Designing Women
The original cast of Designing Women. Clockwise from left: Potts as Mary Jo, Smart as Charlene, Burke as Suzanne and Carter as Julia
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Starring	Delta Burke (1986-1991) Dixie Carter Annie Potts Jean Smart (1986-1991) Meshach Taylor Julia Duffy (1991-1992) Jan Hooks (1991-1993) Judith Ivey (1992-1993)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	163
Production
Producer(s)	Bloodworth-Thomason Mozark Productions
Associate producer(s)	Columbia Pictures Television
Running time	approx. 30 minutes (with commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS
Original run	September 29, 1986 – May 24, 1993
Chronology
Followed by	Women of the House
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

This article is about a television show. For the 1957 film with a similar title, see Designing Woman.

Designing Women is an American television sitcom that centered around the working and personal lives of four women in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS Television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, who wrote many of the episodes in the show's initial seasons. Image File history File links Designing_women_cast. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (born Linda Joyce Bloodworth April 15, 1947, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri) is an American television producer. ... Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956 in Orlando, Florida) is an American television and film actress. ... Dixie Carter in a 1986 Designing Women episode Dixie Virginia Carter (born May 25, 1939) is an American actress noted for her portrayals of Southern women. ... Annie Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American television and film actress. ... Jean E. Smart (born September 13, 1951[1][2][3]) is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actress. ... Meshach Taylor (born April 11, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Emmy Award nominated American actor. ... For the fictional character in the Axis of Time trilogy, see Julia Duffy (Axis of Time). ... Jan Hooks in 1988 Jan Hooks (born April 23, 1957 in Decatur, Georgia) is an American actress and comedian best known for her work on NBCs Saturday Night Live, on which she appeared from 1986 to 1991. ... Judith Ivey (born September 4, 1951 in El Paso, Texas) is an American actress. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Columbia Pictures Television logo, used from 1992-2001. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1986 in television involved some significant events. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1993 in television involved some significant events. ... Women of the House was a spin-off of Designing Women made to star Delta Burke, who reconciled with her producers after a bitter war. ... Designing Woman is a 1957 Academy Award winning romantic comedy about the world of fashion. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... It has been suggested that Interior decoration be merged into this article or section. ... Atlanta redirects here. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1986 in television involved some significant events. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1993 in television involved some significant events. ... Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (born Linda Joyce Bloodworth April 15, 1947, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri) is an American television producer. ...

Premise

Sisters Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter) and Suzanne Sugarbaker (Delta Burke) are polar opposites. Julia is an elegant, outspoken liberal intellectual; Suzanne is a rich, flashy, often self-centered former beauty queen and Miss Georgia World. They are constantly at personal odds but have launched Sugarbaker Designs, an interior design firm. Julia manages the company while Suzanne is mostly a financial backer who simply hangs around and annoys everyone under the guise of being the firm's salesperson. Julia Sugarbaker is a fictional character in the long-running television series, Designing Women. ... Dixie Carter in a 1986 Designing Women episode Dixie Virginia Carter (born May 25, 1939) is an American actress noted for her portrayals of Southern women. ... Suzanne Sugarbaker Goff Dent Stonecipher is a character in the television series Designing Women and the sort-of spin-off series, Women of the House. ... Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956 in Orlando, Florida) is an American television and film actress. ... A beauty contest, or beauty pageant, is a competition between people, based largely, though not always entirely, on the beauty of their physical appearance. ...

The pragmatic designer Mary Jo Shively (Annie Potts), and the sweet-natured but somewhat ditzy office manager Charlene Frazier Stillfield (Jean Smart) were initial investors. Later in the series, another staff member, Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor), became a partner. Anthony was a former prison inmate and the only man on staff. (The story behind Anthony's prison sentence was not told until the third season, at which point it was revealed that Anthony was falsely accused and convicted of a robbery, but was released after being cleared of the crime.) Bernice Clifton, an absent-minded friend of the Sugarbaker sisters' mother played by Alice Ghostley, also appeared frequently. Mary Jo Jackson Shively is a character on the series Designing Women. ... Annie Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American television and film actress. ... Charlene Olivia Frazier Stillfield is a character in the television series, Designing Women. ... Jean E. Smart (born September 13, 1951[1][2][3]) is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actress. ... Anthony Bouvier is a fictional character on the television series Designing Women. ... Meshach Taylor (born April 11, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Emmy Award nominated American actor. ... Bernice Clifton is a character on the television series, Designing Women. ... Alice Ghostley (born August 14, 1926 in Eve, Vernon County, Missouri, died September 21, 2007 Studio City, California), is a Tony Award-winning American actress, best known for playing the characters Bernice Clifton on Designing Women (Emmy Nomination, Best Supporting Actress; 1992), Esmerelda on Bewitched, and Cousin Alice on Mayberry...

