Both Betty White and Bea Arthur were 63 when The Golden Girls premiered, coinciding with the fan theory. As of December 1, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai. Rose went so far as to search through official records to find out, only to learn it was "deleted by authority of the governor." 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. 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. Because none of the other Golden Girls explicitly disclose their ages, the logical process begins with Dorothy. "It was so exciting to be with four people with that chemistry. Cast alongside Rue McClanahan, she impressed the producers of The Golden Girls with her recurring role as Ellen in Mamas Family. Bill Dana played Sophia's brother Angelo and her father. 100 Black-Owned Businesses to Shop Now. Eager not to be typecast, they took the suggestion of Sandrich and switched roles at the last minute. 41 Behind-the-Scenes 'The Golden Girls' Facts - 'Golden Girls' Trivia. The women had a homosexual cook named Coco who lived with them at first, but after the premiere episode, the character was never seen again. [73], In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Rue McClanahan. The show dealt with many controversial issues, such as coming out and same-sex marriage,[75] elder care, homelessness, poverty, HIV/AIDS and discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, US immigration policy, sexual harassment, teenaged pregnancy, artificial insemination, adultery, bad medical care, sexism, miscegenation and interracial marriage, antisemitism, age discrimination, environmentalism, addiction to pain killers, problem gambling, nuclear war, death, and assisted suicide.[76]. Estelle Getty auditioned and won the role as the feisty mother of character Dorothy Zbornak, due, in part, to the rave reviews she garnered in her off-Broadway role reprisal for the 1984 Los Angeles run of Torch Song Trilogy. The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. If she had returned, her character would have been in her sixties. None of the other Golden Girls outright state their ages, so Dorothy is where the deductive work begins. According to the calculations, Dorothy was 53 at the start of the series, according to the calculations. On November 9, 2010, the studio released a complete-series box set titled The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection. This was the first time since 1993 that The Golden Palace was seen on American television. 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. [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". [59], Costume designer Judy Evans created distinctive looks for each of the four actresses to suit their characters' personalities and to reflect the Florida setting. However, White and McClanahan wanted to play against their typecasting, so McClanahan was cast as Blanche instead. She passed away after suffering complications from a stroke at 99 years old on December 31, 2021, just 17 days before her 100th birthday. Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White reprised their roles in the 1992 spin-off series The Golden Palace (Credit: CBS). 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. Dorothy meets and marries Blanches Uncle Lucas in the hour-long series finale, which aired in May 1992, and moves to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta, Georgia. The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur chose to leave the series. The wooden accents, columns, and doors were painted to mimic bald cypress wood, popular in South Florida homes, with rattan furniture and tropical-printed upholstery chosen for the furniture. According to Cherry, the writers' room was "a competitive atmosphere. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. (season two, episode five). But what made the show golden were its stellar cast and the beloved characters they portrayed. 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 Golden Girls is one of the most beloved and enduring sitcoms of all time. She took to writing her lines on props at which she could glance easily, like the wicker purse Sophia always carried with her. "[47] Getty died in 2008, the result of dementia with Lewy bodies. Estelle Getty reprised her role as Sophia in The Golden Palace, which only lasted for one season. [40] However, Arthur preferred that her three castmates and she all break for lunch together on workdays. Susan Harris developed a spin-off centering on the empty nest syndrome. The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. Advertise "[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. She passed away from Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) on July 22, 2008, at 84 years old. The owner of the house is a widow named Blanche Devereaux (McClanahan), who was joined by fellow widow Rose Nylund (White) and divorce Dorothy Zbornak (Arthur) after they both responded to an ad on the bulletin board of a local grocery store a year before the start of the series. Fans of all ages still enjoy The Golden Girls and its actors today. Maddy Hiltz is someone who loves all things history. [67], The Golden Girls was shot on videotape in front of a live studio audience. [54] The model used for exterior shots of the house from the third season through the end of the series was part of the backstage studio tour ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 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 will always remember Rue McClanahan, Betty White, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty for bringing joy into our lives and for being our friends. [39] In 2011, White stated that she believed it was her "positive attitude" and perky demeanor that got on Arthur's nerves. The majority of sitcoms in the period centered on either families or teenagers. Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). It happens again, by a handsome male model, the kind she might have once. Season 2, Episode 25, "A Piece of Cake," reveals Sophia celebrated her 50th birthday in 1956, putting her at 79 at The Golden Girls' beginning. The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. This indicates that Sophia was likely close to her real-life age. She was especially intimidated by her co-stars, who were all higher profile actresses than she was. [24], Shortly afterward, he met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a show about a female lawyer. In an interview with The Village Voice in 2011, White stated that Arthur found me a pain in the neck sometimes. For example, one or more of the women would become involved in some sort of problem, often involving other family members, men, or an ethical dilemma. 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. However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. (Photo Credit: New Line Cinema/ HBO/ MovieStills DB and MovieStills DB). : Extreme Stunt Show attraction, later replaced by Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. We hope this article on how old were the golden girls has been interesting and has also been able to bring back good memories. As of 2016, it was the 17th-most watched television finale. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Golden Girls are truly ageless. Getty came to Weiner's mind soon after, when it became time to begin casting of The Golden Girls. How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? Though Harris had created the character of Dorothy with a "Bea Arthur type" in mind, Littlefield and the producers initially envisioned actress Elaine Stritch for the part. The main cast of The Golden Girls included Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, and Estelle Getty as Dorothys mother, Sophia Petrillo. The show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th[citation needed] in the annual ratings. Airing from 1985 to 1992 with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during the entirety of its run. Colucci, Jim (2016). In Southeast Asia, Rewind Networks began airing reruns of The Golden Girls on its HD channel, HITS, in 2013. When Arthur first received the script for The Golden Girls, she loved the concept of having senior women as the stars of the show. For simplicity, because the program lasted seven seasons, each season is treated as a different year for the purpose of simplicity. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. Disney's Michael Eisner explains, "Estelle Getty made our three women into girls. McClanahan said, "Betty and I loved word games, and we would play word games every day,". Audiences can figure things out with a little detective work. [41] Rue McClanahan, who shared a dressing room with Getty, described the severity of Getty's stage fright: "She'd panic. That was the case. Betty White was 63 years old when the show premiered in 1985, yet she managed to play a younger persona perfectly. She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna! Discover all about The Golden Girls cast from their names, ages and how old they were supposed to be in the showwho was oldest & youngest, and more. Actors How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). These ages seem to contradict what is stated in the show, suggesting that the characters may actually be younger than their stated ages. | October 8, 2022 According to evidence presented by the ladies themselves during the first year of the show, Sophia is 80 years old, Rose is 55 years old, and Blanche is 50 years old. 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. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). 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. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. In 2022, we no longer believe that women need to lose their purpose once they hit the big 5-0. Exploring the Basics, Benefits, and Policies, How to Contact Tesla: Customer Service Phone Number, Website, Social Media, Email & Live Chat, Bruce Willis Health Condition: Understanding the Actors Diet and Exercise Regimen, Exploring the Impact of Greg Gutfelds Vacation from Fox News. Betty White was actually the oldest Golden Girl. Ironically, the actress who played Sophia, Estelle Getty, was a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played her daughter, Dorothy. Harold Gould played two of Rose's boyfriends, Arnie and Miles. 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. Each of the four main stars received an Emmy Award, making The Golden Girls one of only four sitcoms in the Primetime Emmy Awards history to achieve this. 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. The show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). [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]. "We had games going all the time off camera." 13. Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She remarked that it was revolutionary because it was the first time older women were shown in an atmosphere where they were well-groomed, well dressed, had active sex lives. The series starred Stephanie Hodge and a set of other young nurses. 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. For instance, Blanche mentions in one episode that she was married in 1952, which would have made her 21 at the time. 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. However, she wasn't much older than Bea Arthur. This "created a great deal of stress and competitiveness amongst those of us who weren't in that inner sanctum. By tape day, she was unreachable. Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. 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"[61] Many of the characters' outfits were designed by Evans and made especially, but seven to ten costume changes per episode were made between the four actresses, which entailed a great deal of off-the-rack shopping. The film featured five episodes from the show: "The Pilot", "The Flu", "The Way We Met", "Ladies of the Evening" and "Grab That Dough". In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty White's character) was 55. The series finale of The Golden Girls was watched by 27.2 million viewers. 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 story follows four older single women (three widows and one divorced) who share a home in Miami, Florida. Plus, Sophia was a great cook. 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. [84], After the original series ended, White, McClanahan, and Getty reprised their characters in the CBS series The Golden Palace, which featured Rose, Blanche, and Sophia selling their house to buy and run a hotel in Miami. In "And Just Like That.", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. . On the other hand, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is 55 in Just Like That, while Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristen Davis) are both supposed to be 54 years old. In Season 4, Episode 10, Stan Takes a Wife, Dorothy declares that she is a Leo, indicating that her birthdate is in late July or early-to-late August. Producers wanted to cast McClanahan as Rose and White as Blanche based on roles they had previously played; White portrayed the man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, while McClanahan co-starred as the sweet but scatterbrained Vivian Harmon in Maude. Beginning in 1990, Marc Cherry served as writer and producer, years before creating Desperate Housewives, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2012. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? 1. 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 . In Canada, Corus Entertainment's digital specialty channel, DejaView, aired reruns of The Golden Girls until 2017. When the show initially aired, NBC took a chance. Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. Rose even went to the trouble of looking up the information in official documents, only to discover that it had been removed by authorization of the governor.. In reality, all but one of the principal cast members of the Golden Girls had enormous age gaps between their true ages and the ages of their roles. 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. [26] She found the concept interesting, as "it was a demographic that had never been addressed," and she soon began work on it. 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. 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. Estimating the ages of the characters can be tricky, since the show never explicitly states their ages. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). The show became a huge hit with viewers, thanks to its clever writing and strong performances by the four main stars. [71], On Metacritic, the series has an overall score of 82 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim. The faade was based on a real house at 245 North Saltair Avenue in the Westgate Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Bea Arthur actually hated cheesecake. Sophia then recounts to Dorothy the account of the night Dorothy was conceived in Season 3, Episode 5, Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself. Sophia claims it happened in 1931, so Dorothy was most likely born in 1932, based on her sign. I kept reading scenes to them and saying, 'God, this is brilliant [] There's nothing trendy about this show. 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.