1983 Sitcom Episode, Featuring Characters From Two Iconic Shows, Ranked Among the ‘Weirdest TV Crossovers of All Time'
In 1983, two TV worlds collided in an episode of Alice. The diner-themed CBSsitcom starring Linda Lavin aired the episode "Mel Is Hogg-Tied" on October 2, 1983. The episode featured two guest stars from the action-adventure series The Dukes of Hazzard, another popular CBS show that taped on the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank at the time.
In the crossover sitcom episode, Dukes regular Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) traveled to Mel's Diner to trick the owner (Vic Tayback) into signing his eatery over to him so he could start a chain of "Boar's Nest West" restaurants. Dukes Deputy Sheriff Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer) also appeared in the episode. The tie-in between the two shows was that Boss Hogg was said to be a distant cousin of Alice character Jolene Honeycutt (Celia Weston).
Rolling Stoneranked the Alice/Dukes of Hazzard episode among the "weirdest TV crossovers of all time," on a list that included mashups of St. Elsewhere and Cheers, The Simpsonsand The X-Files, and Cougar Town and Community. (Notably missing? The tripped-out CHiPs crossover with H.R. Pufnsfuf from 1977.)
Of Alice and Dukes, Rolling Stone noted, "In 1983, it wasn't the norm to have characters from dramas turn up on sitcoms. And this one was a particular geographic stretch, with Boss Hogg and Deputy Enos traveling all the way from Hazzard County in rural Georgia to Phoenix, Arizona, in an attempt to swindle Mel into selling his diner for $1."
Decades after the episode first aired, many fans admitted they forgot about the improbable TV crossover. In a comment to a YouTube clip from the episode, one fan wrote, "Wait Dukes of Hazzard and Alice take place in the same universe? Mind blown watched both as a kid and never knew."
"This is a very rare occurrence of a one-action show doing a crossover with a comedy show," another noted.
"It's so strange seeing DUKES characters with a laugh track 😳," a third fan chimed in.
Despite the network's attempt at ratings gold, both Alice and The Dukes of Hazzard were only renewed for one more season after the crossover. Both series ended their long runs on CBS in early 1985.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 9:32 AM.