Designing Women

Designing Women
	Original cast (1986–1991)
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Starring	Dixie Carter; Annie Potts; Meshach Taylor; Jean Smart; Delta Burke; Jan Hooks; Julia Duffy; Judith Ivey;
Opening theme	"Georgia on My Mind"; (Performed by Doc Severinsen, seasons 1–2); (Performed by Bruce Miller, seasons 3–5); (Performed by Ray Charles, season 6)
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
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 29, 1986 –; May 24, 1993
Chronology
Followed by	Women of the House (1995)
External links
	[{{#property:P856}} Website]

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Designing Women is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television for CBS.

The series centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an interior designing firm in 1980s Atlanta, Georgia, called Sugarbaker & Associates. It originally starred Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker, president of the design firm; Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker, the design firm's silent partner and Julia's ex-beauty queen sister; Annie Potts as head designer Mary Jo Shively; and Jean Smart as office manager Charlene Frazier. In the third season, Meshach Taylor was given a starring role for his previously recurring character of delivery man and later partner Anthony Bouvier. 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.

Premise

Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter) is an elegant, sophisticated, outspoken woman who is the co-founder and president of Sugarbaker & Associates, an interior design firm located in her own home in Atlanta. She is partnered with her younger sister, Suzanne (Delta Burke), an attractive, selfish, self-centered former Miss Georgia World, who invested her money but does not have an official position within the business. Naïve but sweet-natured Charlene Frazier (Jean Smart), who worked as a secretary for Julia's late husband, Hayden, also invested half of her savings at Sugarbaker's and works as office manager. Charlene's next-door neighbor and recently divorced best friend, Mary Jo Shively (Annie Potts), is the main interior designer of the firm and also a full partner.

Alongside the women, there is Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor), an ex-convict who is hired as the company's deliveryman and later becomes a full partner. By late 1986, Julia and Suzanne's mother, Perky (Louise Latham), comes for a visit with her outrageous best friend Bernice Clifton (Alice Ghostley). Perky does not stay long and moves to Japan, leaving Bernice in Atlanta, where she begins to spend time with the others.

Until 1991, these women spend much of their time debating about the everyday dramas around themes like being women in the business, the meaning of being southern, and many other subjects. These five years show four or five different characters and their singular personalities that were able to deal with many situations, each of them showing progress and changes about their way of acting, never losing their essence.

By 1991, Suzanne decides to join mother Perky and moves to Japan as well, and Charlene moves to England with her husband and daughter, and after that, Julia and Suzanne's obnoxious cousin Allison (Julia Duffy) buys Suzanne's share and rents her house with Anthony and Charlene's sister. With her, Charlene's recently divorced also naïve sister Carlene (Jan Hooks) also accepts a job as their receptionist while Charlene is off to England. This lineup does not last long and Allison decides to pull her money out after one year of partnership, and by that time, the women meet wealthy and sarcastic Texan widow Bonnie Jean Poteet (Judith Ivey), who also joins them. Designing Women quickly lost all popularity with the writing out of Suzanne and Charlene, with plummetting ratings leading to its cancellation by the network after seven seasons and 163 episodes.

Main cast

Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker, president and founder of Sugarbaker & Associates interior design firm. Elegant and classy, but outspoken and opinionated, Julia is known for her no-nonsense speeches from a feminist and liberal perspective. She is very protective of her sister Suzanne, even though she is usually the first one to criticize her egocentric statements. Julia is notable as a very talented singer, usually performing in her church choir, and, later on, she also pretends to be a cabaret singer under the pseudonym "Giselle".
Annie Potts as Mary Jo Shively, Sugarbaker's main designer. Mary Jo is a sarcastic, but kind person and a devoted single mother of two.
Jean Smart as Charlene Frazier-Stillfield (seasons 1–5; guest star: season 6), Julia's late husband's former secretary and now office manager of Sugarbaker's. Originally from a large family in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Charlene is naïve and sweet-hearted, whose ditziness can be annoying for her co-workers. She's one of Elvis' biggest fans and worked with several big names while secretary in Arkansas, including Fred Smith, Sam Walton and Bill Clinton. Eventually, Charlene marries Colonel William Stillfield and they have a baby, Olivia. By 1991, they move to England, leaving her younger sister, Carlene, to fill in for her at Sugarbaker's.
Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker (seasons 1–5), Julia's younger sister and a silent partner at Sugarbaker's. A former beauty queen and alumna of Ole Miss, Suzanne is self-centered and vain, and generally more laissez-faire and traditional in contrast to her sister's views. Thrice-divorced, Suzanne usually dates wealthy elderly men who are terminally ill. During the series, she deals with weight gain and confronts issues of body image for women. In 1991, Suzanne sells all of her shares and moves to Japan to live with her mother.
Meshach Taylor as Anthony Bouvier (recurring: seasons 1–2, main: seasons 3–7), an ex-convict and a law student, who works as Sugarbaker's delivery man until 1990 and then becomes a full partner. Anthony is very close to his co-workers but develops a special relationship with Suzanne throughout the series. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Vanessa Chamberlain (Jackeé Harry), BJ sets up a trip to Las Vegas where a drunk Anthony marries a Folies Bergère singer, Etienne (Sheryl Lee Ralph). He eventually falls in love with her and tries to make the marriage work.
Julia Duffy as Allison Sugarbaker (season 6), Julia and Suzanne's conservative cousin who becomes a partner at Sugarbaker & Associates. Allison comes from New York City for a visit after buying Suzanne's shares and decides to move back to the South, taking possession of Suzanne's house as well, which Anthony had been renting. They eventually became housemates, but are always arguing because of her attempts to throw him out. After one year being a partner at the design firm, Allison decides to invest in a Victoria's Secret franchise, leaving Atlanta and Sugarbaker's behind.
Jan Hooks as Carlene Frazier-Dobber (seasons 6–7), Charlene's naïve younger sister from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, who becomes a receptionist at Sugarbaker's after divorcing her car salesman husband, Dwayne Dobber.
Judith Ivey as Bonnie Jean "BJ" Poteet (season 7), a lively and sharp-witted Texas millionaire who becomes a Sugarbaker & Associates partner after Allison sells her shares. Her late husband James Poteet, a successful tycoon, had a heart attack during their wedding reception, leaving her the control of his Atlanta-based company, Poteet Industries.

Recurring

Scott Bakula as Ted Shively (seasons 1–2), Mary Jo's ex-husband and a gynecologist
Douglas Barr as William "Bill" Stillfield (seasons 2–5), Charlene's husband, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force
Olivia Brown as Vanessa Hargraves (season 4), Anthony's girlfriend
Hal Holbrook as Reese Watson (seasons 1–4), Julia's love interest, a widowed and successful Atlanta attorney (the character was killed off in season 5 so Holbrook could appear on Evening Shade)
Alice Ghostley as Bernice Clifton, the Sugarbakers' eccentric family friend; Ghostley was billed as a "Special Guest Star" throughout the series
Richard Gilliland as J.D. Shackelford (seasons 1–5), Mary Jo's boyfriend, a talent scout for the Atlanta Braves
Michael Goldfinger as Rusty (seasons 4–6), the Sugarbakers' electrician
Brian Lando as Quinton Shively (seasons 1–6), Mary Jo's son
George Newbern as Payne McIlroy (seasons 1–6), Julia's son
Gerald McRaney as Dash Goff (season 2), Suzanne's first husband, a novelist and college professor at the University of Arkansas
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Etienne Toussaint Bouvier (season 7), a showgirl Anthony marries after meeting her while she was performing at the Tropicana Las Vegas
Lexi Randall as Randa Oliver (season 5), a young girl left in the care of Julia while her wealthy parents are in Europe
Priscilla Weems as Claudia Marie Shively (seasons 1–5), Mary Jo's daughter

Episodes

The following is an episode list for the CBS sitcom Designing Women. The series began airing on September 29, 1986 and the final episode aired on May 24, 1993. During its seven-year run, 163 Designing Women episodes were produced. In addition, a Designing Women reunion show featuring the cast members aired in 2003.

