"The Golden Girls" (1985) TV series 1985-1992

Creator:

Susan Harris
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

14 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Roommate | Older Women | Grandmother | Divorcee | Cheesecake

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 35 wins & 84 nominations

Cast

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)

Series Directed by
Terry Hughes		(108 episodes, 1985-1990)
Lex Passaris		(21 episodes, 1990-1992)
Matthew Diamond		(21 episodes, 1990-1991)
Jim Drake		(8 episodes, 1985)
Peter D. Beyt		(6 episodes, 1991-1992)
Paul Bogart		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jay Sandrich		(2 episodes, 1985-1987)

Series Writing credits
Susan Harris		(177 episodes, 1985-1992)
Barry Fanaro		(24 episodes, 1985-1989)
Mort Nathan		(24 episodes, 1985-1989)
Terry Grossman		(22 episodes, 1985-1989)
Kathy Speer		(22 episodes, 1985-1989)
Winifred Hervey		(15 episodes, 1985-1989)
Tracy Gamble		(14 episodes, 1989-1992)
Gail Parent		(14 episodes, 1989-1992)
Richard Vaczy		(14 episodes, 1989-1992)
Christopher Lloyd		(11 episodes, 1986-1989)
Marc Cherry		(11 episodes, 1990-1992)
Jamie Wooten		(11 episodes, 1990-1992)
Robert Bruce		(10 episodes, 1988-1990)
Martin Weiss		(10 episodes, 1988-1990)
James Vallely		(10 episodes, 1990-1992)
Tom Whedon		(9 episodes, 1989-1992)
Jerry Perzigian		(9 episodes, 1990-1992)
Don Seigel		(9 episodes, 1990-1992)
Mitchell Hurwitz		(7 episodes, 1990-1992)
Marc Sotkin		(6 episodes, 1989-1992)
Phillip Jayson Lasker		(5 episodes, 1989-1991)
Kevin Abbott		(4 episodes, 1989-1992)
James Berg		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Stan Zimmerman		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Russell Marcus		(3 episodes, 1986-1987)
Jeffrey Ferro		(3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Fredric Weiss		(3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Robert Spina		(3 episodes, 1990-1992)
Liz Sage		(2 episodes, 1985)
Eric Cohen		(2 episodes, 1989)
Harold Apter		(2 episodes, 1990)

Series Produced by
Tony Thomas	....	executive producer / producer (174 episodes, 1985-1992)
Paul Junger Witt	....	executive producer / producer (173 episodes, 1985-1992)
Terry Grossman	....	producer / co-executive producer (101 episodes, 1985-1989)
Kathy Speer	....	co-executive producer / producer (101 episodes, 1985-1989)
Mort Nathan	....	co-executive producer / co-producer / ... (77 episodes, 1986-1989)
Marsha Posner Williams	....	co-producer (76 episodes, 1985-1988)
Barry Fanaro	....	co-executive producer / supervising producer / ... (76 episodes, 1986-1989)
Nina Feinberg	....	associate producer / co-producer / ... (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Tracy Gamble	....	supervising producer / co-producer / ... (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Gail Parent	....	producer / supervising producer / ... (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Richard Vaczy	....	supervising producer / co-producer / ... (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Tom Whedon	....	co-executive producer / supervising producer (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Marc Sotkin	....	co-executive producer / executive producer (74 episodes, 1989-1992)
Robert Bruce	....	co-producer / producer (52 episodes, 1988-1990)
Martin Weiss	....	co-producer / producer (52 episodes, 1988-1990)
Phillip Jayson Lasker	....	co-executive producer / supervising producer (52 episodes, 1989-1991)
Winifred Hervey	....	co-producer / producer (51 episodes, 1986-1988)
Jerry Perzigian	....	supervising producer / associate producer (49 episodes, 1990-1992)
Don Seigel	....	supervising producer (49 episodes, 1990-1992)
David Amico	....	associate producer (26 episodes, 1988-1989)
Eric Cohen	....	supervising producer (26 episodes, 1988-1989)
Terry Hughes	....	co-executive producer (26 episodes, 1989-1990)
Greg Giangregorio	....	associate producer / producer (25 episodes, 1986-1987)
Susan Harris	....	executive producer (24 episodes, 1987-1992)
Marc Cherry	....	producer / executive producer (24 episodes, 1990-1992)
Kevin Abbott	....	co-producer (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
James Vallely	....	co-producer (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Jamie Wooten	....	producer (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Mitchell Hurwitz	....	producer / co-producer (22 episodes, 1991-1992)
Jeffrey Ferro	....	co-producer (16 episodes, 1987-1988)
Fredric Weiss	....	co-producer (15 episodes, 1987-1988)
John Ziffren	....	co-producer (12 episodes, 1991)
Harry Waterson	....	producer (11 episodes, 1987-1988)
Paul Bogart	....	supervising producer (4 episodes, 1985-1986)
David A. Goodman	....	co-producer (unknown episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Original Music by
George Aliceson Tipton		(177 episodes, 1985-1992)

