Sweet Tea & TV

We simply couldn’t leave Miami without spending time with our gals at the not-quite-as-legendary Golden Palace. And for those who’ve been with us a while, we’re going back to our roots: we’ll rate it, talk about references…alla the things.

It’s the two-parter where Dorothy returns. Don Cheadle is there! Cheech Marin. And we finally get to go to the infamous—and perhaps misunderstood—Shady Pines.

We laughed. We got sad. We laughed again. 

Thank y'all for being a friend! 

Call it a smorgasbord, a potpourri, a catchall. Whatever you call it, we’re chatting about the ‘golden legacy’ — the spinoffs, the legendary guest stars, their immense staying power.

And courtesy of our amazing listeners, we’re also covering these ‘can’t miss’ episodes before we leave Miami for good: 

As we start the final lap of our coverage of “The Golden Girls”, we needed to make a pit stop at the preeminent, yet unauthorized look behind-the-scenes of the show via Jim Colucci’s “Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai”. 

Jim’s book - a staggering 10 years in the making!! - offers a toooooon of episode-specific behind-the-scenes info, background intel, and loads of interviews with not only the girls themselves, but also the huge cast and crew that put this classic together.

It’s worth saying: the ST&TV Book Club is no different th...

Whether it was losing spouses, finding love again, or facing the future alone, the Golden Girls never sugarcoated the realities of aging - but always kept the humor. In this week’s convo, we talked about the stories of grief, romance, and reinvention through a few key episodes:

As we begin to close out our “The Golden Girls” coverage (cue all the tears), we were THRILLED to learn about a special episode of ABC’s “20/20” celebrating the 40th anniversary of the show! We knew it was our responsibility - nay, duty - to report back to “ST&TV’ about it. 

Let’s chat about the highlights of this true love letter to the fans, including the things that surprised us! The things that didn’t. And what we wish we could’ve gotten a little more of!

As Cindy Fee would sing, thank you for being a frien...

In the hallowed halls of television history, most sitcoms could never make a storyline about a health scare from a little-known virus genuinely funny. Fortunately, as we’ve well established this season, “The Golden Girls” is not “most sitcoms.” In fact, its treatment of “heavy issues” is singular and we’re so excited to chat about it this week.

Sophia may have been the smallest of The Golden Girls, but this week’s episode proves that Estelle Getty’s contributions to entertainment were anything but miniscule. 

In this week’s “Extra Sugar”, we’ll dive into the life of the woman behind Sophia Petrillo — from her early days as a shy actress hustling through community theatre to the late-in-life breakthrough that turned her into a comedy legend. Drawing on stories from her memoir If I Knew Then What I Know Now… So What?, we’ll explore some of the best behind-the-scenes moments and fan encounters — the ones that reveal Este...

We’ve reached the part of the season where we’re ready to talk about Salina’s “spirit Golden Girl”; America’s most curmudgeonly storyteller; the resident “roastmaster” with the emotional grace of a wrecking ball: Sophia Petrillo. 

Sophia brought us unequivocally blunt honesty, but she also brought us comic relief and a whole lotta heart (buried under the…verbal assaults…”

Let’s talk about her character and her shiniest (and not so shiniest) moments across the series. 

And don’t forget to come back Thursday for an “Extra Sugar” dedicated to the little lady behind the…little la...

We’ve come to the moment where we can finally talk about possibly the one last thing all Americans can agree on: the loveliness that was Betty White. 

Betty White grew up with television and she paid her dues. From hours in full make-up on live television, to decades of stiff game show competition, “The Golden Girls” was far from her only contribution to culture and entertainment. The part we don’t often hear about is the influential network of female entertainers she ran with, as well as the vast network of more behind-the-scenes players that she was conne...

Rose Nylund may not be one to “toot her own Vertugenflürgen, so we’ll do it for her. 

Let’s face it: she’s the Golden Girl you want to hug most. She’s the forever optimist, genuinely sincere and sincerely genuine, inclusive, and downright wholesome. Rose is like a walking, breathing plate of warm cookies and hot cocoa. 

But don’t get it twisted: she’s also strong, wildly competitive, and not to be underestimated. Sometimes her best qualities – along with heavy helping of naivety and cluelessness – place her in precarious situations. And, look, we’re all bette...

In this week’s “Extra Sugar”, we’re going beyond the biosketch and learning much more about the real woman behind Dorothy Zbornak: Bea Arthur. 

We’re talking about her fearless advocacy, her trailblazing role in Maude — where she tackled issues like women’s rights, aging, and reproductive freedom — and how that legacy paved the way for Dorothy and generations of strong female characters to come.

So, grab a slice of cheesecake and join us as we celebrate the woman who proved that comedy could have a conscience — and that a well-timed glare could change the world.

Dorothy Zbornak could level a room with one withering stare — and finish the job with a single sarcastic comment.

This week on “Sweet Tea & TV”, we’re diving into the world of The Golden Girls’ resident truth-teller — the tall, tough, totally iconic Dorothy, played by Bea Arthur. We’ll unpack what makes her the glue (and sometimes the eye-roll) of the group, why her brand of honesty hits just as hard today, and how Bea made this sharp-tongued realist into one of TV’s most beloved characters.

We’re covering it all — the good, the bad, and the gloriou...

