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. Soap lasted for four seasons and was marred by controversy due to Harriss insistence on including content that dealt with themes of sexuality, religion, and race. [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. In fact, that's who I think she thought she was."[37]. It wasnt until she was informed of Roses naivety that she gained the confidence to play the role and pull off the character. According to the math, Blanche was 53 at the start of the series. The Golden Girls is one of the most well-known television shows of all time. [70][self-published source?] document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress Empty Nest launched its own spin-off in 1991 set in Miami in the same hospital where Dr. Weston worked. Shopping Guide Although the writing was mostly comical, dramatic moments and sentimental endings were included in several episodes. The show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th[citation needed] in the annual ratings. 'The Golden Girls' Turn 35 - forbes.com 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. Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. [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. The character of Blanche Devereaux appeared in a total of 8 seasons and a total of 204 full episodes in both The Golden Girls (total of 7 . McClanahan continued to portray the role of Blanche in the spin-off series The Golden Palace, which only lasted for one season from 1992 to 1993. She is passionate about Princess Diana, the Titanic, the Romanovs, and Egypt amongst other things. By tape day, she was unreachable. In New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Golden Girls are truly ageless. 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. Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty Whites character) was 55. The writers observed that in many of the proposed scripts, the main interaction between the women occurred in the kitchen while preparing and eating food. The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. [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. 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. [68] Many episodes of the series followed a similar format or theme. [73], In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White reprised their roles in the 1992 spin-off series The Golden Palace (Credit: CBS). However, this older age makes sense because Sophia is Dorothys mother. McClanahan was 51 years old by the time The Golden Girls premiered, and she was 58 when it concluded. (season two, episode five). The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. In fact, the two were less than four months apart in age. The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, Heres How the Royal Family Gets Its Money, These 12 Cities Have Changed A Lot Over Time, Police arrest a 72-year-old suburban grandfather suspected of being the Golden State Killer, Im not dead yet: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The Walk of Shame in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gdel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, Little Ease: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. "[47] Getty died in 2008, the result of dementia with Lewy bodies. Ellen Albertini Dow played Sophia's friend Lillian and an unnamed hospital patient with a flower cart. All four cast members got Emmy nominations for their roles in the Golden Girls. Rue McClanahan was the youngest of the Golden Girls, according to Parade. The series also ranked among the Nielsen ratings' top ten for six of its seven seasons. 100 Black-Owned Businesses to Shop Now. 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). Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. Interestingly enough, Estelle Getty suffered from stage fright and would often freeze on camera during the filming of The Golden Girls. 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 . Arthur was born on May 13, 1922, making her the second oldest actress in the main cast. 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! Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). The Golden Girls is an American comedy that was produced by Susan Harris and aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. [71], On Metacritic, the series has an overall score of 82 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim. [41] Rue McClanahan, who shared a dressing room with Getty, described the severity of Getty's stage fright: "She'd panic. She expressed that she would not continue if changes were not made, but changes were made and jokes regarding Dorothy's physique appeared less often. 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. Rose went so far as to search through official records to find out, only to learn it was "deleted by authority of the governor." On the other hand, the women in And Just Like That dress in a trendy, modern style. Sarah Jessica Parker and Betty White, both of whom play a 55-year-old woman. The Golden Girls first aired on September 14, 1985, and it continues to appeal to both young and older audiences. 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. White, Betty (2010). This means that she was 63 years old by the time the show premiered in 1985. 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. 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]. She was just as uptight as a human being could get. [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. We didn't want the show to be about four dowdy ladies. However, her popularity with audiences caused Sophia to become a main character in the series. Sophia was 86 by the series' end. In this article, we will explore the evidence and try to uncover the true ages of the Golden Girls. According to Cherry, the writers' room was "a competitive atmosphere. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? Maddy Hiltz is someone who loves all things history. She took to writing her lines on props at which she could glance easily, like the wicker purse Sophia always carried with her. The doorway from the living room, with the alcove and baker's shelf just inside, was designed to give the illusion that the actors were walking into and out of the kitchen. Airing from 1985 to 1992 with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during the entirety of its run. The golden girls trivia is the most exciting series we have created for those who love comedy. In the hour-long series finale, which aired in May 1992, Dorothy meets and marries Blanche's uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielsen) and moves to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta. Plus, Sophia was a great cook. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? 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). [82], Buena Vista Home Entertainment has released all seven seasons, with edits, of The Golden Girls on DVD in Region 1 and Region 4 with the first four being released in Region 2. The show was a hit with viewers of all ages. 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. White's birthday is January 17th and Arthur's was May 13th. She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna! Levin had been suggested by then-NBC president Brandon Tartikoff based on Levin's groundbreaking portrayal of a recurring gay character, Eddie Gregg, on NBC's Emmy-winning drama Hill Street Blues. Reportedly, White doubted that she could effectively play the role of Rose. [109] The production ended because the producers failed to secure the rights and received a cease-and-desist order by the creators of the original television show. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. Featuring an all-male cast in drag, The Golden Girls: Live! The faade was based on a real house at 245 North Saltair Avenue in the Westgate Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Styles [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. [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. [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. 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 assume she was 53 when The Golden Girls premiered. 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. Chick Vennera played a prize fighter and TV reporter Enrique Mas. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. She was born on July 25, 1923, making her 62 years old by the time the sitcom premiered. And that was, to me, what made it seem like it could be a contemporary, young show. That means with a little digging, coming up with each Golden Girl's age is easy for a superfan. 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. Jan 31, 2023 Movie Features Harry Potter: Wait, How Are Bellatrix and Leta Lestrange Related? The reasons for her departure are speculative, but the popular theory is that Arthur felt as though the quality of the sitcom had begun to slip by the seventh season, and she wanted to leave while the show was still popular. Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai. Life. [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. 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. In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty White's character) was 55. Betty White was famous in Hollywood for being a pioneer of television dating back to the 1950s. Rose was probably closer to 51 than her stated age of 55, and Sophia was likely closer to 79 than her stated age of 77. After the retirement home where Dorothys mother, Sophia Petrillo, lived burned down in the pilot episode, the three were joined by Dorothys 80-year-old widowed mother, Sophia Petrillo. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). Gettleman says she suffered from advanced. The pilot takes audio from the sitcom and sets it against a futuristic background inspired by The Jetsons. How Old Were the Golden Girls? [26] She found the concept interesting, as "it was a demographic that had never been addressed," and she soon began work on it. For, That was the case. One such source is the actors who played the characters. 'The Golden Girls' and 'SATC' reboot characters are the same age - ajc Fans of all ages still enjoy The Golden Girls and its actors today. Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). Mulligan and Manoff were alumni from one of Susan Harris' earlier shows, Soap. Sue's personality as the perky housewife host on a fictional television station of the show . However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. When your brain is frozen like that, you can't remember lines. "[62], Bea Arthur had a preference for wearing loose-fitting clothing, like slacks and long sweaters, along with sandals, because she hated wearing shoes. RELATED: Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be?,The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. Beginning July 3, 1989, NBC added daytime reruns of the show, replacing long-running Wheel of Fortune (which had moved to CBS) on the NBC schedule at 11:00am(EST); it ran until September 1990. [55] Producers used this residence for exterior shots during the first two seasons. Privacy Policy, Brands Zachary Guida | CBR Getty came to Weiner's mind soon after, when it became time to begin casting of The Golden Girls. 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. However, she wasn't much older than Bea Arthur. As of September 8, 2021 all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls were made available to stream on Disney+ in Canada. 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. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the Golden Girls characters were actually younger than their stated ages. One, while the characters ages on the show appeared to be quite consistentBlanche, Rose, and Dorothy were all in their mid-50s, and Sophia was Dorothys widowed, elderly motherthe actors who played them were all somewhat varied in age. The adventures of Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Rose ( universally beloved Betty White) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) -- four older women who lived in a Miami home together -- took audiences by storm and provided representation to a group generally overlooked by television of the time. 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.. According to McClanahan, by the end of season three, Getty's anxiety had become a serious problem, and she had increasing trouble memorizing her lines. Their regular writer declined, so Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris,[24] who had been semiretired since the conclusion of their ABC series Soap. Your email address will not be published. The show is seen in more than a hundred countries. Betty White was 63 years old when the show premiered in 1985, yet she managed to play a younger persona perfectly. How old were the golden girl actresses during filming? 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. Arthur and White worked well together in shared mutual respect, but they did not pursue a personal friendship with one another outside of The Golden Girls set. At least two females were forced to change roles! 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. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. Airing from 1985 to 1992 with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during the entirety of its run. She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. But what made the show golden were its stellar cast and the beloved characters they portrayed. In an interview with The Village Voice in 2011, White stated that Arthur found me a pain in the neck sometimes. 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. Blanche Devereaux | Golden Girls Wiki | Fandom Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman were the first head writers of the series, and wrote for the show's first four seasons. Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy, Lights, Motors, Action! Blanche Devereaux, Dorothy Zbornak, and Sophia Petrillo managed the single life as seniors in Miami for seven seasons. 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. The series finale of The Golden Girls was watched by 27.2 million viewers. This was the first time since 1993 that The Golden Palace was seen on American television. 3. They decided that a separate cook would distract from their friendship. 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 show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. This "created a great deal of stress and competitiveness amongst those of us who weren't in that inner sanctum. 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 . DO YOU LOVE SHOES? consisted of two back-to-back episodes of the sitcom: "Break-In" (season one, episode eight) and "Isn't It Romantic?" Iconic Golden-era Hollywood actress Scarlett OHara was also reportedly an inspiration for the role. Betty White, who died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 99, was best known for her role as the wonderfully naive Rose Nylund in the NBC comedy The Golden Girls. Thats also the same reason why she refused to reprise her role in the spin-off series The Golden Palace, which featured Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. 10 Things You May Not Know About 'The Golden Girls' - Biography 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 grief counseling center. Assuming her child would graduate at 17, that would make Blanche 48 in 1986 and 47 at the start of the series. The company expected the show to appeal to older female viewers. Characters from both shows made occasional crossover guest appearances on the other show, with the four girls guesting on Empty Nest and Mulligan, Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, and Park Overall appearing on The Golden Girls in their Empty Nest roles. The 'And Just Like That' Women and 'The Golden Girls' Are the Same Age The majority of sitcoms in the period centered on either families or teenagers. 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. However, it did so from a very different perspective. Blanche was probably around 50 when the show began, rather than 54. Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristen Davis in And Just Like That. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). 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. Getty was the first actress to be cast, and her role was intended to make the rest of the characters appear younger. [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. Dorothy, following an impassioned speech in which she told the girls that I love you, always, she says as she rushes back into the home through several entrances for their final goodbyes, before making her final exit, saying, Youll always be my sisters. Continually , leaving the other three females to fend for themselves. 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. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? We will always remember Rue McClanahan, Betty White, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty for bringing joy into our lives and for being our friends. 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 A Piece of Cake.. 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. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. She is also the only living core cast member from the series. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. 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. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. 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. 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' Turns 30: Facts You May Not Know About the Series When all of the evidence is taken into account, it seems likely that the Golden Girls characters were actually younger than their stated ages. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be?