Series Film Editing by
Harold McKenzie		(27 episodes, 1985-1992)
Pamela Phelps		(24 episodes, 1991-1992)
Jim McElroy		(19 episodes, 1987-1988)
Frank Mazzaro		(2 episodes, 1986)

Series Casting by
Ellen Meyer		(75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Jennifer Jackson Part		(51 episodes, 1987-1989)
Sharon Siegel		(26 episodes, 1986-1987)
Judith Weiner		(25 episodes, 1985-1986)
Joanne Koehler		(unknown episodes, 1988-1989)
Donna Larson		(unknown episodes, 1990-1992)

Series Production Design by
Edward Stephenson		(174 episodes, 1985-1992)

Series Art Direction by
Michael Hynes		(52 episodes, 1989-1991)

Series Costume Design by
Judy Evans		(177 episodes, 1985-1992)

Series Makeup Department
Joyce Conroy	....	hair stylist (152 episodes, 1985-1991)
Maurice Stein	....	makeup artist (99 episodes, 1985-1989)
Art Harding	....	makeup artist (76 episodes, 1985-1992)
Paulette Pennington	....	hair stylist (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Barbara Fonte-Kunkel	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Adria Horton	....	post-production manager / production manager (98 episodes, 1985-1989)
Susan Palladino	....	executive in charge of production (74 episodes, 1989-1992)
David Amico	....	unit manager (49 episodes, 1985-1988)
Richard J. Powell	....	post-production manager (26 episodes, 1989-1990)
Fred Roth	....	post-production manager / post production manager (25 episodes, 1990-1991)
Harold McKenzie	....	post-production supervisor (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Audrey Joy Johnson	....	unit manager (13 episodes, 1991-1992)
Lex Passaris	....	post-production supervisor (12 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ken Stump	....	executive in charge of production (2 episodes, 1988)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lex Passaris	....	associate director (71 episodes, 1986-1991)
Peter D. Beyt	....	associate director (70 episodes, 1988-1991)
Gary Shimokawa	....	associate director (39 episodes, 1985-1987)
Tom Carpenter	....	associate director (4 episodes, 1991)
Michael Riolo	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1987)
Richard J. Powell	....	associate director (2 episodes, 1990)
Tony Porter	....	associate director (2 episodes, 1991)