Cast departures

The show changed premise in seasons six and seven, when Delta Burke's character of Suzanne moved to Japan and sold her part of the design business to her wealthy cousin Allison Sugarbaker (Julia Duffy). At the same time, Jean Smart chose to leave the show and was replaced by Jan Hooks as Carlene Dobber; Smart's character, Charlene, moved to England where her husband was stationed and her sister, Carlene, took over her job. The character of Carlene was very similar to Charlene; however, Allison was a prim and proper conservative who provided a bossy foil to the liberal Julia.^[1] Despite series-high ratings, the changes were critically panned and many felt that at that point the series had "jumped the shark". The Allison character was unpopular with audiences and Duffy was let go at the end of the season. Allison Sugarbaker is a character in the television series, Designing Women. ... For the fictional character in the Axis of Time trilogy, see Julia Duffy (Axis of Time). ... Jan Hooks in 1988 Jan Hooks (born April 23, 1957 in Decatur, Georgia) is an American actress and comedian best known for her work on NBCs Saturday Night Live, on which she appeared from 1986 to 1991. ... Carlene Frazier Dobber is a character on the television series, Designing Women. ... Jumping the shark is a slang term used by television critics since the 1990s. ...

The final season featured Judith Ivey as Bonnie Jean "B.J." Poteet, a rich Texas widow who invested some of her millions in the business (the role was initially offered to Bonnie Hunt, who turned it down). Ivey's presence brought a new and well-rounded element of intelligence and humor to the show. BJ was presented as a friend of Julia and unlike the other cast members, was completely capable of standing up to Julia. However, these replacements could not stop the ratings slide which caused CBS to cancel the series in 1993. (CBS' decision during the 1992-93 season to move the show from its previously successful Monday night timeslot, following Murphy Brown, to Friday nights was said to also play a role in the ratings decline.) The series received no formal series finale, concluding with an hour-long special in which the principal characters, while redecorating a Plantation House, envision what their lives would have been like if they had been characters in Gone with the Wind. Judith Ivey (born September 4, 1951 in El Paso, Texas) is an American actress. ... Bonnie Jean B.J. Poteet is a character in the final season of the television series, Designing Women. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Bonnie Lynn Hunt (born September 22, 1961)[1] is an Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-nominated American actress, comedian, writer, director and television producer. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Murphy Brown was an Emmy Award-winning American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988 to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. ... For the film, see Gone with the Wind (film). ...

Annie Potts announced in 1993 that she would leave the show after the seventh season. However, this turned out to be the show's last season, so there was no need for her character to be replaced.

Cancellation and timeline of events

The show was a reunion of sorts for several members of the cast and crew. Burke and Carter had both been members of the short-lived CBS sitcom Filthy Rich, which was written by Bloodworth-Thomason. Meanwhile, Potts and Smart had appeared in a pilot for ABC in the prior season. This article is about the broadcast network. ... Filthy Rich was a 1982 television series starring Dixie Carter and Delta Burke. ... This article is about the American broadcast network. ...

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 a Sunday night time slot, CBS 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] Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

The theme song of the program was "Georgia on My Mind". During the first five seasons, the theme was instrumental including a version by trumpeter Doc Severinsen; for the sixth season it was performed vocally by Ray Charles. The song was dropped in the seventh season and the credits rolled over the actual episode instead, following the industry trend at the time. Georgia on My Mind is a song written in 1930 by Stuart Gorrell (lyrics) and Hoagy Carmichael (music). ... Doc Severinsen during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsons 18th Anniversary Special in 1980 Carl Hilding Doc Severinsen (born July 7, 1927 in Arlington, Oregon) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter, best known for leading the NBC Orchestra in the Johnny Carson era. ... For the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ...

The exterior of the house seen in the series as the location of the Sugarbaker design firm is the Villa Marre, a Victorian mansion located in the historic Quapaw Quarter district in Little Rock, Arkansas. Additionally, the exterior of 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. The Quapaw Quarter of Little Rock, Arkansas is a section of the city including its oldest and most historic business and residential neighborhoods. ... Little Rock redirects here. ... The Arkansas Governors Mansion The Arkansas Governors Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Arkansas and his family. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ...

Framework and content

The plot played the four principal characters against each other, and frequent visitors Anthony (in initial seasons; he later became a regular cast member) and Bernice, as they dealt with a professional or personal crises.

