The Golden Girls (1985–1992)

Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.

Creator:

Susan Harris

Stars:

Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 35 wins & 84 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Bea Arthur	...	Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak (177 episodes, 1985-1992)
Betty White	...	Rose Nylund (177 episodes, 1985-1992)
Rue McClanahan	...	Blanche Devereaux (177 episodes, 1985-1992)
Estelle Getty	...	Sophia Petrillo (177 episodes, 1985-1992)

Storyline

The Golden Girls is based on the lives and interactions of four older women whom have all been divorced/widowed, and are now roommates. Dorothy's main goal during the series is to find a companion she can relate to while her mother Sophia adds her comical outlook and frequents "Picture This" stories. Rose's St. Olaf-ness makes her a little corny but lovable. One thing that changes nearly every episode is whom Blanche is courting.

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Plot Keywords:

roommate | older women | living room | new york city | widow | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Norwegian

Release Date:

14 September 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pantertanter

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Television, Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (180 episodes) 25 min (180 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Betty White was the oldest of the four main actresses. Ironically, with the death of Rue McClanahan, she became the last surviving member of the cast.

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Goofs

In the episode dealing with Rose's drug addiction, she jokingly states that this was the anniversary of her cat "Fluffy"'s death, and Dorothy reminds her that she never owned a cat because she was allergic to them. However, in at least one other episode, Rose spoke of having a cat. In addition, she also stated his name was "Lingstrom" rather than Fluffy.

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Quotes

[Jean, a lesbian, is visiting]
Dorothy: Ma, did Jean sleep with you last night?
Sophia: Dorothy, there are a lot of things I wanna try before I die, but that's not one of them!

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.103 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Thank You For Being A Friend"
Written by Andrew Gold
Sung by Cynthia Fee

User Reviews

Compulsively watchable TV-sitcom

With its bright, wicker-strewn set and four distinct female characters, I don't see how "The Golden Girls" could've missed. Add a terrific cast, and you've got a goldmine. My favorite episodes are the serious one about Alzheimers, the hilarious one where the women have to decide between a new roof or a painting by a dying artist, and any of those that prominently feature Beatrice Arthur (portraying my favorite golden girl, Dorothy Zbornak). Occasionally there was a dip in inspiration, such as the groan-filled two-parter about Blanche's moonlight madness party, or some fearsome overacting (Estelle Getty was the usual culprit). Still, the reruns never fail to get a laugh out of me, and I must know the episodes by heart by now. Sharp, canny writing, funny second plots to match the main action, brilliant characterizations and good writing for the supporting players. It is my generation's "I Love Lucy".