Series Art Department
Paul Wadian	....	head carpenter (168 episodes, 1985-1992)
Robert Devicariis	....	property master (93 episodes, 1988-1992)
Michael Hynes	....	associate designer / associate production designer (70 episodes, 1986-1992)
Ken Dawson	....	property master (60 episodes, 1985-1988)
Judeth Lowey	....	assistant designer / assistant art director (13 episodes, 1991-1992)
James Draper	....	property master (8 episodes, 1988)
Scott Latendresse	....	assistant designer (8 episodes, 1992)
John Blanco	....	property master (5 episodes, 1991)
Jasper Ehrig	....	property master (3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ed Stevenson	....	set designer (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Edward L. Moskowitz	....	audio (112 episodes, 1986-1991)
Craig Porter	....	re-recording (97 episodes, 1988-1992)
Allen Patapoff	....	re-recording (81 episodes, 1985-1989)
John Hart	....	sound recordist (26 episodes, 1990-1991)
Doc Siegel	....	audio (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ed Epstein	....	audio (16 episodes, 1991-1992)
Dick Burns	....	audio (9 episodes, 1986-1987)
Larry Lasota	....	audio (7 episodes, 1991)
Doug Botnick	....	audio (3 episodes, 1988)
Wolf Seeberg	....	audio (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Douglas Shamburger	....	sound utility (unknown episodes, 1985-1986)
Greg Ampagoomian	....	utility sound (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ritch Kenney	....	camera (170 episodes, 1985-1992)
Alan Keath Walker	....	lighting (128 episodes, 1985-1991)
Stephen A. Jones	....	camera (125 episodes, 1985-1992)
Chester Jackson	....	camera (100 episodes, 1988-1992)
William Updegraff	....	gaffer / lighting (84 episodes, 1987-1991)
Dave Heckman	....	camera (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Randy Johnson	....	video (74 episodes, 1989-1992)
Ken Tamburri	....	camera (72 episodes, 1986-1989)
Jack Chisolm	....	camera (54 episodes, 1986-1988)
John O'Brien	....	video (51 episodes, 1987-1992)
Carol Wetovich	....	camera (47 episodes, 1985-1987)
Ron Ruby	....	gaffer (32 episodes, 1985-1988)
Andy Kassan	....	gaffer / lighting (31 episodes, 1985-1989)
Andrew Dickerman	....	video (26 episodes, 1985-1987)
Jim Orthel	....	gaffer (24 episodes, 1990-1992)
Darryl Palagi	....	lighting (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Ron Olson	....	camera (22 episodes, 1985-1986)
Tom Faigh	....	camera (15 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Kaufman	....	video (14 episodes, 1986-1987)
J. Kent Inasy	....	lighting (9 episodes, 1987-1990)
Roger Dalton	....	lighting (6 episodes, 1991)
Randy Baer	....	camera (3 episodes, 1985-1987)
Dave Hilmer	....	camera (3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Warren Bellamy	....	gaffer (3 episodes, 1987-1990)
Donna Quante	....	camera (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Tony Balderama	....	camera (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Wayne Orr	....	camera (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Reed Samul	....	camera (2 episodes, 1989)
Robbie Dick	....	gaffer (2 episodes, 1991)

Series Casting Department
Judith Weiner	....	original casting (150 episodes, 1986-1992)
Bonnie Shane	....	casting (39 episodes, 1989-1991)
Joanne Koehler	....	casting (25 episodes, 1988-1989)
Allison Jones	....	casting / casting associate (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Donna Larson	....	casting (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Susan Vash	....	casting / casting associate (21 episodes, 1986-1987)
Bobbi Shane	....	casting (2 episodes, 1990)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Yokonji	....	costumer / assistant costumer (126 episodes, 1987-1992)
Helaine Bruck	....	costumer / key costumer (104 episodes, 1985-1991)
Julie Rhine	....	costumer (102 episodes, 1985-1989)
Rhoda Yarbrough	....	costumer (50 episodes, 1985-1987)
Patricia McLaughlin	....	assistant costumer / costumer (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Marlene Hajdu	....	on-set costumer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Pamela Phelps	....	editorial assistant (25 episodes, 1988-1990)
George Englund	....	post-production executive (22 episodes, 1991-1992)
Richard J. Powell	....	editorial assistant (19 episodes, 1987-1988)
Lex Passaris	....	editorial assistant (13 episodes, 1985-1986)
Brent Carpenter	....	on-line editor (unknown episodes)
Gil Junger	....	post-production executive (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Andrew Gold	....	composer: theme music (177 episodes, 1985-1992)
Scott Gale	....	music coordinator / music supervisor (174 episodes, 1985-1992)

Series Transportation Department
Cameron Shipman	....	transportation coordinator (2 episodes, 1991-1992)