Rue McClanahan once said, “People always ask me if I’m really like Blanche. And I say, ‘Well, Blanche was just Rue with the volume turned up.’” In this week’s “Extra Sugar”, we’re raising a slice of cheesecake to Rue, learning about her five-decade career, some of the diverse roles she had after Golden Girls, AND how she got that name: Rue.

And, as always, thank you for being a friend!

Blanche Devereaux is so many things. She’s the lady of my dreams, your dreams, all of our dreams. But, like, she’s also the branch from Designing Women to Golden Girls. Sometimes we just close our eyes and it’s almost like we’re right back there with our favorite Atlanta siren: Suzanne Sugarbaker. All batting eyelashes and questionable comments.

Join us on our new adventure as we hop from character to character this season, exploring their highs, lows, and frankly, what made us fall in love with them. 

For the purists out there, we’re inc...

Covering Golden Girls got us thinking about what a feat it was to get four women – let alone those over the age of 50 – in leading roles on TV in the 1980s. We decided it was time for a temperature check: how is Hollywood doing all these years on? What has and hasn’t changed since these iconic women left the screen 30+ years ago? What did Golden Girls get right at the time and where did they miss the mark? You’ll be utterly shocked to learn, well, it’s complicated. 

We’re back! Minus a very exciting special episode over the summer, we took a much needed, extended break from the pod. We also got in the lab, with a pen and a pad – and then Nikki came up with something REALLY good. Make sure to listen to find out what we’re up to long term, but short term, as we unsubtly teased earlier in the year: this is our golden era. It’s Golden Girls time.

So join us as Salina meets the gals (Nikki is already a cheesecake bestie), and then come back Thursday for an e...

Before we boarded our flight to Miami, we decided to take a quiz to see which Golden Girl we are. We both came in with some ideas of who we might be - tune in to the end to see if we were right. Then, take it yourself and let us know who you got AND if that’s who you thought you would get! THEN, come back Monday for our very new season of "Sweet Tea & TV."

And, as always, thank you for being a friend!

AGH! Red alert - STTV is back (sort of...) At a minimum, we are reemerging from our T. Swift pre-Reputation era cave long enough to reconvene the STTV Book Club!

We were so honored to be invited to a book release event by Mary Dixie Carter, author of Marguerite by the Lake (and daughter of Dixie Carter!) 

Her new novel - “An atmospheric, tense novel about the death of a glamorous garden designer, a widower trying to keep his secrets buried, and the beautiful young gardener.” - was the PERFECT excuse for Book Club!

Thi...

Bernice Clifton has given us so much over the years. Her final parting gift? A reference to the iconic 1991 film: Thelma & Louise. It’s a shoot ‘em up, outlaw adventure featuring two outrageously talented women amidst a banger cast. It’s a bittersweet feminist text that shook up Hollywood stereotypes – and forever upholds the unshakable bond of female friendship. 

Brandon Davis from Front Row Classics returned to help us unpack this one: what it changed, what it didn’t, allll the trivia, and why this one holds a special place in our hearts - whether this was our first o...

We simply could not wrap up Designing Women without acknowledging its extended universe and CBS network spinoff, Women of the House. This is the short-lived series that reunited LBT and Delta Burke, and the show that brought back Suzanne Sugarbaker. Turns out: this one had some off-screen drama, too, but the best of it was in service to women. We like that. 

We’ll talk about our general reactions, likes, dislikes, and a bevy of Designing Women cameos PLUS some stunt casting with purpose.

The year, Patreon friends: 2003. The goal: bring back the original cast of "Designing Women". Sprinkle in: LBT, Pam Norris, and allll the husbands for good measure.

We couldn't possibly close out the series without chatting about the Lifetime Reunion: general reactions, favorite moments, and biggest surprises.

Come on, y'all, let's get into it! 

The time hath come, friends - we’re on our “Designing Women” farewell tour. After four years, seven seasons, hundreds of episode watches, and countless hours with these lovely creatures, our time together has come to an end. We’ll kick off the “goodbyes” sharing our all-time favorite episodes, ranking the seasons, and finally revealing our favorite characters (for today.) And, if we’re extra-nice, Salina may do some math for us! 

Come on y’all, let’s get into it! 

This “Extra Sugar” officially calls to order the Sweet Tea & TV Book Club! Grab your copy of “Trying to Get to Heaven: Opinions of a Tennessee Talker” by the one and only Dixie Carter and settle in for a gab-fest. This episode turned out longer than normal, but it turns out these two talkers - one a Georgia Talker and one a South Carolina Talker - also had a lot of opinions. 

Ah, the age-old fun-house version that’s not so “fun” - that’s what we were facing this season with Ms. Julia Sugarbaker. Her condescension was at an all-time high throughout the season and the runner of the tension between her and Mary Jo wasn’t our favorite part of the season. HOWEVER, there were some high points, so let’s chat about it.

And come back later this week for the second installment of the “Sweet Tea & TV Book Club” - we’re talking all things Dixie Carter’s 1996 book, “Trying to Get To Heaven: Opinions of a Tennessee Talker.

This week’s Extra Sugar is inspired by Mary Jo’s brush with the supernatural after Elvis’s face appears on her shovel in season 7, episode 17.

