunt shows, and last weekend's Hazzard County Cars and Stars event at the Owosso Speedway in Michigan seemed to take a page right out of that playbook. In a sweet little show around the racetrack, that ole rascally Rosco was chasing them Duke boys, and then the General had car trouble, and you just know where that's going. Cooter and Daisy get in on the action, too. What fun! And with a real Duke in on the action to boot -- Byron Cherry lends some comedy to the scene.

Right before that in this third part of our video coverage of Saturday at the show, you'll see the parade of cars around the track, led by the General Lee. This lineup came from a car show down the road in downtown Owosso.

Hazzard County Cars & Stars, Part 2: Tom Wopat

You can tell the wind was starting to pick up later in this second part of our video coverage of this past weekend's Hazzard County Cars and Stars Concert at Owosso Speedway in Michigan. Then the rain came, and Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard" brought his concert to a close. But before that, it was some great music, as always.

Tom sang some classics like "Yesterday," as well as his own original songs, including one, as he tells the story, he was inspired to write after shooting a Syfy movie in Thailand. You'll see him introduce event host Pastor Steve Rau here, as well.

Thanks so much, Pastor Steve, Owosso Speedway, Tom Wopat, and Byron Cherry for giving fans this great event. Tune in tomorrow for the last of our three-part coverage -- a sweet little car chase around the track.

Hazzard County Cars & Stars, Part 1: Byron Cherry

Did you know Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry of "The Dukes of Hazzard" has a new movie role coming up? It has a couple very special "Dukes" connections -- namely the director! Byron tells us all about it in the first of three parts of our special video coverage of the Hazzard County Cars and Stars Concert at Owosso Speedway in Michigan this past weekend. This author was there with buds Andrea and Don, and even my fellow vlogger Derek (ChunkeyMonkey40) in a vlogception! It was a blast to see Byron again, as he's always the life of the party. Here, he signs photos for fans and even FaceTimes with the mom of one attendee.

Byron also got to take part in a car chase around the track that was straight out of Hazzard County! You'll see that later in the week on this same BRBTV channel ...

Terrific non-TV Toys: Betty and Veronica dolls by Playing Mantis, Part 2: Betty

She's the girl next door (literally right next door to Archie). She can fix cars, she has a cute little ponytail, and she seems to have nothing but patience when it comes to her best friend Veronica Lodge. She's Betty Cooper, and she's the focus of the latest episode of Terrific non-TV Toys -- at least these delightful dolls are. They were released by Playing Mantis back in 2000, and you can see two out of the three Veronica dolls in the set in the previous episode of non-T3.

Byron Cherry and Tom Wopat shine at Hazzard County Cars and Stars event

When we say hot, we mean hoooooottttt ! As in blazin' hot! We were actually just a little thankful for the rain that came later in the afternoon to cool things off a bit. Nevertheless, we soldiered on, those of us who attended the first-ever Hazzard County Cars and Stars Concert at the Owosso Speedway this weekend in a sweet little town that you may not have heard of, but that this author is actually from. In fact, I grew up a mile down the road from the speedway. That town is Ovid, Michigan, and who would've dreamed that two stars of one of my all-time favorite TV shows would come there to visit? Yes, they did, and it was delightful.

These photos are from yesterday, when Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat and Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry of "The Dukes of Hazzard" signed photos for fans. Tom said he didn't mind the intense heat, as he snagged himself a hotdog from the concession stand, and Byron was his always-friendly self, there to meet with fans no matter the circumstances (I'm thinking of one particular Georgia event years ago when he was sick as a dog but still showed up smiling!). In the afternoon we were treated to a car chase with a General Lee, Rosco's sheriff's car, and a yellow Plymouth Road Runner (Daisy-inspired), in a "Dukes" scene featuring Byron and a few friends who are avid "Dukes" fans -- Brian, Kristy, T.J.  It was adorbs. Then Tom took to the stage and gave a wonderful concert.

The event is continuing on today. Watch this space this week for video coverage of yesterday's fun, and you can see lots of posting from the event at the speedway's Facebook page.



There's my buddy Derek -- aka Chunkey Monkey -- above. I bet he will have some great video from the weekend.







Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: Alfred Hitchcock figure by Super7

He was a master of the macabre, an expert in the darker side of human nature, and a director and filmmaker with such a delightfully sinister sense of humor. He was Alfred Hitchcock, and he's celebrated in an action figure -- believe it or not -- by Super7, part of their ReAction Figures line. It's the latest item examined in the Terrific TV Toys web series.

Announcing the fifth Kindle edition of "Dynasty High"!

Alexis gets a new face -- that looks just like darling daughter Fallon. Liam and Fallon are off again, then on again. Culhane and Fallon are off, Culhane and Kirby are on ... Who can keep up? Well, you can, actually, when you get the fifth Kindle edition of the BRBTV guide "Dynasty High"!

The latest e-edition, released this past week, chronicles the above moments and so much more as it adds in the second big season of the CW's "Dynasty" reboot. You won't get the reboot continuity in the print edition -- only in the Kindle edition, because frankly, that's all this author can keep up with!

Relive the fun moments of the reboot's second season, or read them for the first time if you weren't able to watch. The Kindle edition remains at the same low price as before, $6, or you can borrow it for free under Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program. BRBTV hopes you enjoy!

A couple "Dukes" cousins are comin' to a very familiar mid-Michigan speedway in July

This author never would've dreamed, growing up in mid-Michigan, that the stars of such a favorite show, "The Dukes of Hazzard," could actually be dropping by for a visit a mile down the road from home. But yea, it's happening -- the very racetrack from which I could once hear the vroom-vroom sounds off in distance every Saturday night in the '70s and '80s summers at the farm, will shine with "Dukes" stars next month: Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat and Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry will be featured at the Hazzard County Cars and Stars Concert at the Owosso Speedway (which at one time was called the Ovid Speedway). Wowzers. How crazy is that????

This event, also featuring country singer Whey Jennings — grandson of “Dukes” balladeer Waylon Jennings — comes to us from Pastor Steve Rau, who also brought us the wonderful Hazzard County Christmas several months back. Learn more at the Facebook event (or this one) and buy tickets at Eventbrite. Yeeee-haaaa!!!! See ya there!

Terrific non-TV Toys: Betty and Veronica dolls by Playing Mantis, Part 1: Veronica

These girls know everything about fashion -- that girl-next-door Betty Cooper and the fabulously wealthy Veronica Lodge. And though they are rivals when it comes to both Archie and the latest fashion trend, they are friends through and through. That spirit is captured in a set of 11.5-inch fashion dolls released by Playing Mantis in 2000. There are three different versions for Betty and three for Veronica, and their delightful duds certainly do reflect the time period, as do all the wonderful outfits B&V wear in Archie Comics throughout the decades.

In part 1 of a two-parter on non-T3, we take a look at two of the Veronica versions (one was given away from BRB's collection -- she'll explain). Then, next month, you'll see the second part examining the three Betty dolls.