Series Other crew
Robert Spina	....	production associate (177 episodes, 1985-1992)
Tom Carpenter	....	stage manager / associate director (172 episodes, 1985-1992)
Bill Conroy	....	technical manager / technical coordinator / ... (142 episodes, 1985-1992)
Mark F. Hill	....	production staff (125 episodes, 1987-1992)
O. Tamburri	....	technical director / technical manager (123 episodes, 1985-1990)
Susan Palladino	....	production executive (101 episodes, 1985-1989)
Kent Zbornak	....	stage manager (100 episodes, 1987-1992)
David Amico	....	production executive (75 episodes, 1989-1992)
Jeannie Taylor	....	production staff (73 episodes, 1985-1988)
Jackie Schaffner	....	production assistant / production staff (71 episodes, 1986-1989)
Christopher Lloyd	....	executive script consultant / story editor (62 episodes, 1986-1989)
Denise Porter	....	production staff (61 episodes, 1989-1991)
Pamela Phelps	....	production staff (50 episodes, 1989-1991)
Ellen Deutsch	....	production assistant / production associate (49 episodes, 1985-1987)
Esther Himbaugh	....	production assistant / production staff / ... (49 episodes, 1987-1990)
Salli Shrewsbury	....	production assistant (49 episodes, 1990-1992)
Ken Tamburri	....	technical director (47 episodes, 1987-1992)
Bobbi Jay Weiss	....	production staff (43 episodes, 1988-1990)
Richard King	....	production staff / production coordinator (40 episodes, 1985-1992)
Jeffrey Goodman	....	production staff (37 episodes, 1985-1987)
Marc Cherry	....	executive story editor / story editor (36 episodes, 1990-1991)
Jamie Wooten	....	executive story editor / story editor (36 episodes, 1990-1991)
Todd Morris	....	production staff (31 episodes, 1989-1991)
Doug Tobin	....	stage manager (27 episodes, 1985-1987)
Jordan Goodman	....	production staff (26 episodes, 1989-1990)
David Z. Sacks	....	production staff (26 episodes, 1989-1990)
Denise Fleissner Barta	....	production coordinator (26 episodes, 1990-1991)
Mitchell Hurwitz	....	story editor (26 episodes, 1990-1991)
Laurie Parres	....	production staff (26 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tom Seidman	....	stage manager (26 episodes, 1990-1991)
James Vallely	....	story editor (26 episodes, 1990-1991)
Nina Feinberg	....	production coordinator (25 episodes, 1988-1989)
Tracy Gamble	....	executive story editor (25 episodes, 1988-1989)
Richard Vaczy	....	executive story editor (25 episodes, 1988-1989)
Daniel Levey	....	production staff (25 episodes, 1989-1990)
Harry Waterson	....	production assistant / production (24 episodes, 1985-1987)
Barry Fanaro	....	executive script consultant (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Winifred Hervey	....	executive story consultant (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mort Nathan	....	executive script consultant (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Anne Thomopoulos	....	production staff (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Kit Wilkinson	....	production staff (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jane Greene	....	stage manager (24 episodes, 1986-1987)
Robert Bruce	....	executive story consultant (24 episodes, 1987-1988)
Martin Weiss	....	executive story consultant (24 episodes, 1987-1988)
Kari Hendler	....	production staff (24 episodes, 1988-1989)
Brenda Bos	....	production staff (23 episodes, 1990-1991)
Janel Cunneen	....	production assistant (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Catherine Dunn	....	production staff (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Danny Filous	....	stage manager (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Brian Kahn	....	production staff (23 episodes, 1991-1992)
Peter D. Beyt	....	associate director (21 episodes, 1989-1992)
Julie Thacker	....	production staff (20 episodes, 1991-1992)
Andy Stone	....	production staff (18 episodes, 1989-1990)
Ray Kolasa	....	production staff (16 episodes, 1989-1990)
Alan Helfand	....	production staff (13 episodes, 1991-1992)
David A. Goodman	....	story editor / script editor (11 episodes, 1986-1989)
Bonnie Shane	....	production staff (11 episodes, 1989)
Ted Ashton	....	technical manager (10 episodes, 1985)
Michael Riolo	....	associate director (10 episodes, 1987-1988)
Rick Copp	....	story editor (10 episodes, 1989)
Jeff Abugov	....	executive story editor (9 episodes, 1988)
Liz Sage	....	creative consultant (7 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Kaufman	....	video (7 episodes, 1986-1987)
Bob Rosenfarb	....	story editor (6 episodes, 1986)
Doug Smart	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1985-1987)
Stacy Saltman	....	assistant to executive producer / assistant to executive producers / ... (3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jon Sharp	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1985)
Gerry Cohen	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1986-1987)
Harold McKenzie	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Tim Donnelly	....	production staff (3 episodes, 1989)
Jim Horky	....	technical director (3 episodes, 1991)
Kurt Schindler	....	production staff (3 episodes, 1991)
Gil Junger	....	associate director / post production executive (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Ethel Himbaugh	....	production staff (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Jerry Smith	....	video (2 episodes, 1987)
Denise Potter	....	production staff (2 episodes, 1991)
Jerry Kosowsky	....	video technical supervisor (unknown episodes)
Michael Saperton	....	engineer in charge (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Dick Gilbert	....	in memory of (1 episode, 1987)