We’re also introduced to Jade Herman, a self-proclaimed expert in the “para-spectacular”, who “markets and promotes everything from Jesus’ face on a toaster to UFOs landing in a wheat field outside of London.”

Naturally, Salina then curated a list of five para-spectacular…occurrences…for your listening pleasure. So if you’re into toasts, ghosts, and UFOs, well, this one's for you. 

Justice for Mary Jo! That’s what we were yelling at the end of season 7. Mary Jo - and, in fact, Annie Potts - deserved so much more than the “Designing Women” writers gave her this season. Of course, there were some funny parts and a couple social commentaries but, for the most part, we veered into funhouse territory - just minus the fun. 

Come on y’all, let’s rip off the Band-aid and get into it! 

This week’s Carlene episode opened the door to something we just have to talk about: Southern Suffragists (courtesy of Carlene’s boyfriend, Eric, giving Julia a book on the topic in episode 20). 

We’ll talk about the women’s suffragist movement generally, unpack the South’s role and what happened here, and wrap up by looking at some women (and men!) suffragists who helped make it happen. 

Come on y’all, let’s get into it! 

The short version of this episode is: Salina and Nikki are disappointed that the writers/producers/universe short-changed easily one of the high points of the post-shakeup “Designing Women” cast. Poor Carlene is reduced to just a couple storylines and a few pop-in jokes here and there. But, that won’t stop us from giving her her due!

Let’s get into our thoughts (and feels) about Carlene’s portrayal in season 7 - from the funniest parts all the way down to the cringiest (including being nekkid on Anthony’s sheets!)

Come on y’all, let’s get into...

All the way back in season 4, in “Bernice’s Sanity Hearing” (which we called “Some LIke Dolls, Some Like Revenge”), Julia said: "I'm saying this is the South, and we're proud of our crazy people. We don't hide them up in the attic. We bring 'em right down to the living room and show 'em off. See, Phyllis, no one in the South ever asks if you have crazy people in your family. They just ask what side they're on.” 

Which leads us to the thesis of this “Extra Sugar”. We’ll poke around in that concept a little bit - what...

All aboard! Headed to our next stop on the ST&TV Season 7 Train - BERNICE.

The writers for “Designing Women” season 7 were ALL IN on Bernice as the comic relief this season and so were we. (Don’t be surprised if we break all the rules and share dozens of “funniest moments” for Bernice this season!) We’ll hit all the highs and lows for this red-hot mama. 

And don’t forget to come back Thursday for a mental-health focused “Extra Sugar.”

Our Anthony episode– and his rebound trip to Las Vegas – was a perfectly adequate excuse for Salina to talk about the Dixie Mafia. Confused? OK, stay with us. When people think about Vegas, they think about the mafia. But what if we told you there was a Southern mafia? The Dixie Mafia. AKA the Southern mob, AKA the Cornbread Cosa Nostra. 

Join us as we shed some light on their origins AND some of the most interesting figures and cases in their sordid history. 

Next up in our character run-down for season 7, the one, the only: ANTHONY BOUVIER! 

As we wrap up our time with Anthony, let’s take a second to appreciate the endless shenanigans the Designing Women have put him through, his quickie, season 7 marriage, his never-ending law school career, and the twist ending that has us all wondering if Bernice’s feelings for him were truly unrequited.

We’ll make a pit-stop at Salina’s Sidebar, to talk about the one and only, Sheryl Lee Ralph. 

And we have a special bit for our Patreon li...

In season 7, episode 13, all the ladies – even the ones who didn’t want to admit it (JULIA) – were wrapped by the celebrity scandal of the moment: Squidgygate. 

This was the perfect inspiration for us to also talk about celebrity scandals. So join us as we break down their favorite – and then we both bring a few of our own to the table: several Southern ones and then one that we can’t stop obsessing over for like, oh, four months now. 

Up first in our last Designing Women season EVER: Ms. Bonnie Jean Poteet, or BJ “if you’re nasty” (per Nikki, which, let’s be honest, makes it way better). We’re gonna talk about her season trajectory: her highs and her lows, and generally, what these two seasoned gals thought of this brief and final show addition.

We’ll break somewhere in the middle to talk about the woman behind the woman: Judith Ivey. Then come back on Thursday for a downright scandalous “Extra Sugar” inspired by the midseason obsession with Squidgygate – the world loves a “gate”, ya know?

We just had to give the series finale the old Sweet Tea & TV treatment. You know, break the WHOLE thing down – reactions, likes, dislikes, and allll the references. 

Join us as we give this fever dream, two-parter the send off it deserves – and frankly, we’ve all earned together these last four years. 

Come on y’all, let’s get into it! 

It’s impossible to believe it, but we have reached the 7th and final season of Designing Women. In our premiere episode, we’ll discuss our initial reactions and hand out some superlatives for the season's highs and lows. 

We’ll carry on with our season 6 structure - that is each week, we’ll spend some time with a different character. What were their best and worst moments and where did things end up for them?

Come back later in the week for an Extra Sugar where we’ll talk about the two-part series finale. It’ll be a...

It’s time for our traditional, post-”Designing Women” season special episode! We’re definitely planning to discuss season 7 after the holidays, but to tide you over, we’re heading to Beverly Hills—Troop Beverly Hills, to be exact. 

