Michelle Pfeiffer's Early Career Included A Role On The Dukes Of Hazzard's Failed Spin-Off
"Delta House," "CHiPs," "Fantasy Island" — those are just a few of Michelle Pfeiffer's television credits during the fledgling days of her career. But in 1980, she played a sex worker in a "Dukes of Hazzard" spin-off you've probably forgotten about.
Fans of the beloved '70s TV show likely remember Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer), the "dipstick" deputy who was always reluctantly chasing after Bo (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) while also chasing after the heart of their cousin, Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach). Enos eventually got his own show, aptly titled "Enos" — a show often considered to be one of the worst TV spin-offs.
The show aired on CBS from 1980 to 1981 and followed the adventures of Hazzard County's dim-witted deputy all the way to Los Angeles. In a classic "fish out of water" setup, he's hired to join a special branch of the LAPD after accidentally capturing two most-wanted criminals. When he arrives at his new apartment complex in the big city, he is greeted by his neighbor Joy, played by a 22-year-old Pfeiffer, who appears in the show's first two episodes.
Pfeiffer played Enos Strate's new neighbor in Los Angeles
Joy — whose real name is Sarah — is a woman with a complicated past. She was a model and aspiring actress from Wichita who fell into a dangerous life as a high-class prostitute for a blackmail ring. Of course, the big-hearted Enos helps Joy escape the clutches of her criminal employer. After a successful sting operation, he puts Joy's crime boss behind bars and eventually sees her off at a bus station so she can return home to Kansas for a fresh start. Pfeiffer would go on to star in the action-crime TV series "B.A.D. Cats" that same year before catapulting to stardom after her big break as Stephanie in 1982's "Grease 2."
As for "Enos," the series struggled against heavy hitters like "Eight Is Enough," and CBS canceled it after just one 18-episode season. But the cancellation wasn't all bad news for Sonny Shroyer. The actor had it in his contract that, if the spin-off failed, he could head back to Hazzard County and reprise his role as Enos in the flagship series, which he did.
Though "The Dukes of Hazzard" was previously removed from TV Land, fans can find the flagship series for rent on Prime Video. "Enos" is currently unavailable on streaming platforms, but you can find an incomplete set of episodes on the Internet Archive.