Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. Subscribe She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. Bea Arthur actually hated cheesecake. According to Cherry, the writers' room was "a competitive atmosphere. 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. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Bea Arthur as the beloved main cast of the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). 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. There are no tricks. [80] In 2020, CMT purchased the rights to the series. "[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. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. She'd be walking around like Pig-Pen, under a black cloud. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. 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. Colucci, Jim (2016). How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? In this article, we will explore the evidence and try to uncover the true ages of the Golden Girls. 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. [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. [30] Stritch's audition flopped, however, and under the impression that Arthur did not want to participate, Harris asked McClanahan if she could persuade Arthur, with whom she worked previously on the CBS sitcom Maude, to take the role. This suggests that she was likely in her early 50s when the show began. 8 Silk Pillowcases for Your Best Beauty Sleep. Harold Gould played two of Rose's boyfriends, Arnie and Miles. For simplicity, because the program lasted seven seasons, each season is treated as a different year for the purpose of simplicity. According to the show, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is 55 . In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty White's character) was 55. The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristen Davis in And Just Like That. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). 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 . 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. It shattered stereotypes and even made that demographic entertaining for audiences of all genders and ages. Rose, who was born in 1934, would have been around 51, while Sophia, who was born in 1906, would have been 79. The pilot takes audio from the sitcom and sets it against a futuristic background inspired by The Jetsons. 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. 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. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. 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? New York: Scribner. That was the case. 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. It wasnt until she was informed of Roses naivety that she gained the confidence to play the role and pull off the character. RELATED: Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. 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. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Golden Girls are truly ageless. 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. The show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. Rose Nylund was 55 years old when the show premiered, as Dorothy stated in the Season 1 episode Job Hunting.. In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? 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]. Sophia states it happened in 1931, making it likely Dorothy was born sometime in 1932, judging by her sign. Rue McClanahan. -- Thirty years ago today, "The Golden Girls" premiered on television. ", This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40. 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. Plus, Sophia was a great cook. [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. [40] However, Arthur preferred that her three castmates and she all break for lunch together on workdays. Although the writing was mostly comical, dramatic moments and sentimental endings were included in several episodes. [56] In 2020, owners marketed the property for $3 million. The series finale of The Golden Girls was watched by 27.2 million viewers. [28], The pilot included a gay houseboy, Coco (Charles Levin), who lived with the girls. [52], The house's address was mentioned as being 6151 Richmond Street, Miami. She would return home to New York if she were unsuccessful. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness or to emphasize the idea that age is just a number. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? [64] Rue McClanahan had a special clause written into her contract allowing her to keep her costumes, which were mostly custom-made for her, utilising expensive fabrics. The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. Lets see how each actress was cast in their respective roles and how their careers continued after the show concluded. Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. As of September 8, 2021 all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls were made available to stream on Disney+ in Canada. Your email address will not be published. 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. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? She passed away after suffering complications from a stroke at 99 years old on December 31, 2021, just 17 days before her 100th birthday. 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. 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 New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. Apparently, writer Susan Harris envisioned a Bea Arthur type when conceptualizing the character of Dorothy. 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." She received her Bachelors of Arts in history and her Masters of Arts degree in history both from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). [33] The character of Sophia was thought by the creators to enhance the idea that three retirement-aged women could be young. The golden girls trivia is the most exciting series we have created for those who love comedy. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). 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. [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. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. At the age of 86, Bea Arthur passed away from lung cancer in April 2009. 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. ISBN978-1-4516-1369-8. 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].
how old were the golden girls supposed to be
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