The Golden Girls
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Susan Harris
Starring	Beatrice Arthur Betty White Rue McClanahan Estelle Getty
Opening theme	"Thank You for Being a Friend" by Cynthia Fee
Country of origin	United States
No. Susan Harris (born Susan Spivak on October 28, 1940 in Mount Vernon New York) is a Television Comedy Writer Betty Marion White (born January 17, 1922) is a film and television actress with a career spanning 60 years Rue McClanahan (born Eddi Rue McClanahan; February 21, 1934) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actress, known for Estelle Scher-Gettleman ( July 25 1923 &ndash July 22 2008) better known by her Stage name Estelle Getty, was an "Thank You for Being a Friend" is a popular song written by Andrew Gold. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the of seasons	7
No.  of episodes	180 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	25 minutes (22 minutes for syndication)
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 14, 1985 – May 9, 1992
Chronology
Followed by	The Golden Palace (1992-1993)
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Golden Girls is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. In Broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast Radio shows and Television shows to multiple individual stations without going through The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Golden Palace was a Spin-off of the sitcom The Golden Girls broadcast during the 1992–1993 season on the American The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Starring Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a Miami, Florida home. Betty Marion White (born January 17, 1922) is a film and television actress with a career spanning 60 years Rue McClanahan (born Eddi Rue McClanahan; February 21, 1934) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actress, known for Estelle Scher-Gettleman ( July 25 1923 &ndash July 22 2008) better known by her Stage name Estelle Getty, was an The series was produced by Touchstone Pictures and distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, both subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company. Touchstone Pictures is one of several alternate Film labels of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1984 Disney-ABC Domestic Television is the domestic Television syndication firm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company

The sitcom was originally conceived by NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff and created by Susan Harris. Brandon Tartikoff ( January 13, 1949 &mdash August 27, 1997) was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low Susan Harris (born Susan Spivak on October 28, 1940 in Mount Vernon New York) is a Television Comedy Writer Tartikoff was visiting his elderly aunt one day, and saw how she and her next-door neighbor, who also was her best friend, interacted with each other. Despite their constant bickering and arguments, they were still the best of friends, and loved each other. He thought that would make a great premise for a TV show.

The Golden Girls won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice. Award winners and nominees This is a list of winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. All four stars won at least one Emmy Award throughout the series' entire run.

Beginnings

Three older, nearing-retirement-age (plus one elderly) women share a fashionable house in Miami, Florida. Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) owned the house; Rose Nylund (Betty White), who found an ad for the house in the supermarket; and Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), who responded to an ad looking for roommates on the bulletin board of a local grocery store. Blanche Marie Elizabeth Hollingsworth Devereaux was one of the four main characters on the 1985 - 1992 NBC Sitcom The Golden Girls Rue McClanahan (born Eddi Rue McClanahan; February 21, 1934) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actress, known for Rose Nylund was a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s Situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace Betty Marion White (born January 17, 1922) is a film and television actress with a career spanning 60 years Dorothy Zbornak Hollingsworth (nee Petrillo) portrayed by Beatrice Arthur, is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy were later joined by Dorothy's mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), when Sophia's retirement home, Shady Pines, burned down. Sophia Angelo Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its Spin-offs The Estelle Scher-Gettleman ( July 25 1923 &ndash July 22 2008) better known by her Stage name Estelle Getty, was an In the pilot episode, the character Coco (played by Charles Levin), a gay man who was the ladies' cook, was also featured, but was dropped from the show after the pilot. Charles Levin (born March 12, 1949) is an American actor who has appeared in television and movies and on stage In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. Originally, the character of Sophia was intended to appear only sporadically, but Getty's portrayal proved so popular with test audiences that the decision was made to drop Coco, and hastily write Sophia into the earliest scripts (many of Sophia's famous zingers and one liners were originally written for the Coco character). (Charles Levin was credited as a "Special Guest Star" as a result. )

Characters

The show starred Beatrice Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak; Betty White as Rose Nylund; Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux; and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Dorothy's mother. Betty Marion White (born January 17, 1922) is a film and television actress with a career spanning 60 years Rue McClanahan (born Eddi Rue McClanahan; February 21, 1934) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actress, known for Estelle Scher-Gettleman ( July 25 1923 &ndash July 22 2008) better known by her Stage name Estelle Getty, was an

