Designing Women was one of the best shows ever on TV. I’m not sure I remember when it was on prime time, but in syndication it came on as soon as I got home from school, and I would always watch an episode or two while I ate my snack and got ready to do homework. I loved Julia Sugerbaker. I thought she was beautiful, smart, successful, wise, sassy, strong-minded, beautifully dressed, quick witted. And those were all things I wanted to be.
While Julia Sugerbaker was quite liberal on the show, the actress behind the character, Dixie Carter was much more politically conservative. I read this week that Dixie insisted that for every liberal comment or political stance that Julia took on the show, Dixie got to sing a song in a future episode. I don’t know whether that was true, but I’d like to think that it is.
One of my favorite episodes was the one in which Charlene questions her faith. She decides that she really doesn’t know if there is a God. Julia, ever the matriarch of the group, tries to help Charlene find her way back to God. Julia urges Charlene to give God another chance, and she invites her to church to hear Julia sing. I loved the way this episode ended. Here is the clip. I hope you enjoy it.
PS: For those who may not remember, Hal Holbrook, the actor who played Julia’s husband Reece, was her husband in real life. He’s the one watching so sweetly and proudly in this scene
Designing Women was my favorite show. I use to come on Lifetime around 7 am about 3 or 4 years ago… I wish they would bring it back. Thanks for the video!! It never gets old!