Space was limited on the soundstage, so when the kitchen was off camera, it was usually detached from the rest of the set and the space used for something else. [40] However, Arthur preferred that her three castmates and she all break for lunch together on workdays. According to McClanahan, by the end of season three, Getty's anxiety had become a serious problem, and she had increasing trouble memorizing her lines. Its time to look back at the golden years with our favorite Golden Girls. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. The adventures of Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Rose ( universally beloved Betty White) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) -- four older women who lived in a Miami home together -- took audiences by storm and provided representation to a group generally overlooked by television of the time. Featuring an all-male cast in drag, The Golden Girls: Live! In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty Whites character) was 55. She was said to have worn aged cosmetics in character to make her appear to be an eighty-something woman. Every episode of The Golden Girls was made available to stream on Hulu on February 13, 2017. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress In the pilot episode, the three are joined by Dorothy's 80-year-old widowed mother, Sophia Petrillo (Getty), after the retirement home where she has been living has burned down. For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). [52], The house's address was mentioned as being 6151 Richmond Street, Miami. The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. One, while the characters ages on the show appeared to be quite consistentBlanche, Rose, and Dorothy were all in their mid-50s, and Sophia was Dorothys widowed, elderly motherthe actors who played them were all somewhat varied in age. She'd be walking around like Pig-Pen, under a black cloud. Estelle Getty, who portrayed Sophia, was a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy, Sophias daughter. [24] Produced to introduce the network's 198485 season schedule, two actresses appearing on NBC shows, Selma Diamond of Night Court and Doris Roberts of Remington Steele, appeared in a skit promoting the upcoming show Miami Vice as Miami Nice, a parody about old people living in Miami. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. She passed away in 2010, at the age of 76, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. As of February 2013, WE tv's rights expired and Viacom networks' TV Land, home to Betty White's last series Hot in Cleveland, purchased them,[79] as did Logo TV. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. Carrie's age range in "And Just Like That." puts her in the same age range as the characters in "The Golden Girls" season one, according to TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. was an off-Broadway show that opened in the summer of 2003 in New York City at Rose's Turn theater in the West Village, and ran until November of that year. The series, starring Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan as four women sharing a Miami home, was an instant hit -- and eventually won all four of its stars Emmys. And that was, to me, what made it seem like it could be a contemporary, young show. At least two females were forced to change roles! [82], Buena Vista Home Entertainment has released all seven seasons, with edits, of The Golden Girls on DVD in Region 1 and Region 4 with the first four being released in Region 2. This led into the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. Cherry commented on read-throughs of the scripts that "generally, if the joke was a good one, the women found a way to make it work the very first time they read it. [112], In 2017, a Golden Girls-themed eatery, Rue la Rue Cafe owned by Rue McClanahan's close friend Michael La Rue, who inherited many of the star's personal belongings and in turn decorated the restaurant with them, opened in the Washington Heights section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Afterwards, Getty had returned to New York, but gained permission from her manager to return to California in early 1985. Arthur was born on May 13, 1922, making her the second oldest actress in the main cast. [70][self-published source?] Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. [56] In 2020, owners marketed the property for $3 million. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? The Golden Girls is one of the most beloved and enduring sitcoms of all time. [63] Much of Arthur's wardrobe was custom-made because at the time, finding off-the-rack clothing that was flattering for a taller woman was difficult. The women's ages were usually not explicitly stated, although some deductive work gives a pretty safe estimate of how old each Golden Girl was at the start of the series. In Southeast Asia, Rewind Networks began airing reruns of The Golden Girls on its HD channel, HITS, in 2013. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. [24] The Cosby Show director Jay Sandrich, who had previously worked with Harris, Witt, and Thomas on Soap, agreed to direct the pilot episode. Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. This faade, along with the Empty Nest house, sustained hurricane damage leading to Disney's 2003 decision to bulldoze the houses of "Residential Street" and construct its Lights, Motors, Action! According to the calculations, Dorothy was 53 at the start of the series, according to the, Blanche was 17 in 1949, according to Season 3, Episode 25, , Blanche lied to her housemates about her age so easily (and Sophia promptly called her out and said shed be 70 when the kid graduated), its reasonable to, Fun Things to Do for Mothers Day Filled With Activities, Hilarious Thanksgiving Puns for Your Friends and Family, 60 Sweet Merry Christmas Wishes for Mothers 2021 Update, Applauding Employee Appreciation Quotes Befitting for Hardworking Staff, Heart Warming One Month Anniversary Wishes Latest Update 2021, Adorable Thanks for Birthday Wishes Messages to Send Someone. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. "[60] Anna Wyckoff of the Costume Designers Guild wrote, "Evans took the direction from the producers to create a vibrant look for the four mature leads, and ran with itredefining what 'dressing your age' looked like. Similarly, Estelle Getty, who played Sophia, was 79 when the show began and 83 when it ended. Soap lasted for four seasons and was marred by controversy due to Harriss insistence on including content that dealt with themes of sexuality, religion, and race. Another brief run of the show began on 27 April 2020 till summer 2020 on Channel 5, but only showed episodes up to the season-four finale and is returning to Channel 4 starting from early 2022. The basic facts to work with are that The Golden Girls began in 1985 and ended in 1992, both in real life and in-world. Starring actress Hodge left after two seasons, David Rasche joined the cast at the start of the second season, and Loni Anderson was added as the new hospital administrator in the third. dog | 281K views, 6.6K likes, 7.7K loves, 9.7K comments, 2.9K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from AMC Princess Ana - Team AMC Ana: This is Ana's FIRST. [109] The production ended because the producers failed to secure the rights and received a cease-and-desist order by the creators of the original television show. [108] After the end of The Golden Palace, Getty joined the cast of Empty Nest, making frequent appearances as Sophia in the show's final two seasons. Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. It shattered stereotypes and even made that demographic entertaining for audiences of all genders and ages. Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai. : Extreme Stunt Show, discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, List of awards and nominations received by The Golden Girls, "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time", Golden Girls appears to get better with pop culture age, "7 Things You Might Not Know About The Golden Girls", "The Golden Girls - Cast/Crew Documentary (2/9)", "These Are the Most-Watched TV Series Finales of All Time: 17", "The TV Ratings Guide: 1987-1988 season ratings", "Golden Girls: A 20th Anniversary Oral History", "Catching Up with the Golden Girls' Susan Harris", "Crackle's Creator Conversation: Soap's Susan Harris", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, "Betty White and Bea Arthur's Friends Open Up About Their On-Set Feud", "Say It Isn't So, Girls! The women's ages were usually not explicitly stated, although some deductive work gives a pretty safe estimate of how old each Golden Girl was at the start of the series. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. For instance, in the series finale, it is revealed that Blanche was born in 1931, which would make her 54 at the beginning of the show. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? She was just as uptight as a human being could get. Arthur and White worked well together in shared mutual respect, but they did not pursue a personal friendship with one another outside of The Golden Girls set. Its probable it examined a lot of the same scenarios as previous episodes. We hope this article on how old were the golden girls has been interesting and has also been able to bring back good memories. In the end, the math adds up to Dorothy being 53 at the start of the series and 60 at the series' end. Getty was the first actress to be cast, and her role was intended to make the rest of the characters appear younger. According to Evans, "I wanted a sexy, soft, and flowing look for Rue, a tailored, pulled-together look for Bea, a down-home look for Betty, and comfort for Estelle. [citation needed]. She was born on July 25, 1923, making her 62 years old by the time the sitcom premiered. The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur elected to quit the series after six seasons in the top ten and the seventh season at #30. The basic facts to work with are that The Golden Girls began in 1985 and ended in 1992, both in real life and in-world. Details on Betty White and Bea Arthur's Off-Screen Feud", "CNN Official Interview: Betty White: Bea Arthur was not fond of me", "Marc Cherry Shares His Memories of Writing for Golden Girls", "Golden Girls weren't so chummy off the screen, star's son reveals", "Estelle Getty, 'Golden Girls' Matriarch, Dies at 84", "Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' Dies at 84", "Bea Arthur's son says she 'wasn't really close to anybody' despite 'Golden Girls' fame", "The Changing Face of Modern Television: When Costume Design Costars", "Bea-ing Stylish: Former "Golden Girl" Bea Arthur Talks About Comfort Clothes, Going Barefoot and Her Famous "Maude" Wardrobe", "7 Must-Have Items from Rue McClanahan's Estate Sale", "30 Things You Never Knew About 'The Golden Girls', "The Golden Girls Creators