As promised last time, we’ve got the second part of our journey into the Designing Women universe. You see, after the acrimonious rift between show star Delta Burke and series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Delta would leave the series to star in the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom Delta. When that series – where she played an aspiring country singer, who abandons her family to pursue her dream – unsurprisingly failed to find an audience, you could say she came crawling back to the one who brought her to the dance in the first place. The project that reunited them was the show we’re here to talk about today.
Women of the House was a one-season 1995 sitcom, which launched a season after the cancelation of Designing Women, yet continued the story of Burke’s Suzanne Sugarbaker. Since we last saw Suzanne, she had married a Congressman, and adopted a young girl. As the series starts, her husband has died, and Suzanne arrives to Washington to fill his seat. Well, in the standard “fish out of water” scenario, she ain’t ready for Washington, and Washington ain’t ready for her! She brings her brash, sassy self to the floor of the House, and she sets out to do things her way.
Since one of the core tenets of this universe is “sisterhood”, Suzanne is surrounded by a ragtag bunch of women in different walks of life. Jennifer Malone (Valerie Mahaffey/Julie Hagerty) is the housewife whose husband – an assistant coach of the Washington Redskins (What? You could say that then!) – has just left her for a cheerleader. Now, she has to figure out life as a single mother, and thinks working as Suzanne’s receptionist will be just the ticket she’s looking for. If you can believe it, the character is portrayed by two different actresses during the show’s short run, and still doesn’t make it to the end of the season (“YOU are the Weakest Link. Goodbye!”). Meanwhile, Teri Garr plays disgraced journalist/part-time alcoholic Sissy Emerson, whose career has faltered to the point where the only job she can get is that of Suzanne’s press secretary. In a pre-Everybody Loves Raymond role, Patricia Heaton is Natalie “Natty” Hollingsworth, a DC career climber who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants – whether that’s having an affair with a married congressman or being Suzanne’s chief of staff. Midway through the season, Malone is “Judy Winslow’d”, while Lisa Rieffel is brought in as spunky Gen X intern, Veda Walkman. In a recurring role is Breaking Bad‘s Jonathan Banks as Suzanne’s intellectually disabled (but they don’t call it that) brother, Jim.
When the show starts, it really sort of feels like “We’ve got Designing Women at home.” The relationships feel forced, and it seems to suggest that Delta works best as part of an ensemble rather than as the STAR. Over time, the other characters find their footing, but they never really fill the shoes of the women Suzanne left back in Georgia. Also, it’s a VERY politics-heavy show. By that, I don’t necessarily mean that it’s “preachy” (Though, there’s some of that), but rather it’s very “Inside Washington”. They were naming some pundits and politicians I haven’t thought of in three decades. They’re slinging around Ross Perot jokes, and Crossfire even makes an appearance! I only knew this stuff because I live here, but I don’t know how that must have played to the rest of the country. I’d argue “not well”, given the ultimate fate of the show.
Anyway, Adam and I had a great time discussing this series, as well as the behind the scenes drama that influenced it. If you don’t feel like calling your congressperson, then join us as we check in with Georgia Representative Suzanne Sugarbaker on our latest episode!
