Hulu Acquires "Designing Women"

[JamesG]

Hulu Picks Up all Seasons of "Designing Women" – TCA
by Peter White
July 26, 2019


Hulu has acquired classic sitcom "Designing Women" and will launch all seven seasons of the Linda Bloodworth-Thomason-created show on August 26, Women’s Equality Day.

The digital platform will air all 163 episodes of the series after striking a deal with Sony Pictures Television.




Hulu’s head of originals Craig Erwich said that the show was “ahead of its time” when it launched.

“We saw these four fabulous women balancing work and home lives, running businesses, handling setbacks and dating. But the show never shied away from tough topics like domestic abuse, homophobia, racism and women’s rights and its themes and storylines continue to have revelance today,” he added.

https://deadline.com/2019/07/hulu-de...26-1202654818/

[DJM77]

Yes! I'm glad that Hulu acquired this. 20th century sitcoms make up about 97% of what I watch. I started subscribing to Hulu in February of last year and this is only the second show that they've acquired since then that I have much interest in. The first one was The Wonder Years. However a ton of old sitcoms that I've enjoyed have expired from Hulu ever since I started subscribing.

[BeatleMoe]

Be forewarned: these are the syndicated versions of the episodes.

[TMC]

'Designing Women' on Hulu: The 5 best episodes to watch immediately

Season 1, Episode 2: "The Beauty Contest"
Not every sitcom is fully realized by its second episode, but the "Designing" writers knew the power of Julia Sugarbaker from the very beginning. The central plot of this episode follows Mary Jo's daughter as she enters a beauty pageant, but the crux of thestory is when Julia dresses down a beauty queen, who trash-talked Suzanne, with her iconic "the night the lights went out in Georgia" speech. Julia's fiery rage would become one of the most successful and beloved aspects of the sitcom.

Season 2, Episode 4: "Killing All the Right People"
"Designing" aired during the height of the AIDS crisis, and found a way to address the disease long before other series and many politicians did. "Killing" is a "very special episode" that actually is very special: The firm is hired by a young gay man (played by Tony Goldwyn), dying of AIDS, to help design his own funeral. The episode packs in earnest and factual information about the epidemic without becoming a lesson. The most chilling moment – from which the episode draws its title – is when another Sugarbaker client, upset that the firm is working with a gay man, says that AIDS is "killing all the right people," and inspires Julia to give one of her infamous speeches. Only this time it carries much more weight.

Season 3, Episode 19: "The Women of Atlanta"
The brash, outspoken and opinionated women make "Designing" a feminist classic. Its point of view about sexism, specifically in the workplace, was never on better display than in this episode. When the Sugarbaker team is invited to participate in a photo shoot honoring businesswomen, they're surprised and horrified by the revealing poses and suggestive gestures the photographer requests. And, of course, they have quite a bit to say about it.

Season 5, Episode 23: "Fore!"
The Beaumont Driving Club (or rather, “The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club") is a frequent topic of the series, and incites a frank discussion of race. Suzanne has long tried to get into the club, but after a policy change admits African Americans (so they can be on the PGA Tour), hired-hand-turned-firm-partner Anthony (Meshach Taylor) is accepted. Julia tries to break the news to Anthony that he might be a token member, but he already knows and is ready to take advantage of his membership. "You think I can’t take a cold shoulder at a country club?" he says. "I don’t mind. It’s a small price to pay, and besides, I get a little black history for myself."

Season 3, Episode 15: "Full Moon"
Some episodes of "Designing" are heartbreaking, others are touching and many dive into important cultural issues. But some are just downright hilarious. This episode, best remembered for the moment in which Julia accidentally moons a crowd (including the mayor of Atlanta), is a reminder that the series excelled at physical comedy in addition to sharp and rapid-fire dialogue.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by TMC

Season 3, Episode 15: "Full Moon"
This episode, best remembered for the moment in which Julia accidentally moons a crowd (including the mayor of Atlanta)

But that happens off screen, lol. What I think it's best remembered for is Suzanne coming down her stairs in her pink fancy nightgown with her long shotgun rifle, which she "fires into the dark Georgia night" at Julia, Mary Jo, Charlene, and Anthony in the yard, only she didn't know it was them. (we can laugh because everyone was okay, lol)

[jayman75]

Originally Posted by BeatleMoe

Be forewarned: these are the syndicated versions of the episodes.

And the first season does not have the original opening...

[jayman75]

Originally Posted by BeatleMoe

Be forewarned: these are the syndicated versions of the episodes.

I’m in the middle of Season 6... just realized all the scenes with Bernice singing “Black Man, Black Man...” have been cut.

[Kasey]

Originally Posted by jayman75

I’m in the middle of Season 6... just realized all the scenes with Bernice singing “Black Man, Black Man...” have been cut.

What?? Talk about taking political correctness too far! It was filmed nearly 30 years ago...get over it!

[TMC]

I haven't seen Designing Women on Hulu but apparently, depending on who you ask, it looks really run down. If I have my facts straight, Designing Women used the the shoot-on-film-and-edit-it-on tape method. That doesn't exactly look good on modern DVDs or streaming set ups. And supposedly, the masters Hulu got look significantly worse.