Designing Women was at first called a rip-off of The Golden Girls. Every reviewer that is what their opening remarks were! When DW hit the air in September of 1986 The Golden Girls were gearing up for their 2nd year (and the show just won an emmy)
I did like the Golden Girls but DW was a show unto itself. I remember in TV guide there was a blurb printed that said "The Worse Episode of The Golden Girls is better than the best episode of Designing Women". That pissed me off. "Designing Women" may is getting the last laugh. If critics would watch an episode of "The Golden Girls" today they would call that show preachy now. "Designing Women" would be hailed today as a break through. Can you Imagine a show like "DW" on Network TV today! No you can't! The TV Networks would not put on a sitcom where the entire cast is women over the 30. How sad.
Now in 2008 22 years after its first episode aired Critics are calling "DW" "A Classic". To me and other fans of the show we knew "DW" was a great show! The fans were smarter then the critics. Today its classic then and as time has proved the show is still a classic. However Now when we see USA today mention great TV Shows they always mention Designing Women as a show "with a voice and wasn't afraid of its voice". Well I remember that same paper called it "Preachy" when it first aired Now how the times have changed. Where were these idiots 20 years ago.
Where were they in 1986?
When Designing Women was on the air all the Emmys went to The Golden Girls Cheers or Murphy Brown. In fact One year it lost to "The Wonder Years"!
Designing Women was nominated for Best Comedy Emmy in 1989 and 1990. Yes it lost. However today what show can you watch today and still laugh just as hard? What show still get new fans every year by the thousands. Well kids its not Murphy Brpwn or Cheers its DW. They don't make them like this anymore. Thank Linda Bloodsworth Thompson and Harry Bloodsworth for over 100 classic tv episodes. Now how about a reunion show/episode
