McClanahan insisted on the character having a thick Southern accent, a popular aspect of her character throughout the show. One such source is the actors who played the characters. 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. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). According to the math, Blanche was 53 at the start of the series. Despite her enjoyment in playing Dorothy, the show eventually concluded when Bea Arthur decided to depart the show in 1992. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, and Harris served as the original executive producers. Although Getty was impressive, the show's producers went with another actress. Featuring an all-male cast in drag, The Golden Girls: Live! Plus, Sophia was a great cook. 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 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. | It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. [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. As of 2016, it was the 17th-most watched television finale. In Italy, the series aired on Rai Uno (or Rai 1) as Cuori senza et (Ageless Hearts) from 1987 until 1994. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. Please endeavor to share this article with family, friends, and colleagues. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. As of 2019, every episode is available for streaming on Stan. Bea Arthur was not a part of the main cast but did guest star in a double episode, reprising her role as Dorothy.[106]. "[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. DO YOU LOVE SHOES? Blanche was probably around 50 when the show began, rather than 54. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness, allowing the show to appeal to viewers of all ages. Sophia was 86 by the series' end. How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? We assume that middle-aged women continue to live their lives working, partying, being mothers, or hanging with their friends. RELATED: Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. 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. It was, however, more than a fringe success. 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. In any event, Arthur chose to commit to a seventh and final season. Rose is said to be in her mid-50s, suggesting that she was between 55 and 59. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. "We had games going all the time off camera." 13. Unlike anything we had ever seen on television before, The Golden Girls featured an ensemble cast of four older single women (Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty) sharing. 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 . Despite fan theories that the actresses were playing characters much younger than their actual age, Rue McClanahan's age in 1985 was 52, one year younger than her character on the show. 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. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. 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. [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 Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. Arthur was born on May 13, 1922, making her the second oldest actress in the main cast. The film featured five episodes from the show: "The Pilot", "The Flu", "The Way We Met", "Ladies of the Evening" and "Grab That Dough". Cheers. She thought an accentuated Southern accent would be sexy and strong and attractive to men. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two. She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna! The women in The Golden Girlsall have white, short hair styled in a way we often associate with older individuals. Empowering Lives with Nutritious and Delicious NDIS Meals! It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, in association with Touchstone Television. 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. 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. 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 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. However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. 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 . Because none of the other Golden Girls explicitly disclose their ages, the logical process begins with Dorothy. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? : Extreme Stunt Show, discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, List of awards and nominations received by The Golden Girls, "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time", Golden Girls appears to get better with pop culture age, "7 Things You Might Not Know About The Golden Girls", "The Golden Girls - Cast/Crew Documentary (2/9)", "These Are the Most-Watched TV Series Finales of All Time: 17", "The TV Ratings Guide: 1987-1988 season ratings", "Golden Girls: A 20th Anniversary Oral History", "Catching Up with the Golden Girls' Susan Harris", "Crackle's Creator Conversation: Soap's Susan Harris", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, "Betty White and Bea Arthur's Friends Open Up About Their On-Set Feud", "Say It Isn't So, Girls! There was a lot of competition to get your words into the script. [26] She found the concept interesting, as "it was a demographic that had never been addressed," and she soon began work on it. How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? Jan 31, 2023 Movie Features Harry Potter: Wait, How Are Bellatrix and Leta Lestrange Related? Blanche would have been 60 by the series' end. "[34] Getty continuously battled stage fright during her tenure on the show. Sophia was never afraid to admit how old she was, often using it to her advantage over the other women in the house. 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. [83] The 21-disc collection features all 180 episodes of the series as well as all special features contained on the previously released season sets; it is encased in special collectible packaging, a replica of Sophia's purse. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. Their hair also hasnt greyed (or is colored), and they style their hair in a more contemporary way. 100 Black-Owned Businesses to Shop Now. 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. In the end, the math adds up to Dorothy being 53 at the start of the series and 60 at the series' end. Actors How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? 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. We hope this article on how old were the golden girls has been interesting and has also been able to bring back good memories. The story follows four older single women (three widows and one divorced) who share a home in Miami, Florida. Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." 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. Betty White was actually the oldest Golden Girl. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. 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". 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. Ironically, despite being the oldest actress in the show, Betty White was the last of the main stars to survive. Maddy Hiltz is someone who loves all things history. She is also the only living core cast member from the series. Celebrities 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. [111], Golden Girls 3033 is an animated pilot created by Mike Hollingsworth. Rose Nylund is a character from the sitcom television series The Golden Girls and its spin-off, The Golden Palace. 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. So why do the ladies in Golden Girls seem so much older than the characters in And Just Like That, even though theyre all supposed to be around the same age? Exploring the World of Knowledge and Understanding. 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. 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! The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most of its run, and won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice. 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. I kept reading scenes to them and saying, 'God, this is brilliant [] There's nothing trendy about this show. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. [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. Estelle Getty, who portrayed Sophia, was a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy, Sophias daughter. 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. Similarly, Estelle Getty, who played Sophia, was 79 when the show began and 83 when it ended. 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. [73], In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time. Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristen Davis in And Just Like That. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). However, her popularity with audiences caused Sophia to become a main character in the series. White's birthday is January 17th and Arthur's was May 13th. This suggests that she was likely in her early 50s when the show began. [35], Hired to shoot the pilot, director Jay Sandrich also became instrumental in helping to cast the roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund. Bill Dana played Sophia's brother Angelo and her father. [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. 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. Blanche was 17 in 1949, according to Season 3, Episode 25, Mothers Day, when she and her mother reminisce about one of Blanches dates. Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. 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. Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). At the age of 86, Bea Arthur passed away from lung cancer in April 2009. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. Then, in Season 3, Episode 5, "Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself," Sophia tells Dorothy the story of the night Dorothy was conceived. It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy. This indicates that she was likely in her late 40s when the show began. Rue McClanahan was the youngest of the Golden Girls, according to Parade. 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, this older age makes sense because Sophia is Dorothys mother. 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. [68] Many episodes of the series followed a similar format or theme. The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. That was the case. 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. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. 4. Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. McClanahan said, "Betty and I loved word games, and we would play word games every day,". It wasnt until she was informed of Roses naivety that she gained the confidence to play the role and pull off the character. In fact, the two were less than four months apart in age. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. Rose Nylund was 55 years old when the show premiered, as Dorothy stated in the Season 1 episode Job Hunting.. The show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. They decided that a separate cook would distract from their friendship. Getty was the first actress to be cast, and her role was intended to make the rest of the characters appear younger. "[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. 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." Sophia states it happened in 1931, making it likely Dorothy was born sometime in 1932, judging by her sign. ", 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 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. [45][46] The cast often had to stay behind after the audience had departed to redo scenes where Getty had flubbed her lines, and although this was at first met with resistance from the producers, cue cards were eventually introduced to help her. Estimating the ages of the characters can be tricky, since the show never explicitly states their ages. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). 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. In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? [74] The show was the anchor of NBC's Saturday line-up, and almost always won its time slot, as ABC and CBS struggled to find shows to compete against it, the most notable being ABC's Lucille Ball sitcom Life With Lucy in the beginning of the 198687 season although it aired at 8:00, an hour earlier.
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how old were the golden girls supposed to be