Designing Women - General Discussion

[annzeepark914]

Thanks for all the hilarious quotes, y'all.  I loved that show, especially the early years.  What was the name of that little squirt who lost Julia's money, disappeared and then they found him playing the piano and singing in some kind of theater (wearing his bellman's outfit).  When he saw the gals enter, he began singing, "Delta Dawn".  It was a real southern type name (similar to Ray Don).

[Bastet]

Quote

What was the name of that little squirt who lost Julia's money, disappeared and then they found him playing the piano and singing in some kind of theater (wearing his bellman's outfit).  When he saw the gals enter, he began singing, "Delta Dawn".  It was a real southern type name (similar to Ray Don).

The one who absconded with Suzanne's money was Reggie Mack Dawson.

[TaraS1]

I still use, "Reggie Mack's taking his break now, thank you!" ALL the time.  

[Taryn74]

On 6/25/2016 at 4:52 PM, Dancingjaneway said:

I just loved the way Dixie Carter could deliver certain lines 

Oh, yes.  She was always spot-on.  One of my faves is the episode where her old classmate's dying wish is to spend one night with her, to which she agreed, and when one of the girls asked her what Reese thought of this --

JULIA:  He said 'We're all dying.'  

That deadpan delivery.  LMAO.

[bigskygirl]

Suzanne is going to disown me since I killed a bug. My husband was not home when I saw the bug, so I brought out the vacuum cleaner and suck the thing right up. In some situations, women cannot wait for the man to kill the bug.

[annzeepark914]

For me, Suzanne was the best part of Designing Women.  I loved the episodes when she had a major role (staying in that motel with Anthony on their way to the convention was the funniest).  What was the name of the pageant official she loathed...Helen Patton Van Patterson (or Patterson Van Patton)?  And I especially loved her on those awful trips (the couples' trips to the mountains and Florida, the trip to Nashville, the camping trip where the gals met Big Edie).

[ShellSeeker]

16 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

For me, Suzanne was the best part of Designing Women.  I loved the episodes when she had a major role (staying in that motel with Anthony on their way to the convention was the funniest).  What was the name of the pageant official she loathed...Helen Patton Van Patterson (or Patterson Van Patton)?  And I especially loved her on those awful trips (the couples' trips to the mountains and Florida, the trip to Nashville, the camping trip where the gals met Big Edie).

And who could forget "The Place Sans Sucky?" 

[annzeepark914]

And those outrageous women of La Leaky?

[Maherjunkie]

I thought she was too hard on that nanny.

[JAYJAY1979]

That's what I think is missing from sitcoms nowadayd...a deadpan way of delivering that was funny, throwing shade, yet at the same time not being mean spirited.

[WhitneyWhit]

On 11/22/2016 at 0:38 PM, Maherjunkie said:

I thought she was too hard on that nanny.

Are you referring to the Danish nanny they had when they were on vacation? Because if so, then I agree. I never understood what that woman did to deserve Suzanne telling her off. It wasn't her fault that men went crazy over her, and she wasn't flirtatious with them. I mean, if Suzanne had manipulated the situation to get rid of her to please the girls, that would have been one thing, but I didn't see any reason for Suzanne to insult her.

[Maherjunkie]

Totally.  It was just an example of women hating on women.  That and when Julia crashes her car into the porn stand are the times I thought they were wrong.

[BindsTheTuna]

Logo is showing DW, but they have butchered them. They cut out Charlene's "BAND? You knew someone who couldn't make BAND?" from Howard the Date.

[Bastet]

Logo butchers everything it shows; it and TV Guide Network (back when it existed) always seem to be the worst at syndication edits.

I don't particularly care for Howard the Date, but I can hear Charlene in my head when you bring up that line.  It's the way she says "band."

[annzeepark914]

Hmmm...I thought the Danish nanny was enjoying the "boys" way too much.  She had to have known it was ticking off Julia, Charlene and Mary Jo.  I loved it when Suzanne had a private early morning chat with the nanny and told her to start packing (and then adjusted the little tiara headband on her head, my favorite part of that episode!)

[Maherjunkie]

Then it was on "the boys" to dial it back a notch.

[BindsTheTuna]

Hey, their house is for sale! http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1321-Scott-St_Little-Rock_AR_72202_M75733-42401#photo21

[TheGreenKnight]

The edits to this show and All in the Family are awful. TGG cuts aren't quite as bad, at least. Funny, I haven't noticed any cuts to Mama's Family.

[sugarbaker design]

Particularly if you are a Charlene fan, her lines always seem to get cut.

[bigskygirl]

Mary Jo's storyline of wanting to have a third child bugs me. One minute she wants another kid and then a few episode later she is complaining about how she will be paying for her daughter to go to college. Really... How would she afford to have another kid while putting her daughter through college. And why can't her daughter get a part time job, get scholarships, loans or ask her dad to help pay since he is a doctor.