Series overview

At present, all seven seasons have been released on DVD by Shout! Factory.^[1]

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired
	1	22	September 29, 1986 (1986-09-29)	May 11, 1987 (1987-05-11)
	2	22	September 14, 1987 (1987-09-14)	March 28, 1988 (1988-03-28)
	3	22	November 14, 1988 (1988-11-14)	May 22, 1989 (1989-05-22)
	4	28	September 18, 1989 (1989-09-18)	May 21, 1990 (1990-05-21)
	5	24	September 17, 1990 (1990-09-17)	May 13, 1991 (1991-05-13)
	6	23	September 16, 1991 (1991-09-16)	May 4, 1992 (1992-05-04)
	7	22	September 25, 1992 (1992-09-25)	May 24, 1993 (1993-05-24)
	Reunion	1	July 28, 2003 (2003-07-28)	N/A

Full episode list

Season 1 (1986–87)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Designing Women"	Ellen Falcon	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 29, 1986 (1986-09-29)
Pilot: Suzanne visits a new gynecologist who is Mary Jo's ex-husband Ted, and an uproar is created when she announces she is dating him. (In this episode, Mary Jo is called just "Jo.") Guest star: Scott Bakula
2	2	"The Beauty Contest"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 6, 1986 (1986-10-06)
Charlene sponsors Mary Jo's daughter Claudia in the Miss Pre-Teen Atlanta contest, and despite her depression over her own upcoming 30th birthday, Suzanne coaches Claudia on how to walk and smile. Meanwhile, Julia takes the current Miss Georgia World to task after overhearing her snide comments about Suzanne.
3	3	"A Big Affair"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 20, 1986 (1986-10-20)
Suzanne's small dinner party, planned to impress an important client, goes awry before it begins when she arranges a date between a very large man and a reluctant Charlene. Guest stars: Walter Olkewicz, David Winn
4	4	"Julia's Son"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 27, 1986 (1986-10-27)
Julia's nineteen-year-old son Payne (George Newbern) is bringing his girlfriend home from college for a visit, and Julia wants everything to be perfect. Payne then presents his girl, Primmy, who is tall, attractive, and forty-one years old. This leads to a conflict clash between the two women, until Primmy tries to make Payne choose between her and his mother, which infuriates him.
5	5	"Mary Jo's First Date"	Jack Shea	Cheryl Gard	November 3, 1986 (1986-11-03)
Julia hopes an IRS auditor doesn't remember where he met her before, while Mary Jo reluctantly re-enters the dating circuit for the first time since breaking up with Ted. Richard Gilliland makes his first appearance in his recurring role as J.D. Shackelford; he would continue to appear sporadically through season four.
6	6	"Design House"	Jack Shea	Joan Brooker & Nancy Eddo	November 17, 1986 (1986-11-17)
Suzanne is tired of her image as a bimbo at Sugarbaker's, so Julia assigns her to do the decorating of their next project. Unfortunately, the house burns to the ground while Suzanne is working on it. Meshach Taylor makes his first appearance as Anthony Bouvier.
7	7	"Perky's Visit"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 24, 1986 (1986-11-24)
Perky Sugarbaker, Julia and Suzanne's mother, in her only appearance on Designing Women, brings her friend Bernice Clifton to have Thanksgiving dinner with the women of Sugarbaker's and their ex-con handyman, Anthony. Alice Ghostley makes her first appearance in her recurring role as Bernice Clifton.
8	8	"I Do, I Don't"	Jack Shea	Emily Marshall	December 4, 1986 (1986-12-04)
After a perfect evening (and some champagne), Julia and her beau, attorney Reese Watson, decide to get married on a lark. The next morning, they both regret the decision. Hal Holbrook makes his first appearance as Reece. He would continue to appear in a recurring role through 1991.
9	9	"The IT Men"	Jack Shea	Emily Marshall	December 11, 1986 (1986-12-11)
When Charlene's boyfriend Mason takes a job in Japan, she finds herself attracted to another man, who happens to be married to a Sugarbaker & Associates client.
10	10	"The Slumber Party"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 18, 1986 (1986-12-18)
Suzanne tells Charlene, Julia, and Mary Jo that when she tried to fire her maid Consuela, the maid put a voodoo death curse on her. Meanwhile, Mary Jo asks the women to help with her daughter Claudia's slumber party.
11	11	"New Year's Daze"	David Steinberg	Trish Vrandenburg	January 1, 1987 (1987-01-01)
On New Year's Eve, the women of Sugarbaker's are ready to have a fun night on the town. Charlene keeps the identity of her date a secret until a news flash reports that he is the subject of a massive manhunt.
12/13	12/13	"Old Spouses Never Die"	Barnet Kellman	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 1, 1987 (1987-02-01)
Mary Jo is ruminating about her ex-husband's interference in her life and J.D.'s constant interference coming from his ex-wife, Janet. The women distrust Charlene's doctor's cavalier attitude toward the lump he found in her breast. Julia discovers that a friend of hers saw the same doctor, and angrily confronts him. Guest stars: Scott Bakula, Julie Cobb Dedication: In loving memory of Pauline Thomason and Claudia Bloodworth-
14	14	"Monette"	Barnet Kellman	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 8, 1987 (1987-02-08)
Monette, an old schoolmate of Charlene's, buys Chadwick mansion and asks Sugarbaker's to redecorate. At first, the women are excited about the lucrative job, but the assignment is not what they expected. (Monette would make appearances in Season 4.)
15	15	"And Justice for Paul"	Jack Shea	Trish Vrandenburg	February 15, 1987 (1987-02-15)
Suzanne has a client who wants period furniture on a very tight budget. The women of Sugarbaker's, with the help of Charlene's new boyfriend, find antique furniture at bargain prices but later discover that it was stolen furniture.
16	16	"Reese's Friend"	Arlene Sanford	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 22, 1987 (1987-02-22)
Julia and Suzanne are preoccupied with a disagreement over the theme for the annual country club fund-raiser until Reese appears with a gorgeous young woman on his arm, explaining that she is a new attorney in his law firm. Guest star: Lisa Peluso
17	17	"Nashville Bound"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	March 16, 1987 (1987-03-16)
Charlene gets exciting news that her entire family, including all ten of her brothers and sisters, will be visiting her at the same time, but it is overshadowed when a Nashville producer discovers her.
18	18	"Oh, Suzannah"	Matthew Diamond	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	March 23, 1987 (1987-03-23)
While in Reese's office to sign legal papers, Suzanne suddenly volunteers to foster a Vietnamese boat child, Li Sing, for four weeks, at which point she'll go to her adoptive home. Suzanne becomes attached to Li Sing quickly and has a hard time letting go. Guest star: Connie Chew as Li Sing
19	19	"Mary Jo's Dad Dates Charlene"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	April 6, 1987 (1987-04-06)
Mary Jo becomes protective when her divorced father comes to Atlanta for a visit and dances cheek-to-cheek with Charlene.
20	20	"Seams from a Marriage"	Jack Shea	E. Jack Kaplan	April 13, 1987 (1987-04-13)
When Anthony saunters into the shop wearing an enormous cowboy hat, he is followed by a breathless Mary Jo, who has obviously been out all night as she is wearing the same clothes she had on when she left the day before. This leaves everyone clamoring for an explanation. It seems their appointment with Sugarbaker's newest client turned into an all-night bash, complete with Cajun buffet and country-western band.
21	21	"Grand Slam, Thank You Ma'am"	Barnet Kellman	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 4, 1987 (1987-05-04)
Suzanne is desperate for revenge after her baseball player ex-husband, Jack Dent, writes in his autobiography that he had a lot of groupie action during his career.
22	22	"Bachelor Suite"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 11, 1987 (1987-05-11)
Mary Jo finds herself the target of sexual harassment when she takes a decorating job with a wealthy client, Hence Winchester.

