Designing Women 1986
“Designed to keep you laughing!”
What is Designing Women?
Designing Women is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, until May 24, 1993. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of four women and their handyman running a design firm called Sugarbaker and Associates located in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1986
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 163
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
- First aired
- Sep 29, 1986
- Last aired
- May 24, 1993
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- CBS
- Genres
- Comedy
- Updated
Where to watch
Stream
Claro tv+
Streaming availability data provided by JustWatch via TMDB. Availability changes by country and date; verify on the provider before subscribing or purchasing.
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 163 episodes and an average 30-minute runtime.
Trailer
Overview
Designing Women is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, until May 24, 1993. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of four women and their handyman running a design firm called Sugarbaker and Associates located in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the course of seven seasons and 163 episodes, the program was produced by Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television. The central characters include Julia Sugarbaker, the outspoken and strong-willed owner of the firm, and her sister Suzanne, a self-centered former beauty queen with multiple wealthy ex-husbands. They work alongside Mary Jo Shively, a divorced single parent who is strong-willed but lacks self-confidence, and Charlene Frazier-Stillfield, a naive and trusting farm girl originally from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The series depicts the various misadventures of these associates as they navigate their business and individual lives. The cast included actors Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Meshach Taylor.
Should you watch it?
“Four distinct women navigate life and business at an interior design firm in the South.”
- strong female leads
- sharp dialogue
- dated production values
Watch it if you enjoy workplace comedies featuring strong, opinionated personalities.
The series features mature themes and dialogue typical of 1980s network sitcoms.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Designing Women — answers are spoiler-safe.
Your verdict
Is Designing Women worth watching?
Cast
Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Designing Women Mytharc Sep 29, 1986
- E2 The Beauty Contest Core Oct 6, 1986
- E3 A Big Affair Core Oct 20, 1986
- E4 Julia's Son Core Oct 27, 1986
- E5 Mary Jo's First Date Core Nov 3, 1986
- E6 Design House Core Nov 17, 1986
- E7 Perky's Visit Core Nov 24, 1986
- E8 I Do, I Don't Core Dec 4, 1986
- E9 The IT Men Core Dec 4, 1986
- E10 The Slumber Party Core Dec 18, 1986
- E11 New Year's Daze Core Jan 1, 1987
- E12 Old Spouses Never Die (1) Core Feb 1, 1987
- E13 Old Spouses Never Die (2) Core Feb 1, 1987
- E14 Monette Core Feb 8, 1987
- E15 And Justice For Paul Core Feb 15, 1987
- E16 Reese's Friend Core Feb 22, 1987
- E17 Nashville Bound Core Mar 16, 1987
- E18 Oh, Suzannah Core Mar 23, 1987
- E19 Mary Jo's Dad Dates Charlene Core Apr 6, 1987
- E20 Seams From a Marriage Core Apr 13, 1987
- E21 Grand Slam, Thank You Ma'am Mytharc May 4, 1987
- E22 Bachelor Suite Mytharc May 11, 1987
Season 2 · 22 episodes
- E1 101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station Mytharc Sep 14, 1987
- E2 Ted Remarries Core Sep 21, 1987
- E3 Anthony, Jr. Core Sep 28, 1987
- E4 Killing All the Right People Core Oct 5, 1987
- E5 Half an Air Bubble Off Core Oct 19, 1987
- E6 Dash Goff, the Writer Core Oct 26, 1987
- E7 Heart Attacks Core Nov 9, 1987
- E8 Cruising Core Nov 16, 1987
- E9 I'll Be Seeing You Core Nov 23, 1987
- E10 Stranded Core Dec 7, 1987
- E11 Howard the Date Core Dec 14, 1987
- E12 I'll Be Home For Christmas Core Dec 21, 1987
- E13 Great Expectations Core Jan 4, 1988
- E14 Second Time Around Core Jan 11, 1988
- E15 Oh, Brother Core Jan 18, 1988
- E16 There's Some Black People Coming to Dinner Core Jan 25, 1988
- E17 The Return of Ray Don Core Feb 1, 1988
- E18 High Rollers Core Feb 8, 1988
- E19 The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club Core Feb 15, 1988