If you haven’t seen this 1989 gem starring Shelly Long in her peak, feathered-hair glory, you’re in for a treat. This isn’t just a movie—it’s an adventure in over-the-top Scout uniforms, cookie sales drama, and a showdown with wilderness survival that’s as hilarious as it is heartwarming. For us, it was a no-brainer: Carlene’s Scout leader st...

We are so excited to present our first-ever, Sweet Tea & TV special guest, Brandon, from Front Row Classics. He’s a knower-of-all-things old Hollywood. A connoisseur of classic films. And, luckily for us, a Designing Women appreciator. 

In this episode, we chat with Brandon about his favorite DW memories, his thoughts on the sometimes-maligned later seasons of the show, the plethora of classic film references that have popped up through the years on Designing Women, and we even lured him into a silly, ChatGPT-powered game, re-imagining the cast through the lens of vintage camera. 

We simply cannot leave the upheaval that was season six of Designing Women without talking about the elephant in the room: the cast changes. America was glued to their TVs to see how Julia Duffy and Jan Hooks would fare in place of the beloved Delta Burke and Jean Smart. Thirty million strong for that matter. We’ll discuss if they got a fair shake. 

Designing Women had some cast changes, but they didn’t invent them. So we’re going to talk about some iconic ones in other corners of TV. Who did it best? Who did it...

We can’t possibly round out our coverage of season 6 without discussing the much-discussed, oft-aligned newbie, Allison. It’s a big change, but how did we take it? Let’s discuss. Salina’s also going to bring us a Sidebar on Julia Duffy. And then come back Thursday for an Extra Sugar we’re calling Cast Away. We’re going to chat not only about the major Designing Women cast changes this season, but some other major - and less-major - cast shifts throughout TV history.

Oh boy! This season brought us Designing Women’s second-favorite big ole donkey Girl Scout, Carlene. (For those who don’t remember, Julia called Charlene a big-ole donkey Girl Scout back in season 5’s “Miss Trial” - we’re not just being mean to Carlene.) More than one episode this season referenced the Scouts. We also have a big ole donkey Girl Scout among us in the form of one, Ms. Nikki, AND we have some Southern AND “Designing Women” ties to the Girl Scout universe. So, it was just time for an “Extra Sugar” about the Scouts.

Let’s talk about w...

Season 6 introduced us to Charlene’s sister, Carlene Dobber. And look, we know Designing Women fans find the latter seasons sacreligious. But. Do not sleep on Carlene. This “pie-eyed girl from Poplar Bluff, Missouri” deserves all the flowers. We’re gonna give ‘em to her because, well, she’s a ding dang riot. 

Carlene wouldn’t be the delight she was without Jan Hooks’ performance, so sidebar about her with us. 

Then come back Thursday for an all-new Extra Sugar inspired by Carlene’s stint as troop leader of troop #6523, Atlanta Council, Girl Scouts USA. It’s gonna be good...

Watching season 6 of “Designing Women” made us realize: every season has some kind of wedding plotline (season 4 has three episodes!). 

So as is our duty, we talked about which of these episodes pulled our heart strings and which ones left us hoping for an annulment. 

Of course, this is also an excuse to talk about our favorite TV wedding episodes of all time: the good, the bad, and the t-total disastrous. 

It’s finally time for us to revel in the gloriousness that is our dear, sweet, unproblematic Anthony. He had some major plotlines this season (law school! professional development at the design firm! exploits with Bernice! an engagement!), but was his character developed enough, or did these storylines leave us with even more questions about our friend? We’ll talk about it. 

We’ll also reimagine Anthony’s life if social media has been a thing in the “Designing Women” universe. Would he be a keyboard, prison reform advocacy warrior? How would the whole “A Scene From a Mal...

This week’s “Extra Sugar” is going to take us beyond Bernice Clifton and head-first into the wacky world of kooky TV characters. 

Of course, at “Sweet Tea & TV”, Bernice holds a special place in our hearts, but we’ve watched enough TV over the years to know there’s an infinite number of lovable oddballs who steal the spotlight with their bizarre behavior and unforgettable antics. And it’s not just Kramer from “Seinfeld” and Phoebe from “Friends”. 

Catch this episode to hear some of our personal faves, why we think these eccentric characters have such a lasting impact...

We were so excited to record this one. Bernice has slowly edged her way into our TVs - and our hearts! - as the Designing Women seasons have progressed. But, in season 6, she really arrived. As you can tell from our summary of all her appearances this season, she's all over season 6. While we didn’t have whole, Bernice-focused episodes to talk about, we had a whole lotta oddball comments, near-rumble belligerent face-offs, and a little bit of singing along the way. Let’s talk about it all.

For this week's "Technology Takedown", let's imagine the world with...

Agghhh! It’s time! We’ve got Salina over here reading books. Nikki over here mashin’ tomatoes. (It’ll all make sense soon, swear.) It’s time for the first-ever Sweet Tea & TV Book Club! And what better place to start than Delta Burke’s memoir, Delta Style.

We’re excited to share our overall reactions to the book, chat about the biggest surprises to us, explore key themes, like Delta’s illustrious - albeit brief - pageant career, and uncomfortable experiences in Hollywood. 