Season 2 (1987–88)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
23	1	"101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 14, 1987 (1987-09-14)
A grungy gas-station owner wins free interior decoration from Sugarbaker & Associates. Charlene consults a psychic about her future.
24	2	"Ted Remarries"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 21, 1987 (1987-09-21)
Mary Jo has a hard time handling her children being spoiled by her ex-husband's new wife.
25	3	"Anthony Jr."	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28)
Anthony goes overboard trying to impress his girlfriend's wealthy parents until an uninvited dinner guest informs him he is the father of her child.
26	4	"Killing All the Right People"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 5, 1987 (1987-10-05)
Kendall Dobbs, a friend of the women of Sugarbaker's and fellow decorator, announces to the women that he is dying of AIDS and wants them to design his funeral. The news gets Mary Jo fired up at a PTA debate on birth control. Guest star: Tony Goldwyn
27	5	"Half an Air Bubble Off"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 19, 1987 (1987-10-19)
When Sugarbaker's acquires an eccentric client with bizarre decorating requests, the women play matchmakers by pairing him with their off-beat friend, Bernice Clifton.
28	6	"Dash Goff, the Writer"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 26, 1987 (1987-10-26)
Suzanne's novelist husband visits, and she discovers he has writer's block and is contemplating suicide. Gerald McRaney makes his first appearance in his recurring role as Dash Goff.
29	7	"Heart Attacks"	Matthew Diamond	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 9, 1987 (1987-11-09)
Julia's boyfriend Reese suffers a heart attack while arm-wrestling a law-school classmate.
30	8	"Cruising"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 16, 1987 (1987-11-16)
When the Sugarbaker ladies go on a cruise, Mary Jo and Suzanne are pursued by the same man.
31	9	"I'll Be Seeing You"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 23, 1987 (1987-11-23)
Charlene dreams the ladies are back in World War Two and the USO. Soon, a handsome Army colonel appears at the Sugarbaker's shop, and Charlene is sure her friends have arranged his appearance as a surprise answer to her birthday wish for a soldier. Douglas Barr makes his first appearance in his recurring role as Colonel Bill Stillfield.
32	10	"Stranded"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 7, 1987 (1987-12-07)
While Charlene, Julia, and Mary Jo get the flu on a trip to St. Louis, a snowstorm forces Suzanne and Anthony to share a motel room in Tennessee.
33	11	"Howard the Date"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 14, 1987 (1987-12-14)
Out of pity, the women take a nerdy acquaintance of Mary Jo's out on a group date when he proves dateless for their high school reunion. Things take a turn, however, when Howard, formerly the nerd, develops an obnoxious ego as he brags about how he handles his "four women."
34	12	"I'll Be Home for Christmas"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 21, 1987 (1987-12-21)
Charlene and Anthony portray Santa and one of his Elves, to outsmart Mary Jo's disbelieving son on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile Suzanne hires a department store Santa to surprise them.
35	13	"Great Expectations"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 4, 1988 (1988-01-04)
Anthony is dismayed when an old prison cellmate arrives at Sugarbaker's to talk with him about a business proposition.
36	14	"Second Time Around"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 11, 1988 (1988-01-11)
Charlene withdraws after being dumped by her boyfriend, Bill, who is still grieving the loss of his first wife. Julia then shares with Bill her own personal experience about losing her husband and tries to convince him that being with Charlene is okay.
37	15	"Oh, Brother"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 18, 1988 (1988-01-18)
Julia and Suzanne disagree on how to handle the arrival of their half-brother Clayton (Lewis Grizzard), a recently discharged mental patient with hopes of becoming a stand-up comedian.
38	16	"There's Some Black People Coming to Dinner"	Jack Shea	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 25, 1988 (1988-01-25)
Mary Jo gives Claudia permission to go to a school dance with a black boy, contrary to his father's wishes.
39	17	"The Return of Ray Don"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 1, 1988 (1988-02-01)
Suzanne is broke after her accountant Reggie Mac Dawson absconds with her entire life savings and faces stiff fines for back taxes, so after trying to charm Ray Don at the IRS, she sells off her possessions and considers marriage to wealthy elderly man Wilmont Oliver.
40	18	"High Rollers"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 8, 1988 (1988-02-08)
After Charlene unwittingly puts a bug in Suzanne's ear by relating the success story of Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, Suzanne flits off to Atlantic City with Charlene and Anthony in hopes of winning a bundle to pay off debts by employing Anthony's gambling expertise.
41	19	"The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club"	Matthew Diamond	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 15, 1988 (1988-02-15)
Suzanne and Julia clash over a posh club's offer of membership when Julia discovers discrimination in the club's bylaws.
42	20	"How Great Thou Art"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 22, 1988 (1988-02-22)
Julia is chosen to sing at a Baptist convention, but she worries about a high note in the arrangement of "How Great Thou Art." Charlene is upset when she discovers her minister is against allowing women to preach.
43	21	"Ted-Bare"	Hal Holbrook	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	March 21, 1988 (1988-03-21)
On the brink of marrying a young woman, Ted begins to appreciate ex-wife Mary Jo's maturity, but his sudden attentiveness makes everyone else suspicious. Guest star: Scott Bakula
44	22	"Reservations for Eight"	Hal Holbrook	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	March 28, 1988 (1988-03-28)
A romantic ski weekend turns into a battle of the sexes when an avalanche sidelines the Sugarbaker ladies and their boyfriends.

Season 3 (1988–89)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
45	1	"Reservations for 12, Plus Ursula"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 14, 1988 (1988-11-14)
A voluptuous maid disrupts a romantic Thanksgiving at the beach.
46	2	"The Candidate"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 21, 1988 (1988-11-21)
Julia's opinionated nature seems to work against her in a run for a seat on the local board of commissioners.
47	3	"E.P., Phone Home"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 28, 1988 (1988-11-28)
Charlene has VIP tickets to Graceland and talks the girls and Anthony into going there with her for the weekend. While there, Julia is touched by a trucker's story of how Elvis Presley influenced his life.
48	4	"Getting Married and Eating Dirt"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 5, 1988 (1988-12-05)
Bernice Clifton asks the women of Sugarbaker's to be her wedding attendants when she receives a marriage proposal from a man who has an odd habit of proposing to every woman he meets.
49	5	"Big Haas and Little Falsie"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 12, 1988 (1988-12-12)
Mary Jo contemplates getting breast implants after receiving an inheritance from her uncle with the stipulation she must spend the money on something frivolous.
50	6	"Hard Hats and Lovers"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 19, 1988 (1988-12-19)
Suzanne convinces Charlene that Bill will have a wandering eye if he doesn't date more before they get serious. The ladies get revenge on city construction workers across the street by telling their wives and mothers about the sexist comments they've been making.
51	7	"But They're Really Great Curtains"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	January 2, 1989 (1989-01-02)
Striking laborers from a textile factory protest outside Sugarbaker's. The Sugarbaker women desperately need curtains finished for a hotel job, so they decide to go to the factory and finish them on their own. After working for a while, they realize what terrible conditions the laborers had.
52	8	"The Wilderness Experience"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 9, 1989 (1989-01-09)
Bernice Clifton buys herself and the women a trip to a wilderness survival course where their leadership skills are tested.
53	9	"Tyrone"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 16, 1989 (1989-01-16)
Anthony acts as a mentor to a troubled youth named Tyrone. The boy appears congenial and begins helping Anthony with unloading goods at Sugarbaker's, but soon betrays Anthony and the women's trust by robbing a store. Anthony visits Tyrone at Juvenile hall and shares a story about his own past. Guest star: Shavar Ross as Tyrone
54	10	"Mr. Bailey"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	January 23, 1989 (1989-01-23)
A recently deceased client leaves millions of dollars as well as Sugarbaker's prepaid designing services to her cat, Mr. Bailey, and the women must find a way to honor the woman's wishes. Her home is filled with odd possessions, and the ladies assume the woman was crazy, but a delivery man enlightens them about the belongings and Mr. Bailey's famous past.
55	11	"The Naked Truth"	Iris Dugow	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 13, 1989 (1989-02-13)
Julia sends Mary Jo, Charlene, and Anthony to visit a new client, but they are shocked to find that, unbeknownst to Julia, the client lives in a nudist camp. Julia and Suzanne's two nieces visit them at work and stay over at their homes, and they discover that the nieces have nearly identically personalities to Julia and Suzanne. Guest stars: Dixie Carter's real-life daughters, Ginna and Mary Dixie
56	12	"The Junies"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	February 20, 1989 (1989-02-20)
Charlene, trying to help out a friend, becomes a part-time saleswoman for "Lady June" cleaning products. Soon, she doesn't need or want the job anymore, but other workers pressure her into staying. Julia decides the job is similar to a cult and decides to rescue Charlene. Meanwhile, Anthony's junior college is trying to get students more involved with pride events like homecoming, and Anthony is strangely nominated as his school's homecoming queen.
57	13	"One Sees, the Other Doesn't"	Ron Troutman	Pam Norris	February 27, 1989 (1989-02-27)
Suzanne returns from a week-long stay at a spa where she spent $2,000 and is upset when the other women say she looks the same. She proclaims that any man would appreciate her radiance. The next man who enters Sugarbaker's & Associates is a client who Suzanne doesn't know is blind, and she tries to show off for him. The other women introduce him as Danny Hedgecock, which he amusingly follows with "...Blind Guy". Suzanne is relieved to find out she's not losing her touch. She's soon surprised to discover that the man — a rich, intelligent humanitarian — is attracted to her. She and the other women have a hard time accepting that anyone is attracted to her personality. Mary Jo struggles to figure out how to design the man's house, since she can't show him samples and sketches. Guest star: Tom Sullivan
58	14	"Odell"	Dwayne Hickman	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	March 6, 1989 (1989-03-06)
Charlene's brother Odell visits with important news: he's marrying the daughter of a longtime rival of their family. Soon, the fathers of both teens show up at Sugarbaker's and begin fighting. Bernice asks Anthony to be her partner in a dance contest.
59	15	"Full Moon"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	March 13, 1989 (1989-03-13)
The women share their most embarrassing moments after Julia accidentally moons the audience at a fashion show. Mary Jo is suddenly afraid that her 16-year-old daughter Claudia might have sex with her boyfriend and decides to spy on her. Suzanne asks Anthony to stay over at her house for the night because she's afraid of her neighbors who keep threatening to shoot her pet pig.
60	16	"Ms. Meal Ticket"	Hal Holbrook	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	March 20, 1989 (1989-03-20)
Just as J.D. moves in with Mary Jo, he loses his job. Enjoying himself while waiting to find work, Mary Jo becomes afraid that J.D. will be dependent on her and never work again, which sparks a fight and causes J.D. to leave. A psychic with whom Charlene consults ends up talking to Mary Jo and helping her come to grips with her real fears about the situation.
61	17	"The Engagement"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	March 27, 1989 (1989-03-27)
When Charlene, now happily engaged, goes to meet her in-laws, she's terrified that she won't be good enough for Bill's mother. She regularly calls Julia on the phone to question her about etiquette. After breaking up with J.D., Mary Jo gets asked out by a younger man and ends up at a keg party.
62	18	"Come on and Marry Me, Bill"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	April 10, 1989 (1989-04-10)
The ladies throw a party with all of Charlene's relatives to celebrate her wedding which will take place the next day. Bill heads to his stag party where he reluctantly watches a Latin exotic dancer and ends up handcuffed to her. The dancer, unfortunately, has forgotten to bring the key to the handcuffs, and soon Charlene becomes worried about what is going on when Bill doesn't answer the phone.
63	19	"The Women of Atlanta"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 1, 1989 (1989-05-01)
Charlene and Mary Jo meet a photographer who wants to take pictures of them, along with Julia and Suzanne, for a magazine article focusing on the women of Atlanta and their occupations. Julia distrusts him from the beginning and after he has the women change into sexier outfits and strike suggestive poses, she becomes furious and kicks him out. Guest star: Ian Patrick Williams
64	20	"Stand and Fight"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	May 8, 1989 (1989-05-08)
A shaken Mary Jo comes to work and recounts to Anthony and the women how she was mugged. After she describes how she was too frightened to fight back against her attacker, Anthony gives her the name of a self-defense class at the community center where he sometimes volunteers. The four women all attend the class, but Mary Jo still struggles to fight. Later, alone in a parking garage, she's confronted by a stranger who touches her shoulder and she suddenly remembers what she was taught and yells at the man to back off. She proudly tells Julia of her victory, and a few minutes later, the man she fought off enters Sugarbaker's. It turns out he's actually D.B. LeBoof, a new client, who had recognized Mary Jo from a magazine picture.
65	21	"The Last Humorously-Dressed Bellboy in America"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 15, 1989 (1989-05-15)
The women discover that Reggie Mac Dawson, the accountant who absconded with Suzanne's life savings, is working as bellboy/pianist in a hotel. Suzanne confronts him, demanding he return her money, but Reggie Mac instead spends what's left of the money by purchasing a circus for Suzanne. Guest stars: Danny Thomason, Macon McCalman
66	22	"Julia Drives Over the First Amendment"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	May 22, 1989 (1989-05-22)
A local newsstand begins displaying a large, smutty poster of a woman to advertise its pornographic magazines. Julia tires of seeing it on her way to work each morning and becomes so angry that she drives her car through it. The newsstand owner keeps putting sexy posters up, and Julia continues to drive through them. A lawsuit ensues, pitting Julia up against a very determined magazine publisher.