Although it was a traditional comedy, and often included broad physical comedy, Designing Women was very topical (particularly in episodes written by Bloodworth-Thomason herself), and featured discussions of controversial topics such as homosexuality, racism, dating clergy, hostile societal attitudes towards the overweight, and spousal abuse. Domestic disturbance redirects here. ...

The program became noted for the monologues delivered by Julia in indignation to other characters, a character trait that began in the second episode, when Julia verbally castigated a beauty queen who had made fun of Suzanne. That speech, which Julia ends by emphatically saying, "And that....was the night....the lights....went out.....in Georgia!" became a fan favorite. (In the reunion special for the show, the cast remarked that the speech is often recited word for word in gay clubs and bars.) Dixie Carter, a registered Republican, disagreed with many of her character's left-of-center commentaries, and made a deal with the producers that for every speech she gave, Julia would get to sing a song in a future episode.

There was great controversy surrounding the show in 1991 because of the abrupt dismissal of Burke, a pivotal part of the series. Burke was fired, and alleged that her dismissal was due to her having gained a substantial amount of weight, while producers claimed that Burke was let go due to her "argumentative" behavior and for creating discord on the set. The ensuing squabbling was covered amply in the tabloid press, but despite that, the show reached its pinnacle of popularity that year (the year-end Nielsen ratings ranked Designing Women as the number 6 show). It fell out of the top twenty next year and the show concluded its seven-year run. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ...

Delta Burke reunited with the Thomasons and CBS to reprise the Suzanne Sugarbaker character for a short-lived 1996 sitcom, Women of the House, in which Suzanne's latest husband died and she won his seat in Congress. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Women of the House was a spin-off of Designing Women made to star Delta Burke, who reconciled with her producers after a bitter war. ...

Episodes

Episode list

Main article: List of Designing Women episodes

The following is an episode list for the CBS sitcom Designing Women. ...

Key episodes

• The Beauty Contest (Season 1)
• Killing All the Right People (Season 2)
• The Rowdy Girls (Season 4)
• They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They? (Season 4)

The Beauty Contest is the 2nd episode of the sitcom Designing Women. ... Killing All the Right People is an episode of the sitcom Designing Women. ...

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. One episode revolved around Julia getting 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 rest of the Designing Women cast that she attended Wellesley College (Hillary Clinton's alma mater). Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (born Linda Joyce Bloodworth April 15, 1947, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri) is an American television producer. ... Harry Z. Thomason, (born 1940), is an American film and television producer and director best known for his television series Designing Women. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... For other uses, see Wellesley College (disambiguation). ...

Julia also expresses her admiration for former president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, and is very upset in one episode when her service for jury duty prevents her from attending a function for Habitat for Humanity at which the Carters were to appear. She is later very flattered to discover that the Carters have sent her a videotape that they made specifically to thank her for her support of Habitat. Order: 39th President Term of Office: January 20, 1977–January 20, 1981 Preceded by: Gerald Ford Succeeded by: Ronald Reagan Date of birth: October 1, 1924 Place of birth: Plains, Georgia Date of death: Place of death: First Lady: Rosalynn Carter Political party: Democratic Vice President: Walter Mondale James Earl... White House portrait Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter (born August 18, 1927) is the former First Lady of the United States. ... This article may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to enhance clarity. ... Official Habitat for Humanity logo Habitat for Humanity is an international, Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building quality, low-cost, affordable housing. ...

TV Guide July 2, 1988, featuring the cast of Designing Women

Image File history File links Tvg70288. ... Image File history File links Tvg70288. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ...

Other appearances

From 1991 to 1992, CBS aired reruns of Designing Women on its daytime schedule at 10 a.m. (EST). Designing Women was rerun continuously on the Lifetime cable network for over a decade. The ratings were so strong that finally in 2003, Lifetime reunited Burke, Potts, Smart, Carter and Taylor for a retrospective special, Designing Women Reunion, in which they shared memories from their time on the series, and also featured interviews with the Thomasons and various writers. However, despite its popularity on Lifetime's schedule, the show left the network on August 4, 2006. The series started on October 2, 2006, on Nick at Nite and has since moved to TV Land. The series also aired on ION Television, Mon-Thurs at 7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET. [1] Lifetime Television is an American television network devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... The year 2003 in television involved some significant events. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 2006 in television involved some significant events. ... Nick-at-Nite (sometimes spelled Nick @ Nite, by its current logo) is the evening programming block broadcast over Nickelodeon Sunday–Thursdays from 9 PM–6 AM and Friday–Saturdays from 10 PM–6 AM Eastern and Pacific Standard Time. ... TV Land (originally Nick-at-Nites TV Land) is an American cable television network which first started transmissions on April 29, 1996. ... ION Television is a broadcast and cable television network first broadcast on August 31, 1998 under the name PAX TV (early on in its development, it was called PaxNet). ...

