-- Thirty years ago today, "The Golden Girls" premiered on television. Rose is said to be in her mid-50s, suggesting that she was between 55 and 59. By the end of the series, Rose was 62. But what made the show golden were its stellar cast and the beloved characters they portrayed. [24], Shortly afterward, he met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a show about a female lawyer. When Arthur first received the script for The Golden Girls, she loved the concept of having senior women as the stars of the show. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. This suggests that her character was likely around the same age. Until April 2006, Lifetime played the series as a virtual season eight, airing the series in between the conclusion of the final season and the syndicated roll-over to season one. She passed away from Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) on July 22, 2008, at 84 years old. 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. The Golden Girls was a highly-acclaimed and rated, well-received, popular American situation-comedy/sit-com television series that aired on NBC originally from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman were the first head writers of the series, and wrote for the show's first four seasons. The show is seen in more than a hundred countries. 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. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. [62] Evans generally dressed the actresses in expensive pieces and high-quality fabrics, despite the recurring theme that the four characters were struggling with money, because, "The main idea was to make them look good. The series finale of The Golden Girls was watched by 27.2 million viewers. Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. 'The Golden Girls' Turns 30: Facts You May Not Know About the Series It was my positive attitude, and that made Bea angry sometimes.. The cast of The Golden Girls, Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose, have been even further immortalised in two puppet parody shows Thank You For Being A Friend[110] and That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody, both created by Australian screenwriter Thomas Duncan-Watt and producer Jonathan Rockefeller. 2023 Wording Vibes - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, Although the womens ages were rarely disclosed, some deductive work may be used to, The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. Empty Nest launched its own spin-off in 1991 set in Miami in the same hospital where Dr. Weston worked. 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 show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th[citation needed] in the annual ratings. She was born on July 25, 1923, making her 62 years old by the time the sitcom premiered. Blanche Elizabeth Marie Devereaux (ne Hollingsworth) is one of the four, fictional, main characters on the highly-acclaimed, revered, and well-received 1985-1992 NBC situation-comedy/sit-com TV series, The Golden Girls, and its spin-off, The Golden Palace. On November 15, 2005, Warner Home Video released The Golden Girls: A Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series on DVD which contains a separate biography of Arthur, White, McClanahan and Getty, revealing each woman's background, rise to stardom and private life, which originally aired on Lifetime network between June 2000 and January 2003. She reconsidered, however, after hearing that McClanahan and White had switched roles. For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. And Just Like That Characters Are the Same Age as The Golden Girls Premiering in 1985, The Golden Girls was an instant smash, attracting a diverse audience for a then-novel concept depicting the lives of four older women sharing friendship, a home and a lot . Rue McClanahan was the youngest of the Golden Girls, according to Parade. The show was aired as a bilingual broadcast using a two-channel sound system (Zweikanalton). Then, in Season 3, Episode 5, "Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself," Sophia tells Dorothy the story of the night Dorothy was conceived. RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. 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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. Harold Gould played two of Rose's boyfriends, Arnie and Miles. New York: Scribner. 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 assume she was 53 when The Golden Girls premiered. Similarly, Dorothy mentions in another episode that she was married in 1960, which would have made her 22. 41 Behind-the-Scenes 'The Golden Girls' Facts - 'Golden Girls' Trivia. [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. However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. It has recently come to light that the leading ladies of AndJust Like That, Sex and the Citys reboot, are basically the exact same age as the leading ladies in The Golden Girls a fact that has completely blown our minds! Lets see how each actress was cast in their respective roles and how their careers continued after the show concluded. [6], The show features an ensemble cast and the plot revolves around four older single women (three widows and one divorce) sharing a house in Miami. It could also be because the show was trying to emphasize the idea that age is just a number and that life does not end at a certain age. 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. Rose Nylund is a character from the sitcom television series The Golden Girls and its spin-off, The Golden Palace. [2] Each of the four stars received an Emmy Award, making it one of only four sitcoms in the award's history to achieve this. 