Season 4 (1989–90)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
67	1	"The Proxy Pig and Great Pretenders"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 18, 1989 (1989-09-18)
Suzanne, desperate to mother something or someone since her beloved pet pig Noel ran away, ends up nursing Anthony back to health after he injures his back carrying her marble-top table down the stairs and his health insurance lapses. Belva McPherson, a rich, snobby acquaintance of Mary Jo's comes to town and, to impress her, Mary Jo claims that a mansion she's decorating is her own home.
68	2	"One Night with You"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 25, 1989 (1989-09-25)
Julia discovers that Donald Stillman, a terminally-ill man who was a classmate of hers, has a last wish: to spend one night with her. She can't find his picture in her yearbook and has no memory of him at all. She dresses up, against Suzanne's advice, and meets with him at a restaurant, with no intention of going any further than dinner. Donald turns out to be a charming — albeit geeky — astronomer, and Julia finds herself attracted to him. She admits that she's already in a relationship, and they simply spend the night dancing. Suzanne, Mary Jo, Charlene and Anthony decide to spy on Donald and Julia.
69	3	"There She Is"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	October 2, 1989 (1989-10-02)
While preparing for Charlene's baby shower, Charlene, Mary Jo and Julia are surprised by a visit from the Director of Pageants for Miss Georgia. While putting past voting information onto computers, an error was discovered and it turns out that Suzanne actually came in second place, not first. The women try to find a delicate way to break the news to Suzanne that she must relinquish the crown she won 15 years earlier, but in the end Suzanne believes everything will work out to her advantage. Her prediction comes true when, in the ceremony where the crown is set to change hands, the true Miss Georgia reveals that she slept with one of the judges to get a better score, and Suzanne keeps her crown.
70	4	"Nightmare from Hee Haw"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 16, 1989 (1989-10-16)
The Sugarbaker women and their mates take a canoe trip in the Georgia backwoods, but while unwinding in a bar/diner later that night, some large countrymen get it set in their minds that they want to dance with the women and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. This episode marks Hal Holbrook's final appearance in his recurring role as Reece Watson.
71	5	"The Girlfriend"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	October 23, 1989 (1989-10-23)
Anthony introduces his new girlfriend, Lita, to the women and they immediately dislike her. The women are desperate to get a remodeling job done when they must fire their handyman for slacking off. Anthony offers his services, and hires some of his ex-convict friends to help him. Anthony's eager to prove himself, but his friends cut corners with much of the material and Anthony would rather tell the truth to the women than do a shoddy job.
72	6	"The Rowdy Girls"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	October 30, 1989 (1989-10-30)
While she is helping the Sugarbaker women choreograph a Supremes lip-synch routine, Charlene's favorite cousin inadvertently reveals that she is a victim of domestic violence. Guest star: Kim Zimmer
73	7	"Bernice's Sanity Hearing"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 13, 1989 (1989-11-13)
Bernice's niece tries to have her declared incompetent because of her sometimes bizarre behavior. The women must testify for her.
74	8	"Julia Gets Her Head Stuck in a Fence"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	November 20, 1989 (1989-11-20)
Sugarbaker's is hired to decorate the Governor's mansion for its annual ball. Anthony receives an invitation to the ball, but Suzanne is dismayed to learn that she has not been invited. After decorating the "Abbott banister" at the mansion, Julia is persuaded by the others to do something silly and winds up with her head stuck in the banister, which cannot be cut due to its historical significance.
75	9	"Julia and Suzanne's Big Adventure"	Dwayne Hickman	Pam Norris	November 27, 1989 (1989-11-27)
Julia and Suzanne go to Japan to visit their mother. Upon arrival, they are robbed of their money and luggage, and they learn that their mother had to abruptly leave for Paris to visit a sick friend, and are thus stranded in the Tokyo airport for the entire weekend. Anthony and Mary Jo, meanwhile, call in a large number of votes to a television poll, only to learn later that each call costs two dollars, and that they owe an enormous phone bill.
76	10	"Manhunt"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	December 4, 1989 (1989-12-04)
Desperately single Mary Jo, worried that her busy schedule will condemn her to a life alone, accepts coaching from Suzanne as she plans a weekend manhunt.
77	11	"They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 11, 1989 (1989-12-11)
Anthony gets Julia and the others involved in a two-day world hunger event to end its starvation in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Suzanne, in denial of her weight gain since high school, is preparing to attend her 15th class reunion.
78	12	"You Got to Have Friends"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	December 18, 1989 (1989-12-18)
Mary Jo takes a second job at a fast food establishment when Ted's child support payment is late. Anthony, Bernice and Julia come face-to-face with her while they are in line at "Burger Guy", and reluctantly agree to help Mary Jo work the "lunch shift".
79/80	13/14	"The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 1, 1990 (1990-01-01)
Suzanne and Mary Jo rush Charlene to the hospital when she goes into labor on New Year's Eve and with a desire to deliver the first New Year's baby. Dolly Parton plays Charlene's "guardian movie star," who comes to her in a dream with news of her baby's birth and Bernice goes for an unexpected ambulance ride. Guest star: Dolly Parton
81	15	"The Mistress"	Iris Dugow	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	January 8, 1990 (1990-01-08)
The ladies are hired by a wealthy stockbroker, Ancel Pollard, to decorate a house for a client's wife as well as a condo for his mistress. Though Suzanne is sure that strait-laced Julia and Mary Jo will never go through with the assignment, the firm accepts the job. However, things ultimately turn out to be not what they seem.
82	16	"The Fur Flies"	Hal Holbrook	Pam Norris	January 15, 1990 (1990-01-15)
The fur flies at a fashion show where Suzanne's after-dinner mink causes a riot among animal-rights activists. Charlene brings Olivia to Sugarbaker's while she looks for a nanny.
83	17	"Oh, What a Feeling"	David Trainer	Paul Clay	January 29, 1990 (1990-01-29)
Their delivery van breaks down stranding Anthony with a nasty client in the middle of the freeway and in a rain storm. The ladies need to get a van to finish the delivery, by midnight so they decide to buy a new one. They end up dealing with a sexist used car salesman.
84	18	"Anthony and Vanessa"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 5, 1990 (1990-02-05)
Hired for a temporary job at Sugarbaker's, Anthony's friend Vanessa learns the tricks of the trade from Suzanne and then goes to work reeling in Anthony. Mary Jo and Charlene try to figure out why Rusty the electrician wears his pants so low. While Suzanne is watching Unsolved Mysteries, she discovers that the baby nurse is as a con-artist and counterfeiter.
85	19	"Payne Grows Up"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	February 19, 1990 (1990-02-19)
Julia is not pleased to learn that Payne (George Newbern) is graduating early in order to marry his pregnant girlfriend. Upset at becoming a grandmother so soon, Julia gets tipsy at the wedding, then wakes up mortified — and scantily clad — the next day with Payne's frat house roommate (Rex Young), with little recollection of the previous night's events.
86	20	"Tornado Watch"	William Crain	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	February 26, 1990 (1990-02-26)
Julia, Suzanne, Mary-Jo, Anthony and Charlene must endure being stranded for the duration of a tornado watch with Bernice, a hillbilly, a sexually dysfunctional client and Anthony's ex-girlfriend. Guest star: Richard Sanders
87	21	"Tough Enough"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	March 20, 1990 (1990-03-20)
A redecorating job for a sports account is right down Sugarbaker's alley, especially when it pits the women against a macho, overconfident designer from an all-male firm. They are determined to steal one of their prized clients, Cherokee Lanes Bowling Alley, in retaliation for the men having stolen one of theirs. They discover that they must pose as regular bowlers to get the account.
88	22	"It's a Wonderful Life"	David Trainer	Thom Bray and Michael Ross	March 19, 1990 (1990-03-19)
Charlene feels unattractive since having the baby and suspects that Bill is having an affair. When she confronts him, they have a huge argument. To bring back the romance in their relationship, Julia, Mary Jo, and Anthony decide to re-create where Bill and Charlene spent their first date.
89	23	"Suzanne Goes Looking for a Friend"	David Trainer	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	April 9, 1990 (1990-04-09)
A former beauty queen and current television weather forecaster announces her "coming out," causing a confused Suzanne to think she means she's the world's oldest debutante and to accept Eugenia's invitation to join her at a television industry dinner.
90	24	"Foreign Affairs"	David Trainer	Cheryl Bascom	April 30, 1990 (1990-04-30)
Suzanne's maid Consuela is threatened with deportation. Anthony pretends to be her, even wearing a dress, to help her.
91	25	"Have Faith"	David Trainer	Paul Clay and Pam Norris	May 7, 1990 (1990-05-07)
Mary Jo attends church with Julia and Charlene and ends up dating the minister. Anthony gets his clothing stolen at a baseball game. Guest star: Bruce Davison
92	26	"Their Finest Hour"	Ellen Falcon, Harry Thomason and David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 9, 1990 (1990-05-09)
An hour-long clip show of highlights from the previous seasons, including a razor-tongued Julia standing up for Suzanne against an insolent beauty pageant contestant, Julia defending Bernice's eccentricities, Mary Jo commenting on men and bra sizes, Charlene wondering about everything from killer bees to the personal habits of other women, Suzanne displaying a series of wacky dresses, and Anthony being plagued by a variety of indignities.
93	27	"Anthony's Graduation"	David Trainer	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 14, 1990 (1990-05-14)
As if Anthony weren't under enough stress over his impending graduation and a visit from his grandmother, he is shot in the leg by Suzanne when she mistakes him for an intruder.
94	28	"La Place sans Souci"	Iris Dugow	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 21, 1990 (1990-05-21)
Julia, Mary Jo, Suzanne, Charlene, and Anthony go to a posh spa. After Suzanne and Charlene are put on the weight loss program and Julia and Mary Jo are put on the weight gain program, tempers flare. They end up getting kicked out of the resort after flinging mud at each other from the thermal mud bath.

