Dear God, make it stop! Another day, another reboot. Some TV exec was going through old issues of TV Guide and decided the time was right to bring Designing Women back to the small screen. Don’t get me wrong, I was a fan, but I don’t think they could possibly recreate the magic of the original.
Designing Women ran for seven seasons on CBS, from 1986 until 1993. The show focused on a women-run design firm in Atlanta. The show starred Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Jean Smart, Delta Burke and Meshach Taylor, who played their assistant, Anthony Bouvier. Designing Women also starred Alice Ghostley, Julia Duffy, Jan Hooks and Judith Ivey.
According to TV Line, the show’s creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, has been working to bring the series back and has teamed up with Sony Pictures TV, who brought us the return of One Day at a Time on Netflix – which I will admit is pretty damn good (but I give the bulk of the credit for that to Rita Moreno). Sony is also talking about bringing The Facts of Life back, teaming with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jessica Biel’s production companies.
Sony is currently shopping the show to various networks. Deigning Women 2018 is billed as a “revival”, a la Murphy Brown, so some of the original stars could return for the new series. Back in March, Annie Potts, who is currently starring on Young Sheldon, told Entertainment Weekly that “I don’t know when I’d find the time for it, but I think that they could use a show like Designing Women — feisty smart women that didn’t take any B.S. from anybody.” She went on to say that if she could work on it during her hiatus from the series, “I would be there in a minute.”
I loved Designing Women, but I have never thought it needed to be revisited. We just had the Queer Eye guys in Atlanta for two seasons. That was close enough for me. It’s not Designing Women without Julia’s articulate rants, the wonderful relationship between Anthony and Bernice and Jan Hooks. As much as I do adore Annie Potts, I just can’t see this working. Do. Not. Want.
Photos: Getty and WENN
Honestly I don’t absolutely hate this idea at all….However I am sick of the reboot announcements and I will NEVER watch the Buffy reboot as that is iconic to me (since I named my dog after one of the characters i.e. Willow).
I agree though it wont capture the same spirit of the original, but i would like to see a full female led comdey show.
Take the Designing Women cast and their chemistry and write them something new, fresh. Throw some winks and nods in for fans of DW .. but make it a whole new show.
I don’t get it. I am sure there are tons of writers out there with fresh ideas who just need to be given a chance. Why are these industry execs clinging to reboots and remakes this way? I know that remakes are nothing new, but what’s happening now is excessive.
In my opinion, these shows that they are rebooting aren’t worth it. I see no point in bringing any of the shows back. Least of all DW.
They’re trying to cash in on the aging Boomer markets that grew up watching these shows in young adulthood. Plus, it’s easier than being creative and coming up with a fresh idea.
Because reboots and revivals come with built in fanbases, thus insuring viewership, which makes money. Putting money into something new and untested is riskier.
Yes. Cynical but true. It is sad that in this golden age of great original shows that reboots are still being pursued so heavily.
I’ve sat in a lot of meetings over the years, and this is not a surprise. People in the business are so gun shy of committing to anything new, fresh, different or risky… it’s a wonder anything gets done at all.
All these re-boots need to be booted. (Yes, I purposely did that)
I agree. What, they can’t come up with some ideas to bring new and better shows. Enough with all of the reboots. Give me a break already! Sheesh. SMH!
So are you saying you want a Gimme A Break! reboot? 😛
Why on earth would they be interested in doing a revival of this show. Don’t they have any new ideas.???? WTF!!!
So that Bloodworth-Thomason has a mouthpiece on air. Every monologue by Julia Sugarbaker (RIP!) was pure Linda, and unfortunately, it always seemed apparent.
Loved Designing Women growing up! When I first saw this, I was like “YES!” but then I remembered no more Julia and I just can’t believe Dixie Carter is gone. 🙁 I had forgotten about Bernice, thanks for the reminder. I’m going to see if youtube has old eps, I am feeling nostalgic!