Originally, McClanahan was cast as Rose and White was cast as Blanche, but both actresses felt the roles were too similar to those they had played previously. White had portrayed man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, while McClanahan had co-starred as sweet but scatterbrained Vivian Harmon opposite Arthur in Maude. Sue Ann Nivens was a fictional character on the long-running situation comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American Television sitcom created by James L Maude is an Emmy and Golden Globe -winning half-hour American Television Sitcom that was originally broadcast on the Anxious not to be stereotyped, the two suggested they switch roles, and the producers agreed. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group

During its original run, The Golden Girls won 65 Emmy nominations, 11 Emmy awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Viewers For Quality Television awards. Viewers for Quality Television (also called "VQT" was an American nonprofit organization (under 501(c(3 founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that All the lead actresses won Emmy Awards for their performances on the show. The Golden Girls, along with All in the Family and Will & Grace, is one of the few shows where all the principal actors have won Emmy Awards. All in the Family is an American Situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12 1971 to April Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award -winning American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006

Dorothy Zbornak

Main article: Dorothy Zbornak

Dorothy Zbornak (née Petrillo) was an Italian Catholic, raised in Brooklyn, New York by her mother Sophia and her father Salvadore (played in flashbacks by Sid Melton). Dorothy Zbornak Hollingsworth (nee Petrillo) portrayed by Beatrice Arthur, is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The City of New York Sid Melton (b May 23 1920, Brooklyn New York is an American Actor probably best known for his roles as incompetent carpenter Nicknamed "Pussycat" by her mother, Dorothy had a younger brother and sister. Brother Phil, a cross-dresser, was often referred to but never seen. He later died of a heart attack in an episode featuring Brenda Vaccaro as his widow. Brenda Buell Vaccaro (born November 18 1939) is an Academy Award - and Tony Award-nominated as well as Emmy - and Golden Sister Gloria, the youngest Petrillo sibling, married into money; she appeared in two episodes, but was played by two different actresses (Doris Belack and Dena Dietrich). Doris Belack (born February 26 1926) is an American actress of stage film and television Dena Dietrich (b December 4 1928, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American actress After moving to Miami in her later years, Dorothy continued working as a substitute teacher.

On the night of their high school prom, Stanley Zbornak got Dorothy pregnant and married her to legitimize the baby. Stanley Zbornak is a fictional character featured on The Golden Girls and played by Herb Edelman. A shotgun wedding is a Wedding that is arranged to avoid embarrassment due to an unplanned Pregnancy, rather than out of the desire of the participants Stan and Dorothy were married for 38 years, although Stan cheated on her numerous times, finally leaving her for a young flight attendant named Chrissy, whom he met on the way to a business conference in Hawaii. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the As Dorothy explained in one episode, the captain on the flight told the flight attendants to "give the passengers a lei. Lei is a Hawaiian word for a garland or wreath More loosely defined a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn " Chrissy got confused (implying that she had sex with Stan), but she and Stan ended up marrying and living in Maui. The Island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 Dorothy had two children, Kate and Michael, and a grandchild named Robbie. In the second season, an episode featuring a visit from Michael, Dorothy referred to him as being 29, which would make her 47, likely a miscalculation on the part of the writers. The following season when Michael came for a visit (in the episode "Mixed Blessings") to announce his engagement to Lorraine, Dorothy repeatedly said in one scene that Michael was only 23 and Lorraine was 44. In a season's time, Michael suddenly dropped 6 years of his life. Michael should have been 40-41 years old when that episode aired in order for Dorothy to have had given birth to him when she was 18-19 years old.

