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Designing Women is an American sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, until May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. The comedy series Designing Women was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television for CBS.
| Designing Women | |
|---|---|
Original cast (1986–1991) | |
| Created by | Linda Bloodworth-Thomason |
| Starring |
|
| Opening theme | "Georgia on My Mind" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 163 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
| Distributor | Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (1992–1995) Columbia TriStar Television (1995–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–present) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 29, 1986 – May 24, 1993 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Women of the House (1995) |
The series centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an interior designing firm in Atlanta, Georgia called Sugarbaker & Associates. It originally starred Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker, president of the design firm; Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker, Julia's ex-beauty queen sister and the design firm's silent partner; Annie Potts as head designer Mary Jo Shively; and Jean Smart as office manager Charlene Frazier. Later in its run, the series gained notoriety for its well-publicized behind-the-scenes conflicts and cast changes. Julia Duffy and Jan Hooks replaced Burke and Smart for season six, but Duffy was not brought back for the seventh and final season, and she was replaced by Judith Ivey.
Screenplay
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- Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker (seasons 1–5)
- Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker (seasons 1–7)
- Annie Potts as Mary Jo Shivley (seasons 1-7)
- Jean Smart as Charlene Frazier-Stillfield (seasons 1–5; guest star: season 6)
- Meshach Taylor as Anthony Bouvier (recurring: seasons 1–2, main: seasons 3–7)
- Julia Duffy as Allison Sugarbaker (season 6)
- Jan Hooks as Carlene Frazier-Dobber (seasons 6–7)
- Judith Ivey as Bonnie Jean "BJ" Poteet (season 7)
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Nielsen ratings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Rank | Rating | ||||
| 1 | 22 | September 29, 1986 | May 11, 1987 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 2 | 22 | September 14, 1987 | March 28, 1988 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 3 | 22 | November 14, 1988 | May 22, 1989 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 4 | 28 | September 18, 1989 | May 21, 1990 | 22 | 15.3 (Tied with Full House) | ||
| 5 | 24 | September 17, 1990 | May 13, 1991 | 10 | 16.5 (Tied with The Golden Girls) | ||
| 6 | 23 | September 16, 1991 | May 4, 1992 | 6 | 17.3 | ||
| 7 | 22 | September 25, 1992 | May 24, 1993 | N/A | N/A | ||
| R | 1 | July 28, 2003 | N/A | N/A | |||
The exterior of the house seen in the series as the location of the Sugarbaker's design firm, a normal house with a front door with only two windows on both sides of the door, is located in the historic Quapaw Quarter district in Little Rock, Arkansas. Additionally, the home of Suzanne Sugarbaker seen in the series is the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, also in the Quapaw Quarter. Both homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
When the show debuted in CBS's Monday-night lineup in 1986, it garnered respectable ratings; however, CBS moved the show several times to other time slots. After dismal ratings in Sunday night and Thursday night time slots, CBS placed it on hiatus and was ready to cancel the show, but a viewer campaign saved the show and returned it to its Monday night slot. The show's ratings solidified, and it regularly landed in the top 20 rankings. From 1989 through 1992, Designing Women and Murphy Brown (which also centered around a strong, opinionated female character) aired back-to-back, creating a very successful hour-long block for CBS, as both shows were thought to appeal to similar demographics. The show was a top 30 hit for three seasons, from 1989 to 1992, in which the 1989–1992 seasons made it the most successful of the time and helped CBS, which struggled in the ratings around the late 1980s.
Show creators Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason were strong supporters of longtime friend and then-Democratic nominee for President of the United States, Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary. In one episode, Julia is stranded in the airport while attempting to attend Clinton's first inauguration. Additionally Charlene mentioned working for Clinton during his Arkansas governorship. Yet another Clintons-related joke was the introduction of the prissy character, Allison Sugarbaker, who makes it quite clear to the other "Designing Women" that she attended Wellesley College (Hillary's alma mater). One episode revolved around Julia running for commissioner, where she debates on television against a conservative candidate, to whom she eventually loses. In reality, Dixie Carter was a Republican who disagreed with some of the liberal views expressed by her onscreen character, although she did become a Clinton supporter.
