Both Betty White and Bea Arthur were 63 when The Golden Girls premiered, coinciding with the fan theory. The main cast of The Golden Girls included Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, and Estelle Getty as Dorothys mother, Sophia Petrillo. 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. Blanche Devereauxs age had been a mystery and a recurrent joke for most of the Golden Girls, and it had been saved until last. How old Were the Golden Girls When they Started? - Wording Vibes Sophia was 86 by the series' end. 'The Golden Girls' Turn 35 - forbes.com She joined the show after Estelle Getty, who was the first actress to be cast in The Golden Girls. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. 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. Dorothy was likely in her late 40s, rather than her early 50s. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. 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. Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, and Harris served as the original executive producers. At this time, syndicated reruns began airing, distributed by Buena Vista Television (now DisneyABC Domestic Television), the syndication arm of Disney, whose Touchstone Television division produced the series. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? Sophia is to join her, but in the end, she stays behind with the other women in Miami. Rose went so far as to search through official records to find out, only to learn it was "deleted by authority of the governor." Reportedly, White doubted that she could effectively play the role of Rose. [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. The part of Sophia Petrillo was the first of the four roles to be cast. Estelle Getty auditioned and won the role as the feisty mother of character Dorothy Zbornak, due, in part, to the rave reviews she garnered in her off-Broadway role reprisal for the 1984 Los Angeles run of Torch Song Trilogy. 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. "[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. 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. [9], The pilot was taped on April 17, 1985.[10]. 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! 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. "[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. 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 . Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. The series ran for a total of seven seasons and a total of 180 full-length episodes. It was, however, more than a fringe success. Casting director Judith Weiner had seen Torch Song Trilogy, and thought Getty was terrific in it. Airing from 1985 to 1992 with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during the entirety of its run. It happens again, by a handsome male model, the kind she might have once. The program is about four elderly ladies who live . The show was aired as a bilingual broadcast using a two-channel sound system (Zweikanalton). Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. Arthur felt the characters had been in every possible scenario, and wanted to end the series while it was still successful. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress Dorothy, meanwhile, is stated to be in her early 50s, which could mean that she was anywhere between 50 and 54. [108] After the end of The Golden Palace, Getty joined the cast of Empty Nest, making frequent appearances as Sophia in the show's final two seasons. Blanche Elizabeth Marie Devereaux (ne Hollingsworth) is one of the four, fictional, main characters on the highly-acclaimed, revered, and well-received 1985-1992 NBC situation-comedy/sit-com TV series, The Golden Girls, and its spin-off, The Golden Palace. She was said to have worn aged cosmetics in character to make her appear to be an eighty-something woman. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? This means that she was 63 years old by the time the show premiered in 1985. Estelle Getty, however, was 62 in 1985, making her 17 years younger than the character she portrayed. Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. 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. 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. "It was so exciting to be with four people with that chemistry. 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 'And Just Like That' Women and 'The Golden Girls' Are the Same Age 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. Its probable it examined a lot of the same scenarios as previous episodes. As of September 8, 2021 all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls were made available to stream on Disney+ in Canada. 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. Their hair also hasnt greyed (or is colored), and they style their hair in a more contemporary way. We can also look at other clues from the show itself. 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. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? This indicates that she was likely in her late 40s when the show began. She passed away in 2010, at the age of 76, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. 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. 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. 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. 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. The majority of sitcoms in the period centered on either families or teenagers. [citation needed]. [111], Golden Girls 3033 is an animated pilot created by Mike Hollingsworth. 16 Things You Didn't Know About The Golden Girls - Southern Living "[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: How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? The Golden Girls - Wikipedia RELATED: Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. Assuming her child would graduate at 17, that would make Blanche 48 in 1986 and 47 at the start of the series. Its a tiny marvel, looking back, that the Golden Girls magnificent casting came together as well as it did. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. 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! She passed away after suffering complications from a stroke at 99 years old on December 31, 2021, just 17 days before her 100th birthday. This indicates that Sophia was likely close to her real-life age. Clearly, the wardrobe and hairstyles in each show are extremely different from each other. Some episodes featured flashbacks to previous episodes, flashbacks to events not shown in previous episodes, or to events that occurred before the series began. (Photo Credit: New Line Cinema/ HBO/ MovieStills DB and 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. "[44] Writer Christopher Lloyd explained that the usual situation was for all of the more junior writers to be assigned the same scene to write, with the one judged the best version becoming the one chosen. The Golden Girls is one of the most well-known television shows of all time. However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. 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. Empowering Lives with Nutritious and Delicious NDIS Meals! Carrie's age range in "And Just Like That." puts her in the same age range as the characters in "The Golden Girls" season one, according to TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. The show was a hit with viewers of all ages. One such source is the actors who played the characters. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. The series, starring Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan as four women sharing a Miami home, was an instant hit -- and eventually won all four of its stars Emmys. 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. 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. The oldest character in Golden Girls is Sophia (Estelle Getty), who is thought to be about 80 years old at the start of the series. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the Golden Girls characters were actually younger than their stated ages. McClanahan deliberately exaggerated her accent, stating, "I played Blanche the way I felt Blanche. [67], The Golden Girls was shot on videotape in front of a live studio audience. Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews. "[72], During the NBC upfronts, the preview screening of the show got a standing ovation. [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. Every episode of The Golden Girls was made available to stream on Hulu on February 13, 2017. Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). Susan Harris developed a spin-off centering on the empty nest syndrome. Though Littlefield nixed their idea, he asked if they would be interested in delivering a pilot script for Miami Nice, instead. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be - Pagelagi How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness, allowing the show to appeal to viewers of all ages. The show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th[citation needed] in the annual ratings. 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. Luckily, Susan Harris didnt lose her spark after Soap concluded, as she included much of the humor and sharp wit that made Soap popular in The Golden Girls as well. 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." 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". Betty White was famous in Hollywood for being a pioneer of television dating back to the 1950s. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. [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. Estelle Getty portrayed the role of Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthurs character). Based on the assumption that Season 1 and Season 2 took place in the same year, Rose would have been 55 at the start of The Golden Girls. Eager not to be typecast, they took the suggestion of Sandrich and switched roles at the last minute. For instance, Blanche mentions in one episode that she was married in 1952, which would have made her 21 at the time. 4. This program, on the other hand, was centered on a group of older ladies. It has recently come to light that the leading ladies of AndJust Like That, Sex and the Citys reboot, are basically the exact same age as the leading ladies in The Golden Girls a fact that has completely blown our minds! [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. 12. [63] Much of Arthur's wardrobe was custom-made because at the time, finding off-the-rack clothing that was flattering for a taller woman was difficult. 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 . 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. [6], The show features an ensemble cast and the plot revolves around four older single women (three widows and one divorce) sharing a house in Miami. For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. 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. Sue's personality as the perky housewife host on a fictional television station of the show . On the other hand, the women in And Just Like That dress in a trendy, modern style. In "The Golden . Interestingly enough, Estelle Getty suffered from stage fright and would often freeze on camera during the filming of The Golden Girls. Although the four main stars appeared to have good chemistry onscreen, there was some tension on the set between Betty White and Bea Arthur, whose personalities clashed during filming. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. 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 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. [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. [35], Hired to shoot the pilot, director Jay Sandrich also became instrumental in helping to cast the roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund. In Season 2, Episode 1, "End of the Curse," Blanche believes she is pregnant, and states she'll be 65 by the time the child graduates high school. Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. But what made the show golden were its stellar cast and the beloved characters they portrayed. She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. Empty Nest launched its own spin-off in 1991 set in Miami in the same hospital where Dr. Weston worked. After the pilot, the character of Coco was eliminated from the series. the golden girls | 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. 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. 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. The Golden Girls first aired on September 14, 1985, and it continues to appeal to both young and older audiences. Getty figured it would be her last chance to find television or film work. However, it did so from a very different perspective. Because none of the other Golden Girls explicitly disclose their ages, the logical process begins with Dorothy. [24], Shortly afterward, he met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a show about a female lawyer. Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White reprised their roles in the 1992 spin-off series The Golden Palace (Credit: CBS). Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Betty White's Best TV & Movie Roles - CBR The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. 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. Bill Dana played Sophia's brother Angelo and her father. Hurwitz later created Arrested Development for Fox and later for Netflix. "[34] Getty continuously battled stage fright during her tenure on the show. Often deemed as the den mother of the main characters in the show, Bea Arthur played the role of Dorothy Zbornak, a substitute teacher hailing from New York City. 10 things you never knew about 'The Golden Girls' - Fox News The Golden Girls is one of the most beloved and enduring sitcoms of all time. 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. 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. All the lead actresses won Emmy awards for their performances on the show. Hulu estimated that over 11 million hours were spent viewing this sitcom in 2020 alone, making it one of the top ten most binge-watched series on the streaming service. [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. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). By tape day, she was unreachable. [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. Going by the math, that makes Blanche 53 at the start of the series. 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. 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). [68] Many episodes of the series followed a similar format or theme. For simplicity's sake, each season is considered a separate year, as the show ran for seven seasons. By Zachary Guida Jan 31, 2023 10 Ways Audience Popularity Gave TV Characters Greater Roles Arguably the main protagonist of the show, Blanche Devereaux is portrayed by Rue McClanahan. [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. At least two females were forced to change roles! [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. [24] Produced to introduce the network's 198485 season schedule, two actresses appearing on NBC shows, Selma Diamond of Night Court and Doris Roberts of Remington Steele, appeared in a skit promoting the upcoming show Miami Vice as Miami Nice, a parody about old people living in Miami. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. 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. 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. As of December 1, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+. And Just Like That Characters Are the Same Age as The Golden Girls How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? 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 shows executives were unsure how the public would react to the eccentric program because older women in leading roles were rarely seen on television. 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. 'The Golden Girls' Turns 30: Facts You May Not Know About the Series [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. 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. 8 Silk Pillowcases for Your Best Beauty Sleep. Blanche Devereaux, Dorothy Zbornak, and Sophia Petrillo managed the single life as seniors in Miami for seven seasons. Your email address will not be published. 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. White, Betty (2010). The owner of the house is a widow named Blanche Devereaux (McClanahan), who was joined by fellow widow Rose Nylund (White) and divorce Dorothy Zbornak (Arthur) after they both responded to an ad on the bulletin board of a local grocery store a year before the start of the series. For one thing, it did pave the way for a new terrain. Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. 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. Betty White was 63 years old when the show premiered in 1985, yet she managed to play a younger persona perfectly.