Estelle Getty, who portrayed Sophia, was a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy, Sophias daughter. One, while the characters ages on the show appeared to be quite. 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. New York: Scribner. We didn't want the show to be about four dowdy ladies. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. Going by the math, that makes Blanche 53 at the start of the series. 3. Their regular writer declined, so Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris,[24] who had been semiretired since the conclusion of their ABC series Soap. 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. Gettleman says she suffered from advanced. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. According to the show, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is 55 . Fans of all ages still enjoy The Golden Girls and its actors today. This led into the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. Win free shoes, organize your shoe closet, see the latest styles + more, About Chick Vennera played a prize fighter and TV reporter Enrique Mas. "[72], During the NBC upfronts, the preview screening of the show got a standing ovation. 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. Apparently, writer Susan Harris envisioned a Bea Arthur type when conceptualizing the character of Dorothy. 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. Sue's personality as the perky housewife host on a fictional television station of the show . After the pilot, the character of Coco was eliminated from the series. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? [41] To aid her retention, Getty tried hypnosis, and the show hired an assistant to run lines with her before taping; neither method worked. It happens again, by a handsome male model, the kind she might have once. 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! New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews. The story follows four older single women (three widows and one divorced) who share a home in Miami, Florida. It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, in association with Touchstone Television. Similarly, Estelle Getty, who played Sophia, was 79 when the show began and 83 when it ended. Bea Arthur was not a part of the main cast but did guest star in a double episode, reprising her role as Dorothy.[106]. Season 2, Episode 25, "A Piece of Cake," reveals Sophia celebrated her 50th birthday in 1956, putting her at 79 at The Golden Girls' beginning. 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. In Canada, Corus Entertainment's digital specialty channel, DejaView, aired reruns of The Golden Girls until 2017. 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. "[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. ", This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40. From left to right- Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls. 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. Dorothy, meanwhile, is stated to be in her early 50s, which could mean that she was anywhere between 50 and 54. 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. 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. 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 . For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. 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. [31] The suit was later settled. 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]. The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur elected to quit the series after six seasons in the top ten and the seventh season at #30. I kept reading scenes to them and saying, 'God, this is brilliant [] There's nothing trendy about this show. 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. 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! 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. [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. In an interview with The Village Voice in 2011, White stated that Arthur found me a pain in the neck sometimes. Because none of the other Golden Girls explicitly disclose their ages, the logical process begins with Dorothy. Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Despite her enjoyment in playing Dorothy, the show eventually concluded when Bea Arthur decided to depart the show in 1992. When the show initially aired, NBC took a chance. 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. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women. Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be?,The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. Arthur felt the characters had been in every possible scenario, and wanted to end the series while it was still successful. It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy. How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? 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 . At the request of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who was reputedly a big fan, the cast of The Golden Girls performed several skits as their characters in front of her and other members of the British royal family at the 1988 Royal Variety Performance in London.[77]. [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. The clever use of makeup and a wig aged Getty to match her character's age. [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. 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. [24], Shortly afterward, he met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a show about a female lawyer. She was born on July 25, 1923, making her 62 years old by the time the sitcom premiered. Mulligan and Manoff were alumni from one of Susan Harris' earlier shows, Soap. 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 ladies on golden girls in real life? 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. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. Afterwards, Getty had returned to New York, but gained permission from her manager to return to California in early 1985. [56] In 2020, owners marketed the property for $3 million. She reconsidered, however, after hearing that McClanahan and White had switched roles. [65][66] Eventually, McClanahan went on to create a clothing line for QVC called "A Touch of Rue", inspired by Blanche, but made with affordable fabrics and practical designs. 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. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. 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.. 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. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. Exploring the World of Knowledge and Understanding. [28], The pilot included a gay houseboy, Coco (Charles Levin), who lived with the girls. 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It wasnt until she was informed of Roses naivety that she gained the confidence to play the role and pull off the character. Sophia was 86 by the series' end. In Southeast Asia, Rewind Networks began airing reruns of The Golden Girls on its HD channel, HITS, in 2013. Getty was picky about the jokes Sophia would make. Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). RELATED: How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? The show was aired as a bilingual broadcast using a two-channel sound system (Zweikanalton). New York: Harper Collins. [67], The Golden Girls was shot on videotape in front of a live studio audience. 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. ISBN978-1-4516-1369-8. When Arthur first received the script for The Golden Girls, she loved the concept of having senior women as the stars of the show. She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. She had established this signature look while playing Maude, and Evans honored it in her designs for Dorothy. Ellen Albertini Dow played Sophia's friend Lillian and an unnamed hospital patient with a flower cart. 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. 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. [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. As of September 8, 2021 all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls were made available to stream on Disney+ in Canada. 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! As of 2019, every episode is available for streaming on Stan. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? "[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 series ran for a total of seven seasons and a total of 180 full-length episodes. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two. 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. This means that she was 63 years old by the time the show premiered in 1985. "[47] Getty died in 2008, the result of dementia with Lewy bodies. 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. White's birthday is January 17th and Arthur's was May 13th. Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. 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. Estelle Getty, however, was 62 in 1985, making her 17 years younger than the character she portrayed. [4] In 2014, the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 69 in their list of the "101 Best Written TV Series of All Time". 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. And that was, to me, what made it seem like it could be a contemporary, young show. It shattered stereotypes and even made that demographic entertaining for audiences of all genders and ages. 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. The classic NBC comedy The Golden Girls broke boundaries with its cast of four older women, a representation that was previously lacking on television. Airing from 1985 to 1992 with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during the entirety of its run. In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? At times, she even froze on camera while filming. During its original run, The Golden Girls received 68 Emmy nominations, 11 Emmy awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Viewers for Quality Television awards. 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! 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. 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.