Though Dorothy and Stan were divorced, he made numerous appearances on the show (the character of Stan was portrayed by Herb Edelman), usually running to Dorothy whenever something went wrong in his life. Herbert "Herb" Edelman ( November 5 1933, Brooklyn New York – July 21 1996, Woodland Hills California) was Stan continually saw Dorothy as a comforting, reliable figure; even though he was the one who destroyed their marriage. Dorothy emerged from the divorce a bitter and desperate woman, while her ex-husband seemed to descend further into childishness. Dorothy shot down all attempts of male companionship before beginning a relationship with the married gym teacher. This affair was short lived, but she was made a stronger and more confident woman for it. They ended up having a one-night stand in the first season (which Stan mistakenly thought would lead to a reconciliation), and, a few seasons later, started dating again with plans to re-marry. Dorothy called off the reconciliation on the day of the wedding when Stan asked her to sign a pre-nuptial agreement. A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a Contract entered (Dorothy's proud mother Sophia, who had never quite forgiven her "yutz" son-in-law for cheating on her daughter, proudly announced to the wedding guests: "She turned him down. Remember that!").

Toward the end of the series, Beatrice Arthur made it clear that she wanted out. This inevitably set the plot for the last first-run airing. In the series' final episode, Dorothy married Blanche's uncle Lucas Hollingsworth (played by Leslie Nielsen), making her "Aunt" Dorothy Hollingsworth. Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11 1926 is a Canadian-American Emmy Award -nominated Comedian and actor Stan, though saddened to see Dorothy move on to her new life without him, gave Dorothy his blessing while disguised as the limo driver who took her to the wedding.

Rose Nylund

Main article: Rose Nylund

Rose Nylund (née Lindstrom) was from the small farming town of St. Olaf, Minnesota, a community of Norwegian-Americans that was once referred to by Dorothy as "the cradle of idiocy". Rose Nylund was a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s Situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace Rose delighted in telling profoundly strange stories of life growing up in St. Olaf, stories which provided comedic fodder for her character. Typical stories focused on people with names such as Hans, Lars, or Sven, and various experiences with herring. Herring are small Oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow temperate waters of the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the North Though Rose was decidedly the mildest-mannered of all 4 roommates, she had an incredible competitive streak, which reared its head during several situations, most notably the bowling championship in the episode entitled "The Competition", and while coaching a boys' football team with Dorothy.

Rose spent the first few years of her life in an orphanage in St. Olaf. As discovered in one memorable episode, she spent much of her life convinced that Bob Hope was her biological father. Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Toward the end of the series run, however, she learned she had been born out of wedlock to a monk (Don Ameche) and his lover, Ingrid, who died in childbirth. Don Ameche (born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31 1908 – December 6 1993) was an American actor At around age 8, Rose was adopted and raised by the large (and apparently somewhat bizarre) Lindstrom family. Her adoptive father had died prior to the start of the series, but in one episode she was visited by her free-spirited adoptive mother, Alma (played by veteran star Jeanette Nolan); she later died off screen during the course of the series. Jeanette Nolan ( December 30, 1911 – June 5, 1998) was an American actress born in Los Angeles. Rose was one of 9 siblings (once stating that her parents loved 'all 9 of us equally'); several were, like Rose, named after types of flowers. These included the two sisters who visited Rose in Miami: Lily, who was blind (played by Polly Holliday), and Holly (played by Inga Swenson), a professional musician whom Rose could not stand, as she seemed to act, as Rose once stated "like such a jackass". Polly Dean Holliday (born July 2, 1937 in Jasper, Alabama) to Ernest Sullivan Holliday and Velma Mabell Holliday Inga Swenson (born December 29, 1932 in Omaha Nebraska) is an Emmy award and Golden Globe -nominated American actress

Rose was married for many years to traveling insurance salesman Charlie Nylund, who moonlighted as a horseshoe salesman, and had 5 children: three daughters (Kirsten, Bridgette, and Jeanella) and two sons (Adam and Charlie Jr. ) Kirsten and Bridgette would visit their mother in Miami on more than one occasion, while Adam; Charlie Jr. ; and Jeanella were mentioned but never seen on the show. Rose had several grandchildren, including two granddaughters, Charley and Charlene (the former appeared on the The Golden Girls and the latter of whom visited Rose in The Golden Palace). The Golden Palace was a Spin-off of the sitcom The Golden Girls broadcast during the 1992–1993 season on the American

After Charlie's death in 1980 (he died of a heart attack while they were making love), Rose lived alone in St. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Olaf for a while, and then she moved to Miami and found work at a grief counseling center. During the show's run, Charlie's pension was cut off, and Rose was forced to find a more lucrative job, ending up as the assistant to consumer reporter Enrique Mas at a local TV station. Over the course of the series, Rose also volunteered at the local hospital, and worked on a number of charity projects.

