how old were the golden girls supposed to be
Though Littlefield nixed their idea, he asked if they would be interested in delivering a pilot script for Miami Nice, instead. However, with some detective work, audiences can figure them out. 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. Getty was picky about the jokes Sophia would make. 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. From left to right- Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls. Rose Nylund - Wikipedia [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. "[47] Getty died in 2008, the result of dementia with Lewy bodies. [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. Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). [33] The character of Sophia was thought by the creators to enhance the idea that three retirement-aged women could be young. In the first season of Golden Girls, it is revealed that Rose (Betty Whites character) was 55. 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.. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two. On November 9, 2010, the studio released a complete-series box set titled The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection. In her spare time, Maddy loves playing volleyball, running, walking, and biking, although when she wants to be lazy she loves to read a good thriller. Beginning in 1990, Marc Cherry served as writer and producer, years before creating Desperate Housewives, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2012. This indicates that Sophia was likely close to her real-life age. Sophia, Dorothy's straight-talking mother, was the oldest character in the Golden Girls' house. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be?,The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. In the end, the math adds up to Dorothy being 53 at the start of the series and 60 at the series' end. The company expected the show to appeal to older female viewers. 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. At times, she even froze on camera while filming. How old were the golden girl actresses during filming? [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.[6]. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, in association with Touchstone Television. However, there are some clues that can be found in the show itself. -- Thirty years ago today, "The Golden Girls" premiered on television. The faade was based on a real house at 245 North Saltair Avenue in the Westgate Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. 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. Gettleman says she suffered from advanced. The program is about four elderly ladies who live . 10 things you never knew about 'The Golden Girls' - Fox News The show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th[citation needed] in the annual ratings. Then, in Season 3, Episode 5, "Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself," Sophia tells Dorothy the story of the night Dorothy was conceived. 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. 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). The cast of The Golden Girls, Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose, have been even further immortalised in two puppet parody shows Thank You For Being A Friend[110] and That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody, both created by Australian screenwriter Thomas Duncan-Watt and producer Jonathan Rockefeller. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. These ages seem to contradict what is stated in the show, suggesting that the characters may actually be younger than their stated ages. Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). RELATED: How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? However, the exterior backdrop seen through the kitchen window changed from the view of Chicago high-rises to palm trees and bushes for the Miami setting. The show was aired as a bilingual broadcast using a two-channel sound system (Zweikanalton). It was my positive attitude, and that made Bea angry sometimes.. Getty came to Weiner's mind soon after, when it became time to begin casting of The Golden Girls. Advertise However, this older age makes sense because Sophia is Dorothys mother. One such source is the actors who played the characters. As of September 15, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+ in Germany and Austria. Blanche Devereauxs age had been a mystery and a recurrent joke for most of the Golden Girls, and it had been saved until last. 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. But one of the questions that has always been asked is: how old were the Golden Girls characters supposed to be? 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. 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. "[34] Getty continuously battled stage fright during her tenure on the show. 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 . Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna! How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? 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. All four cast members got Emmy nominations for their roles in the Golden Girls. 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. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. When the show initially aired, NBC took a chance. Its probable it examined a lot of the same scenarios as previous episodes. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? - TrendRadars 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. 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. In Canada, Corus Entertainment's digital specialty channel, DejaView, aired reruns of The Golden Girls until 2017. There was a lot of competition to get your words into the script. None of the other Golden Girls outright state their ages, so Dorothy is where the deductive work begins. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. We assume that middle-aged women continue to live their lives working, partying, being mothers, or hanging with their friends. 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. When the show hit TV screens in the 1980s, society believed that women in their 50s were more grandmotherly, and ready for retirement. Eager not to be typecast, they took the suggestion of Sandrich and switched roles at the last minute. How old were the golden girl actresses during filming? [56] In 2020, owners marketed the property for $3 million. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Privacy Policy, Brands 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. ISBN978-0-06-242290-3. [35], Hired to shoot the pilot, director Jay Sandrich also became instrumental in helping to cast the roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund. However, she wasn't much older than Bea Arthur. Ironically, despite being the oldest actress in the show, Betty White was the last of the main stars to survive. Going by the math, that makes Blanche 53 at the start of the series. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. Apparently, writer Susan Harris envisioned a Bea Arthur type when conceptualizing the character of Dorothy. 2. 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. Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. And Just Like That Characters Are the Same Age as The Golden Girls Social norms regarding women in their fifties have also changed since Golden Girls premiered. [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". We will always remember Rue McClanahan, Betty White, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty for bringing joy into our lives and for being our friends. As of September 8, 2021 all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls were made available to stream on Disney+ in Canada. Estelle Getty portrayed the role of Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthurs character). To portray Sophia Petrillo, Getty was required to wear makeup and a wig to appear visibly older than her co-stars. | [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. She reconsidered, however, after hearing that McClanahan and White had switched roles. In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? [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. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. 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. : Extreme Stunt Show attraction, later replaced by Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. 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. The Golden Girls | Golden Girls Wiki | Fandom [57], The show's designer, Ed Stephenson, took inspiration from his time living in Florida to design a "Florida look" for The Golden Girls house set. Both Rue McClanahan and Betty White came into consideration, as the series Mama's Family, in which the two co-starred, had been cancelled by NBC. All the lead actresses won Emmy awards for their performances on the show. [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. Dorothy is revealed to be a Leo in another episode, which means she was born in July or August of 1932, making her character 53 years old at the time the series began. [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. 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. 