[Maherjunkie]

Yeah, I hate it when these tv moms want that.  Roseanne was the worst.

[ButterQueen]

My favorite part was Mary Jo talking about the nanny's breasts.

Mary Jo:  I saw her bra hanging on the rack in the bathroom.  You know how obsessed I am with cup size.  Suzanne's fits like a beanie, but Ursula's covered my whole head.  

[oceanblue]

I keep thinking about the episode where Marla Maples guest starred and Julia told The Donald off.

[babyhouseman]

On 10/4/2016 at 5:45 PM, JAYJAY1979 said:

Charlene on DH and her character on Samantha Who prove how versatile Jean Smart was as an actress.

Charlene was naive, yet had the ability to be fascinated by things people take for granted.  And on occasion, Id even marvel at how much thiught she would give to these issues.  

Julia: I've just never before noticed the extent of your unequalled ability to be fascinated at absolutely nothing. 

[babyhouseman]

Designing Women is coming back on Get TV. They're going to show 30 favorite episodes  June 19-23 at 9 pm then air Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 1 pm starting June 26.

I have this channel and am excited. The 30 episodes are for the 30th anniversary. There are so many to choose from. 

[sugarbaker design]

Good news, thanks!

[babyhouseman]

The marathon was pretty good. We don't get many major TV channels so I'm surprised we get GetTV. They showed everything I wanted to see except for the show with the tornado. I just loved that one. They had factoids before each episode like creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason kept the Xmas tree skirt Bernice wore in the episode where Charlene had her baby, and fans want to buy it. 

Edited June 25, 2017 by babyhouseman
forgot detail

[CJRocks]

Suzanne made me laugh the hardest, for sure. She seemed so shallow and self-absorbed, but her heart was truly as big as her hair. I loved her, her relationship with Consuela, with her pig, with the other women of Sugarbakers, but, as has been said her, the best was her relationship with Anthony. 

[CJRocks]

I don't remember the episode, but I believe Suzanne had some snooty friends at Sugarbakers and Anthony came into the room. She introduced him and one of the women sarcastically asked him if he was from the same family as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and he says that he is, and he and Jackie don't see one another as often as he would like (or something to that effect), but he ends it with saying that he'll tell Jackie that Snooty woman was asking for her as she loves being remembered by "the little people".

Also, when Suzanne astonishes everyone by being calm and taking charge when Reese has a heart attack.

And I think my favorite Charlene episode is when she leaves her church because they won't allow female pastors and she wants Julia to hit that high note in How Great That Art because she needs to be proud of a woman. It was such a touching scene.

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, CJRocks said:

I don't remember the episode, but I believe Suzanne had some snooty friends at Sugarbakers and Anthony came into the room. She introduced him and one of the women sarcastically asked him if he was from the same family as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and he says that he is, and he and Jackie don't see one another as often as he would like (or something to that effect), but he ends it with saying that he'll tell Jackie that Snooty woman was asking for her as she loves being remembered by "the little people".

That was the guy from the membership committee of the Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club.  Great scene for Anthony!

8 minutes ago, CJRocks said:

Also, when Suzanne astonishes everyone by being calm and taking charge when Reese has a heart attack.

"Most of the time she goes around without the sense God gave a goose.  One crisis, and she's Scarlett O'Hara."

[BookThief]

So JD just said something about being 34 years old to Mary Jo and I had to see how old the actor really was. I'm in my 30s and I feel like he looks 10 years older than me (and keep in mind they were already "old" to me when this show was originally on). Not to mention he and Mary Jo are divorced and have "adult problems" (in my 30s and I still don't feel like an adult most days). So he actually was about 37 when the episode I saw aired (the one where Charlene has a cancer scare). It's like the Golden Girls--they look "old" today. I know many women in their 50s and 60s who are still very youthful looking. The '80s styling wasn't helpful for anyone!

So while searching IMDB I also saw that the actor who played JD is actually married to Jean Smart! Others might have known this already, but I didn't!

I'm glad this show is back on. I used to watch it a lot in the original runs and up until about 10-15 years ago and then it kind of disappeared. But it's a bit sad to know that Dixie Carter didn't always agree with the rants she gave on the show in real life. It's like when I found out Bea Arthur and Betty White weren't really good pals. But whhhyyyy!!?

[sugarbaker design]

44 minutes ago, BookThief said:

The '80s styling wasn't helpful for anyone!

It was kind back in the 80's!

It doesn't help that today's 30 year olds do not wear sport jackets and button down shirts like JD, in 2017 they wear t-shirts and skinny jeans with Justin Bieber haircuts!

[Moose135]

5 hours ago, BookThief said:

in my 30s and I still don't feel like an adult most days

Hell, I'm in my 50s and I don't feel like an adult most days... ;-)

[Taryn74]

Remember when the photographer wanted Julia to suck on pearls?  >.<

(Yes, this is from an actual "bouidor shoot".  Not mine, heh, but it had me laughing for a good fifteen minutes.)

