THAT was the night the lights went out in GEORGIA!

dwr246

This was a delightful series that had a little trouble catching on, and never recovered after two of the major players left at the same time. In its halcyon days, it was witty, irreverent, intelligent, and altogether a lot of fun.

The series revolved around four women who ran a design firm together in Atlanta, Georgia. Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter) was an intelligent and outspoken woman, who ran the business out of her house. Her sister Suzanne (Delta Burke) was an oft married - and divorced - aging beauty queen, who, while also outspoken, lacked her sister's intelligence and sensitivity. Mary Jo Shively (Annie Potts) was a divorced mother of two, still trying to get her confidence back after the end of her marriage. Office manager Charlene Frazier (Jean Smart) was a country girl with a heart of gold, if not the most sense in the world. They were assisted by delivery man, and eventual partner, Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor), the lone male and the lone black in the business, an ex-con who seemed surprisingly comfortable spending the bulk of his time with four white women. After Burke and Smart left the show in 1991, two new characters were introduced, Allison Sugarbaker (Julia Duffy, the kiss of death to every sitcom she's ever been in except for Newheart), an erstwhile cousin who was obnoxious, self absorbed, and completely unlikeable, and Carlene Dobber (Jan Hooks), Charlene's sister, who was nothing but a dim witted country bumpkin. Fortunately, Duffy left after a year, but by then it was too late to save the series, which limped along to its close with Judith Ivey playing a new partner, the rich, widowed B. J. Poteet.

Guest stars were frequent, and several played characters which recurred with great frequency. Hal Holbrook (Carter's real life husband) played Reese Watson, Julia's love interest for the first several seasons until he left to do Evening Shade. Gerald McRaney (who eventually became Burke's real life husband) played one of Suzanne's ex-husbands. Richard Gilliland (who married Jean Smart after meeting her on the set - see the pattern here) played Mary Jo's boyfriend for the first few seasons. And the dashing Douglas Barr (who apparently was not involved with any other cast member) played Col. Bill Stillfield, the man Charlene eventually married. The favorite by far, however, was Alice Ghostley as Bernice Clifton, an eccentric with a joie de vivre which left the others stunned.

In the beginning, the series sparkled with wit and humor as it dealt with the lives of these four women, so different, and yet so similar. Julia's passion for life, justice, and feminism was revealed in fiery, but incredibly humorous long winded speeches. Suzanne's brash self-absorption contrasted well with her vulnerability and her loyalty to those she loved. Mary Jo's growing sense of self was handled quite well. And Charlene's hopeless romanticism culminated in her marriage and her gracefully rising to the challenges of being a military wife and a working mother. In its hay day, the series also took on some interesting issues - AIDS, sexuality, death and dying, menopause, among others. Unfortunately, after Burke and Smart left, the writing took a turn for the worse, losing its sparkle, and settling for silliness instead of wit.

Like many sit-coms of its era, this one stayed on the air a little too long, and I personally found the last two seasons very regrettable. But the rest of the series was a jewel which still gives pleasure to those who view it.

score /10

dwr246 23 September 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1178481/