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In early episodes, the character of Rosco was a serious one. He was depicted as a hard-nosed, focused, and aggressive sheriff, and actually shot a criminal (not fatally) in an early episode ("Mary Kaye's Baby", the third episode broadcast). He was a willing accomplice to Boss Hogg's schemes, and also
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Rosco was married briefly in an episode, "Mrs. Rosco P. Coltrane", during the third season (1980–1981), to a woman he purportedly met through a computer dating service, but the marriage was a sham—his "bride" robbed banks with her husband and his associate — and the union was quickly annulled. This
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in the 3rd season episode "To Catch a Duke" which he apparently saved his nickels and dimes for, as he claims. This car can routinely be seen parked outside the Police station in stock footage exterior shots for the rest of the series. His personal vehicle in the 5th-season episode "The
Revenge of
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into the county). The "One Armed
Bandits" episode also explained that Rosco had served Hazzard County for 20 years as "a fairly honest lawman" but became embittered after his pension was wiped out following a failed bond referendum, and with just a few months left in office he was forced to run for
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in the pilot episode, and also the opening credits for the show), with which he is an expert shot, although when he has to use it in the line of duty, he gets too nervous to hit anything (the exception being the first-season episode, "Mary Kaye's Baby" when he shot a criminal in a shoot out). His
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constantly. One that has always been featured when Rosco arrests the Duke boys or anyone else for that matter is "Cuff 'em and stuff 'em!" One aspect of Rosco's personality that was well-loved and became synonymous with him was a choppy and excited chuckle that was produced from the back of the
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realized that the series had become very popular with young children, the character was toned down to the more comedic and more bumbling persona for which he is best known, a characterization that Best himself largely created. He never wanted children viewing to feel afraid to approach a police
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During the second season (1979–1980) of the series, James Best left over a dispute about the changing-room conditions. His gripe was that he did not mind getting soaked or covered in mud when filming Rosco crashing his car into rivers and such, but was unhappy with the poor changing facilities
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Rosco has shown on numerous occasions (especially on episodes where characters either were thought to have died or found themselves in serious trouble) that he is much more of a caring man than he ordinarily lets on. This is particularly clear when the safety of his best friend Boss Hogg is
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Rosco has just more than $ 43 in his savings account, and often tries to join Boss in indulging in high-calorie dishes (which usually results in him getting his hands slapped). His patrol car (in the first season a 1974 Dodge Monaco or a 1970 Dodge Polara (first two episodes), 1974–5
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TV series evolved, in the first season the character's name is given as "Rosco
Coltrane". The initial "P." was added from the start of the second season, after Best convinced show producers that it gave him more to play with vocally when pronouncing it. The "P." stands for Purvis.
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logo on the end credits for most episodes, though it sometimes alternated with a clip of Boss Hogg yelling "Them Dukes, them Dukes!"). He is easily excitable and genuinely enjoys law enforcement, especially chasing criminals, which he refers to as "hot pursuit".
253:. Although more of a secondary character in this movie, the role was a more serious version of Rosco, with mention of going crooked because the county took away his pension (something that was mentioned in early episodes of
289:. His portrayal was much more in line with Best's bumbling portrayal from the TV series. This version of Rosco was said to have been married, and was lodging with Boss Hogg and Lulu, after his wife had thrown him out.
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also known as "Boss Hogg"). Best appeared as Rosco in all but five episodes out of 147 over seven seasons. He was accompanied on the show by his character's pet/police dog (beginning in season 3), a
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he calls "Flash" and nicknames "Velvet Ears" which he dotes on. Flash liked the Dukes but always barked at Boss Hogg. Early on, the dog's gender was male, but this was changed in later episodes.
275:. Gainey's Rosco did not incorporate the childlike qualities of Best's interpretation; the character was portrayed as a much more serious, wicked sheriff who genuinely detested the Dukes.
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appeared to have the ingenuity to arrange such schemes himself (in the pilot episode, "One Armed
Bandits", for example, he seems to be the key organizer behind the illegal importation of
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also showed that Boss Hogg had died. Rosco inherited his money (and documents of dirty schemes) and he also became
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throat ("Kew-kew-kew-kew!") and became one of the most recognizable aspects of the character (a clip of this laugh was played over the closing
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Rosco's mentality is that of a clumsy, somewhat slow-witted buffoon. He speaks often with a childish vernacular and repeats his favorite
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episode was also the only episode to feature Rosco's mother, and the only episode to reveal that the initial 'P' stood for Purvis.
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re-election instead of retiring. This notion was explored again in a couple of other early episodes, most notably a scene where
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afterwards. During his absence, Rosco was replaced by a number of stand-in sheriffs (played by such actors as
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asks him why he became so corrupt, in the fourth broadcast episode, "Repo Men". When series creator
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Starting with the third season (1980–1981), Rosco got a pet dog—a lazy
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and was played by Bruce Atkins. This film was the precursor to
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named Flash. Rosco's name is sometimes spelled with an E as
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main deputies—whom he often calls "dipstick"—include
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which he kicks apart. Rosco carries a pearl-handled
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661:Fictional characters from Georgia (U.S. state)
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286:The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
16:Character from The Dukes of Hazzard
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636:Fictional American police officers
347:"The Official James Best Website!"
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46:(and related spin-off films).
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656:Comedy film characters
114:officer when in need.
20:Rosco Purvis Coltrane
605:The Dukes of Hazzard
515:The Dukes of Hazzard
488:The Dukes of Hazzard
469:Hazzard in Hollywood
400:The Dukes of Hazzard
272:The Dukes of Hazzard
251:The Dukes of Hazzard
83:The Dukes of Hazzard
43:The Dukes of Hazzard
118:General information
63:county commissioner
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107:Deputy Enos
81:from which
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59:Moonrunners
51:Moonrunners
33:Moonrunners
630:Categories
543:Hazard Run
434:Daisy Duke
417:Characters
357:2011-10-15
316:References
111:Gy Waldron
55:James Best
40:TV series
568:The Dukes
553:Spin-offs
444:Boss Hogg
429:Luke Duke
255:The Dukes
128:Luke Duke
461:Reunion!
410:Episodes
294:See also
38:American
424:Bo Duke
24:sheriff
499:(2007)
491:(2005)
472:(2000)
464:(1997)
75:Roscoe
269:film
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30:film
561:Enos
267:2005
241:1975
215:and
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