The first season of Designing Women premiered on CBS on September 29, 1986, and concluded on May 11, 1987. The season consisted of 22 episodes. Created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, the series was produced by Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television.
The series centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia called Sugarbaker & Associates. It originally starred Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker, president of the design firm; Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker, Julia's ex-beauty queen sister and the design firm's silent partner; Annie Potts as head designer, Mary Jo Shively; and Jean Smart as office manager, Charlene Frazier.
Broadcast history
When the show debuted on CBS' Monday-night lineup in 1986 (9:30 pm, EST) it garnered respectable ratings; however, CBS moved the show several times to other time slots. After dismal ratings on Sunday night and Thursday night time slots, CBS placed it on hiatus and was ready to cancel the show, but a viewer campaign saved the show and returned it to its original Monday night slot. The show's ratings solidified, and it regularly landed in the top 20 rankings.
Cast
Main cast
Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker
Annie Potts as Mary Jo Shively
Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker
Jean Smart as Charlene Frazier
Recurring cast
Scott Bakula as Ted Shively
Priscilla Weems as Claudia Shively
Brian Lando as Quentin Shively
George Newbern as Payne McIlroy
Richard Gilliland as J.D. Shackleford
Meshach Taylor as Anthony Bouvier
Alice Ghostley as Bernice Clifton
Hal Holbrook as Reese Watson
Guest cast
Pamela Bowen as Marjorie Lee Winick
Walter Olkewicz as Mason Dodd
David Winn as Dane
Natalia Nogulich as Primrose Horton
Arlen Dean Snyder as Ray Don Simpson
Louise Latham as Perky Sugarbaker
Bobbie Ferguson as Monette Marlin
Lisa Peluso as Shannon Gibbs
Michael Ross as Gaylon King
Ronnie Claire Edwards as Ione Frazier
Andre Rosey Brown as Wendell Mack
Justin Burnette as Harold Thomas Frazier
Connie Chew as Li Sing
Geoffrey Lewis as Dr. Davis Jackson
Gregg Henry as Jack Dent
Ted Leplat as Hence Winchester
Episodes
DVD release
The first season was released on DVD by Shout! Factory on May 26, 2009. Special features include the 2006 reunion bringing together the original cast mates and creator of the show, as well as a seven-page booklet written by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason introducing the series.