Designing Women

By Tom Keogh

For a while, Designing Women captured some of the spirit of Hollywood's silkiest and smartest, Golden Age sophistication. Debuting in the fall of 1986, this half-hour sitcom--about four Atlanta belles who either owned or worked for an upscale interior design firm--seamlessly blended an understated glamour with razor-sharp dialogue, polished Southern grace, and a ripened female perspective--a sort of perfumed but unequivocal feminism for college-educated women over 30.

The core cast of stage and film veterans--Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Jean Smart--was unusually strong, and their characters' problems and conflicts were unique to adulthood rather than the protracted adolescence common among today's comedies. The five episodes on this disc represent some of the show's strongest material, including season two's "Killing All the Right People," which--for its time--was bold in introducing a character dying of AIDS complications. Also quite witty is "Reservations for Eight," in which the Georgia quartet and their lovers bicker over gender stereotypes.

Share Your Memories!

Do you have a favorite episode of Designing Women? What do you remember about the series? Share your stories with the world! (We print the best stories right here!)

		Your Memories Shared!

"I really love the show where delta burke found out she was not georgiaworld and she was going to have to give back her crown. but at the end she didn't have to give her crown or her title up, and all was well. My favorite Designing Women episode was the one where they get rained in and the guy gets drunk off moonshine and dances around." --TrinaBlonde

"All I can say is have you ever seen a nicer pair of legs than those lushious gams on Dixie Carter? She has the hottest set of legs setting there with those babys crossed and her black pumps on. Sexy, sexy, sexy." --dixies got legs

"My favorite episode was when Dixie Carter was singing at a night club at night by the name Jazel, she was setting on top of the piano with those sexy legs crossed and looking hot, she really knew how to look sexy but classy as all of the ladies did on this show. Anthony just didnt know how lucky he was." --Dxie boy

"I love Designing Women and especially Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker. She is the greatest television character, in my opinion. I love the episode with Suzanne and the blind guy. The only thing I hated about this show was Alison in the 6th season. She was rude, crude, and ugly. Sorry, but Julia Duffy could not cut it. " --Anonymous

"My all-time favorite episode was the first appearance of "Dash Goff, the writer". Not only is this Delta Burke's future husband, Dash as a character is witty, charming, smart and sexy. He describes Mary Jo as a woman with hellcat in her hair, and the woman a man would want at his bedside when he's sick, and in his bed when he's not! What a compliment! Dash's inscription Julia reads aloud at the end of the episode describing Southern women is fantastic!" --sakkara

"all I can say is have you ever seen a nicer pair of legs than those lushious gams on dixie carter? she has the hottest set of legs setting there with those babys crossed and her black pumps on sexy, sexy, sexy" --dixies got legs

"My favorite episode was when Dixie Carter was singing at a night club at night by the name Jazel, she was setting on top of the piano with those sexy legs crossed and looking hot, she really knew how to look sexy but classy as all of the ladies did on this show. Anthoney just didnt know how lucky he was " --Dxie boy

"I love Designing Women and especially Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker. She is the greatest television character, in my opinion. I love the episode with Suzanne and the blind guy. The only thing I hated about this show was Alison in the 6th season. She was rude, crude, and ugly. Sorry, but Julia Duffy could not cut it. " --Anonymous