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''The Designing Women Reunion'' is a 2003 American
television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of en ...
that reunited the cast of the 1986–1993
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Designing Women ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS between September 29, 1986 and May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomas ...
''. It originally aired on Lifetime on July 28, 2003.


Summary

A
retrospective A retrospective (from Latin ', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in software development, popular culture, and the arts. ...
of ''Designing Women'' reunites original cast members
Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...
,
Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for '' Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty ...
,
Delta Burke Delta Burke McRaney (born July 30, 1956) is an American actress, producer and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom '' Designing Women'', for which she received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstand ...
,
Jean Smart Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. Jean Smart filmography, Her work includes both comedy and drama, and List of awards and nominations received by Jean Smart, her accolades include six Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
, and
Meshach Taylor Meshach Taylor (; April 11, 1947 – June 28, 2014) was an American actor, widely known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom '' Designing Women'' (1986–93), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstandin ...
for the first time in 12 years. They reminisce about their time together on the series and about their characters. The special includes a compilation of clips highlighting the show's memorable moments, including topics such as initial casting, favorite episodes, how the women met their real-life husbands on the show, and Burke openly discussing her battle with depression and panic attacks prior to her departure from the series. Also featured are a special appearance by
Alice Ghostley Alice Margaret Ghostley (August 14, 1923 – September 21, 2007) was an American actress and singer on stage, film and television. Ghostley was best known for her roles as bumbling witch Esmeralda (1969–72) on '' Bewitched'', as Cousin Alice ...
, new interviews with crew members and series creators/producers
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason Linda Joyce Bloodworth-Thomason (born April 15, 1947) is an American writer, director, and television producer. She is best known for creating, writing, and producing several television series, most successfully with the sitcoms ''Designing Women ...
and
Harry Thomason Harry Zell Thomason (born November 30, 1940) is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series ''Designing Women''. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bi ...
, recurring cast members
Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' while studying at Denison University. H ...
,
Richard Gilliland Richard Morris Gilliland (January 23, 1950 – March 18, 2021) was an American television and movie actor, best known as JD Shackleford in '' Designing Women'' (1986–1992). Life and career Gilliland was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to parents R ...
,
Gerald McRaney Gerald Lee McRaney (born August 19, 1947) is an American television and film actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows ''Simon & Simon'', '' Major Dad'', ''Promised Land'' and '' House of Cards''. He most recently s ...
, and writer/executive producer
Pamela Norris Pamela Norris is an American screenwriter and producer. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1980–1984), and for co-writing the screenplay of the 1989 film '' Troop Beverly Hills''.(7 April 19 ...
sharing their memories of the show in pre-recorded separate interviews. The special was taped on June 4, 2003, in front of a live audience at
CBS Studio Center Radford Studio Center, alternatively CBS Studio Center, is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, United States. The lot has 18 sound stages from , of office spac ...
in
Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1 ...
.


Cast


Main cast

*
Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...
*
Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for '' Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty ...
*
Delta Burke Delta Burke McRaney (born July 30, 1956) is an American actress, producer and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom '' Designing Women'', for which she received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstand ...
*
Jean Smart Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. Jean Smart filmography, Her work includes both comedy and drama, and List of awards and nominations received by Jean Smart, her accolades include six Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
*
Meshach Taylor Meshach Taylor (; April 11, 1947 – June 28, 2014) was an American actor, widely known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom '' Designing Women'' (1986–93), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstandin ...


Guest stars

*
Alice Ghostley Alice Margaret Ghostley (August 14, 1923 – September 21, 2007) was an American actress and singer on stage, film and television. Ghostley was best known for her roles as bumbling witch Esmeralda (1969–72) on '' Bewitched'', as Cousin Alice ...
*
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason Linda Joyce Bloodworth-Thomason (born April 15, 1947) is an American writer, director, and television producer. She is best known for creating, writing, and producing several television series, most successfully with the sitcoms ''Designing Women ...


Interviews (pre-recorded)

*
Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' while studying at Denison University. H ...
*
Richard Gilliland Richard Morris Gilliland (January 23, 1950 – March 18, 2021) was an American television and movie actor, best known as JD Shackleford in '' Designing Women'' (1986–1992). Life and career Gilliland was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to parents R ...
*
Gerald McRaney Gerald Lee McRaney (born August 19, 1947) is an American television and film actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows ''Simon & Simon'', '' Major Dad'', ''Promised Land'' and '' House of Cards''. He most recently s ...
*
Pamela Norris Pamela Norris is an American screenwriter and producer. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1980–1984), and for co-writing the screenplay of the 1989 film '' Troop Beverly Hills''.(7 April 19 ...


Reception

''The Designing Women Reunion'' was the second highest-rated special in Lifetime network's 19-year history, averaging a 3.1 household rating (3.3 million viewers) during its premiere on July 28, 2003. The first was '' The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments'', which scored a 3.7 rating with 4.2 million viewers the previous month. The "Designing Women" evening on Lifetime from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., which included an ''
intimate portrait ''Intimate Portrait'' is a biographical documentary television series on the Lifetime cable network hosted by Meredith Vieira and focusing on different female celebrities, including stars from the fields of cinema, music, politics, sports a ...
'' of Delta Burke, the 90-minute reunion special, the pilot episode, and two episodes of ''Designing Women'' especially selected by the cast, was seen by an estimated 9.7 million viewers.''The Designing Women Reunion'' PRNewswire, Lifetime Network
retrieved August 11, 2015.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Designing Women Reunion, The Designing Women 2003 television specials 2000s American television specials Television series reunion specials American English-language television shows Lifetime (TV channel) films Films directed by Harry Thomason