 

[WhoaWhoKnew]

I know what you mean. I'm 29 and thinking that Suzanne was supposed to be 29 when the series started is mindblowing to me. She has always seemed older to me.

I cannot be the same age as someone whose been married and divorced 3467736 times.

[Moose135]

5 hours ago, WhoaWhoKnew said:

I cannot be the same age as someone whose been married and divorced 3467736 times.

She started at a young age. ;-)

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 7/13/2017 at 10:34 PM, Moose135 said:

She started at a young age. ;-)

And files her alimony checks in alphabetical order!

[mmecorday]

From the episode "E.P Phone Home."

Suzanne: My name is Helen Van Patterson Patton

Julia: And I am her sister, Debbie.

[babyhouseman]

One of my favorites, the tornado show, was on recently.

 

CHARLENE: Where's Mr. Peace?
MARY JO: If you're referring to Elmer, I believe he's in the upstairs bathroom putting a cold rag on his face where I slapped him.
CHARLENE: You slapped Mr. Peace?!
MARY JO: Yes, I hated to do it, but he tried to put his tongue down my throat. I know it's the first good time he's had in 31 years, but you know, enough is enough.

JULIA: I cannot believe that this old man shows up in the middle of a tornado. I mean, do we have the worst luck of anyone we know or what?
SUZANNE: I say we should just call a big ole paddywagon and have them all picked up.
ANTHONY: I'm telling you, he has got some moonshine out in his truck, and he and Bernice have been into it. They were spiking their cokes at lunch. And what's more, they are now a serious item. We're talking hand holding and giggling. She was sitting on his lap in the van, and they were hanging out the window -- he's playing that harmonica and she's blowing that rape whistle. It was embarrassing!

[Mrs. Hanson]

One of my favorite episodes is when some shady folks are after Anthony and Charlene's family covers for him!  When he goes down the list and names everyone, it cracks me up!!!  Then the Dad says, "Well.....son...."  If someone could come up with all the names I will be your friend for life!

[sugarbaker design]

Here's the clip.

[BBHN]

Tomorrow being World AIDS Day, I thought it would be nice to revisit a scene from the episode "Killing All the Right People"...in many ways, this show was definitely ahead of it's time.

[Taryn74]

One of my favorite clips!  "Well I guess she finally got fired up."

Kendall just breaks my heart though.  He just sits there so downcast and resigned as Imogene spews out all that garbage on him.  :(

[Bastet]

I don't even have to watch it; just looking at the screen cap hits "play" in my brain and I can see it all play out.  "Imogene, get serious ... if God was giving out sexually-transmitted diseases to people as a punishment for sinning, then you would be at the free clinic all the time.  And so would the rest of us."

[sugarbaker design]

Great words with Dixie's incredible delivery.  The 'all' in 'all the time' with Dixie's inflection sounds like 'aaaaallll'!

[Sandman]

On 10/4/2016 at 0:16 PM, sugarbaker design said:

Suzanne:  You know, I'm sorry but I don't think we like your tone of voice. Who do you think you're talkin' to? For your information, we are the Sugarbaker sisters of Atlanta. We had people living here long before it burned. Our great-great grandfather was Robert E. Lee's roommate in college. Our other grandfather helped write the Georgia Constitution. I myself have stood in the rose garden with Jimmy Carter. So even if we do, on this particular day, happen to have our head temporarily stuck in a fence, we are not going to take any crap off some two-bit, low-level bureaucratic usherette.

Suzanne's use of the imperious "we" (" ... our head temporarily stuck in a fence") is genius -- that and the description "bureaucratic usherette" make it art.

[pieinmyeye]

Thanks so much for posting these quotes. I was reading them in their voices and laughing until I cried. IMO, DW was one of the best sitcoms ever!!!!

[bigskygirl]

I cannot stand the way Mary Jo puts down people who lives in trailer parks. People who live in them are not a bunch of country hicks with no education or job skills. Just like people who live in small rural states think thinks people who live in big city like Atlanta are rich snobs who love to put down other people.

[Gothish520]

On 7/7/2014 at 3:15 PM, Princess Sparkle said:

I don't know why it strikes me as so funny, but I think my all time favorite quote from Charlene is "Because, Mary Jo, I love knowledge.  In fact, I yearn for it."

I have said that at least twice just this past week! One of my all-time favorites Charlene lines.

[bigskygirl]

The Reservations for 12 Plus Ursula episode bugs me. Seven grown ups with five kids, and they need a nanny to live with them for a short time. I thought JD had three kids (where was his oldest son.) The guys told the kids not to go down to the beach without them, Ursula comes in, and they stand drooling over her while the kids are unsupervised at the beach.