Designing Women with Maggie Friedman

80s TV Ladies

Susan and Sharon get to sit down with writer/producer/show-runner Maggie Friedman to talk about the show that inspired her to embark on a career in television: Designing Women.
Designing Women (1986-1993) was created by the legendary Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, Annie Potts and Meshach Taylor as the owners and staff of the Atlanta-based interior design firm “Sugarbaker & Associates”. In its seven-year run, Designing Women was known for sharp writing, big laughs and taking on issues from a feminist angle in a way that no other show had done before – or since.
Maggie Friedman is best known for creating, writing and executive producing Witches of East End for Lifetime Television and Firefly Lane currently on Netflix. She has also written and produced episodes of Dawson’s Creek, Jack & Bobby, Once and Again, Wasteland, Spellbound and No Tomorrow.
THE CONVERSATION

• How an Ally McBeal spec script got Maggie into a room with Kevin Williamson – and onto the staff of his first show, Dawson's Creek.
• Maggie set her sights on getting into AFI – and did -- because a mean girl told her she couldn’t!
• HE DID IT/SHE LIED: Those T-Shirts from the Designing Women Anita Hill episode, and the impact it had on Maggie.
• Which of the Designing Women are you? Sharon is a Julia, but is Susan Mary Jo – or Anthony?
• “Guns, and AIDS, and condoms – OH MY!” How Designing Women took on all the current issues, that are unfortunately still current today.
• SPOILER ALERT: What happens when you write HUGE CLIFFHANGERS – and then your show gets cancelled!
• Big Hair, Big Shoulders! Was the Atlanta of Designing Women accurate? Susan grew up in Georgia -- and has thoughts.
• Republican Dixie Carter’s deal: “For every liberal rant you make Julia say, I get to sing a song!”
• “Georgia On My Mind”: Ray Charles sings with the Designing Women!
• Young Susan’s brush with fame: Mark Harmon and Peter Scolari – both in one hour!
• “WOMEN OF THE HOUSE” – the little-known 1995 “sequel” where Suzanne Sugarbaker goes to Congress to fill her late husband’s house seat.

So join Susan, Sharon – and Maggie – as they talk Jackie Collins, Witches of East End, Scott Bakula, --- and how sexy Richard Hatem is!
AUDIOGRAPHY
Follow Maggie Friedman on Instagram.
Check out the fan website: Designing Women Online.
Stream Designing Women on Hulu, Amazon Prime, Pluto!
Find more cool podcasts at our network, Weirding Way Media.
For spooky Halloween Season fun, visit our friends Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess at their podcast “Astonishing Legends".
CONNECT
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