And then come back next week where we’ll chat about Bernice’s season 6...

We’re back for another Designing Women season 6 recap! This time, we’re talking all things The Terminator. *ahem* We mean, Julia. We’ll focus on her major plotlines, funniest moments, and how season 6 shaped her character. As usual, we’ll also rate how the character of Julia fares this season - is she up? Down? Still locked in an Italian restaurant with Rusty somewhere? 

And come back Thursday for a super-special Extra Sugar - we’re introducing our first-ever Sweet Tea & TV Book Club! We’re going to chat about Delta Burke’s memoir, Delta Style. 

Theeeeen...

This week’s “Extra Sugar” was inspired by Designing Women, S6 E7, “The Strange Case of Clarence and Anita”. 

That would be Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (then nominee) and Anita Hill, the woman who testified he had sexually harassed her years earlier when he was her supervisor. 

We’ll talk about the aftermath of her testimony and then discuss where we are now. Our conversation circles issues of sexual misconduct, harassment, and assault, so please take care of yourself. 

In our second episode, we’re digging into all things Mary Jo. How did season 6 treat her? Is she up or down?

We’ll discuss our picks for her best and worst episodes, as well as her cringiest and funniest moments. We’re also trying out a new segment “Technology Takedown” where we upend a plot by simply adding one magic ingredient: a smart phone. 

Come back on Thursday for an “Extra Sugar” inspired by Mary Jo’s rant over the outcome of Anita Hill’s testimony back in 1991. 

Sometimes you just need something light and fluffy, you know? So that’s how we’re starting off our sixth season of “Extra Sugars” – Light. And fluffy. Like whip cream if you will. 

Join us as we catch up on what we’ve been doing over our months of hiatus – what we’re reading, watching, doing. Then we’re gonna talk about some things that have had our attention in the wider world these last months. The general chaos of the world, but like. Also some good stuff, too. 

We're ba-aaaaack! That's right, after much hemming and hawing over whether to watch the final seasons of Designing Women, ultimately, we realized it was much ado about nothing. Of course we have to wrap up the series!

We’re doing things a little different this time, however. We’ll cover the series over the course of seven weeks. For this first episode, we’re breaking down our general reactions to the season. Get into our feelings if you will. 

Come on y’all, let’s get into it! 

As we gear up for season 6, it’s only right to revisit our “Extra Sugar” all about Suzanne and Charlene – one we did whilst still in our feelings about Delta Burke’s final episode. 

Mourn the loss with us – we talked about some favorite moments, what they mean to us, and what happened to Burke and Jean Smart next IRL. 

Well, y’all, this Designing Women episode was both a favorite of ours and listeners, so let’s laissez les bons temps rouler! While we felt Julia’s rant in our bones, for the record, we’d still prefer to hang with Suzanne and Charlene in ‘The Big Easy’. 

Inspired by their night on the town, Nikki’s told us about 10 not-so-obvious things to do when you visit New Orleans. And, if you’re feeling frisky, you can go back and find this one’s accompanying “Extra Sugar” that we dedicated to the important history and cultural impact of drag. 

In our fifth season, we finally got into the real life and offscreen drama between Delta Burke and the Thomasons. While only those involved can truly know what happened, this time period would ultimately lead to Burke’s departure from the series – and so we felt we owed it to ourselves and those following along to talk about it. 

We  also picked and discussed some other famous offscreen feuds between stars and their bosses.

You may think we picked this one for the buffets, and you’re half right (we did get a pretty tasty “Nibbles” segment out of it). Mainly, we’re here for Mary Jo and Charlene’s level 10 physical comedy trying to find Suzanne’s pearls in the salad bar. 

This is also where we introduced our temporary segment, “Suzanne Watch” - to try and decode some of the weird ways they were using Delta Burke as their relationship in real life quickly unraveled. 

Bernice’s toward self-acceptance was a fun, little thrill for us, since it taught us that we can still experience self-loathing well into our senior years. Why not relive that realization through a re-sugar of our foray into plastic surgery. Well, our academic foray - no actual surgery was had. (But, it’s not too late - still taking donations!)

Any episode where Julia gets riled is worth a rewatch. Her run-ins (read: total and complete meltdowns) with “big ole donkey scout” first Charlene and later her fried-cheese-eating jury duty colleagues reminds us one and all: don’t mess with a Southern woman on a mission. 

We also sidebarred on radio contests in honor of the hurtin’ Charlene, Suzanne, and Anthony put on the record store after winning a radio contest. 

Season 4, episode 11, “They Shoot Fat Women, Don’t They” was a seminal moment in Designing Women’s history and simultaneously a denouement to the media and public’s relentless obsession with Delta Burke’s weight. 

So, when we finally reached this essential episode last year, we knew it was time for an “Extra Sugar” that explored what happened behind the scenes. It was also an opportunity to talk about fat shaming and body shaming, why these concepts matter, and what we can do to take care of ourselves and each other. 

What can we say? We love an Anthony and Suzanne team-up. In this case it was more of a good bribery, but either way, we were all in for their zany plan to keep Consuela from being deported. (After all, she and Suzanne understand each other. We’re talking middle-of-the-night peach pies and overlooked knives thrown. That’s love, y’all.)