- E20 How Great Thou Art Core Feb 22, 1988
- E21 Ted-Bare Mytharc Mar 21, 1988
- E22 Reservations for Eight Mytharc Mar 28, 1988
Season 3 · 22 episodes
- E1 Reservations for 12, Plus Ursula Mytharc Nov 14, 1988
- E2 The Candidate Core Nov 21, 1988
- E3 E.P. Phone Home Core Nov 28, 1988
- E4 Getting Married and Eating Dirt Core Dec 5, 1988
- E5 Big Haas and Little Falsie Core Dec 12, 1988
- E6 Hard Hats and Lovers Core Dec 19, 1988
- E7 But They're Really Great Curtains Core Jan 2, 1989
- E8 The Wilderness Experience Core Jan 9, 1989
- E9 Tyrone Core Jan 16, 1989
- E10 Mr. Bailey Core Jan 23, 1989
- E11 The Naked Truth Core Feb 13, 1989
- E12 The Junies Core Feb 20, 1989
- E13 One Sees, the Other Doesn't Core Feb 27, 1989
- E14 Odell Core Mar 6, 1989
- E15 Full Moon Core Mar 13, 1989
- E16 Ms. Meal Ticket Core Mar 20, 1989
- E17 The Engagement Core Mar 27, 1989
- E18 Come On and Marry Me, Bill Core Apr 10, 1989
- E19 The Women of Atlanta Core May 1, 1989
- E20 Stand and Fight Core May 8, 1989
- E21 The Last Humorously-Dressed Bellboy in America Mytharc May 15, 1989
- E22 Julia Drives Over the First Amendment Mytharc May 22, 1989
Season 4 · 28 episodes
- E1 The Proxy Pig and Great Pretenders Mytharc Sep 18, 1989
- E2 One Night With You Core Sep 25, 1989
- E3 There She Is Core Oct 2, 1989
- E4 Nightmare From Hee Haw Core Oct 16, 1989
- E5 The Girlfriend Core Oct 23, 1989
- E6 The Rowdy Girls Mytharc Oct 30, 1989
- E7 Bernice's Sanity Hearing Core Nov 13, 1989
- E8 Julia Gets Her Head Stuck in a Fence Core Nov 20, 1989
- E9 Julia and Suzanne's Big Adventure Core Nov 27, 1989
- E10 Manhunt Core Dec 4, 1989
- E11 They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They? Core Dec 11, 1989
- E12 You Got to Have Friends Core Dec 18, 1989
- E13 The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century (1) Core Jan 1, 1990
- E14 The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century (2) Core Jan 1, 1990
- E15 The Mistress Core Jan 8, 1990
- E16 The Fur Flies Core Jan 15, 1990
- E17 Oh, What a Feeling Core Jan 29, 1990
- E18 Anthony and Vanessa Core Feb 5, 1990
- E19 Payne Grows Up Core Feb 19, 1990
- E20 Tornado Watch Core Feb 26, 1990
- E21 Tough Enough Core Mar 12, 1990
- E22 It's A Wonderful Life Core Mar 19, 1990
- E23 Suzanne Goes Looking For a Friend Core Apr 9, 1990
- E24 Foreign Affairs Core Apr 30, 1990
- E25 Have Faith Core May 7, 1990
- E26 Their Finest Hour Filler May 9, 1990
- E27 Anthony's Graduation Mytharc May 14, 1990
- E28 La Place sans Souci Mytharc May 21, 1990
Season 5 · 24 episodes
- E1 A Blast From the Past Mytharc Sep 17, 1990
- E2 Papa Was a Rolling Stone Core Sep 24, 1990
- E3 Working Mother Core Oct 1, 1990
- E4 Miss Trial Core Oct 15, 1990
- E5 The Bachelor Auction Core Oct 22, 1990
- E6 Charlene Buys a House Core Oct 29, 1990
- E7 Old Rebels and Young Models Core Nov 5, 1990
- E8 Nowhere To Run To Core Nov 12, 1990
- E9 A Class Act Core Nov 19, 1990
- E10 Keep the Home Fires Burning Core Nov 26, 1990
- E11 My Daughter, Myself Core Dec 10, 1990
- E12 And Now, Here's Bernice Core Dec 17, 1990
- E13 Pearls of Wisdom Core Jan 7, 1991
- E14 High Noon in a Laundry Room Core Jan 14, 1991
- E15 How Long Has This Been Going On? Core Jan 28, 1991
- E16 The Emperor's New Nose Core Feb 4, 1991
- E17 Maybe, Baby Core Feb 11, 1991
- E18 This is Art? Core Feb 25, 1991
- E19 Blame it on New Orleans Core Mar 4, 1991
- E20 I'll See You in Court Core Mar 18, 1991
- E21 The Big Circle Core Apr 8, 1991
- E22 Friends and Husbands Core Apr 29, 1991
- E23 Fore! Mytharc May 6, 1991
- E24 The Pride of Sugarbakers Mytharc May 13, 1991
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the design firm?
Julia Sugarbaker is the owner of Sugarbaker and Associates.
Where is Charlene from?
Charlene Frazier-Stillfield is from Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
What is Suzanne's background?
Suzanne Sugarbaker is a self-centered former beauty queen.
What is Mary Jo's family status?
Mary Jo Shively is a divorced single parent.
How many women work at the firm?
The firm employs four associates: Julia, Mary Jo, Charlene, and Suzanne.
■ Ended / Final Season Complete Renewal tracker
Explore Designing Women
Where to watch Episode ratings heatmap How long to watch Facts & FAQ Similar shows More from CBS
What viewers say
No comments yet. Be the first to share your take on Designing Women.