In later seasons, Rose became romantically involved with college professor Miles Webber (played by Harold Gould) Rose later discovered that Miles was part of the Witness Protection Program). Harold V Goldstein (best known stage name Harold Gould) (born December 10, 1923) is an American Actor best known for playing Martin The United States Federal Witness Protection Program is a Witness protection program administered by the United States Department of Justice to protect threatened Webber was stated as previously being known as Nicholas Carbone, an accountant from Chicago. After a gangster named Mickey "The Cheeseman" Moran faked his own death, Miles was briefly re-located to Pennsylvania as an Amish farmer named Samuel Plankmaker. Incidentally, the same actor who played Miles also played "Arnie", one of Rose's brief love interests in the first season. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works

After the show's run, when the girls sold the house and bought a hotel (The Golden Palace), Rose was the wedding consultant for the hotel. She also was in charge of handling all banquets, conferences, and affairs for the hotel. While she was handling a wedding reception for a bride and setting up the special "Cow-Themed Wedding", Miles' name was found in the hotel registry several times, having checked in several times with another woman. Blanche informs Rose what she has found, Rose confronts Miles with the information, and it comes out that he's not the Miles Webber that was in the hotel registry. Miles did admit he was seeing another woman who worked in a restaurant, and that he couldn't choose between them. Rose ends the relationship stating that, after all they'd been through, if he wasn't sure she's the one that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, then he'll never know. Later on, Rose finds out the bride who is having the special "Cow-Themed Wedding", which has always been Rose's dream wedding (for her and Miles), is planning to marry Miles. At the end of the episode, Rose is in the hotel kitchen looking into the banquet room during the wedding ceremony. Rose tells Blanche that she has to be there in order to say goodbye and have closure.

Rose suffered from a number of health problems during the course of the show, most notably a massive heart attack during the show's final season. In one episode, it was also indicated that Rose had been addicted to painkillers for many years, having been prescribed a drug many years earlier after a farm injury. Also, in an episode entitled "72 Hours", Rose is informed that a blood transfusion she received during a routine surgery was possibly infected with HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome After undergoing some routine tests, and anxiously waiting for 3 days, she is determined to be HIV-negative.

In honor of the character, the real-life township of St. Olaf created the Rose Nylund Award for Civic Excellence.

Blanche Devereaux

Main article: Blanche Devereaux

Blanche Devereaux (née Hollingsworth) was a Southern belle who grew up on a plantation outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Blanche Marie Elizabeth Hollingsworth Devereaux was one of the four main characters on the 1985 - 1992 NBC Sitcom The Golden Girls A southern belle (derived from the French belle, 'beautiful' is an Archetype for a young woman of the American Old South 's Antebellum Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco Blanche was always "the apple of her father's eye" (she referred to him as "Big Daddy," a reference to the Tennessee Williams character Harvey 'Big Daddy' Pollitt in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof). Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26 1911 &ndash February 25 1983 better known as Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright who received many of the top theatrical Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a Tony -nominated play by Tennessee Williams. However, she tried many times to spin his affection for her as more negative. Blanche had a love-hate relationship with her sisters Charmaine (Barbara Babcock) and Virginia (Sheree North). Barbara Babcock (born February 27, 1937 in Pasadena, California) is an American actress Sheree North ( January 17, 1932 – November 4, 2005) was a two-time Emmy Award -nominated American actress She also faced difficulty coming to terms with the homosexuality of her brother Clayton (Monte Markham), and the mental illness of her brother Tad (Ned Beatty), later revealed in The Golden Palace. Monte Markham (born June 21, 1935) is an American Actor. Markham was born in Manatee County Florida, the son of Millie Content Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award -nominated American Actor.