As promised, we came together one more time to talk about First Wives Club. We talked about cast members who have gone on to become bonafide Hollywood icons since this movie, potential casting what-ifs, and even a few First Wives Controversies.

Any revisit of season 4 would be completely incomplete if we didn’t revisit Suzanne’s (and Delta Burke’s!) moment in the sun. Suzanne gets bullied at her high school reunion for gaining weight, while Anthony, Julia, and Mary Jo go on a two-day fast to raise awareness about world hunger. We miss Charlene. (tear emoji)

So where are we on world hunger in the 21st century? We’ll sidebar on it. Then come back Thursday for an “Extra Sugar” dedicated to Suzanne’s plot line including how this episode came about in the first place.

First Wives Club. Now this one was an audience pick and we happily obliged. We talked about our favorite parts, why it means so much to us, and movie trivia. 

Outside of the recording: we constructed an entire revenge-themed menu and shared each of those dishes on social media. 

This one gave us so much content that we had to split it into two, so come back next week for more. 

We can’t revisit season 4 and skip past this classic Bernice episode. Her niece tried to declare her incompetent and, you know, shenanigans! Every performance was on FIRE, especially Annie Potts and Delta Burke. We also had to talk about the Mary Jo coined trip, “the IRBAT" – as in "the International Rich B!t*h Alimony Tour" –  in a Salina’s Sidebar. Also interested in one of those if a spot becomes available. Just saying.

Designing Women gave us about fifty-’leven Deliverance references, and then, in season 4, they basically did their own sitcom version. This left us no choice but to finally talk about it. 

One of us watched it begrudgingly (70s pacing is tough for a modern movie viewer), and then we met to talk about movie trivia, themes, and the enduring impact on the South. It’s a thing, y’all. 

This one was like a sneaky “Designing Women” lesson to BOLO for pyramid schemes. If it happened this side of the 21st century, they would have been extracting Charlene from the grasps of some LulaRoe-esque company. 

When we weren’t trying to un-brainwash Charlene, we were watching Suzanne and Anthony grow closer over his run for homecoming representative. 

We ended this one with an “Extra Sugar” about the darker side of pyramid schemes and their tactics eerie resemblance to cults. 

Julia’s brush with the legal system (AKA jury duty), led to an “Extra Sugar” where Nikki brought us two unbelievable Southern criminal trials. Don’t worry! She lightened the mood with crimes that were, shall we say, a little scattered, smothered and covered?

This one is a Salina favorite. When Mary Jo contemplated a breast augmentation back in season 3, episode 5, it basically became one big ole, double D-sized breference. 

That led to the “Extra Sugar” dedicated to the one and only brassiere. AKA the over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder. AKA the bra. It’s fascinating, y’all!

Season 3 officially cemented a ‘movie review’ episode into Sweet Tea & TV tradition. This time Salina would watch – for the first time – a Nikki favorite: Captain Ron. Patreons picked this one (just a little reminder of the perks if you want to get involved).

We learned A LOT including the fact that we really want to be Martin Short and Steve Martin’s friends IRL. We played a new game for “Extra Sugar” called Nautical or Knot. Play along to see if you have your sea legs.

Longtime listeners know we get pretty excited anytime we get to leave Sugarbakers, so when the ladies + Anthony road trips it to Graceland…We. Were. Stoked. Nikki waxed poetically about Buc-ee’s in a sidebar (a VERY necessary road trip stop here in the South), and then we just had to talk about Graceland and The King himself during our “Extra Sugar” segment. 

It’s time we revisit our “Extra Sugar” all about Dixie Carter!

By the time we’d done this, we’d done segments about the lives and careers of  LBT, Annie Potts, Meschach Taylor, Delta Burke, and Jean Smart, but we owed you – and ourselves – a Dixie Carter deep-dive. This episode is where we pay up. We’re finally talking about Ms. Julia Sugarbaker herself, THE Dixie Carter.

P.S. If we sound punch drunk, we kind of were thanks to copious amounts of sherbert punch leading up to the segment. 

The one where Bernice officially stole our hearts and made us stand up and cheer. It turns out, she’s a biblical savant and low key feminist who took Charlene’s minister to task over his argument against women in ministry. Meanwhile, Julia sings “for all us girls, everywhere” – should you need a good cry.

We took this week’s “Extra Sugar” as an opportunity to take a closer look at women at the pulpit. 

REPLAY: When “Julia gets her head stuck in a fence” – AKA the very rare, priceless, and historically significant Abbott Banister in the Georgia Governor’s Mansion – back in season 4, there was only one thing for us to do: talk about these mansions, of course. We threw in a “Grits Blitz” for good measure.

On reflection, it occurs to us that every major cast member has a wedding episode: that is one where they are married or make an attempt down the aisle. Suzanne got her turn after Reggie MacDawson ‘absconded’ with all her money. In other news: it’s the return of Ray Don, where Julia tries her hand at flirting and Mary Jo gets soused off one “purse drink”. 

Crack open something good for this week’s “Extra Sugar” where we’re talking about the history of canned cocktails.

Howard the Duck was our second special episode ever. Salina watched for the first time. Nikki revisited and realized just how weird this movie was for a kid. Then we met and chatted about our reactions. The movie. Eh. The trivia. Stellar.

Leave Earth for just a bit, and come with us, want you? We’re going to Duckworld!