Season 5 (1990–91)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
95	1	"A Blast from the Past"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	September 17, 1990 (1990-09-17)
Sugarbaker's is beset by tourists when the building's Civil War foundation puts it on the Tour of Historical Homes; Mary Jo opens her heart to an old friend eager to make good on a marriage pact they once entered into.
96	2	"Papa Was a Rolling Stone"	David Trainer	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	September 24, 1990 (1990-09-24)
During Anthony's 30th birthday, he ends up meeting the father he never knew.
97	3	"Working Mother"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	October 1, 1990 (1990-10-01)
Resentment builds between Charlene and Mary Jo when Charlene wants to take a year off to look after her baby. The decorators cater to the whims of a rich, insufferable 10-year-old client as Mary Jo and Charlene ponder the joys and pitfalls of working mothers.
98	4	"Miss Trial"	David Trainer	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	October 15, 1990 (1990-10-15)
Julia may have to miss her chance to have dinner with former President Carter when she is sequestered while on jury duty. Suzanne, Anthony and Charlene win a shopping spree at a record store.
99	5	"The Bachelor Auction"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	October 22, 1990 (1990-10-22)
When organizational confusion leads to Suzanne winning a date with Anthony in a bachelor charity auction, the two reluctantly try to make the best of a very awkward situation.
100	6	"Charlene Buys a House"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	October 29, 1990 (1990-10-29)
Charlene buys a house that is haunted by the former owner; she hires Sugarbaker's to make some decorating improvements, and the ladies have to stay the night in the haunted house.
101	7	"Old Rebels and Young Models"	Iris Dugow	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	November 5, 1990 (1990-11-05)
Charlene auditions her baby for a modeling job.
102	8	"Nowhere to Run To"	David Trainer	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	November 12, 1990 (1990-11-12)
Mary Jo takes up jogging and invites Julia to come along. Soon Julia goes overboard, only focusing on running, so she will get in shape for her annual physical.
103	9	"A Class Act"	Dwayne Hickman	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	November 19, 1990 (1990-11-19)
Anthony becomes a full partner in Sugarbaker's and this creates some adjustment issues for Suzanne. Charlene begins to take classes part-time, and has to fend off an amorous psychology professor.
104	10	"Keep the Homes Fires Burning"	David Trainer	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	November 26, 1990 (1990-11-26)
Charlene misses her husband Bill who's been sent to the Persian Gulf. She dreams back in time when the United States enters World War Two following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
105	11	"My Daughter, Myself"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	December 10, 1990 (1990-12-10)
Mary Jo forbids her nearly 18-year-old daughter to date a 34-year-old man; she then decides to date him herself. Julia crashes the men's restroom at a football stadium after waiting in line forever for the women's restroom.
106	12	"And Now, Here's Bernice"	David Trainer	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	December 17, 1990 (1990-12-17)
Bernice gets a local Public-access television cable TV show and invites Julia, Mary Jo, Charele and Anthony as her guests, but presents them as proprieters of a call girl service, rather than a decorating firm. After Mary Jo has her heart broken, she decides that she needs to warn women about men who break women's hearts, and uses Bernice's show to out them.
107	13	"Pearls of Wisdom"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	January 7, 1991 (1991-01-07)
Mary Jo switches her knock-off pearls for Suzanne's real ones as a joke, but then loses them in an all-you-can-eat salad bar. Suzanne subs on the local news as a lifestyle reporter. A recurring dream about Julia upsets Anthony.
108	14	"High Noon in a Laundry Room"	David Trainer	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	January 14, 1991 (1991-01-14)
After Anthony's laundry room is taken over by a group of thugs, he's afraid that confronting by the thugs might spark a big brawl. The ladies arrive in the laundry room just in time to come to his rescue.
109	15	"How Long Has This Been Going On?"	David Trainer	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	January 28, 1991 (1991-01-28)
Everyone at Sugarbaker's is shocked when they discover Julia has been secretly performing at a local night club (under the name of Gizelle). Anthony wants to date a beautiful woman who works at the local bookstore, then realizes the woman is rude, loud, and crass.
110	16	"The Emperor's New Nose"	David Trainer	Thom Bray and Michael Ross	February 4, 1991 (1991-02-04)
Bernice gets a botched face lift, liposuction work, and a (bad) nose job that makes her look like a pig. The girls can't stop complimenting her on it, while secretly laughing at it. While shopping with Charlene, Bernice actually gets mistaken for Miss Piggy by a little boy and his mother. Bernice finally decides to get reconstructive surgery. Meanwhile, Suzanne buys a Cadillac after driving one as a loaner while her Mercedes is in the shop.
111	17	"Maybe Baby"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	February 11, 1991 (1991-02-11)
Mary Jo tells J.D. that she wants a baby and wants him to father it, rather than go to the sperm bank. Meanwhile, Suzanne decides she's going to smoke to lose weight.
112	18	"This Is Art?"	Roberta Sherry Scelza	Steven Roth & Deanne Roth	February 25, 1991 (1991-02-25)
After Julia's purse accidentally gets mistaken for a piece of conceptual art and sold at a local gallery, she gains a reputation as an artist. Suzanne accidentally glues her mouth shut while repairing a broken fingernail and is unable to speak, and Mary Jo attempts to fix a ding she accidentally put in Charlene's car when she backed into it.
113	19	"Blame It on New Orleans"	David Trainer	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	March 4, 1991 (1991-03-04)
The ladies attend a New Orleans convention, where Mary Jo oversteps her rules of decorum with a man who turns out to be married. Guest star: Darrell Larson
114	20	"I'll See You in Court"	David Trainer	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	March 18, 1991 (1991-03-18)
Mary Jo runs across the man who mugged her the year before, but faces horrendous judicial red tape to bring him to trial. Suzanne takes Bernice and her friends to the mall under threat of Julia's wrath and then begins doing it on a regular basis.
115	21	"The Big Circle"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	April 8, 1991 (1991-04-08)
After Reese dies, Suzanne helps a despondent Julia plan a getaway cruise — only to have a former client, young Randa Oliver, arrive on her doorstep needing a place to stay.
116	22	"Friends and Husbands"	David Trainer	Cassandra Clark & Debbie Pearl	April 29, 1991 (1991-04-29)
Charlene quits the children's-book project with Mary Jo upon Bill's return from the Middle East. Bernice takes videos hoping to get them on television. Julia fails her driver's test.
117	23	"Fore!"	David Trainer	Pam Norris	May 6, 1991 (1991-05-06)
Anthony is invited to be the first black in the previously all-white Beaumont Country Club, which concerns Suzanne because she's worried that it's only because they want to get on the PGA tour.
118	24	"The Pride of Sugarbakers"	Iris Dugow	Thom Bray and Michael A. Ross	May 13, 1991 (1991-05-13)
Mary Jo and Julia demonstrate different coaching styles when Sugarbaker's sponsors a Little League team on which Quint and Randa both play. Suzanne's new car seems to be a magnet for foul balls. This episode marks Delta Burke's final appearance on the series.

