Somewhere in Anhui With the recent success of the Dukes of Hazzard The Movie in the U.S., Chinese television producers are planning a new series based on the popular American television show. Filming has already began in the countryside of Anhui, and the first pilot is set to air in the spring of 2006.

"Recently we have had a lot more access to pirated copies of entire seasons of the Dukes of Hazzard, and that is quite a gem," says CCTV-2 programming director, Quan Bing. "So I thought to myself. We can do this. I think Chinese television viewers will love their yehaw attitude and total disregard for traffic laws."

Early buzz about the show makes it sound promising. "We wanted to take make it the Dukes of Hazzard but with Chinese characteristics. So several things will be different, but more accessible for the average Chinese," says Quan.

Here are a few of the changes:

Instead of the General Lee, a hot-rod Dodge Charger with a rebel flag, the Chinese series will have the General Tso (original planners of the series considered the General Chang Kai-Chek but decided this name was too controversial), a muscled-out Chery QQ with a Chinese flag on top.

This General Doesn't Play Dixie

Laoban Zhu, not Boss Hog, will be the villian in the Chinese take on Dukes of Hazzard. He will be fat. He will wear all white. And he will be a big advocate of supply side economics. Each show he will  lose face to the Cousins and their Uncle Jessie (name is still the same in the Chinese Version) as they drive fast, run baijui, and save the farm/collective farm from everybody's favorite capitalist roader.

"They will make their way the only way they know how--like two modern day Lei Fengs," said Quan.