Oh, now this one here is a fan favorite. And thanks to a Southern snow storm and a motel short on rooms, it’s the first time we get to see the truly magnetic chemistry between Suzanne and Anthony. 

This one also led to an “Extra Sugar” on the weird and twisty history of interracial marriage.

Back in season 4, (E10, “Manhunt”), Suzanne helps Mary Jo “find a man” using an awful dating book. It led us down another Google hole: this time looking at dating advice over the years. We chatted about it and the scare tactics the media loves to lord over women every few years whether we need it or not. 

Here are some unintentional companion episodes:

A VERY important episode for us: the first time we really see Delta Burke get to do her thing as Suzanne. Like her real thing – not flighty Suzanne and not “excuse me” Suzanne. THIS is the version grappling with her identity, her age, and what she wants out of life. All prompted when Suzanne falls in love with the little girl she temporarily adopts, only to have to let her go forever. 

A quick reference to a popular 80s toy leads to one of our most twisted Extra Sugars to date: the weird history of cabbage patch kids. <

Ah, it feels like just yesterday we spotted Bill Engvall in Designing Women’s fourth season (E21 Tough Enough). It was the perfect opportunity to talk about a real Southern phenomenon: The Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Nikki clued us in on a really interesting Designing Women crossover – and she used her CRAZY good Internet sleuthing skills to track herself down in a live taping from 20 years ago. It’s really impressive, y’all. 

This one holds a very special place in our hearts. These were still early pandemic days, and after three months of painstaking virtual recordings – this here was our very first in-person recording. We were vaxed, relaxed, and ready to party! 

It was also a Designing Women first: the first of several slumber parties. The first time we saw Mary Jo get a little tipsy, and subsequently, the first time she confronted Suzanne about dating her ex-husband. 

We sidebarred to break up stereotypes about voodoo (preferably referred to as Vodon by practitioners). Then we reminisced about slee...

Ah, it feels like just yesterday when Salina introduced Nikki to arguably the most popular rom com of all time: Pretty Woman. That’s right, Nikki, so versed in pop culture had somehow missed it. But back in 2021, we saved her from this big mistake. Big. Huge.

Revisit it with us, will you? Her first reactions to this modern(ish)-day fairy tale, the trivia, the movie's enduring legacy, and of course, some Southern and Designing Women connections. 

Only two episodes into the series, “The Beauty Contest” remains a fan favorite. We were recently reminded on Instagram of the lasting endurance of Julia’s epic “the night the lights went out in Georgia” takedown. 

But this one was more than that. It was about coming to terms with your own identity (via Suzanne), sisterly love (via Julia), and facing the both unrealistic and hypocritical beauty standards that live rent free in our heads (Mary Jo). 

This one also kicked off two segments we still do today: the “sidebar” and “extra sugar” The former is about the history...

This is a special episode one year in the making: Soapdish. And with this 1991 cult classic under our belts, we will have rounded out the Robert Harling trifecta: Steel Magnolias, First Wives Club, and of course, Soapdish. 

Join us for Nikki’s first watch to see if she loved it or REALLY loved it. Clearly those are the only two options. Then it really gets the Sweet Tea & TV treatment – what we liked and didn’t, as well as movie trivia, and any Designing Women universe connections. 

You can find Soapdish streaming on MAX. You can also...

Another season of “Designing Women” has come and gone. In this fifth season, “Sweet Tea & TV” explored every topic from cool stuff you have to see and do if you visit NOLA like the Sugarbaker’s team did, to a deep-dive on “To Kill a Mockingbird”, to “potty parity” (spoiler alert: it’s a thing!) But, believe it or not, there were some stones unturned. So, we’re using our traditional “finale-finale” to wrap up those loose ends, and do a little ST&TV season 5 reflection. 

We’re also delivering a Patreon-exclusive “Extra Sugar”, where we’re giving the episodes of “Designing W...

Cue the sad music and grab the kleenex: today we say goodbye to Suzanne and Charlene. 

That's right, we’ve finally watched and discussed Delta Burke’s last episode. Jean Smart isn’t far behind.

Mourn the loss with us – let’s talk about some favorite moments, what they mean to us, and what happened to them both IRL next. We’ll wrap by asking…an oracle of sorts…what would have happened if we’d followed Charlene and Suzanne on their international journeys. 

Julia and Mary Jo go head-to-head – and arm-to-arm for that matter – after they start co-coaching Quent and Randa’s baseball team. 

Meanwhile Suzanne is protecting her car windshield from foul balls – and taking Charlene along for the ride. There’s no getting around the fact it’s our last episode with her. 

Meet us in the middle for a sidebar on parents who, uh, get a wee bit too into kids sports. Then come back Thursday to reminisce about Suzanne and Charlene. 

This week, we’re replaying a ST&TV “classic” (are we allowed to call it that???) At any rate, if not a classic, maybe it’s fair to call it an oldie but a goodie! We’re headed back to season 2 of ST&TV, to an “Extra Sugar” where we spilled the tea on country clubs. Throughout the segment, we learn about the history and breakdown some of the “-ism” claims Julia makes against Beaumont. 

