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. [41], The show was the second television series to be produced by the Walt Disney Company under the Touchstone Television label, and was subsequently distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc. (which holds as the ownership stake in Disney Channel Southeast Asia, now DisneyABC Television Group). [28], The pilot included a gay houseboy, Coco (Charles Levin), who lived with the girls. 5. [24], Shortly afterward, he met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a show about a female lawyer. [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]. Bill Dana played Sophia's brother Angelo and her father. Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Actress Elaine Stritch was also considered for the role, but she blew her audition by using curse words, which was something that the writers felt was out of character for Dorothy. As of 2016, it was the 17th-most watched television finale. However, her popularity with audiences caused Sophia to become a main character in the series. Although the women's ages were rarely disclosed, some deductive work may be used to approximate how old each Golden Girl was at the commencement of the series. As such, this social belief is shown on our screens in the Sex and the City reboot, whereas Golden Girls portrayed societal norms of the 1980s. However, there is also some evidence to suggest that these ages may not be accurate. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? The Golden Girls - Wikipedia Ironically, the actress who played Sophia, Estelle Getty, was a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played her daughter, Dorothy. When "The Golden Girls" premiered over 30 years ago, on Sept. 14, 1985, audiences were introduced to Southern belle Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and her roommates Rose Nylund (Betty. On November 9, 2010, the studio released a complete-series box set titled The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection. In the original Sex and the City, Samatha Jones (Kim Cattrall) was in her late 40s/ early 50s, but Cattrall decided not to be a part of the reboot. In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty Whites character) was 55. 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. [7][8], The first episode features a cook/butler named Coco (played by Charles Levin), but the role was dropped before the second episode. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. The sitcom was conceptualized by writer Susan Harris. Golden Girls: Why Coco the Butler Was Dropped After the Pilot - CBR It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy. The Golden Girls are also dressed in cardigans or long dresses, similar to the outfits we would find in our grandmothers closet. Cast alongside Rue McClanahan, she impressed the producers of The Golden Girls with her recurring role as Ellen in Mamas Family. This indicates that Sophia was likely close to her real-life age. 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. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Their regular writer declined, so Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris,[24] who had been semiretired since the conclusion of their ABC series Soap. While RTL initially chose to cut some scenes for time, some of the gags remain incomprehensible for their broadcast and all subsequent reruns, only to be restored partially for the release of DVD in 2005. The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended, Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. Sophia states it happened in 1931, making it likely Dorothy was born sometime in 1932, judging by her sign. Sophia was supposed to accompany her, but she ends up staying in Miami with the other females, which leads to the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. Lets see how each actress was cast in their respective roles and how their careers continued after the show concluded. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. Betty Whites heartbreaking final post on her Instagram with the caption: My 100th birthday I cannot believe it is coming up, and People Magazine is celebrating with me! (Credit: Betty Whites Instagram). She'd be walking around like Pig-Pen, under a black cloud. [58], The kitchen set seen on The Golden Girls was originally used on an earlier Witt/Thomas/Harris series, It Takes Two, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983. How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Bea Arthur as the beloved main cast of the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). Arthur was born on May 13, 1922, making her the second oldest actress in the main cast. Actors How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Both Betty White and Bea Arthur were 63 when The Golden Girls premiered, coinciding with the fan theory. was an off-Broadway show that opened in the summer of 2003 in New York City at Rose's Turn theater in the West Village, and ran until November of that year. 8 Silk Pillowcases for Your Best Beauty Sleep. Mulligan and Manoff were alumni from one of Susan Harris' earlier shows, Soap. How old were the golden girl actresses during filming? [67], The Golden Girls was shot on videotape in front of a live studio audience. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? 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. When your brain is frozen like that, you can't remember lines. Dorothy, meanwhile, is stated to be in her early 50s, which could mean that she was anywhere between 50 and 54. "[45], After season three, Arthur had expressed her growing dissatisfaction with the disparaging jokes made about her physical appearance, which were often in the scripts. 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. She joined the show after Estelle Getty, who was the first actress to be cast in The Golden Girls. Similarly, Estelle Getty, who played Sophia, was 79 when the show began and 83 when it ended. [56] In 2020, owners marketed the property for $3 million. [35], Hired to shoot the pilot, director Jay Sandrich also became instrumental in helping to cast the roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund. Cherry commented on read-throughs of the scripts that "generally, if the joke was a good one, the women found a way to make it work the very first time they read it. The Golden Girls was part of a series of Brandon Tartikoff shows that put an end to NBC's ratings slump, along with The Cosby Show, 227, Night Court, Miami Vice, and L.A. Law. Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White reprised their roles in the 1992 spin-off series The Golden Palace (Credit: CBS). 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". She had established this signature look while playing Maude, and Evans honored it in her designs for Dorothy. This program, on the other hand, was centered on a group of older ladies. [57], The show's designer, Ed Stephenson, took inspiration from his time living in Florida to design a "Florida look" for The Golden Girls house set. 3. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. 