 Millar and Gough loved the idea of casting John Schneider as Jonathan Kent , as they felt he gave the show a recognizable face from his days as Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard . Gough felt that Schneider 's experience portraying Bo Duke added belief that he could have grown up running a farm . Schneider was initially uninterested , but after reading the pilot script he saw the potential for bringing back " real parenting " to television . Schneider particularly saw his character as a means to replace the " goof " father @-@ figures that had become prevalent on television . He also saw his character as a means to keep the show grounded in reality , specifically by making sure that Jonathan 's life is clearly displayed for the audience , by performing a daily routine on the farm . 