There’s only one thing standing between Suzanne and the Beaumont Driving Club and his name is Anthony Bouvier. Worse still, there are only two things standing between us and the end of Suzanne’s reign on Designing Women: the last two episodes of season 5. Soak every moment up with us y’all. 

This one just has to be accompanied by Nikki’s previous “Extra Sugar” back when we very first encountered the illustrious Beaumont. Her exploration of country clubs gets right at the crux of what happens with Anthony.

Ah, Bernice. Forever our inspiration. But DEFINITELY our “Extra Sugar” inspiration when she spends an entire episode attempting to land a whopper of a home video for what would have been brand-new must-see TV: “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” 

Bernice didn’t succeed, but thousands of people have and we’re here to talk all about it.

Bill’s back from the Gulf War?! Mary Jo and Charlene are writing a kid’s book?! Julia is just now taking her driving test?! We have questions. 

Meet us in the middle for a Nibbles segment about Southern desserts – all thanks to Bill’s penchant for peach cobbler.

Then come back Thursday for an Extra Sugar all about America’s favorite pastime: watching people get hurt, but you know, in a hilarious way. We’re chatting America’s Funniest Home Videos, y’all. 

Julia’s hilariously unconventional parenting techniques had us cracking open our etiquette books and asking WWAVD? That is, what would the “arbiter of manners” and the “authority on etiquette” Amy Vanderbilt do? 

We’ll talk about it. But look: Ms. Vanderbilt has a fascinating story all her own – so we’re going to talk about her, too. We’ll wrap up with a chat about modern etiquette because someone has got to teach people how to be polite in social media comments. Sheesh.

We learn two major lessons: 1) Designing Women boyfriends don’t often make it (RIP Reese, who IRL was settling in on LBT’s other show Evening Shade) and 2) you will finish the burger Julia made you – come hell, high water, or several broken vases. 

Her unique parenting style inspired this week’s "Extra Sugar" was a perfect excuse to bust out the Amy Vanderbilt etiquette handbook that Nikki bought after she was first referenced in season 3. Yes, yes, we’ll talk etiquette, but also about Mrs. Vanderbilt, AND what would go in our updated guide. 

<

Why in the world would a 2024 podcast about a late-80s/early-90s TV show have an entire episode about a 1960s movie about the 1930s? Well, if you’ve been around ST&TV for any amount of time, you know we have our reason! This week, we have three of ‘em:

In one corner, we have Mary Jo, tiny, agile, and out for justice. In the other corner, her opponent and former mugger, Norman Bates (yes, we said Norman Bates), pizza slinger and plea bargain extraordinaire. Will Mary Jo get her day in court? Sort of. Will there be obligatory Rocky references? Absolutely. Join us to see the inner workings of the justice system through the lens of situational comedy. 

Then come back Thursday for an “Extra Sugar” dedicated to another Southern court movie, only slightly more prestigious, To Kill A Mockingbird. Join us to talk about the ins a...

Suzanne’s stand off with female impersonator Lolita DuPage got us thinking – and chatting – about the world of drag: its history–or herstory if you will–the major players, and the legal attempts to restrict it in recent years.

The ladies and Anthony head to NOLA for Design Expo ‘91! Laissez les bons temps rouler! Just kidding – that’s not possible with our favorite stick in the mud, Julia. Meanwhile, Mary Jo’s attempt to sow her one wild oat goes awry. And no shock here: we want to hang with Suzanne and Charlene, who are soaking in the city’s cuisine, cocktails, and culture. (Or at least let us crash with Anthony since no one else will!)

And, inspired by Charlene and Suzanne’s girls’ night on the town, Nikki’s gonna sidebar with us on 10 not-so-obvious t...

Our Designing Women are exposed to the world of contemporary art, so you know what that means: we’re now becoming artists! Nah, but we do need to talk about some things like what was happening in contemporary art at the time that had this on the writers’ minds? And, uh, what is contemporary art? We’ll also talk about some fascinating examples – and who knows? Maybe we’ll all be fans by the end.

Sugarbaker’s is thrust into the world of contemporary art – and things get weird for everyone. Julia is suddenly a hot new artist, Charlene keeps trying to use the artwork, Mary Jo is lugging around a bumper, and Suzanne glued her lips together. Phew! Art is hard work. 

Come back Thursday for an Extra Sugar where we’ll dig into some of the most intriguing contemporary art we could find. 

In this week’s “Designing Women” cold open, we found Charlene toasting up a sandwich atrocity - I mean, masterpiece - in her “As Seen on TV” diamond in the rough: a hot sandwich toasting machine. I don’t know about you, but that very nearly inspired us to dust off the ole George Foreman and toast up a delectable grilled sandwich creation of my own. I mean, we didn’t, of course, but we sure did think about it! 

The other thing we thought about was the magical moment infomercials and the “As Seen on TV” world had back in t...

JD’s back! The timing is perfect because Mary Jo wants another baby. Sure they cry, scream, and poop, but it was the best time of her life, so pony up JD! Meanwhile, Suzanne takes up smoking to curb her appetite causing a glorious ruckus in Sugarbaker’s. 

Come back Thursday for a segment we’re calling, This Extra Sugar Marvel Could Be All Yours For Four Easy Payments of $19.99. We can’t tell you much more - you just have to come back Thursday for this exclusive. But, because we like ya, we’ll give you this bonus...