Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is the creator/writer of Designing Women and Evening Shade, two of CBS Television's most successful comedy series. She also served as Executive Producer, along with her husband Harry Thomason, on three other series, Hearts Afire, Women of the House and Emeril.

A native of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Linda Joyce Bloodworth received her B.A. in English from the University of Missouri. She moved to Los Angeles to work for the Wall Street Journal in advertising and later joined the Los Angeles Daily Journal as a reporter.

She was teaching English at Jordan High School in Watts, California, when she started her career as a free-lance writer in 1974. She wrote episodes for Paper Moon, Rhoda, and the original pilot for the series One Day at a Time. She also wrote the variety special The Shape of Things. Linda wrote five episodes of the series M*A*S*H and was nominated for an Emmy for two of her scripts. In 1975 she was honored by the Ladies Home Journal as Woman of the Year for Outstanding Writing in Comedy. She joined Columbia Pictures Television in 1977 as an independent producer and was producer/creator/writer on the series Filthy Rich. Linda was also co-producer with Harry Thomason on the pilots Dribble and London and Davis in New York and the series Lime Street.

Bloodworth-Thomason is the first American writer in television history to write 35 consecutive episodes of a series.

Married in 1983, the Thomasons formed Mozark Productions for the development of quality entertainment. The name of the company is derived from the combination of Missouri and Arkansas, their home states.

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason has received many awards, including numerous Emmy and Writers Guild nominations. Her shows have also received a number of civic and cultural awards which include Nancy Susan Reynolds Award for Sexual Responsibility in the Media from the Center For Popular Options; the Humanitarian Award from Funders Concerned About AIDS; the first Freedom of Speech Award from Americans for Democratic Action; the Trend Setter Award from the National Health Council in honor of her dedication to women's health issues; and the Silver Satellite Award for outstanding achievement in the field of broadcast communications from American Women In Radio and Television. She has also been honored by the Women's Legal Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. for her contribution to the advancement of women and families.

In 1990, Ladies Home Journal named Linda Bloodworth-Thomason one of America's Fifty Most Powerful Women. In July of 1992, Bloodworth-Thomason produced the acclaimed documentary, The Man From Hope, which introduced Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in New York. In 1993, the Thomasons served as Co-chairs of the Presidential Inauguration. In 1996, she directed and produced A Place Called America, which introduced President Clinton at the 1996 Democratic National Convention.

In 2001, Linda wrote and co-produced with Harry the comedy series Emeril -- centering around Chef Emeril Lagasse, and she recently released her first novel, Liberating Paris.

To honor her late mother, Claudia, Bloodworth-Thomason created The Claudia Foundation, which provides scholarships for qualified girls in Arkansas and Missouri who would otherwise not be able to attend college. Bloodworth-Thomason has donated over one million dollars to these scholarships, which has put 87 women in colleges and universities across the country.