The house that the ladies shared, at 6151 Richmond St. , initially belonged to Blanche, who had lived there for many years with her late husband George (played in flashbacks by George Grizzard). George Cooper Grizzard Jr (April 1 1928 &ndash October 2 2007 was an American Emmy Award - and Tony Award -winning actor of Film and stage (Later in the series, however, she sold equal shares of the house to Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia. ) Blanche and George had 4 children: two daughters (Rebecca and Janet, both of whom made appearances on the show), and four sons (including Matthew, a CPA who appeared in the spin-off series The Golden Palace. Blanche had an estranged relationship with both of her daughters. Rebecca resented her for objecting to her plans to leave school to become a model in Paris; when she returned to visit for the first time in four years, she was now overweight, which Blanche had difficulty accepting at first. Rebecca (now played by a slimmer actress) returned later on in the series. Janet resents Blanche for her lack of involvement in her life growing up, a fact that Blanche laments to this day regarding all of her children. Blanche had several grandchildren, notably David (a teenage rebel who visited Miami in one episode), Sara (who visited with her mother Janet during the last season), Melissa (a young beauty-pageant contestant), and Aurora (Rebecca's infant daughter, conceived by artificial insemination in one of the series' on-going storylines). Blanche acted as Rebecca's birthing coach in the delivery and the experience helped further heal their relationship.

George Devereaux's illegitimate son, David (played by Mark Moses), the fifth Devereaux child, was discovered when the young man turned up at the house, looking for George. Mark W Moses (born February 24, 1958) is an American Actor. Biography Moses was born in New York City, the brother This led Blanche to struggle with the fact that her husband, to whom she was devoted, was unfaithful during their marriage.

Throughout most of the series, Blanche was portrayed as man-hungry, and she clearly had the most male admirers -- and stories detailing various sexual encounters -- over the course of the series. At the funeral for her husband, George (who had died when a wrong-way driver hit him head-on [there was once an episode where George was thought to be alive, but we later find out that the whole episode was just Blanche's dream. She wakes up and is comforted by the girls. ]), she made a date with a man because, as Rose said, "She can't be without a man, do you know what I mean?" Sophia, in particular, had some of the best lines in relation to Blanche's over-sexed nature, referring to her as a "human mattress". When Dorothy asked Blanche how long she waited to have sex after George died, Sophia responded, "'Til the paramedics came!"

Blanche was very vain, and as a result, always tried to act younger than she was. Although it is widely believed that her exact age was never revealed (it was mentioned she even had her true date of birth removed from vital records "by order of the Governor"), in Season 3, Episode 25 entitled "Mother's Day" (Aired May 7, 1988), it is revealed in a flashback that Blanche was 17 in 1949. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. That would make her 53 when the series began in 1985, and 61 when the spin-off ended in 1993. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

Blanche was employed at an art museum, and her boss was Mr. Allen, a very nice man, although he admitted to having an affair with his best friend's wife in an episode when Dorothy came to work at the museum, sparking jealousy in Blanche, which was an on-going trait of hers.

Blanche's unapologetic enjoyment of sex contributed to some of the best dialogue on the show. For example:

Blanche: "Do you know what I hate doing most after a party?"
Rose: "Trying to find your underwear in the big pile?"

Sophia: "Is it true what they say about black men in the bedroom?
Blanche: "Oh yes definitely. . . that is definitely something I would like to know too. "

Sophia Petrillo

Main article: Sophia Petrillo

Sophia Petrillo is the daughter of Don Angelo and his wife Eleanor from Sicily. Sophia Angelo Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its Spin-offs The Sophia was born in Sicily and moved to New York after annulling her first (arranged) marriage to Guido Spirelli (she was also briefly engaged to a young man from her village, Augustine Bagatelli, as a teenager). Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. She married Salvador Petrillo (Sid Melton), and they had three children: Dorothy, a divorced substitute Teacher whom Sophia depended upon and came to live with; Phil, a cross-dresser who was married with kids; and Gloria, who married into wealth, but eventually lost the fortune that her deceased husband left her. Sid Melton (b May 23 1920, Brooklyn New York is an American Actor probably best known for his roles as incompetent carpenter Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a School class when the regular teacher is unavailable e Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothing commonly associated with another gender within a particular Society.

