History Series / DesigningWomen

[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DesWo.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:236:Southern-Fried Golden Girls]]

---> '''- "Dash Goff, the Writer", season 2, episode 6'''

A 1986-93 {{Work Com}} by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason about four Southern women who operate an interior design company in [[UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}} Atlanta, Georgia]]. The cast included:

The cast was rounded out by [[MiscarriageOfJustice ex-con Anthony Bouvier]] (Creator/MeshachTaylor), [[CloudCuckoolander Bernice Clifton]] (Creator/AliceGhostley), and a steady parade of children, boyfriends, ex-husbands and assorted oddballs. After half the cast left in 1991, some [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute new characters appeared]] to replace them, but they were not as well-received. The series ran on CBS from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993 and spawned an unsuccessful spin-off (''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_of_the_House Women Of The House]]'').

-->"And I was left only to pick up an abandoned handkerchief and savor the perfumed shadows of these women... these southern women. This Suzanne. This Julia. This Mary Jo and Charlene."
-->-- "Dash Goff, the Writer", season 2, episode 6

The cast was rounded out by [[MiscarriageOfJustice ex-con Anthony Bouvier]] (Meshach Taylor), [[CloudCuckoolander Bernice Clifton]] (Creator/AliceGhostley), and a steady parade of children, boyfriends, ex-husbands and assorted oddballs. After half the cast left in 1991, some [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute new characters appeared]] to replace them, but they were not as well-received. The series ran on CBS from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993 and spawned an unsuccessful spin-off (''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_of_the_House Women Of The House]]'').

{{Catchphrase}} / MemeticMutation: Suzanne's "Excuse me....EXCUSE ME!!!"

** "They Shoot Fat People, Don't They?" sees Suzanne feeling very sorry for herself for having too much to eat until she meets a refugee from an African famine.

* [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Suzanne Sugarbaker]] (Delta Burke): Julia's younger sister, [[SouthernBelle a former beauty queen]] who supports herself through alimony payments from her many ex-husbands and is the main financial backer of the company.

* [[MamaBear Julia Sugarbaker]] (Dixie Carter): The head of ''Sugarbaker Designs'' (which operates out of her living room) and [[WriterOnBoard an unapologetically feminist Democrat]] whose frequent tirades are a trademark of the series.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jackée Harry appears as Vanessa in the season six finale, and is very clearly being set up to join the main cast. When season seven commenced, there was a new character, alright, but it wasn't Vanessa and her character was never mentioned again. The actress has stated that off-camera, she did not get along with Dixie Carter, so the plot was abandoned.

* Mary Jo has a frumpier appearance in the first season than in later episodes.

** The first two seasons have a different theme song and title card that the more memorable ones used in seasons 3-5. The early title cards and theme can only be found on the DVD releases, as all the syndication episodes utilize the season 3-5 title card and themes.

** Similarly, in the first season - especially in the first half of the first season - Suzanne is portrayed more as a catty BitchAlert who regularly makes life difficult for Mary Jo. The conflicts with Mary Jo vanish after the first few episodes and her "bitch" persona generally disappears as the first season progresses. Starting in season 2, as Suzanne's descent info {{Flanderization}} begins, her behavior takes on more of a buffoonish quality that makes her come across more as a spoiled, pompus idiot rather than someone who is intentionally acting maliciously. This all occurs as she gains weight and takes on a more extravagant, exaggerated appearance, giving her character development some reverse parallels to ''The Nutty Professor''.

* BreakoutCharacter: Suzanne, who gains a more prominent role in the series as it progresses and eventually got her own spin-off. Delta Burke emerging as the show's breakout star is said to have angered her co-stars and sparked the behind-the-scenes conflicts that lead to her departure in 1991.

* {{Flanderization}}: Suzanne becomes notably more slapstick and buffoonish in seasons 3-5.

* BreakoutCharacter: Suzanne, who gains a more prominent role in the series as it progresses. Delta Burke emerging as the show's breakout star is said to have angered her co-stars and sparked the behind-the-scenes conflicts that lead to her departure in 1991.

* BigFancyHouse: Julia's stately home, which doubled as the company's office, and was once even listed on the Atlanta Register of Historic Homes, right up until the tourists snapped the last of Julia's straws.
** Suzanne's home was pretty big and fancy itself.

* CoincidenceMagnet: Charlene and Anthony tended to have all kinds of weirdness happen to them.

* AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xooi4AJOxWU The opening titles for season 6]] was Music/RayCharles performing "Georgia On My Mind" while the cast sits around his piano.
--> '''Ray Charles''': "I thought that was pretty good!"

* ShooOutTheNewGuy: Julia Duffy replaced Delta Burke at the start of the 6th season as the Sugarbaker's prissy cousin, Allison. The character was very poorly received and was gone by the 7th season premiere. Creator Susan Bloodworth-Thomason blamed herself and the writers for not creating a more multi-dimensional character for Duffy to play. Jan Hooks was more successful as Jean Smart's replacement and was kept around for the final season.

* BattleOfTheSexes: One of Julia's most memorable [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHW1GS8ZxS8&feature=related rants]] is on this very subject.

* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: The episode in which Julia's son gets married, and she's feeling her age. In response, she gets drunk and sings a very sexy "Sweet Georgia Brown" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crv1pgHF2Ns as seen here.]] Then she wakes up with his college roommate.

** It's not her fault, she has Obnoxious Personality Disorder!

* [[CountryMouse Charlene Frazier]] (Jean Smart): The office receptionist whose [[DumbBlonde rural background and naïveté]] are frequent sources of humor.

The cast was rounded out by [[MiscarriageOfJustice ex-con Anthony Bouvier]] (Meshach Taylor) , [[CloudCuckoolander Bernice Clifton]] (Creator/AliceGhostley), and a steady parade of children, boyfriends, ex-husbands and assorted oddballs. After half the cast left in 1991, some [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute new characters appeared]] to replace them, but they were not as well-received. The series ran on CBS from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993 and spawned an unsuccessful spin-off (''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_of_the_House Women Of The House]]'').