I would probably check out a reboot. I love strong and funny women
I loved Bernice too!I recall the one episode where she came in wearing a Christmas 🎄 tree skirt and they had to explain that it wasn’t to wear it was for around the tree!I’m just thinking my fifteen year old daughter would love this show,but how about reruns instead of reboots.We are currently watching the *New adventures of old Christine*on TV Land and can’t stop laughing.I want reruns 😊
I loved the original but when it came out the concept was unique. I don’t know how they would capture that freshness now. Poor Delta I almost didn’t recognize her with that face!
That’s DELTA???????
OMG! I had to do a triple take.
I actually had to check because I wasn’t sure and thought perhaps it was Linda B-T, but that is indeed Delta. My heart breaks for her that she would do that to herself. She always struggled with her weight abut it never undermined her beauty. Her sauciness and confidence at whatever size was one of the things I loved about DW. She was unsquelchable!
I think she’s struggled for too long with various body issues,and she’s gone and overdone her face .People were pretty mean about her weight going up and down and up again all those years ago.She spoke out on it and put on a brave front,but I think it’s been a long fight for her,and now she’s over compensated too much surgery/fillers.Loved her then and still do 💕
I hope that’s just a very bad shot, but I don’t know. The last time i saw her was in Boston Legal and she looked fine. But that’s a while ago now.
As much as I love Designing Women, and I think, nay I know my life needs more Jean Smart in it, there is no way they can bring the show back and it be good. How do we make this stop? Like genuinely I’m asking how do we make this stop?
I loved that show. But how can you do it without Julia Sugarbaker?!
How about another smart, sassy, female driven show instead inspired by that one?
Jan Hooks, Meshach Taylor, Alice Ghostley, and Dixie Carter are dead. Not much of a reboot without Julia Sugarbaker and Anthony Bouvier.
Omg, how did I miss that Jan Hooks had died? Her role as one of the Sweeney Sisters on SNL was a classic. So funny.
I did not know that Hooks has passed. Wow. I knew about the other three, and I still find myself surprised sometimes that Dixie Carter died. Anyway, because of all of these deaths, I am just not into this reboot at all. Too depressing.
And Hal Holbrook is still hanging in there.
Agreed on both points! Without Julia, there is no show.
I really enjoyed the show until they forced Delta Burke out. The five original core cast members were wonderful together.
One of my favorite shows. But no, don’t reboot. Not without Julia and Meshach. RIP.
No! Too many of the original have passed on. Please let it go. 🙁
I loved the original. My mom also loved it and she too has passed on so I just don’t want them to ruin the legacy of the show.
No Dixie/Julia makes this one a hard pass for me.
I was never a Golden Girls rerun girl, but Designing Women was EVERYTHING to me. I don’t know if I could take a reboot especially since Dixie Carter passed. Julia Sugarbaker was the epitome of everything I KNEW was amazing about Southern women.
OMG I thought I was looking at Ina Garten in one of those pictures but now I realized it was Delta Burke?!?!? 🙁 WTF Delta! Why?
Goodness no, no, no..
The only tv series worthy of a reboot is the Law & Order franchise it was always fresh and up to the date with the episodes
Absolutely zero reason to bring this show back. I’m not planning to watch any of these reboot shows. The networks wonder why they are losing viewers?
#1. No original ideas
#2. Too many reality/scripted reality shows
#3. Commercial interruptions constantly. And it’s election time so even more annoying political ads every few minutes.
#4. Graphic violence on dramas. Try watching well made BBC/Masterpiece Theater vs. US network shows. The Police and mystery shows have become almost a how to kill/torture/kidnap women on network TV. I stopped watching Criminal Minds on CBS years ago because it became almost torture porn.
I still have network cable but, I pay for Netflix and Amazon Prime and even on those I’ve tried to find light entertainment. The world has become so awful…can’t we at least get a new and interesting comedy?
Delta Burke has actual talent and yes, in her younger years she was a real beauty but age and whatever cosmetic procedures she’s had done have not been good to her.
IMO, she should let all the fillers dissolve and let herself age.
Aging is part of life accept it. Better to look like yourself as an older person vs. looking like a bad wax figure.