Sweet Tea & TV

Sneak Peek! Designing Women, but Make it 2020: A Review of TheaterSquared’s Recent Play

A holiday gift from us to you! We had originally planned to take the next couple of weeks off for the holidays. But, then we watched the recent Designing Women play and ended up with a special sweet treat for the podcast. We’ll start this week with a sneak peek of our reactions and we’ll be back next week with what we’re calling “The Full Sweet Tea & TV Treatment.” 

Designing Women, but Make it 2020: A Review of TheaterSquared’s Recent Play

Phew! We did it! We squeezed in for a last-minute virtual viewing of the recent Designing Women play. That’s right - we said play! Set in 2020, as one would expect, LBT’s thoughts on politics, religion, and public health were on full display and we had…thoughts. 

Designing Women S2 E6 - We Meet the King of Southern Softcore

Ah, another one of Suzanne’s exes. This time it’s Dash Goff, the writer, and he’s sad, but he perks himself by individually meeting with each cast member. By the end, we all learn a few things: 1) Suzanne was a terrible spouse (?), 2) reading is important, and 3) Dash sure knows how to write some uncomfortable stuff about Southern women. Stick around for this week’s ‘Extra Sugar’ to discuss Dash IRL, Gerald McRaney and his marriage to the one, the only: Ms. Delta Burke. 

Designing Women S2 E7 - The One Where Suzanne has More Sense than God Gave a Goose

On this week’s “Designing Women” episode, we get a BIG health scare (not as big as season 1, episode 12/13, but a big one nonetheless.) Julia explores her true feelings for Reese, while fending off the romantic advances of one of his lifelong “frenemies.” And, one of our characters has an expected spurt of superhero, while another has to read an...uncomfortable...letter at a former client’s...funeral? Yeah...this one was a wild ride.

For a little “Extra Sugar”, let's play another round of “Grits Blitz”, Southern trivia-style!

Designing Women S2 E8 - It’s an Honor Just to Guard Her Brassiere

What’s worse than a single’s cruise? Four women bunking together in something roughly the size of a large walk-in closet? Maybe. Dinner seating with strangers? Warmer. Rebuffing the advances of someone whose shirt is unbuttoned uncomfortably low? Yep, that’s the one.

Suzanne and Mary Jo go head-to-head to see who can land the best looking man, and we meet Claude, who is a darn delight -- and the subject of this week’s Salina’s Sidebar.

This week’s Extra Sugar is all about our personal highs and lows on the high seas. (See what we did there?)

Designing Women S2 E9 - Look, This is America, You Big Palooka

Charlene’s psychic didn’t see Colonel Bill Stillfield coming. That’s OK, we didn’t see this 1940s “fever dream” musical coming, so… hope you’re up to date on your WWII-era history and references! (A quick primer: America, good. HItler, bad. Rations were a thing.) And we’ll dig into one big, little reference, the Hollywood Canteen, in "Salina’s Sidebar."

Stick around for this week’s "Extra Sugar" where we take a closer look at the role and experiences of African Americans in WWII. 

Designing Women S2 E10 - Things Get Screwy OTW to St. Louis

It’s Design Expo ‘87, baby, and you know what that means: Charlene, Mary Jo and Julia come down with the plague, while a terrible snow storm forces Anthony and Suzanne to cuddle up in a Tennessee motel room. But the most unexpected reveal? Definitely Charlene’s domestic meat allergy that one year in high school.

Stick around for this week’s "Extra Sugar" where we dig into the history of interracial marriage.

Designing Women S2 E11 - Howard the Dud

Mary Jo, Suzanne, Charlene, and Julia reluctantly find themselves on a date with Howard, a walking nosebleed they met on the singles cruise. At his 15-year high school reunion. Where he’s telling people he slept with all of them. Will they (will we?) make it through his revenge fantasy?

Stick around for this week’s "Extra Sugar", where we discuss TV, books, and food we’re enjoying right now.

Designing Women S2 E12 - Beware of the Uncredentialed Santa

When good intentions meet bad intentions, we get multiple Santas, a robbery, and an injured elf. Can the gals + Anthony salvage the Christmas spirit?! Uh, duh, it’s the 80s. Dollars to donuts: we’re all singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” before it’s all done.

 

Stick around for this week’s "Extra Sugar" where we talk about Southern Christmas traditions AND our standout Christmas memories.

Designing Women S2 E13 - The One Where T. Tommy Reed Shows Up

We meet the man, the myth, the terrifying legend: T. Tommy Reed. That’s right, Anthony’s infamous cellmate tracks him down to make him an offer he [probably] can’t refuse. Meanwhile, we’re still hotly debating what’s worse: Anthony’s plight or Mary Jo’s staycation with JD and their combined five children. 

Stick around for this week’s "Extra Sugar" where we talk about our favorite staycation spots here in Georgia (and...like...close to Georgia).