"Designing Women" (1986) TV series 1986-1993

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Writer:

Bill Kenny (series)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

29 September 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Outspoken feminist Julia Sugarbaker runs a design firm out of her Atlanta home, along with her shallow ex-beauty queen sister...

Plot Keywords:

Atlanta Georgia | Friendship Between Women | American South | Small Business | Sister Sister Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 14 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

Dixie Carter	...	Julia Sugarbaker / ... (151 episodes, 1986-1993)
Annie Potts	...	Mary Jo Shively (151 episodes, 1986-1993)
Meshach Taylor	...	Anthony Bouvier (132 episodes, 1986-1993)
Jean Smart	...	Charlene Frazier Stillfield / ... (119 episodes, 1986-1991)
Delta Burke	...	Suzanne Sugarbaker / ... (119 episodes, 1986-1991)

Runtime:

30 min | Germany:25 min (164 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Bloodworth-Thomason

Trivia:

Both Delta Burke and Jean Smart met their husbands while working on the show.

Quotes:

Anthony: Julia, excuse me for overhearing, but I just want to add my two cents.
Julia: [laughs sarcastically] Oh please... I just want to hear from EVERYONE on this topic! Call your friends!
Anthony: No no, I was just going to say that you can't force yourself to start dating again if it isn't time. I know because there was a time where I wasn't interested in any romantic involvement at all. The whole idea didn't appeal to me, period... no matter who approached me, I just wasn't interested.
Julia: Really, Anthony. When was that?
Anthony: That was the day I entered prison.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mass Murder (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Georgia on My Mind

Tornado Watch

I just saw an episode of Designing Women entitled "Tornado Watch". In my opinion this was the best episode of the entire series. The writers and actors were at their peak of hilarity when they produced this little gem back in 1990. I've seen it many times and it never fails to make me laugh out loud. This particular episode had all the elements that made Designing Women one of the best television sitcoms in history. Dim-witted Charlene Stillfield makes a home video to send back to her hillbilly clan in Poplar Bluff. Aging beauty queen Suzanne Sugarbaker at her most 'PMS-on-a-diet' bitchy, shrieks "Happy Anniversary, Lois and Shimmy!" into Charlene's camcorder. Sassy single mother Mary Jo Shively is whining about some sexist pig again. Feminist Julia Sugarbaker is her usual cool-collected self but getting more frazzled by the minute. Ditzy senior-citizen Bernice Clifton drops by and so does Daddy Jones, an old mountain man. When Daddy breaks out the moonshine things really get zany. Ex-con Anthony Bouvier and his annoying girlfriend Vanessa groove to motown tunes in the background. It's an all-out madcap party. As Bernice and Daddy Jones dirty dance, Julia delivers the funniest line of the show, "I don't ever wanna see anything like this in my home again." Then, a nerdy client drunk on moonshine, strips down to bikini briefs and proceeds to sexually harass all the women. Luckily, a tornado rips through Sugarbaker's before things get too out of hand. The next day as everyone cleans up the mess, Charlene's outrageous home video airs on CNN...the perfect ending to this perfect episode. Many thanks to Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, Annie Potts, Meshach Taylor and Alice Ghostley for making us laugh for seven great seasons. Now we can see them all again everyday on Lifetime. Enjoy!