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 . Sophia was never ashamed to confess her age, and she often took advantage of it to get an advantage over the other ladies in the home. Beginning in 1990, Marc Cherry served as writer and producer, years before creating Desperate Housewives, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2012. Sophia, Dorothy's straight-talking mother, was the oldest character in the Golden Girls' house. 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. The show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? At least two females were forced to change roles! Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). [4] In 2014, the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 69 in their list of the "101 Best Written TV Series of All Time". Iconic Golden-era Hollywood actress Scarlett OHara was also reportedly an inspiration for the role. [83] The 21-disc collection features all 180 episodes of the series as well as all special features contained on the previously released season sets; it is encased in special collectible packaging, a replica of Sophia's purse. One such source is the actors who played the characters. 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. Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). In the United Kingdom, the series aired on Channel 4, Living and Disney Channel. It had a total of 180 half-hour episodes across its seven seasons. 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 . Did Rue McClanahan have a Southern accent? Actors How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Gettleman says she suffered from advanced. Life. Cheers. [24] The Cosby Show director Jay Sandrich, who had previously worked with Harris, Witt, and Thomas on Soap, agreed to direct the pilot episode. [35], Hired to shoot the pilot, director Jay Sandrich also became instrumental in helping to cast the roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. 10 Things You May Not Know About 'The Golden Girls' - Biography Zachary Guida | CBR The classic NBC comedy The Golden Girls broke boundaries with its cast of four older women, a representation that was previously lacking on television. 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! She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. The film featured five episodes from the show: "The Pilot", "The Flu", "The Way We Met", "Ladies of the Evening" and "Grab That Dough". She had established this signature look while playing Maude, and Evans honored it in her designs for Dorothy. If she had returned, her character would have been in her sixties. Getty was the first of the four stars to die in 2008 at age 84. [11], Ideas for a comedy series about older women emerged during the filming of a television special at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, in August 1984. ", This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40. The Golden Girls is one of the most well-known television shows of all time. Reportedly, a second season was approved before being cancelled the day before the network announced its 199394 schedule. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? Colucci, Jim (2016). Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. 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.. 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 1989, Marc Sotkin, previously a writer on Laverne & Shirley and a producer on another Witt/Thomas series, It's a Living, assumed head writing responsibilities, and guided the show (to varying degrees) during what were its final three seasons. "The Golden Girls" turns 30: 10 things you didn't know - CBS News Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. [39] In 2011, White stated that she believed it was her "positive attitude" and perky demeanor that got on Arthur's nerves. She expressed that she would not continue if changes were not made, but changes were made and jokes regarding Dorothy's physique appeared less often. McClanahan insisted on the character having a thick Southern accent, a popular aspect of her character throughout the show. However, there are some clues that can be found in the show itself. After learning this tidbit, its clear that the only difference between the Golden Girls and the Sex and the City ladies is how they style their hair. 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. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? [55] Producers used this residence for exterior shots during the first two seasons. [26] She found the concept interesting, as "it was a demographic that had never been addressed," and she soon began work on it. 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. Bea Arthur actually hated cheesecake. In Australia, the show airs daily on FOX Comedy. The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most of its run, and won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice. Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Bea Arthur as the beloved main cast of the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). Getty came to Weiner's mind soon after, when it became time to begin casting of The Golden Girls. "[44] Writer Christopher Lloyd explained that the usual situation was for all of the more junior writers to be assigned the same scene to write, with the one judged the best version becoming the one chosen. | Getty figured it would be her last chance to find television or film work. The Golden Girls first aired on September 14, 1985, and it continues to appeal to both young and older audiences. Your email address will not be published. [28], The pilot included a gay houseboy, Coco (Charles Levin), who lived with the girls. Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. Although Sophia appears to be much older than the other girls in the show, Getty was actually younger than both Bea Arthur and Betty White. "[45], Estelle Getty's stage fright, which affected her from the beginning of the show, grew worse as the show went on.
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