Burke and Carter later reunited when Burke guest starred on Carter's subsequent series, Family Law in 2002. Burke also did a guest spot on Annie Potts' subsequent series, Any Day Now. Family Law was a television drama starring Kathleen Quinlan as a divorced lawyer who attempted to start her own law firm after her lawyer husband took all their old clients. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Any Day Now is a hit Lifetime TV series which originally ran four seasons from 1998 to 2002. ...

Discrepancies

• A number of changes to Julia Sugarbaker's house were seen over the years. During the pilot, the entry foyer had a closet and the main stairway was separate; in subsequent episodes, the closet was eliminated, and the stairway opened up onto the foyer. The door behind the kitchenette to the left of the set was sometimes described as leading only to a store room, and at other times, was said to lead to the storeroom, as well as Julia's kitchen and dining room. (The dining room was shown in a couple of episodes.)
• During the pilot, Julia, Suzanne and Charlene addressed Mary Jo as "Jo", but for the rest of the series, they called her "Mary Jo".
• Sugarbaker was presumably Julia's maiden name (as it was also Suzanne's name), though she was often incorrectly addressed as "Mrs. Sugarbaker". (Women retaining their maiden names are generally addressed as Miss or Ms, regardless of their marital status.)

A kitchenette is a cooking area in small apartments, hotel rooms, college dormitories, or office buildings. ...

Opening Credits

• During the first two seasons, photos of the four principals were shown along with groupings of items that depicted their characters (Suzanne's beauty crown and pageant clippings, Julia's elegant Wedgewood tea set and a photo of her son; a photo of Mary Jo's children, and her interior design sketches; Charlene's adding machine, her cat and a publicity photo of Elvis). Music was an instrumental of "Georgia on My Mind", performed by Doc Severinsen. (Meshach Taylor was not credited as a regular cast member, only appearing in the closing credits of episodes in which he appeared.)
• Seasons three, four, and five also featured a Doc Severinsen recording of "Georgia on My Mind", though a jazzier version than the previous recording. Glitzy head shots of the actors were used, with Mechach Taylor appearing as a regular cast member.
• Season six (the first season without Burke and Smart) featured the cast members, elegantly dressed, gathered around a piano, as Ray Charles performed "Georgia on My Mind".
• During season seven, the opening credits were eliminated, with just a few bars of "Georgia on My Mind" playing, as "Designing Women" and the names of the actors quickly scrolled across the bottom of the screen at the beginning of the first scene.

Kutani Crane by Wedgwood Kutani Crane by Wedgwood (back) Wedgwood is a British pottery firm, originally founded by Josiah Wedgwood, and possibly the most famous name ever associated with pottery in any form, which in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to become Waterford Wedgwood. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock and Roll, or as just simply The King, was an American singer who had an immeasurable effect on world culture. ... Georgia on My Mind is a song written in 1930 by Stuart Gorrell (lyrics) and Hoagy Carmichael (music). ... Doc Severinsen during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsons 18th Anniversary Special in 1980 Carl Hilding Doc Severinsen (born July 7, 1927 in Arlington, Oregon) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter, best known for leading the NBC Orchestra in the Johnny Carson era. ... For the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ...

Casting

Main cast

• Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker McElroy
• Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker Goff Dent Stonecipher (Seasons 1-5)
• Annie Potts as Mary Jo Jackson Shively
• Jean Smart as Charlene Olivia Frazier Stillfield (Seasons 1-5)
• Meshach Taylor as Anthony Bouvier
• Julia Duffy as Allison Sugarbaker (Season 6)
• Jan Hooks as Carlene Frazier Dobber (Seasons 6-7)
• Judith Ivey as Bonnie Jean "B.J." Poteet (Season 7)