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. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. 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. 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. She thought an accentuated Southern accent would be sexy and strong and attractive to men. McClanahan deliberately exaggerated her accent, stating, "I played Blanche the way I felt Blanche. 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.. 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. The 'And Just Like That' Women and 'The Golden Girls' Are the Same Age For instance, Blanche mentions in one episode that she was married in 1952, which would have made her 21 at the time. 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Betty White was 63 years old when the show premiered in 1985, yet she managed to play a younger persona perfectly. The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. [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. As a tribute to the success of The Golden Girls, all four actresses were later named Disney Legends as part of the class of 2009.[78]. 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 . How Old Were The Golden Girls Cast When Series Premiered? [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. The show was a hit with viewers of all ages. Rose Nylund was 55 years old when the show premiered, as Dorothy stated in the Season 1 episode Job Hunting.. 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. This "created a great deal of stress and competitiveness amongst those of us who weren't in that inner sanctum. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. 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. 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. The majority of sitcoms in the period centered on either families or teenagers. [43] Mitchell Hurwitz also served as writer for the show in its last two seasons. Susan Harris developed a spin-off centering on the empty nest syndrome. It was, however, more than a fringe, Its a tiny marvel, looking back, that the Golden Girls magnificent casting came together as well as it did. 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. In the end, the math adds up to Dorothy being 53 at the start of the series and 60 at the series' end. She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna! In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. [52][53] Debbie Reynolds was brought on as a guest star in the season six episode "There Goes the Bride: Part 2" to test her chemistry with the other actresses as a possible replacement for Arthur, but producers decided that nobody could replicate the chemistry of the four original actresses. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. "[38] Both actresses had dramatically different training and acting backgrounds; Saks commented on White's habit of breaking the fourth wall to engage and joke with the studio audience during breaks between filming, which Arthur found unprofessional. Rose Nylund - Wikipedia There are no tricks. [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. In New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. This means that she was 63 years old by the time the show premiered in 1985. Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). How old were the golden girl actresses during filming? Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). The show became a huge hit with viewers, thanks to its clever writing and strong performances by the four main stars. According to the show, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is 55 . Please endeavor to share this article with family, friends, and colleagues. 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. Reportedly, White doubted that she could effectively play the role of Rose. Getty was the first of the four stars to die in 2008 at age 84. 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. DO YOU LOVE SHOES? How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? The series starred Stephanie Hodge and a set of other young nurses. 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. Airing from 1985 to 1992 with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during the entirety of its run. 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. Sarah Jessica Parker and Betty White, both of whom play a 55-year-old woman. Although the writing was mostly comical, dramatic moments and sentimental endings were included in several episodes. All the lead actresses won Emmy awards for their performances on the show. McClanahan insisted on the character having a thick Southern accent, a popular aspect of her character throughout the show. 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! 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. 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. The Golden Girls | Golden Girls Wiki | Fandom I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. Arthur felt the characters had been in every possible scenario, and wanted to end the series while it was still successful. 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. New York: Harper Collins. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. When the show initially aired, NBC took a chance. They decided that a separate cook would distract from their friendship. These ages seem to contradict what is stated in the show, suggesting that the characters may actually be younger than their stated ages. Styles When the show hit TV screens in the 1980s, society believed that women in their 50s were more grandmotherly, and ready for retirement. There was a lot of competition to get your words into the script. Before The Golden Girls, she was most renowned for creating the series Soap, which parodied daytime soap operas such as The Young and the Restless. That was the case. That means with a little digging, coming up with each Golden Girl's age is easy for a superfan. [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. [40] However, Arthur preferred that her three castmates and she all break for lunch together on workdays. Who is the youngest Golden Girl in real life? - TeachersCollegesj You have a lot of table reads where the actors will mess it up because they don't understand what the characters are doing, or they misinterpret. Hurwitz later created Arrested Development for Fox and later for Netflix. This would mean that Dorothy, who was born in 1938, would have been around 47 when the show started. Afterwards, Getty had returned to New York, but gained permission from her manager to return to California in early 1985. Chick Vennera played a prize fighter and TV reporter Enrique Mas. [32], Getty, who went through a three-hour transformation to become Sophia, wore heavy make-up, thick glasses, and a white wig to look the part. [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. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). ", 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. 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. McClanahan was 51 years old by the time The Golden Girls premiered, and she was 58 when it concluded.
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