Season 6 (1991–92)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
119/120	1/2	"The Big Desk"	Harry Thomason	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 16, 1991 (1991-09-16)
It is revealed that Suzanne has moved to Japan (as Delta Burke has left the series). Carlene, Charlene's sister, is introduced as well as Julia's cousin Allison who bought out Suzanne's share of Sugarbaker's. Much to everyone's dismay, Allison has an enormous desk delivered to Sugarbaker's before she arrives on scene, where she quickly annoys everyone at Sugarbaker's. Hilarity ensues when a male stripper arrives at the office for Julia's birthday only to accidentally strip for Allison. Sugarbaker cousin and new not-so-silent partner Allison tries to take charge of Sugarbaker's, and Julia is not too thrilled. Also, Charlene's younger sister Carlene arrives and reveals she's divorcing her husband. Anthony and Allison fight over ownership of Suzanne's house. [Notes: Julia Duffy and Jan Hooks join the cast. Jean Smart's final appearance on the series; she is credited as a "special guest star."]
121	3	"A Toe in the Water"	David Steinberg	Pam Norris	September 23, 1991 (1991-09-23)
Julia thinks she's ready to resume dating, but Alison disagrees, questioning the manliness of Julia's new beau. Meanwhile, Allison and Anthony continue to bicker about who owns Suzanne's house, until Anthony obtains an affidavit asserting his right to occupy the house — and allows Allison to stay on only as his personal servant.
122	4	"Dwayne's World"	David Steinberg	Paul Clay and Pam Norris	September 30, 1991 (1991-09-30)
Mary Jo protectively takes divorcee Carlene under her wing — going overboard with a lie about Carlene's latest flame — when ex-hubby Dwayne shows up to sweep Carlene off her feet again.
123	5	"Marriage Most Foul"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	October 7, 1991 (1991-10-07)
When Allison's ex-convict former flame (whom she turned in for insider trading) is released, she fears he is plotting revenge; instead, he proposes to her.
124	6	"Picking a Winner"	Asaad Kelada	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	October 14, 1991 (1991-10-14)
Mary Jo turns to a sperm bank to get pregnant, prompting mixed reactions at work. Meanwhile, Julia threatens to rip the draperies from the windows of the home of a wealthy client whose payment is overdue.
125	7	"Last Tango in Atlanta"	Charles Frank	Thom Bray and Michael Ross	October 21, 1991 (1991-10-21)
Allison gets a bad hairdo from a ponytailed stylist. The women help out at an outreach program at Anthony's old prison and are stuck in a room with T-Tommy Reed during a prison riot. He takes a liking to Allison and makes her feel better about her hairdo. After the women leave the jail, Allison receives a package from T-Tommy with the stylist's ponytail in it.
126	8	"The Strange Case of Clarence and Anita"	David Steinberg	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 4, 1991 (1991-11-04)
The Sugarbaker women take sides on the controversial confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill's accusation of sexual harassment: Mary Jo and Julia side with Hill and Allison with Thomas. Conflict spills over into Allison's birthday party, where Mary Jo and Julia turn up in costume (they'd appeared in a stage production of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?) just in time to hear a television interview about the hearings with Allison.
127	9	"Just Say Doe"	David Steinberg	Andrea Carla Michaels	November 11, 1991 (1991-11-11)
When Mary Jo's womanizing brother visits, falls for Allison, and takes her and Quinton on a deer-hunting trip, the women secretly tag along.
128	10	"Julia and Rusty, Sittin' in a Tree"	David Steinberg	Thom Bray and Michael A. Ross	November 18, 1991 (1991-11-18)
Julia is pressured into a second date with Rusty and ends up setting up Mary Jo with one of Rusty's friends. Carlene and Allison go out with some junior-college guys. Anthony tags along to the drive-in with Bernice to keep an eye on things.
129	11	"Julia and Mary Jo Get Stuck Under a Bed"	David Steinberg	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	December 1, 1991 (1991-12-01)
Sugarbaker's enters a Christmas design contest, but are worried about their ideas being copied. While checking one of the competitor's designs out, Julia and Mary Jo have to hide under a promiscuous anchorman's bed to avoid being caught in his house.
130	12	"Real, Scary Men"	David Steinberg	Cathryn Michon	December 9, 1991 (1991-12-09)
When their van breaks down the women become unwelcome guests at men's club retreat Wildman Sanctuary, where Anthony is trying to land a new account.
131	13	"Tales Out of School"	David Steinberg	Paul Clay and Pam Norris	December 16, 1991 (1991-12-16)
Anthony sees opportunity when his normally unfriendly law professor is attracted to Carlene and invites the two of them to his annual Christmas party.
132	14	"Driving My Mama Back Home"	William Cosentino	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	January 6, 1992 (1992-01-06)
Julia and Mary Jo take Mary Jo's mother home on an overnight bus trip. Allison, Carlene and Anthony get locked in the storeroom while taking inventory.
133	15	"Payne Comes Home"	Paul Clay	Eleanor S. Hyde-White	January 13, 1992 (1992-01-13)
Julia's son Payne returns home with news that his marriage is ending.
134	16	"Carlene's New Apartment"	David Steinberg	Paul Clay	January 20, 1992 (1992-01-20)
Carlene invites Julia, Mary Jo, Allison, Anthony and Bernice to a sleepover to celebrate her finding her own apartment, which turns out to be not in the best part of town. They end up fleeing in the middle of the night.
135	17	"Mamed"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	February 3, 1992 (1992-02-03)
A tough-talking, hard-drinking, temperamental Broadway has-been promises to make Julia rue the day that she stole the role of Mame from her in Anthony's community-theater production. But on opening night she is too drunk to perform, and Anthony is pressed into taking on the role.
136	18	"A Scene from a Mall"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	February 10, 1992 (1992-02-10)
Mall security guards accuse Anthony of criminal activities when he is standing outside a jewelry store. Julia stages a sit-in at the mall to protest his unfair treatment.
137	19	"All About Odes to Atlanta"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	March 2, 1992 (1992-03-02)
Carlene enters an Atlanta theme-song contest and convinces Mary Jo and Julia to perform her jingle with her at the contest finals. Shortly after entering, Carlene gets a groupie who wants to be as helpful as she can with the contest. She turns out to be a competitor in the jingle contest who is trying to sabotage Carlene's chance at winning.
138	20	"I Enjoy Being a Girl"	David Steinberg	Norma Safford Vela	March 9, 1992 (1992-03-09)
On an overnight Girl Scout outing, Carlene's leadership abilities take a beating while Allison's methods seem to charm the spoiled troopers, and Mary Jo and Julia advocate roughing it.
139	21	"L.A. Story"	Roberta Sherry Scelza	Paul Clay	March 23, 1992 (1992-03-23)
Allison invests in a Hollywood film, then brings everyone to director Charles Nelson Reilly's home. He has no idea who they are and Allison learns she has basically been conned out of her $25,000 investment.
140	22	"A Little Night Music"	David Steinberg	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	April 27, 1992 (1992-04-27)
Julia strolls down memory lane while awaiting the results of hysterectomy tests at a hospital whose workers are on strike, and a surgeon turns out to be her prescription for romance.
141	23	"Shades of Vanessa"	Art Dielhenn	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	May 4, 1992 (1992-05-04)
The Sugarbaker women use Anthony as "date bait" to reel in a big account involving a hotelier's flamboyant debutante daughter who's angling for a whopper of a deal, then Anthony announces he is marrying Vanessa who intends to become a partner in Sugarbaker's. Guest star: Jackée Harry as Vanessa

Season 7 (1992–93)

Nº	Ep	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
142	1	"Of Human Bondage"	David Steinberg	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	September 25, 1992 (1992-09-25)
After cousin Allison leaves Sugarbaker's, Julia needs cash but is refused a bank loan. To cheer themselves up, the women play poker with a wealthy client, who wins the business from them. Sugarbaker's could use an infusion of cash, and at a rowdy party given by potential new client B.J. (Judith Ivey), the gals kick up their heels in wild abandon. For the final season the show no longer has an opening theme song, instead displaying the actors' names over the beginning of the actual episode.
143	2	"Sex and the Single Woman"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	October 2, 1992 (1992-10-02)
Carlene spends the night with her visiting ex-husband, then admits she was just using him for sex.
144	3	"Mary Jo vs. the Terminator"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	October 16, 1992 (1992-10-16)
After Mary Jo asks Julia to proofread a letter for her, Julia completely rewrites it, annoying Mary Jo. Mary Jo ends up telling off know-it-all Julia just before the two are about to appear in at a fashion show, leading to disastrous results. B.J. expresses her thoughts on a series of billboards, one of which angers vegetarians.
145	4	"On the Road Again"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	October 23, 1992 (1992-10-23)
In an attempt at spontaneity, a carefree Mary Jo takes off for Nashville for "a hen party on wheels" with Julia and Bernice, but they become terrified when a trucker that Bernice flirted with at a diner pursues them. Meanwhile, back at the office, Carlene and Anthony put their noses to the grindstone studying for midterms.
146	5	"Screaming Passages"	David Steinberg	Norma Safford Vela	October 30, 1992 (1992-10-30)
Julia finds herself in the "biological twilight zone" of menopause just as she is about to embark on a new relationship with a handsome symphony conductor. Guest star: James Naughton as Phillip
147	6	"Viva Las Vegas"	Charles Frank	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	November 6, 1992 (1992-11-06)
After Vanessa calls off their wedding, Anthony joins the gang on a getaway to Las Vegas, where he nurses his broken heart in the company of a show stopping showgirl whom he impulsively weds. Guest star: Sheryl Lee Ralph as Etienne
148	7	"Fools Rush In"	David Steinberg	Linda Jean LaBrown	November 13, 1992 (1992-11-13)
B.J. offers to help Anthony out of his predicament after he awakens to discover he's married to Las Vegas showgirl Etienne.
149	8	"Love Letters"	David Steinberg	Norma Safford Vela	November 20, 1992 (1992-11-20)
A steamy love letter from another woman is found in James' safe-deposit box and shatters B.J.'s image of her late husband as a faithful companion worthy of her trust, but the letter that her late husband's faithful companion was 36 years old. Meanwhile, reveling in the destruction of her old car which a symbol of her days as a suburban housewife, Mary Jo goes wild in a new red convertible.
150	9	"The Vision Thing"	David Steinberg	Norma Safford Vela	December 4, 1992 (1992-12-04)
Etienne drives Anthony crazy trying to be the perfect wife.
151	10	"Trial and Error"	David Steinberg	Danny Margosis & Robert Horn	December 11, 1992 (1992-12-11)
Law student Anthony helps Mary Jo in court in a case involving her defective freezer.
152	11	"Too Dumb to Date"	David Steinberg	Jeannie Elias	January 8, 1993 (1993-01-08)
Mary Jo dates a handsome idiot, a to-die-for toyboy male model who seems to have few toys in the attic and little in common with her. Guest star: Patrick Warburton
153	12	"The Odyssey"	David Steinberg	Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown	January 15, 1993 (1993-01-15)
B.J.'s contribution to the Democratic Party gets the Sugarbaker crew invited to the Inaugural Ball, but the trip proves to be a party for no one — even Julia, who struggles to maintain a cheery disposition in the face of disaster — as bad weather forces a change in plans.
154	13	"Oh Dog, Poor Dog"	David Steinberg	Cathryn Michon	January 22, 1993 (1993-01-22)
After eye surgery, Bernice overhears the gals talk of putting Mary Jo's dog out of its misery and figures they're planning her own mercy killing, so she barricades herself inside the storeroom. Meanwhile, Julia gets caught listening to a London phone line which plays tapes of Princess Diana's private conversations with her boyfriend.
155	14	"Wedding Redux"	David Steinberg	Mimi Pond	February 5, 1993 (1993-02-05)
Anthony and Etienne renew their vows for Etienne's visiting parents and Anthony's grandmother at a ceremony at B.J.'s, where anything that could go wrong does.
156	15	"Nude Julia, New York Morning"	David Steinberg	Emily Levine	February 12, 1993 (1993-02-12)
While attending a gallery art show of a former teacher of Julia's, Mary Jo, Anthony, Carlene, B.J. and Julia discover a nude painting on display that he painted of Julia.
157	16	"Sex, Lies and Bad Hair Days"	David Steinberg	Danny Margosis & Robert Horn	March 5, 1993 (1993-03-05)
B.J.'s dating adventures take a turn for the worse on her birthday, when a bad-hair day and two miserable blind dates have her vowing to give up men, so Julia tries to cheer her up by getting her a date with a really nice fellow.
158	17	"Shovel Off to Buffalo"	David Steinberg	Emily Levine	March 12, 1993 (1993-03-12)
When the face of Elvis appears on her snow shovel, Mary Jo wants to get rid of it. Her neighbor sees it and when she tries to convince him it's just a coincidence, he regains his hearing and believes she is a miracle worker. At the end of the episode the face on the shovel mysteriously disappears. Guest star: Peri Gilpin as Jade Henson
159	18	"It's Not So Easy Being Green"	David Steinberg	Emily Levine	April 2, 1993 (1993-04-02)
When Etienne's successful writer friend visits, Anthony is jealous of the vivid past he shares with her. He tries to be gracious by throwing a signing party for him.
160	19	"The Woman Who Came to Sugarbakers"	David Steinberg	Emily Levine	April 30, 1993 (1993-04-30)
Julia's overbearing former school mistress visits and annoys everyone at Sugarbaker's. After Julia tells them she is only there because of ghostly instructions from her dead husband telling her to "Go to Julia", they decide to have a seance to try to force her to leave. Guest star: Pat Carroll
161	20	"The Lying Game"	David Steinberg	Danny Margosis & Robert Horn	May 7, 1993 (1993-05-07)
Carlene is confused by her new beau Eric's unusual habit of cross-dressing. To try to understand him, she begins cross-dressing.
162/163	21/22	"Gone with a Whim"	David Steinberg	Danny Margosis & Robert Horn and David Steinberg	May 24, 1993 (1993-05-24)
With Sugarbaker's in such bad financial shape, the ladies are grateful when B.J. gets them a job redecorating a house that resembles the great home from Gone with the Wind — until they find out that the new lady of the house plans to rip out the grand staircase and replace it with an escaltor. To make matters worse, B.J. finds out that their client is trying to take over Poteet Industries and plans to give Sugarbaker's to his young bride Kiki — renaming it "Kikibaker's". With Julia continuing to fight to save the antebellum Kearney mansion, B.J. struggles to save Sugarbaker's and Poteet Industries from a takeover from the Kearneys. However, despite their efforts, Kiki Kearney announces her new plans for "Kikibaker's", Lester Kearney announces that the purchase of Poteet Industries is complete, and the modernizing of the mansion gets underway. Anthony and the women are fired for insubordination. Craig, a friend of Mary Jo's, stumbles on some embarrassing news about the Kearneys' illegal financial activities; Poteet Industries and Sugarbaker's are saved from the takeover. Guest star: Patrick Warburton as Craig

Reunion special

Title	Directed by:	Written by:	Air date
"The Designing Women Reunion"	Harry Thomason	Allen Crowe, Pam Norris	July 28, 2003
Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Jean Smart and Meshach Taylor reunited to share behind-the-scenes memories from their time on the series. Topics included initial casting and favorite episodes. Clips from many episodes are played, as well as new interviews with additional cast members, crew members and others associated with the world of television. Guest stars: Alice Ghostley, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

References

↑ Designing Women at TVShowsOnDVD.com

External links

Designing Women at IMDb

Filming locations

Angelo Marre House, Little Rock, Arkansas

The exterior of the house seen in the series as the location of the Sugarbakers' design firm is the Angelo Marre House located in the historic Quapaw Quarter district in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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.

Critical reception

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^[1] 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.^[2] 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. A move to the Friday night death slot in fall 1992 caused ratings to fall again and the series to be canceled.^[3]

Political views

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. Midway through the seventh season, Julia is stranded in the airport while attempting to attend Clinton's first inauguration, in an episode ("The Odyssey") that aired five days prior. Earlier in the series, Charlene mentions working for Clinton during his Arkansas governorship. Another Clinton-related joke was the introduction during the sixth season of the prissy character, Allison Sugarbaker, who makes it quite clear to the others that she attended Wellesley College, Hillary's alma mater. An early third season episode ("The Candidate") also revolves around Julia running for commissioner; she debates on television against a conservative candidate, to whom she eventually loses.

In reality, Dixie Carter was a libertarian-leaning Republican who disagreed with some of the liberal views expressed by her onscreen character. However, she did support liberal causes, such as civil rights and same-sex marriage.^[4] Carter cut a deal with the Thomasons in which Julia would sing a song in a future episode for every liberal-leaning monologue.^[5]^[6]

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominee	Result
1991	BMI Film & TV Awards	BMI TV Music Award	Bruce Miller	Won
1992	BMI Film & TV Awards	BMI TV Music Award	Bruce Miller	Won
1987	Casting Society of America	Artios Award for Best Casting for TV, Comedy Episodic	Fran Bascom	Nominated
1989				Nominated
1990				Nominated
1990	Directors Guild of America	Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series	Harry Thomason for episode "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?"	Nominated
1991	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Comedy Episode	"Suzanne Goes Looking for a Friend"^[7]	Won
1990	Golden Globe Awards	Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy		Nominated
1991	Golden Globe Awards	Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy		Nominated
1987	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Jack Shea for episode "The Beauty Contest"	Nominated
1987		Outstanding Costume Design for a Series	Cliff Chally for episode "Oh Suzannah"	Nominated
1988		Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason for episode "Killing All the Right People"	Nominated
		Outstanding Editing for a Series – Multi-Camera Production	Roger Bondelli for episode "Killing All the Right People"	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series	Judy Crown and Monique DeSart for episode "I'll Be Seeing You"	Won
1989		Outstanding Comedy Series	Harry Thomason, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Pamela Norris, Tommy Thompson, Douglas Jackson, and David Trainer	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Meshach Taylor	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design for a Series	Cliff Chally for episode "Come On and Marry Me, Bill"	Nominated
1990		Outstanding Comedy Series	Harry Thomason, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Pamela Norris, Tommy Thompson, Douglas Jackson, and David Trainer	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Delta Burke	Nominated
		Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Harry Thomason for episode "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?"	Nominated
		Outstanding Editing for a Series – Multi-camera Production	Judy Burke for episode "The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century"	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design for a Series	Cliff Chally for episode "The Rowdy Girls"	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special	Larry Lasota, Anthony Constantini, Doug Gray, and Rick Himot for episode "Tornado Watch"	Nominated
1991		Outstanding Comedy Series	Harry Thomason, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Pamela Norris, Tommy Thompson, Douglas Jackson, and David Trainer	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Delta Burke	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design for a Series	Cliff Chally for episode "Keep the Home Fires Burning"	Nominated
1992		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Alice Ghostley	Nominated
1990		Television Critics Association	Outstanding Achievement in Comedy	Nominated
2003	TV Land Awards	Most Memorable Female Guest Star in a Comedy as Herself	Dolly Parton	Won
2003	TV Land Awards	Favorite Guest Performance by a Musician on a TV Show	Ray Charles	Nominated
1987	Viewers for Quality Television	Best Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Writing in a Quality Comedy Series	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	Won
		Best Directing in a Quality Comedy Series	Jack Shea	Won
1988		Best Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series	Meshach Taylor	Won
		Best Writing in a Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Directing in a Quality Comedy Series		Won
1989		Best Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Delta Burke	Nominated
			Dixie Carter	Nominated
			Annie Potts	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series	Meshach Taylor	Won
		Best Writing in a Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Directing in a Quality Comedy Series		Won
1990		Best Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Delta Burke	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Dixie Carter	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series	Meshach Taylor	Won
		Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Alice Ghostley	Nominated
		Best Writing in a Quality Comedy Series		Won
		Best Directing in a Quality Comedy Series		Won
1991		Best Quality Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Delta Burke	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Dixie Carter	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series	Meshach Taylor	Nominated
		Best Writing in a Quality Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Specialty Player	Alice Ghostley	Won
1992		Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Dixie Carter	Nominated
1994	Writers Guild of America	Episodic Comedy	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason for episode "The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century"	Nominated
1994	Young Artist Awards	Best Youth Actress Recurring or Regular in a TV Series	Lexi Randall	Nominated

Home media

Shout! Factory has released all seven seasons of Designing Women on DVD in Region 1.^[8]

DVD name	Ep #	Release date
The Complete First Season	22	May 26, 2009
The Complete Second Season	22	August 11, 2009
The Complete Third Season	22	March 2, 2010
The Complete Fourth Season	29	September 14, 2010
The Complete Fifth Season	24	December 6, 2011
The Complete Sixth Season	23	April 3, 2012
The Complete Seventh and Final Season	22	July 17, 2012

On September 2, 2003, Sony Pictures released The Best of Designing Women, a single-disc DVD featuring five episodes ranging between seasons one through four: "Designing Women (Pilot)" (season 1), "Killing All the Right People" (season 2), "Reservations for Eight" (season 2), "Big Haas and Little Falsie" (season 3) and "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?" (season 4).

On September 28, 2010, Shout! Factory released Designing Women, Volume 1, a single-disc DVD featuring seven episodes from the first season: "Designing Women (Pilot)", "A Big Affair", "Design House", "I Do, I Don't", "New Year's Daze", "Monette", "And Justice for Paul".

On June 5, 2012, Shout! Factory released Designing Women – 20 Timeless Episodes, aimed for casual fans to enjoy the series without buying full season sets. The 2-disc DVD set included the following episodes, ranging from seasons one through five: Disc 1 – "Designing Women (pilot)" (season 1), "New Year's Daze" (season 1), "Monette" (season 1), "Oh Suzannah" (season 1), "Ted Remarries" (season 2), "Killing All the Right People" (season 2), "Heart Attacks" (season 2), "Return of Ray Don" (season 2), "Big Haas & Little Falsie" (season 3), "The Wilderness Experience" (season 3). Disc 2 – "The Naked Truth" (season 3), "Stand & Fight" (season 3), "Nightmare from Hee Haw" (season 3), "Julia Gets Her Head Caught in a Fence" (season 4), "Julia & Suzanne's Big Adventure" (season 4), "Foreign Affairs" (season 4), "A Blast from the Past" (season 5), "And Now, Here's Bernice" (season 5), "This is Art?" (season 5) and "The Pride of the Sugarbakers" (season 5).

Syndication

CBS ran reruns of the show in their daytime lineup at 10:00 a.m. (ET) from April 1991 to June 1992. Subsequently, Designing Women aired on the Lifetime cable network for over a decade. Despite its popularity, the show left the network on August 4, 2006.^{[citation needed]}

A 90-minute retrospective special, The Designing Women Reunion, aired on Lifetime on July 28, 2003, reuniting Burke, Potts, Smart, Carter and Taylor in which they shared memories from their time on the series, and also featured interviews with the Thomasons and various writers. Actors Alice Ghostley, Hal Holbrook, Gerald McRaney, and Richard Gilliland also took part in the special.

The series also aired on Nick at Nite beginning October 2, 2006; however, it quickly left and later appeared on its sister network TV Land, airing at various late-night and morning times occasionally until the network lost the rights to air the show in 2008. The series aired on ION Television in 2007^[9] and has also aired on Comedy Gold, TV Guide Network, and Logo.

In recognition of the show's 30th anniversary, getTV began running the series in June 2017 with nightly blocks featuring 30 fan-favorite episodes, after which the series began airing regularly on the network.^[10]

As of Spring 2021, Antenna TV airs two episodes of the show on weeknights at 12:00 and 12:30 a.m. ET,^[11] while FETV airs the show weekdays at 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. as of March 2021.^[12]

As of August 28, 2019, the series is available for streaming on Hulu. The episodes are not the original versions aired on CBS, but syndication edits, which contain an altered opening credit sequence and choppy edits to allow more time for commercials.

Spin-off

Burke returned as the Suzanne Sugarbaker character in the 1995 spin-off series, Women of the House. The series ran for one season, airing on CBS from January 4, 1995, to August 18, 1995, with the final four episodes airing on Lifetime on September 8, 1995.

References

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↑ Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable Shows 1946–present," 7th edition
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↑ Designing Women: The Final Season: Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, David Trainer: Movies & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved on April 21, 2012.
↑ ION Television July: Designing Women and Who's the Boss? Join Line-Up; Still Standing Joins Atlanta TBS; Network Notes. Sitcomsonline.com (June 8, 2007). Retrieved on April 21, 2012.
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External links

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[1] Designing Women at TVShowsOnDVD.com

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[9] Designing Women: The Final Season: Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, David Trainer: Movies & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved on April 21, 2012.

[10] ION Television July: Designing Women and Who's the Boss? Join Line-Up; Still Standing Joins Atlanta TBS; Network Notes. Sitcomsonline.com (June 8, 2007). Retrieved on April 21, 2012.

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v t e Designing Women
Seasons	1 2 "Killing All the Right People" 3 4 5 6 7
Related	Women of the House (1995) The Designing Women Reunion (2003)

Designing Women

Contents

Premise

Main cast

Recurring

Episodes

Series overview

Full episode list

Season 1 (1986–87)

Season 2 (1987–88)

Season 3 (1988–89)

Season 4 (1989–90)

Season 5 (1990–91)

Season 6 (1991–92)

Season 7 (1992–93)

Reunion special

References

External links

Filming locations

Critical reception

Political views

Awards and nominations

Home media

Syndication

Spin-off

References

External links

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