Sophia was put away in the Shady Pines Retirement Village by Dorothy prior to the start of the series. Sophia had suffered a massive stroke, which, on more than one occasion, was said to have destroyed the part of her brain that acted as a censor; indeed, much of Sophia's popularity comes from her humorous, and often shocking, frankness and general lack of inhibition. In the pilot episode, she came to live with the Girls after Shady Pines burned down. In a later episode, Sophia tried to run away to Sicily after becoming the prime suspect in starting the fire after making s'mores with a roommate on an illegal hotplate. Sophia never had good things to say about her retirement home, and she alluded to poor treatment by the staff many times throughout the series' run (although, in an episode meant to raise awareness about poor-quality nursing homes, she did admit that the treatment at Shady Pines was satisfactory). There were constant hints in the series that she and her family back in Sicily had some mafia connections; she once stated that she had lived through "two world wars, 15 vendettas, 4 operations and two Darrins on Bewitched". The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century Casting changes occur on many television shows either a character is replaced by another actor with a new character or a new actor takes over an existing role when the original actor is dropped Bewitched is an American Situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972. In one episode, she accidentally let it slip that she knew what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. James Riddle ("Jimmy" Hoffa ( February 14, 1913 - disappeared July 30, 1975, exact

Members of Sophia's family who appeared on show include: her sister Angela (played by Nancy Walker), her brother Angelo (played by Bill Dana), her daughter Gloria (played by Doris Belack and Dena Dietrich), and, in flashbacks, her husband Sal, her mother (played by Bea Arthur), and her father (also played by Bill Dana), and Dorothy herself at a younger age (played by Lyn Greene). Nancy Walker ( May 10, 1922 – March 25, 1992) was an American Actress in stage screen and television Bill Dana (born October 5 1924) is a US Comedian, Actor and Screenwriter who often appeared on the Ed Sullivan Doris Belack (born February 26 1926) is an American actress of stage film and television Dena Dietrich (b December 4 1928, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American actress Phil, her only son, was never seen; he died later on in the series when he suffered a heart attack (due to his obesity) while trying on large women's clothing (even in his wake, Phil is referred to as wearing women's clothing. Unseen characters are never directly observed by the audience but are only described by other characters ) In the episode "Ebbtide's Revenge", after her son's funeral, Sophia (with the help of Dorothy's no-nonsense personality and Rose's caring counseling expertise from her grief counseling center job), finally realized the root of her anger, broke into tears, and ended the long feud with Phil's wife Angela (played by Brenda Vaccaro). Brenda Buell Vaccaro (born November 18 1939) is an Academy Award - and Tony Award-nominated as well as Emmy - and Golden It is revealed that Sophia was angry at herself because she wondered what she had done or said to her son to make him want to be a cross-dresser, and is finally able to reconcile with Angela after coming to the realization that she still loved him and in one of Sophia's few true emotional moments says "My baby is gone. " Sophia always referred to Angela as "Big Sally", because it got on Angela's nerves. Phil, Angela, and their children lived in a trailer home in Newark, New Jersey. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. During the series' run, Sophia married Max Weinstock (played by Jack Gilford), Sal's business partner, and attempted to revive Sal and Max's old pizza-and-knish business at the beach, but they soon separated, realizing they were better off as friends "with occasional benefits". Jack Gilford ( July 25, 1908  &ndash June 4, 1990 was an Academy Award - and Tony Award -nominated and Daytime Emmy Award Throughout the series, she held a few part-time jobs mostly involving food including fast-food worker and entrepreneur of spaghetti sauce and specialty sandwiches.

Episodes and format

Main article: List of The Golden Girls episodes

Many episodes of the series followed a similar format or theme. For example, one or more of the women would become involved in some sort of conflict or problem, often involving other family members, men, or an ethical dilemma. At some point, they would gather around the kitchen table and discuss the problem, sometimes late at night and often while eating cheesecake and/or some other dessert. Cheesecake is a large family of sweet Cheese -based Custard pies Cheesecakes are generally made with soft fresh cheeses One of the other girls would then tell a story from her own life, which somehow related to the problem (though Rose would occasionally regale a nonsense story that had nothing to do with the situation, and Sophia would tell outrageous made-up stories). Sophia always began her stories with "picture it. . . ", before indicating the location and year in which her story took place. Blanche's stories usually revolved around her romantic encounters or her years growing up in the South, while Rose's stories came from her time in her hometown of St. Olaf, and often began with "Back in St Olaf. . . ". Certain episodes would also feature a series of flashbacks, as the girls recounted experiences from their time together. By the end of the episode, the conflict would be resolved. Some episodes featured flashbacks to previous episodes, or to events that occurred before the series began. These earlier flashbacks usually featured Sophia living in Brooklyn with her husband, Sal, and featured Estelle Getty without her usual wig and appearing much younger in different make-up.