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. Rue McClanahan was the youngest of the Golden Girls, according to Parade. In New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. Arthur was born on May 13, 1922, making her the second oldest actress in the main cast. According to Evans, "I wanted a sexy, soft, and flowing look for Rue, a tailored, pulled-together look for Bea, a down-home look for Betty, and comfort for Estelle. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). White's birthday is January 17th and Arthur's was May 13th. 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. Susan Harris developed a spin-off centering on the empty nest syndrome. 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. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. Going off the idea that Season 1 takes place within the same year, Rose would have been 55 at the start of The Golden Girls as well, making her the oldest Golden Girl -- after Sophia, of course. Rose Nylund is a character from the sitcom television series The Golden Girls and its spin-off, The Golden Palace. 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. By Zachary Guida Jan 31, 2023 10 Ways Audience Popularity Gave TV Characters Greater Roles McClanahan deliberately exaggerated her accent, stating, "I played Blanche the way I felt Blanche. [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. Empty Nest launched its own spin-off in 1991 set in Miami in the same hospital where Dr. Weston worked. Carl Gettleman, one of her two sons, says the co-star of the TV show "The Golden Girls" died early Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at home in Los Angeles. The show became a huge hit with viewers, thanks to its clever writing and strong performances by the four main stars. "[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. 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. The show is seen in more than a hundred countries. 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. 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". Mulligan and Manoff were alumni from one of Susan Harris' earlier shows, Soap. [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. The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur chose to leave the series. In Germany, airing of the show started in January 1990, only months before the German reunification, by German public broadcaster ARD in the late evening programme on their main channel Das Erste. Dorothy was likely in her late 40s, rather than her early 50s. 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. However, there is also some evidence to suggest that these ages may not be accurate. 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! How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. [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. 41 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets From 'The Golden Girls' - Good Housekeeping Similarly, Estelle Getty, who played Sophia, was 79 when the show began and 83 when it ended. Betty White was actually the oldest Golden Girl. McClanahan said, "Betty and I loved word games, and we would play word games every day,". 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. Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. Plus, Sophia was a great cook. Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). The classic NBC comedy The Golden Girls broke boundaries with its cast of four older women, a representation that was previously lacking on television. 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. For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. Rose Nylund was 55 years old when the show premiered, as Dorothy stated in the Season 1 episode Job Hunting.. 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. 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. As of December 1, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+. As head writers, Speer and Grossman, along with Mort Nathan and Barry Fanaro, who won an Emmy Award for outstanding writing for the first season, gave general ideas to lower staff writers, and personally wrote a handful of scripts each season.[43]. 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. 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. It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy. Featuring an all-male cast in drag, The Golden Girls: Live! Betty White was famous in Hollywood for being a pioneer of television dating back to the 1950s. The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended, Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. For simplicity, because the program lasted seven seasons, each season is treated as a different year for the purpose of simplicity. Considering how easily Blanche lied to her housemates about her age (and that Sophia immediately called her out and said she'd be 70 when the kid graduates), it's safe to assume that 53 is her actual age going into The Golden Girls. This led into the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. 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 shows executives were unsure how the public would react to the eccentric program because older women in leading roles were rarely seen on television. How Old Were The Golden Girls Cast When Series Premiered? She was just as uptight as a human being could get. It had a total of 180 half-hour episodes across its seven seasons. She is passionate about Princess Diana, the Titanic, the Romanovs, and Egypt amongst other things. 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. McClanahan insisted on the character having a thick Southern accent, a popular aspect of her character throughout the show. [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. [112], In 2017, a Golden Girls-themed eatery, Rue la Rue Cafe owned by Rue McClanahan's close friend Michael La Rue, who inherited many of the star's personal belongings and in turn decorated the restaurant with them, opened in the Washington Heights section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. In this article, we will explore the evidence and try to uncover the true ages of the Golden Girls. 41 Behind-the-Scenes 'The Golden Girls' Facts - 'Golden Girls' Trivia. [124] The eatery closed in November 2017 after less than a year of operation.[125]. Although Getty was impressive, the show's producers went with another actress. [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. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? [80] In 2020, CMT purchased the rights to the series. However, White and McClanahan wanted to play against their typecasting, so McClanahan was cast as Blanche instead. 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. They decided that a separate cook would distract from their friendship. 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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? [2] Each of the four stars received an Emmy Award, making it one of only four sitcoms in the award's history to achieve this. You have a lot of table reads where the actors will mess it up because they don't understand what the characters are doing, or they misinterpret. It shattered stereotypes and even made that demographic entertaining for audiences of all genders and ages. Their regular writer declined, so Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris,[24] who had been semiretired since the conclusion of their ABC series Soap. [citation needed]. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Continue reading to find out how old were the golden girls on the set of The Golden Girls. This article promises to be interesting and really informative. This program, on the other hand, was centered on a group of older ladies. Some episodes featured flashbacks to previous episodes, flashbacks to events not shown in previous episodes, or to events that occurred before the series began. ISBN978-1-4516-1369-8. 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. 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." Crypto Wallet Development: Types, Features, and Popularity, 5 Ways AI is Detecting and Preventing Identity Fraud. She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, the show is about four older women who share a home in Miami, Florida.It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions . Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Their hair also hasnt greyed (or is colored), and they style their hair in a more contemporary way. October 8, 2022 According to evidence presented by the ladies themselves during the first year of the show, Sophia is 80 years old, Rose is 55 years old, and Blanche is 50 years old. Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White reprised their roles in the 1992 spin-off series The Golden Palace (Credit: CBS). 1. "[72], During the NBC upfronts, the preview screening of the show got a standing ovation. Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, the show is about four older women who share a home in Miami, Florida. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? 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. In "The Golden . In any event, Arthur chose to commit to a seventh and final season. Golden Girls Cast, Ages, Names & More - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes
