I personally feel that the episodes with Delta Burke were by far funnier than the later ones without her, especially when they added Jan Hooks and Julia Duffey. The chemistry between the original characters was so difficult to duplicate. I think this was one of the best examples of ensemble casts in the history of television!

I agree! Delta Burke was made for Designing Women. No one could replace her. When they tried, the show ended up in the toilet. Heavy or thin - Delta Burke was the ****!

Delta Burke and of course Dixie Carter made the show. DW was not the same after Delta left. I can't even watch the post Delta episodes on Lifetime.

i love all the episodes.. but delta was the best... she made the show.. it just wasn't the same after suzanne left.. but Charlene was great to played by the incombrable jean smart

the old episodes were sooo much better. adding new characters cheaoened the show- and the original 4 were sooo good

I think that they should have just cancelled the show after Delta left, I won't watch any of the episodes that she isn't in. They are just awful!!

I think "Designing Women" was pretty funny myself. I used to watch it when I was a little kid. The original cast was the best and that made the show right there.

UNTIL ALISON CAME!

Alison really put the show down. All the fun that the characters had was thrown out the window when Alison came along. She was just trouble from the start, with her and Anthony having a clash over Suzanne's old house. I HATED her as much as I hated the "Jill" character from "Knots Landing". But the only new character i liked was Carlene, she was like the "Rose" character from "The Golden Girls".
It got a lot better when Alison left and PJ came on. She was funny in her own right too, but "Designing Women" was like "Charlie's Angels"- too many casting mistakes spell cancellation.

It didn't help that Allison was so unlikeable. Suzanne had a lot of negative characteristics, but she was ultimately a very likeable character. I can't think of one likeable thing about Allison. Poor Julia Duffy -- she's a good actress, but was saddled with that lousy character. It would have been better if she had been more of a match for Julia, with some underlying affection between the two of them. Instead, Allison was made out to be an idiot and an outsider from day 1.

The show was also missing a lot of warmth once Suzanne and Charlene left. Julia and Mary Jo were not the most sympathetic characters, and once the other two were gone, there was nothing to counteract their abrasiveness.

All the episodes with Delta Burke and Jean Smart are my favorites, but I also like the ones without them. I really like Carlene who is played by Jan Hooks and BJ who is played by Judith Ivey. I never did like Allison who is played by Julia Duffy, though. She was just an underdeveloped background character.

I love all the episodes. I wish that lifetime would air the ones with Alison and Carlene and BJ more often. I love all the characters. My favorites are BJ, Allison, Susazanne, and Bernice.

The episodes with Delta were ALOT better! The show just wasn't the same after Delta left! But when Judith Ivey (BJ Potteet) came on the show, it got alot more better!

The only season that I can actually watch, and laugh REALLY hard at is Season 6, mainly because of Julia Duffy.

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Andrew Carden

I'm sorry, but I'd have to say Allison added something to the show. She proved that the other characters aren't as "nice" as they seem. I know Allison was annoying, but you could tell why. She wasn't loved! Now I think if they had made Julia and Mary Jo a little bit more understanding on Allison's personality, more people would have watched the show and they would still be watching it now. I feel for Julia Duffy because she has always played the roles of the annoying one, but that's because that is what she started off with, and that's what people see her as. I think she is the greatest and if anyone can prove against what I just said in this post, BRING IT ON! I am proud to have the name of Julia Duffy's role in Designing Women, and I enjoy have Stephanie as my middle name, but you people just need to lay off of her. Case closed!

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~*~Allison~*~
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Dixie Carter rocks!
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Designing Women
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JULIA: Please, if you really want to feel like crying try being one of those women who hold down a job, raise a family on the side, watch their legal rights erode year after year, and are still being told that women's liberation went to far. That ought to make you feel like crying. Hhhoooo!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Julia and Carlene are talking about a poll on the Flinstones sexuality that was in the newspaper...
ALLISON: I can't believe you two are talking about cartoon character's sexuality. They're two dementinal.
CARLENE: Well gee, Allison. So are you.

[This message has been edited by DesigningGurl794 (edited 08-02-2001).]

The original 4 had more chemistry than any characters on television. They were wonderful. I wish they would come back and do more episodes. They meshed so well.

Originally posted by callmetootie:
The only season that I can actually watch, and laugh REALLY hard at is Season 6, mainly because of Julia Duffy.



That's just plain weird. The episodes were LESS funnier after Delta and Jean left. Come on! Suzanne was HILLARIOUS!! "The only season" you can watch is Season 6? "Mainly because of Julia Duffy"? Yes, she was funny, but Suzanne and Charlene were so much funnier! But I guess all people have their own opinions..

Originally posted by Lissa:
I think that they should have just cancelled the show after Delta left, I won't watch any of the episodes that she isn't in. They are just awful!!

I'm with you, ALL the way

I favor seasons one and two, and later, season four. I didn't care for the last two seasons as much because it was like a whole different show what with all the cast shuffling.