If you’ve loved a sitcom in the past, there’s a good chance someone in Hollywood is thinking of reviving it right now. On ABC, Disney has just given a script commitment to a revival of the popular early 1990s-era sitcom “Designing Women.” This new version is expected to be a ‘sequel’ of sorts following a new generation of Atlanta designers.
The original series ran from September 29, 1986 through May 24, 1993. It told the stories of four women and one man working together at an Atlanta, GA interior design firm. Designing Women starred Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Jean Smart, Delta Burke, Meshach Taylor, Alice Ghostley, Julia Duffy, Jan Hooks, and Judith Ivey.
Sony Pictures TV was the original producer of the show and they’re expected to return to produce the new version for ABC.
Part of what made the original “Designing Women” was the Southern flair of the Sugarbakers. As long as the new characters show the same heart as the original team and the same razor-sharp dialogue, the show will be able to turn its eye on our current political, cultural, and demographic trends with a fun comedic take.
Dixie Carter, who starred as Julia Sugarbaker in the original series died in 2010 and Meshach Taylor, who played Anthony Bouvier, died in 2014. So don’t look for a complete reunion of the original cast, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more than a few guest spots.
Are you a fan of the original “Designing Women”?
Designing Women was a fantastic show. Unfortunately, the show was very much personality-driven, so I’m not sure the premise could have the same magic with a different cast. Dixie Carter, especially, was the heart of the show. A “reboot” (rather than simply picking up the same show 25 years later) would most likely feel like a pale imitation of the original.
What worked so well for Roseanne (and will probably work just as well for Murphy Brown) is the way the show was able to pick up the same cast decades later and feel like an extension of the original series. This just can’t happen with Designing Women. Sure, Annie Potts and Jean Smart might be able to reprise their roles — Delta Burke seems to be retired from the business — but I don’t see how this show could recapture the spirit of the original show with a different cast.
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