ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 28, 1992                   TAG: 9203280357
SECTION: SPECTATOR                    PAGE: S-19   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short


CHANGES COMING FOR `DESIGNING WOMEN'

"Designing Women" creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason says she's redesigning the show for next season.

"Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't. I'm not sure this does," she says.

The biggest potential change - although not a done deal - is eliminating snooty Allison (played by Julia Duffy), the character created to replace Suzanne Sugarbaker (Delta Burke).

Bloodworth-Thomason says CBS, Duffy and the producers are talking and hope to decide by May 1 whether Allison will return next fall.

Bloodworth-Thomason says Jackee may join the cast as a regular or recurring character as Anthony's (Meshach Taylor's) fiancee. The former "227" star will be introduced in the season's last episode in May. Whether she joins the series depends partly on the success or failure of CBS's "The Royal Family," which Jackee joined after Redd Foxx's death.

Former cast member Jean Smart probably will return for several episodes and Jan Hooks, added this season as Carlene Frazier, will definitely be back but her character will be written as stronger and deeper. - Cox News Service



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