Production Companies

• Touchstone Television
• Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1985-1992) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (ARD) (19??) (Germany) (TV)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 1 and 2)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (season 3)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (complete first season)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (seasons two & three)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (seventh season)
• Buena Vista International Finland (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Television (1990-)
• RTL (????) (Germany) (TV)
• Verenigde Arbeiders Radio Amateurs (VARA) (1986-19??) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Vox (????) (Germany) (TV)

Other Companies

• Caliber Productions  facilities
• Carefree Video Company  facilities
• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min (180 episodes) | Germany:25 min (180 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:12 (one episode) | UK:PG (some episodes) | Sweden:Btl (Season 1 DVD)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Touchstone Television

Trivia:

When asked by Rose about her marriage in the first episode of the series, Dorothy says she is from Queens. In all the other episodes, Dorothy says she is from Brooklyn.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dorothy and Stan got married because Dorothy got pregnant and they were married for 38 years. In one episode, they mention that Michael was the one conceived first, yet even though his age changes in different episodes, he's always in his twenties when he should really be in his early forties.

Quotes:

Sophia:Alright everyone get ready for temple!
Dorothy:But Ma, it's Tuesday and we're Catholic.
Sophia:In that case, bacon and eggs?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The American/Going the Distance/Machete (#2.31)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Thank You For Being A Friend

The Original "Sex and the City".

NBC was already a monster by 1985 thanks to programs like "The Cosby Show", "Cheers" and "L.A. Law" (all part of that unbeatable Thursday lineup). In 1985 it appeared that Beatrice Arthur (who struck gold with "Maude", a spin-off of "All in the Family") was going back to television in a new show called "The Golden Girls". Along with Arthur (a smart-mouthed Brooklyn native) was her old-world Sicilian mother (Estelle Getty), a bubble-headed Minnesota native (Betty White) and a sex-crazed belle from Georgia (Rue McClanahan). This quartet of actresses would create the finest core of performers to ever star in a television series. "The Golden Girls", unlike "Cheers", was a hit from its first episode. It dominated with vigor and spunk on Saturday nights. NBC was worried that the show would never find an audience big enough to make a dent in the ratings, but for a time "The Golden Girls" was as excellent as anything else the networks had to offer. The four women, all obviously over 50, lived, laughed and cried together in Miami for nearly a decade from 1985 to 1992. The series pushed the envelope on everything that dominated headlines during its run (AIDS, homosexuality, sexism, ageism, political unrest, abortion and an endless list of other topics too long to go into at length). The episodes went for comedy, but usually almost always had a deep meaning to them about love and friendship. All four actresses shared the spotlight equally for the most part. Arthur and McClanahan had hit gold with "Maude" and White had been along seemingly at the advent of television programming. Getty was relatively unknown, but fit in well with more-established performers immediately (her character got away with more than the others as she was written as a lady who had suffered a major stroke which affected the relationship between what she said and thought). Herb Edelman (who made a name for himself in "The Odd Couple") was always a consistent element as Arthur's two-timing ex-husband and Harold Gould (who was a key player in "The Sting") also became a fixture during the series' latter episodes as White's love interest. Like all good things though, "The Golden Girls" began to slowly lose their edge and appeal by the early-1990s. Time slot changes and constant contract re-negotiations ended the series far too early. Arthur's want to leave the show by 1992 would ultimately kill the program. CBS attempted to bring the other three back with "The Golden Palace", but that series never found its legs without Arthur. 5 stars out of 5.