Response

An immediate run-away hit, The Golden Girls became a staple of NBC's Must See TV on Saturday nights. "Must See TV" is an advertising Slogan used by the NBC Television network to brand its Prime time blocks of sitcoms during The show was the anchor of the Saturday line-up, and routinely won its time slot, as the other networks tried to find shows to compete against it. The Golden Girls was part of a series of Brandon Tartikoff shows that revitalized NBC's ratings slump, along with The Cosby Show and LA Law. Brandon Tartikoff ( January 13, 1949 &mdash August 27, 1997) was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The Cosby Show is an American television Situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, first airing on September 20, 1984 LA Law is an American television Legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1994.

The Golden Girls had a loyal fan base that still exists to this day, thanks to reruns. The show was often controversial, as its main characters were 4 single older women who lived together, but were still sexually active, and up-to-date with pop culture. Mild profanity and sexual innuendo were common on the program. The effects of Sophia's stroke, which, according to Dorothy, "rendered her a complete burden", enabled the character to get away with much more than the other women. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain

The show often tackled topics that were not frequently aired on TV. These included: the coming out of Blanche's brother and his gay marriage, menopause, gun control, impotence, drug addiction, safe sex, Empty nest syndrome, Infidelity, Interracial marriage, homophobia, Organ donation, fixed income, domestic violence, Problem gambling, suicide, cross-dressing, lesbianism, plastic surgery, child abandonment, euthanasia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, pregnancy, homicide, veganism, cocaine addiction, artificial insemination, health care, homelessness, immigration, sexual harassment, Illegal Immigration, and senility. Closeted Coming out (that is " coming out of the closet " describes the voluntary public announcement of one's Sexual orientation and/or Gender identity Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Menopause is the permanent shutting down of the female Reproductive system, a considerable length of time before the end of the lifespan Gun politics in the United States, incorporating the political aspects of Gun politics, and firearms rights has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues Drug addiction is widely considered a pathological state. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute Drug use to the development of drug-seeking Safe sex (also called safer sex or protected sex) is the practice of Sexual activity in a manner that reduces the risk of Infection with Empty nest syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that Parents other guardian relatives may feel when one or more of their Children leave home See also Adultery Infidelity can be defined as any violation of the mutually agreed-upon rules or boundaries of a relationship and is a breach of faith in an inter-personal Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry, often creating Multiracial children BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the Human body from a person who has recently Died, or from a living donor for the purpose of transplanting Fixed income refers to any type of Investment that yields a regular (or fixed return Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate Problem gambling (ludomania is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothing commonly associated with another gender within a particular Society. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Plastic surgery is a medical specialty interested in the correction of form and function Child abandonment is the practice of abandoning offspring outside of legal Adoption. Euthanasia (literally "good death" in Ancient Greek) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner Chronic fatigue syndrome ( CFS) is the most common name given to a poorly understood variably debilitating disorder or disorders of uncertain causation Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female List of countries by homicide rate Homicide ( Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut kill refers to the act of killing another Cocaine dependence (or addiction) is physical and psychological dependency on the regular use of Cocaine. AIH redirects here For the indie rock band abbreviated AIH see Architecture in Helsinki Artificial insemination (AI is the process by which Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing Homelessness is the condition and social category of people who lack housing because they cannot afford or are otherwise unable to maintain regular safe and adequate shelter Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country Dementia (from Latin de- "apart away" + Mens ( genitive mentis) "mind" is the progressive decline Perhaps the most controversial episode involved Rose getting tested for HIV years after receiving an untested blood transfusion. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Blood transfusion is the process of transferring Blood or blood-based products from one person into the Circulatory system of another

Writing process

The first head writers of the series, Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman, wrote for the show's first four seasons. As head writers, Speer and Grossman gave general ideas to lower staff writers, and personally wrote a handful of scripts each season.

