The producers of The Golden Girls decided to cast Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan after seeing them act alongside each other in shows like Maude (1972-1978) and Mamas Family (1983-1984). The golden girls trivia is the most exciting series we have created for those who love comedy. [24] The Cosby Show director Jay Sandrich, who had previously worked with Harris, Witt, and Thomas on Soap, agreed to direct the pilot episode. 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. Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. "[47] Getty died in 2008, the result of dementia with Lewy bodies. Advertise Ironically, despite being the oldest actress in the show, Betty White was the last of the main stars to survive. [71], On Metacritic, the series has an overall score of 82 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim. Designing Women began competing against The Golden Girls. [51], During season six, some uncertainty arose over whether Bea Arthur would commit to future seasons, or leave the show once her contract expired, to pursue other projects. 12. Rose Nylund was 55 years old when the show premiered, as Dorothy stated in the Season 1 episode Job Hunting.. Gettleman says she suffered from advanced. 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! Lets see how each actress was cast in their respective roles and how their careers continued after the show concluded. None of the other Golden Girls outright state their ages, so Dorothy is where the deductive work begins. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. Arthur flipped upon reading the script, but felt hesitant about McClanahan's approach, as she did not "want to play (their Maude characters) Maude and Vivian meet Sue Ann Nivens." The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur chose to leave the series. 5. Did Rue McClanahan have a Southern accent? As a result, new viewers are becoming aware of the show. 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.. Considering how easily Blanche lied to her housemates about her age (and that Sophia immediately called her out and said she'd be 70 when the kid graduates), it's safe to assume that 53 is her actual age going into The Golden Girls. Actors How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? By Zachary Guida Jan 31, 2023 10 Ways Audience Popularity Gave TV Characters Greater Roles 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). Assuming her child would graduate at 17, that would make Blanche 48 in 1986 and 47 at the start of the series. [124] The eatery closed in November 2017 after less than a year of operation.[125]. In a 1988 interview, Getty commented on her phobia and expressed how working with major stars, such as Arthur and White, made her even more nervous. She was also impressed by Getty's audition for the role of the mother of Steven Keaton (played by actor Michael Gross) for a guest episode of Family Ties. Beginning in 1990, Marc Cherry served as writer and producer, years before creating Desperate Housewives, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2012. Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. However, Season 3, Episode 25, "Mother's Day," confirms Blanche was 17 in 1949, when she and her mother reminisce about one of Blanche's dates. 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. Hurwitz later created Arrested Development for Fox and later for Netflix. Between 1973 and 1977 White made several appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Sue Ann Nivens, the snobby, man-obsessed supporting character. [24], Shortly afterward, he met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a show about a female lawyer. 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. Initially, the producers wanted Betty White to play Blanche because she had been famous for playing promiscuous characters in the past. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. We assume that middle-aged women continue to live their lives working, partying, being mothers, or hanging with their friends. [80] In 2020, CMT purchased the rights to the series. [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. Colucci, Jim (2016). [107] When that idea was not well received, Harris retooled the series as a vehicle for Richard Mulligan, and the following year Empty Nest debuted, starring Mulligan as pediatrician Harry Weston, a widower whose two adult daughters moved back home. One such source is the actors who played the characters. 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". The initial pilot was aired as the 1987 Golden Girls episode "Empty Nests", and starred Paul Dooley and Rita Moreno as George and Renee Corliss, a married couple living next to the Golden Girls characters, who face empty nest syndrome after their teenaged daughter goes to college. 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. [26] She found the concept interesting, as "it was a demographic that had never been addressed," and she soon began work on it. She is passionate about Princess Diana, the Titanic, the Romanovs, and Egypt amongst other things. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. 10 Things You May Not Know About 'The Golden Girls' - Biography However, her popularity with audiences caused Sophia to become a main character in the series. New York: Harper Collins. I think we pushed that [the jokes about Arthur's appearance] a little bit far and I think she let it be known she didn't love that. White, Betty (2010). Iconic Golden-era Hollywood actress Scarlett OHara was also reportedly an inspiration for the role. [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. Cast alongside Rue McClanahan, she impressed the producers of The Golden Girls with her recurring role as Ellen in Mamas Family. The 'And Just Like That' Women and 'The Golden Girls' Are the Same Age Golden Girls: Why Coco the Butler Was Dropped After the Pilot - CBR [36] Once the show was picked up for a first season, new director Paul Bogart felt exactly the opposite, insisting that McClanahan use a Southern accent. 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. | Dorothy states she is a Leo in Season 4, Episode 10, "Stan Takes a Wife," placing her birthday either in late July or early-to-late August. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? The show was aired as a bilingual broadcast using a two-channel sound system (Zweikanalton). [3] In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time. However, White and McClanahan wanted to play against their typecasting, so McClanahan was cast as Blanche instead. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. Though Littlefield nixed their idea, he asked if they would be interested in delivering a pilot script for Miami Nice, instead. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). As of 2019, every episode is available for streaming on Stan. While the characters' ages on the series seemed fairly clear-cutBlanche, Rose and Dorothy were in their mid-50s, while Sophia was Dorothy's widowed, elderly motherit may surprise fans to know that the actual ages of the actresses playing them were completely different. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. How Old Were The Golden Girls Cast When Series Premiered? The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. This indicates that she was likely in her late 40s when the show began. [43] Mitchell Hurwitz also served as writer for the show in its last two seasons. [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. 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. We can also look at other clues from the show itself. 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. [48][49] Her co-stars, in an interview, said that her disease had progressed to the point that she was not able to hold conversations with them or recognize them. [citation needed]. [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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress She had established this signature look while playing Maude, and Evans honored it in her designs for Dorothy. Estelle Getty portrayed the role of Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthurs character). Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? Getty came to Weiner's mind soon after, when it became time to begin casting of The Golden Girls. Crypto Wallet Development: Types, Features, and Popularity, 5 Ways AI is Detecting and Preventing Identity Fraud. 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. The story follows four older single women (three widows and one divorced) who share a home in Miami, Florida. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? But one of the questions that has always been asked is: how old were the Golden Girls characters supposed to be? 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]. ", 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. 3. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai. The show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th[citation needed] in the annual ratings. The classic NBC comedy The Golden Girls broke boundaries with its cast of four older women, a representation that was previously lacking on television. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? Exploring the World of Knowledge and Understanding. For example, in the pilot episode, Blanche states that she is 54 going on 55, which would mean that her age at the start of the show was 54. Blanche was probably around 50, Dorothy was likely in her late 40s, Rose was probably closer to 51, and Sophia was likely closer to 79. Social norms regarding women in their fifties have also changed since Golden Girls premiered. [111], Golden Girls 3033 is an animated pilot created by Mike Hollingsworth. 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. By the end of the series, Rose was 62. At the age of 86, Bea Arthur passed away from lung cancer in April 2009. Betty White was famous in Hollywood for being a pioneer of television dating back to the 1950s. [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. 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. Jan 31, 2023 Movie Features Harry Potter: Wait, How Are Bellatrix and Leta Lestrange Related? The Golden Girls is one of the most well-known television shows of all time. [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. According to the calculations, Dorothy was 53 at the start of the series, according to the calculations. 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. She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna! Win free shoes, organize your shoe closet, see the latest styles + more, About Sophia is to join her, but in the end, she stays behind with the other women in Miami. She passed away in 2010, at the age of 76, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. [31] The suit was later settled. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Golden Girls are truly ageless. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness, allowing the show to appeal to viewers of all ages. [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. One, while the characters ages on the show appeared to be quite. If technically supported by the home television, this system allowed their audience to watch the show either in the dubbed German version (by default) or the original English version. In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty Whites character) was 55. However, this older age makes sense because Sophia is Dorothys mother. Please endeavor to share this article with family, friends, and colleagues. "[62], Bea Arthur had a preference for wearing loose-fitting clothing, like slacks and long sweaters, along with sandals, because she hated wearing shoes. Golden Girls Cast, Ages, Names & More - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes Bea Arthur was not a part of the main cast but did guest star in a double episode, reprising her role as Dorothy.[106]. But the women were so uniformly brilliant at nailing it the first time we basically knew that if the women didn't get it right the first time, the joke needed to be replaced." For simplicity, because the program lasted seven seasons, each season is treated as a different year for the purpose of simplicity. Writer and producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason created a sitcom with this kind of image as a "four women" show, which became Designing Women on CBS. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be?,The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. Blanche was inspired by the popular fictional characters Blanche DuBois (from A Streetcar Named Desire, a famous 1947 Broadway play written by Tennessee Williams) and Vivien Leigh, who portrayed the same character in the 1951 film adaptation alongside Marlon Brando. Blanche Devereauxs age had been a mystery and a recurrent joke for most of the Golden Girls, and it had been saved until last. The Golden Girls will always be remembered as a show that put a spotlight on senior women in a way no other show had done before. 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. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? [9], The pilot was taped on April 17, 1985.[10]. She thought an accentuated Southern accent would be sexy and strong and attractive to men. [24] Though her vision of a sitcom about women in their 60s differed from NBC's request for a comedy about women around 40 years old,[27] Littlefield was impressed when he received her pilot script and subsequently approved production of it. The Golden Girls first aired on September 14, 1985, and it continues to appeal to both young and older audiences. However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. 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. That was the case. 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. The company expected the show to appeal to older female viewers. "[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. Rose went so far as to search through official records to find out, only to learn it was "deleted by authority of the governor." How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? 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. Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman were the first head writers of the series, and wrote for the show's first four seasons. 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. [68] Many episodes of the series followed a similar format or theme. -- Thirty years ago today, "The Golden Girls" premiered on television. In an interview with The Village Voice in 2011, White stated that Arthur found me a pain in the neck sometimes. The Golden Girls (TV Series 1985-1992) - Trivia - IMDb At times, she even froze on camera while filming. : Extreme Stunt Show attraction, later replaced by Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The women in The Golden Girlsall have white, short hair styled in a way we often associate with older individuals. Estimating the ages of the characters can be tricky, since the show never explicitly states their ages. [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. The Golden Palace, a spinoff of the successful sitcom The Golden Girls, will make its streaming debut on Hulu early next year.. On Jan. 10, just one week before Betty White's 100th birthday on Jan. 17, the single season of the sitcom featuring three of the four main characters from the original series -- Rose Nyland (White), Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty . How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Lifetime, which held the rights to The Golden Girls at the time, aired reruns of The Golden Palace in the summer of 2005, and again in December of that year. 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 , Roses age is the easiest to determine, owing to Dorothy revealing it in Season 1, Episode 22, Job Hunting. Dorothy exposes Roses age is exposed during a chat in which Rose describes her problems finding a new career after leaving her prior one at the, 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. And that was, to me, what made it seem like it could be a contemporary, young show. When your brain is frozen like that, you can't remember lines. How old were the ladies on golden girls in real life? 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 . Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. Sue's personality as the perky housewife host on a fictional television station of the show . Empowering Lives with Nutritious and Delicious NDIS Meals! Getty was the first actress to be cast, and her role was intended to make the rest of the characters appear younger. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the Golden Girls characters were actually younger than their stated ages. 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. [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. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). How Old Were the Golden Girls? She was especially intimidated by her co-stars, who were all higher profile actresses than she was. In this article, we will explore the evidence and try to uncover the true ages of the Golden Girls. 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 on the show?
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