Recently, I began to watch Designing Women re-reruns on Ion Television (yeah, I know). I hadn't watched any of the episodes since I was very young, and it was before Will & Grace came to the small screen.
I was taken aback by some of the similarities between these two shows, once I started watching the re-reruns. First of all, let's understand that Designing Women came to life a decade before Will & Grace got its first breath of life.
Here are some of the similarities I have seen in the shows.
Designing Women
This show brought together four women who are in the interior decorating business, named after the two sisters, Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker, who own it. The majority of each episode takes place around Sugarbaker's office. Each character brings a different view of life, and they have been juxtaposed by placing them together in the same office space. They work together, while tackling contemporary issues, through dramatic flair. Julia Sugarbaker is the level-headed, straight-forward, in-your-face matriarch of the group. Her sister, Suzanne, is the ageless, debutante, who-got-filthy-rich-off-of-her-ex-husbands, lives in a Georgia mansion, and has a Latina maid with whom she has a love-hate relationship, hops from party to party, and never does any work around the office, but she is always there. She is the beauty queen. She has big breasts and she's not afraid to use them. Her social contacts are often seen as the means to keeping Sugarbaker's alive. Mary Jo, the red head, is the common-sense, heart-rendering member of the group. She is the antithesis of Julia. She often comes up with sage advice, but she can be somewhat ditsy. Charlene is the airhead of the group. Her ideas and actions are often called into question by the others of the group. Her less than stellar up-bringing makes her more reliant on the others for support through life's ups and downs. She is a very vulnerable character. She is often paired with Suzanne for comic relief.
Will & Grace
This show takes place in the upper east side of Manhattan. It is an unconventional show that pairs two gay men with two heterosexual (bi-curious, okay) women. This show also tackles contemporary issues, while destroying gay stereotypes. The two main characters, Will and Grace, share an apartment through the majority of the series, which is where the bulk of the show takes place. Will is the sensible gay lawyer, who is often the skeptic of the group. He has a difficult time showing his personal feelings, especially when they require him to be vulnerable. He is, however, very vocal when he is speaking on behalf of issues that are important to him. Grace, the red head, is an interior decorator. She is often the level headed version of Will. She speaks from the heart, but she can often be unconventional and ditsy. Karen is the boozer and cruiser of the group. She is flawless in every way, especially her breasts, except for her drinking and pill popping. She is often seen hanging around Grace's office, where she "works" as the assistant. Karen bilks millions of dollars off of her fat husband, Stan, while living in a Park Avenue penthouse with her Latina maid, with whom she has a love-hate relationship. Her high class social contacts keep Grace Adler Designs alive. Jack is the younger, dumber version of Will. He is gay and he flaunts it at every opportunity. He has never had a real job, and he is bent on being a world famous actor. Jack is a very vulnerable, lovable character. His less than stellar background and irresponsible behavior often land him into trouble, which requires the other characters to save him. He is often paired with Karen for comic relief.
It's all a pretty interesting coincidence, or is it?
Some other interesting facts:
- Mason is the fat entrepreneur that Suzanne fixes Charlene up with for a date. Mason is the fat step-son of Karen.
- Rosario and Consuela are the Latina maids of Karen and Suzanne, who both came from "one of those little countries." They are often at each others throats, yelling and threatening, but in the end they are inseparable.
- Karen and Suzanne both relied on the support of their husbands to become the endearing socialites they are in each show.
Either way, they're both good shows.
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