Dixie Carter in a 1986 Designing Women episode Dixie Virginia Carter (born May 25, 1939) is an American actress noted for her portrayals of Southern women. ... Julia Sugarbaker is a fictional character in the long-running television series, Designing Women. ... Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956 in Orlando, Florida) is an American television and film actress. ... Suzanne Sugarbaker Goff Dent Stonecipher is a character in the television series Designing Women and the sort-of spin-off series, Women of the House. ... Annie Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American television and film actress. ... Mary Jo Jackson Shively is a character on the series Designing Women. ... Jean E. Smart (born September 13, 1951[1][2][3]) is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actress. ... Charlene Olivia Frazier Stillfield is a character in the television series, Designing Women. ... Meshach Taylor (born April 11, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Emmy Award nominated American actor. ... Anthony Bouvier is a fictional character on the television series Designing Women. ... For the fictional character in the Axis of Time trilogy, see Julia Duffy (Axis of Time). ... Allison Sugarbaker is a character in the television series, Designing Women. ... Jan Hooks in 1988 Jan Hooks (born April 23, 1957 in Decatur, Georgia) is an American actress and comedian best known for her work on NBCs Saturday Night Live, on which she appeared from 1986 to 1991. ... Carlene Frazier Dobber is a character on the television series, Designing Women. ... Judith Ivey (born September 4, 1951 in El Paso, Texas) is an American actress. ... Bonnie Jean B.J. Poteet is a character in the final season of the television series, Designing Women. ...

Recurring cast

• Alice Ghostley as Bernice Clifton
• Hal Holbrook as Atty. Reese Watson (Julia's boyfriend, Seasons 1-5)
• Richard Gilliland as James Dean 'J.D.' Shackelford (Mary Jo's on-again off-again boyfriend, Seasons 1-5)
• Douglas Barr as Colonel William 'Bill' Stillfield (Charlene's boyfriend and later husband, Seasons 2-5)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph as Etienne Toussaint-Bouvier (Anthony's wife, Season 7)
• Priscilla Weems as Claudia Marie Shively (Mary Jo's daughter)
• Brian Lando as Quinton 'Quint' Shively (Mary Jo's son)
• Scott Bakula as Dr. Theodore 'Ted' Shively (Mary Jo's ex-husband, Seasons 1-3)
• George Newbern as Payne McElroy (Julia's son, Seasons 1-2; 4; 6)
• Olivia Brown as Vanessa Hargraves (Anthony's on & off-again girlfriend, Season 4)

Alice Ghostley (born August 14, 1926 in Eve, Vernon County, Missouri, died September 21, 2007 Studio City, California), is a Tony Award-winning American actress, best known for playing the characters Bernice Clifton on Designing Women (Emmy Nomination, Best Supporting Actress; 1992), Esmerelda on Bewitched, and Cousin Alice on Mayberry... Bernice Clifton is a character on the television series, Designing Women. ... Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr. ... Richard Gilliland is an American television and movie actor. ... Douglas Barr (b. ... Sheryl Lee Ralph (born on December 30, 1956 in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA) is an African-American actress and singer of Jamaican descent, best known for her work in musical theatre productions such as Dreamgirls, her co-starring role in the 1980s television sitcom Its A Living and as Brandy... Priscilla Weems, born January 18, 1972, is an American born actress. ... Scott Stewart Bakula (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor who played leading roles in two science fiction television series: Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise. ... George Newbern (born December 10, 1964) is an American television and film actor. ... Olivia Margarette Brown (b. ...

Notable guest stars

• Dolly Parton guest starred as herself, appearing in Charlene's dream as her Guardian Movie Star, in a double episode that aired January 1, 1990, entitled "The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century."
• Gerald McRaney made a couple of appearances playing Suzanne's ex-husband, novelist Dash Goff. (He and Delta Burke would subsequently marry.)
• Sherman Hemsley and Della Reese portrayed the Toussaints (Anthony's in-laws) in a 1993 episode.
• Kim Zimmer played Charlene's cousin Mavis Madling, who was a victim of spousal abuse in the episode "The Rowdy Girls".

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American, Grammy Award-winning country music singer/songwriter, composer, author, actress, and philanthropist. ... Gerald McRaney Gerald Mac McRaney (born August 19, 1948, Collins, Mississippi, although some sources indicate 1947) is an American television and movie actor of Scottish and Choctaw Indian ancestry. ... Sherman Hemsley (born February 1, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an Emmy Award nominated and Image Award winning African American character actor most famous for his roles as George Jefferson, on the television shows All in the Family and The Jeffersons and as Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen. ... Della Reese (born Delloresse Patricia Early on July 6, 1931), is a famous American Emmy nominated actor and Grammy nominated singer. ... Kim Zimmer (born February 2, 1955 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American actress. ... Mavis Madling was a guest character on the television series, Designing Women and was played by soap star, Kim Zimmer. ...

Footnotes

Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Lifetime TV Designing Women site

External links

• Jump The Shark: Designing Women