‘Designing Women’ Sequel Heads to ABC With Script Commitment

Original series creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason will write

Designing Women
Sony

The “Designing Women” sequel has found its home. ABC has handed out a script commitment to the project from Sony TV and original series creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason, an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.

The project is described as a “sequel” to the CBS comedy. Bloodworth Thomason will write the script and executive produce alongside her husband, Harry Thomason.

The “Designing Women” sequel is a multicamera comedy, just like the original, and will follow the next generation of Sugarbaker women with a crop of new, young, female designers at an Atlanta interior design firm.

Sources told the Hollywood Reporter, which first reported news of the deal, that original cast members will occasionally stop by the new show, should it be picked up to series at ABC.

“Designing Women” ran for seven seasons on CBS, before concluding on May 24, 1993, sharing a night with “Murphy Brown.” You know, that other classic comedy about to return to the network.

The series centers around the fictional design firm Sugarbaker and Associates, a witty bully pulpit for caustic social and political humor. The founder of the company is Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter), a sharp-tongued but elegant and surprisingly compassionate woman. Her younger sister, Suzanne (Delta Burke), is a former beauty queen who is long on charm but a bit slow on the uptake. Their associates are Mary Jo Shively (Annie Potts), a recent divorcee, and officer manager Charlene Frazier (Jean Smart), whose sweetness is matched only by her naiveté. Their deliveryman is Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor), a well-spoken ex-convict, and cheerfully dotty senior citizen Bernice Clifton (Alice Ghostley) often drops by for a visit as well.

Comments