Designing Women AIDS episode- Page 2

[folkyboy]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 10:00am

oh yeah, that Dolly episode kills me too. i love this show! they should release them on DVD. no one wants that crappy "best of" selection

[CJR]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 10:28am

OMG I wish I had been home last night when this was on. Calvin, I'm with you... I always hope, somehow, something will have changed and Julia will beat the tar out of Imogene. Alas, not so much. Mary Jo's speech is also a killer in that episode. I so distinctly remember watching this one when I was younger and tearing up even then.

Julia reminds me so much of my Godmother. Always has. She's fiery, strong in her convictions, loving, sweet and successful. And marginally terrifying -- just like my Godmother! lmao

The Dolly episode and the Li Sing episode also kill me. And the one with Charlene's minister..... when Julia sings How Great Thou Art at the end. Kills me every time!

Apparently there's a bar somewhere in GA or TN -- I can't remember where -- that they play the episodes and people actually call out Julia's tirades word for word along with the episode.

Speaking OF Julia's tirades, I LOVE the one with Suzanne at the pagaent..... when Julia's in the bathroom bitching out Marjorie.... "And THAT Marjorie, so that you will know and your children will someday know, is the night. the lights. went out. IN GEOR-GIA!" love it. lol

Updated On: 10/16/07 at 10:28 AM

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 10:30am

For the longest time, I was convinced that Imogene was the same woman who played Crystal on "Roseanne." Even though I could clearly see in the credits that it was not the same person.

But they talk with the exact same cadence.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 12:44pm

My ultimate DW episode - Charlene becomes disaffected with her Southern Baptist minister as she realizes he and the denomination did not allow women in the ministry. I battled that issue my whole life, and now as a woman of a certain age I have had to abandon the religion and church I was raised with and seek spirituality instead. No more fundamentalism for me. Lecture of the day ended - but DW started me on this path because it was good to see that someone else thought like me. "

I like that episode too except the ending where Dixie Carter absolutely murders "How great thou art". Her singing voice just grates on me.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 12:54pm

that's because it's the highest note in hymndom.

"Hey LiSing...gonna getcherself another big old byis-kyit?"
Dora Maude

"...and another thing...my son's makin' all A's...even in P...E...!"
Julia to Imogene

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 12:58pm

I just recently figured out that it's Sandi Patty's version.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:00pm

...and Calvin is quite learned in DW and Golden Girls, but I'd hardly crown him BWW's expert!!!!!

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:06pm

That's right, particularly because I only recently realized that Charlene's professor who sexually harassed her was played by the same guy who played the hen-pecked nerd who wore bikini briefs in the tornado episode.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:09pm

I watched the "Class Reunion" episode last night. I thought Dixie Carter gave a great speech in that episode about when Julia had twilred her baton "higher, faster and further than anyone had thrown a baton before, AND IT WAS ON FIRE!!"


Am I mixing up my episodes?


The whole story about 40,000 kids dying every day from starvation really was heartbreaking.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:17pm

"Am I mixing up my episodes?"


yes, Diva...but it is understandable...both had Julia defending the childlike Suzanne...oh, wait. That's almost every episode...and there are two class reunion episodes...Suzanne's and Howard Head's.

and Cal...that is unforgiveable.

[Wilhelmina]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:30pm

Diva - you kinda mixed two episodes there. The episode where Julia gives that speech is where Suzanne returns to judge the Miss Georgia World pageant and the other judges give her a bad time for being outdated and corny.

"And that Marjorie...just so you know...and as your grandchildren will someday know... was the night, the lights, went out in GEOR-GIA".

The class reunion episode is entitled "they shoot fat people don't they?" and has the sub plot of Julia and Maryjo doing the fast together in support of starving children. It also has the most touching (I think)speech when Suzanne is given the award for "person most changed".
Updated On: 10/16/07 at 01:30 PM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:42pm

"all I see are the faces of old girlfriends, and sweet boys who tried to kiss me goodnight...so you can remember me any way you like...but that's how I'll remember all of you."

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 1:44pm

That made me tear up again.



But DAMN, they all had big hair!

[Chita1933]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 3:00pm

That's Howard "Earp" Head.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 3:01pm

heh...I was actually thinking of editing that post, chita, but I thought it was a bit over the top...even for me.

[Chita1933]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 3:04pm

Some clips from 3 of my favorite shows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2xtHy3tnaE

"Jeopardy!"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wOHiJdU3Gg

Suzanne's baton routine is priceless!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yVcP-j3zcc

"There's Some Black People Coming To Dinner"

Updated On: 10/16/07 at 03:04 PM

[Chita1933]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 3:28pm

South Fl Marc, Alice Ghostley was great in that episode.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 3:58pm

I never much liked the way the actor playing the Anthony character Steppin-fetch'ed the role.

But that aside, the show has held up remarkably well. It really leaves Golden Girls in the dust when it comes to smart AND funny writing.

I even like the replacement cast in the last seasons.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 4:15pm

I'd argue about the comparison between GG and DW, but agree that some of the later eps are funny. I really love Jan Hooks, and the eppie, "Carlene's Apartment" still makes me laugh.

Duffy, not so much.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 4:25pm

I'm one of the few that thought the Alison character was a very good addition. She gave Julia a legitimate sparring partner on issues. You couldn't take Suzanne too seriously when she went against Julia, but Alison at least had some reason behind her thoughts.

I remember the Anita Hill/ Clarence Thomas episode. Alison wore a "She Lied" t-shirt. While I didn't agree with her character, it made some potent television.

Looking back, Alison's character foreshadowed real life television personalities like Ann Coulter and Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 4:34pm

I actually dont think Bloodworth Thompson knew how to write for a conservative woman...it just didnt compute for her.

And while I loved Duffy on Newhart, I just felt her acting was very self conscious.

I do think Coulter and Hasselback had their foremothers...gorgons like Schlafly come to mind.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 4:35pm

Or Wilson Brickett.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 4:37pm

daylight come, and me want go home...

[Chita1933]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 5:23pm

I loved Duffy on Newhart but I think her character on Designing Women was poorly written...and most of the time not funny. I agree with you Doodle, she did look "stiff" in the part.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 6:29pm

Thinking about it a little more. I see your points about Duffy.

Except the "stiff" issue. I always took that as a "fish-out-of-water" approach to her character. Not exactly fitting in to the clique of the women or the south in general.

As I said before, I know I'm in minority.. but I actually liked Duffy on the show.

She also had impossible shoes to fill... the audience loved Burke and I don't expect anyone would have satisfied after Burke left.

And...

The Alison character , as-written, was pretty unlikeable.

Updated On: 10/16/07 at 06:29 PM