On Finding a New Generation of Fans", "The Queen Mother Loved The Golden Girls So Much That She Requested a Live Performance from the Cast", "Preview 2: The Golden Girls Arrive on Logo April 13th", "Fathom Events to Celebrate Nearly 40 Years of "The Golden Girls" This September", "The Golden Girls 25th Anniversary Complete Collection", "The Golden Girls - The Complete First Season [DVD] [1985]", "The Golden Girls - The complete Season 2 [DVD] [1986]", "The Golden Girls - Season 3 - Complete [DVD]", "TV Weekend; 3 of the Golden Girls in a New Home", "Thank You For Being a Friend brings the Golden Girls to the stage as puppets", "TVE comienza a rodar 'Juntas, pero no revueltas', su versin de 'Las chicas de oro', "TVE presenta el remake: 'Volvemos a la sitcom pero con valor seguro', "Altin Kizlar'in Setine Gizli Kamera Koymak Gerek", "Heard the one about the US sense of humour? The writers observed that in many of the proposed scripts, the main interaction between the women occurred in the kitchen while preparing and eating food. During its original run, The Golden Girls received 68 Emmy nominations, 11 Emmy awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Viewers for Quality Television awards. Sophia was supposed to accompany her, but she ends up staying in Miami with the other females, which leads to the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. The sitcom was conceptualized by writer Susan Harris. If she had returned, her character would have been in her sixties. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Before The Golden Girls, she was most renowned for creating the series Soap, which parodied daytime soap operas such as The Young and the Restless. In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? However, White and McClanahan wanted to play against their typecasting, so McClanahan was cast as Blanche instead. These ages seem to contradict what is stated in the show, suggesting that the characters may actually be younger than their stated ages. [42], Creator Susan Harris went on to contribute another four episodes to the first season, but became less involved with the sitcom throughout its run; she continued reading all scripts, however, and remained familiar with most of the storylines. Although the womens ages were rarely disclosed, some deductive work may be used to approximate how old each Golden Girl was at the commencement of the series. Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman were the first head writers of the series, and wrote for the show's first four seasons. consisted of two back-to-back episodes of the sitcom: "Break-In" (season one, episode eight) and "Isn't It Romantic?" Cast alongside Rue McClanahan, she impressed the producers of The Golden Girls with her recurring role as Ellen in Mamas Family. The company expected the show to appeal to older female viewers. You have a lot of table reads where the actors will mess it up because they don't understand what the characters are doing, or they misinterpret. The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. [50] She had reportedly started to show signs of the dementia during the filming of the television series, when, despite more than three decades of theater work, she began to struggle to remember her lines, and in later seasons of the show, had to rely on cue cards. The Golden Girls Almost Had a Fifth Main Character - Here's Why He Was Dropped The Golden Girls broke boundaries with its main cast of older women, but it originally broke even more with the lost fifth member of the hit sitcom. As one of the few times in television history where three shows from the same producer, set in the same city, aired back-to-back-to-back on the same network, the three shows occasionally took advantage of their unique circumstance to create storylines carrying through all three series, such as "Hurricane Saturday". Prior to that, when old people were shown on television, you could almost smell them., Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, and Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). Carl Gettleman, one of her two sons, says the co-star of the TV show "The Golden Girls" died early Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at home in Los Angeles. I kept reading scenes to them and saying, 'God, this is brilliant [] There's nothing trendy about this show. Sarah Jessica Parker and Betty White, both of whom play a 55-year-old woman. Ellen Albertini Dow played Sophia's friend Lillian and an unnamed hospital patient with a flower cart. On November 9, 2010, the studio released a complete-series box set titled The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection. She would start getting under a dark cloud the day before tape day You could see a big difference in her that day. Saving the most difficult to track down for last, Rue McClanahan's character Blanche Devereaux kept her age a mystery (and a recurring joke) throughout most of The Golden Girls. Contact Us Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Bea Arthur as the beloved main cast of the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, and Harris served as the original executive producers. It was my positive attitude, and that made Bea angry sometimes.. Clearly, the wardrobe and hairstyles in each show are extremely different from each other. The basic facts to work with are that The Golden Girls began in 1985 and ended in 1992, both in real life and in-world. This suggests that she was likely in her early 50s when the show began. [29][30], Walt Disney, NBC Studios and the creators were named in a federal copyright infringement suit filed by Nancy Bretzfield claiming the show was based on a script rejected by NBC in 1980. [25] NBC senior vice president Warren Littlefield was among the executive producers in the audience who were amused by their performance, and he envisioned a series based on the geriatric humor the two were portraying. At the age of 86, Bea Arthur passed away from lung cancer in April 2009. 12. Disney's Michael Eisner explains, "Estelle Getty made our three women into girls. After reruns on different regional channels of the ARD Network, the show later aired on private channels RTL, VOX, Super RTL, Disney Channel and RTLup. Advertise "[47] Getty died in 2008, the result of dementia with Lewy bodies. "[72], During the NBC upfronts, the preview screening of the show got a standing ovation. In 2022, we no longer believe that women need to lose their purpose once they hit the big 5-0. The story follows four older single women (three widows and one divorced) who share a home in Miami, Florida. [58], The kitchen set seen on The Golden Girls was originally used on an earlier Witt/Thomas/Harris series, It Takes Two, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983. However, she wasn't much older than Bea Arthur. Arguably the main protagonist of the show, Blanche Devereaux is portrayed by Rue McClanahan. However, this older age makes sense because Sophia is Dorothys mother. McClanahan and White were friends on- and off-screen. In Germany, airing of the show started in January 1990, only months before the German reunification, by German public broadcaster ARD in the late evening programme on their main channel Das Erste. Your email address will not be published. RELATED: How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? Based on the assumption that Season 1 and Season 2 took place in the same year, Rose would have been 55 at the start of The Golden Girls. Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." During a conversation where Rose discusses her difficulty finding a new job after losing her previous one at the grief counseling center, Dorothy reveals that Rose is 55. "We had games going all the time off camera." 13. It had a total of 180 half-hour episodes across its seven seasons. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. In March 1997, the Lifetime cable network acquired the exclusive rights to repeat the episodes of The Golden Girls in the US until March 1, 2009. When your brain is frozen like that, you can't remember lines. This would mean that Dorothy, who was born in 1938, would have been around 47 when the show started. The shows executives were unsure how the public would react to the eccentric program because older women in leading roles were rarely seen on television. The character of Blanche Devereaux appeared in a total of 8 seasons and a total of 204 full episodes in both The Golden Girls (total of 7 . As of September 15, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+ in Germany and Austria. Social norms regarding women in their fifties have also changed since Golden Girls premiered. McClanahan was 51 years old by the time The Golden Girls premiered, and she was 58 when it concluded. During a conversation where Rose discusses her difficulty finding a new job after losing her previous one at the grief counseling center, Dorothy reveals that Rose is 55. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Golden_Girls&oldid=1139544706, "Thank You for Being a Friend" (instrumental), "I was running all over the house grabbing anybody who would listen. However, the exterior backdrop seen through the kitchen window changed from the view of Chicago high-rises to palm trees and bushes for the Miami setting. All the lead actresses won Emmy awards for their performances on the show. For one thing, it did pave the way for a new terrain. To portray Sophia Petrillo, Getty was required to wear makeup and a wig to appear visibly older than her co-stars. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, the show is about four older women who share a home in Miami, Florida.It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions . (Photo Credit: New Line Cinema/ HBO/ MovieStills DB and MovieStills DB). In this article, we will explore the evidence and try to uncover the true ages of the Golden Girls. The doorway from the living room, with the alcove and baker's shelf just inside, was designed to give the illusion that the actors were walking into and out of the kitchen. It happens again, by a handsome male model, the kind she might have once. The series also ranked among the Nielsen ratings' top ten for six of its seven seasons. Their regular writer declined, so Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris,[24] who had been semiretired since the conclusion of their ABC series Soap. How Old Were the Golden Girls? [67], The Golden Girls was shot on videotape in front of a live studio audience. As a result, new viewers are becoming aware of the show. For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. Blanche was 17 in 1949, according to Season 3, Episode 25, Mothers Day, when she and her mother reminisce about one of Blanches dates. Thats also the same reason why she refused to reprise her role in the spin-off series The Golden Palace, which featured Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. We will always remember Rue McClanahan, Betty White, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty for bringing joy into our lives and for being our friends. The Golden Girls: Live! As of December 1, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+. In an interview with The Village Voice in 2011, White stated that Arthur found me a pain in the neck sometimes. The Golden Girls is one of four live-action shows, along with All in the Family, Will & Grace, and Schitt's Creek, where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy. In "The Golden . [45][46] The cast often had to stay behind after the audience had departed to redo scenes where Getty had flubbed her lines, and although this was at first met with resistance from the producers, cue cards were eventually introduced to help her. Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. By Zachary Guida Jan 31, 2023 10 Ways Audience Popularity Gave TV Characters Greater Roles Betty White, who died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 99, was best known for her role as the wonderfully naive Rose Nylund in the NBC comedy The Golden Girls. However, the actress who played Sophia, Estelle Getty, was only 62 years old in real life, making her one year younger than her on-screen daughter! Despite fan theories that the actresses were playing characters much younger than their actual age, Rue McClanahan's age in 1985 was 52, one year younger than her character on the show. The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. [43] Mitchell Hurwitz also served as writer for the show in its last two seasons. Between 1973 and 1977 White made several appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Sue Ann Nivens, the snobby, man-obsessed supporting character. This program, on the other hand, was centered on a group of older ladies. The show promptly received a full order of 12 episodes. Dorothy, following an impassioned speech in which she told the girls that I love you, always, she says as she rushes back into the home through several entrances for their final goodbyes, before making her final exit, saying, Youll always be my sisters. Continually , leaving the other three females to fend for themselves. [24][30], In the pilot script, Blanche was described as "more Southern than Blanche DuBois", so McClanahan was perplexed when she was asked by director Sandrich during the filming of the pilot not to use the strong Southern accent she had developed, but to use her natural Oklahoma accent instead. [80] In 2020, CMT purchased the rights to the series. Although Getty was impressive, the show's producers went with another actress. Did Rue McClanahan have a Southern accent? Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristen Davis in And Just Like That. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). Sophia, Dorothy's straight-talking mother, was the oldest character in the Golden Girls' house. In addition, the character of Sophia had originally been planned as an occasional guest star, but Getty had tested positively with preview audiences, so the producers decided to make her a regular character. Although the women's ages were rarely disclosed, some deductive work may be used to approximate how old each Golden Girl was at the commencement of the series. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years, totalling 204 episodes.. Rose was supposed to be played by Rue McClanahan, while Blanche Devereaux, one of Rose's roommates, was to be played by White.However, Jay Sandrich, the director of the show, suggested that Betty and Rue switch . Arthur's son, Matthew Saks, later spoke of tension between the two actresses, stating that his mother, "unknowingly carried the attitude that it was fun to have somebody to be angry atIt was almost like Betty became her nemesis, someone she could always roll her eyes about at work. In any event, Arthur chose to commit to a seventh and final season. Dorothy, meanwhile, is stated to be in her early 50s, which could mean that she was anywhere between 50 and 54. Unlike anything we had ever seen on television before, The Golden Girls featured an ensemble cast of four older single women (Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty) sharing. In New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. [5] Terry Tang of the Associated Press reported that the series continues to attract new fans in the 21st century and characterized it as an example of a sitcom that has aged well.[6]. The majority of sitcoms in the period centered on either families or teenagers. How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? Actors How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Sophia had her 50th birthday in April 1956, making her character 79 years old when the series premiered in 1985, according to a flashback scene in Season 2s A Piece of Cake.. While RTL initially chose to cut some scenes for time, some of the gags remain incomprehensible for their broadcast and all subsequent reruns, only to be restored partially for the release of DVD in 2005. Both Betty White and Bea Arthur were 63 when The Golden Girls premiered, coinciding with the fan theory. [73], In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time. ", This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40. The hot young It Girl neighbor downstairsthe new Carrie Bradshaw if you will, a bruising realizationdrops the slur. Reportedly, a second season was approved before being cancelled the day before the network announced its 199394 schedule.
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