In 1989, Marc Sotkin, previously a writer on Laverne & Shirley, took over head-writing responsibilities, and guided the show (to varying degrees) during what would be its final three seasons. The year 1989 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1989. Laverne & Shirley was a popular American television Situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 Other writers, including Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of show runners, and were themselves replaced in 1990 with Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten. 227 is an American Situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985 until May 6, My Two Dads is a Sitcom that starred Staci Keanan, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. The year 1990 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1990. Marc Cherry (born March 23, 1962) is an American Writer and producer. Mitchell Hurwitz was also a long-time member of the writing staff. Mitchell Hurwitz is an Emmy -winning American television writer and producer

In September 1991, NBC moved the series from its comfortable 9 p. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's m. ET time slot to 8 p. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America m. NBC had trouble filling the slot since 227 vacated it in the spring of 1990. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Following the change, the show fell from 10th place in the previous season to 30th.

Annual ratings

• 1985-1986 season: #7 (tied with Dynasty), 21. Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to 8 average rating
• 1986-1987 season: #5, 24. 5 average rating
• 1987-1988 season: #4, 21. 8 average rating
• 1988-1989 season: #6, 21. 4 average rating
• 1989-1990 season: #6, 20. 1 average rating
• 1990-1991 season: #10, 16. 5 average rating
• 1991-1992 season: #30 (tied with In the Heat of the Night), 13. In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the Motion picture, In the Heat of the Night, that ran from 1988 to 1995 1 average rating

Finale

After six consecutive seasons in the top 10, and a seventh season at #30, The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur decided it was time to move on. In the hour-long finale, which aired in May 1992, Dorothy marries Blanche's Uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielsen), and moves to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta, Georgia. Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11 1926 is a Canadian-American Emmy Award -nominated Comedian and actor Presumably, Sophia was to join her, but, in the end, Sophia stays behind with the other girls in Miami. In the bittersweet final moments, Dorothy comes rushing back in through different entrances of the house for their final goodbyes, until making her final exit, leaving the other three ladies alone. The finale garnered 27. 2 million viewers (38 percent of all Americans watching television at the time).

Post-cancellation

Network reruns

Golden Girls had the distinction of replacing the long-running Wheel of Fortune on NBC's daytime schedule in June 1989, airing reruns at 11 a. Created by Merv Griffin, the daytime version of the American Game show Wheel of Fortune aired on NBC from January 6 m. (EST). Wheel of Fortune moved to CBS a few weeks later.

Syndication

American syndicated reruns began in 1990, distributed by Buena Vista Television, the syndication arm of Disney, whose Touchstone Pictures division produced the series. Disney-ABC Domestic Television is the domestic Television syndication firm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company Touchstone Pictures is one of several alternate Film labels of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1984

Starting in the beginning of March 1997, the Lifetime cable network acquired the exclusive rights to repeat the episodes in the US, which will expire in February 2009. The year 1997 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1997. Lifetime Television is an American Television network devoted to movies, sitcoms and Dramas all of which are either geared toward The show remains popular in its second decade on the channel, with daily airings still attracting roughly 1. 2 million viewers.

The Hallmark Channel announced that The Golden Girls will be added to their line up in March 2009. The Hallmark Channel is a Cable television network that broadcasts in over 100 countries This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. ^[1]

TV reunion special

A 90-minute retrospective special, The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments, aired on the Lifetime network on June 2, 2003, reuniting Arthur, McClanahan and White to reminisce about their time on the show; Getty was too ill to participate and Arthur acknowledged that the reunion was not as touching as it should have been because of her absence. Lifetime Television is an American Television network devoted to movies, sitcoms and Dramas all of which are either geared toward Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

The special featured clips of the girls' favorite comedic and musical moments from the show, including never-before-seen bloopers and outtakes, as well as interviews with executive producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, and creator/writer Susan Harris. Paul Junger Witt (born March 20 1943) is an American film and television producer Charles Anthony Thomas (b 7 December 1947 in Hollywood California) is an American TV and film producer who has produced such TV series as Nurses Susan Harris (born Susan Spivak on October 28, 1940 in Mount Vernon New York) is a Television Comedy Writer

Arthur also paid tribute to the late Herb Edelman, who had played Dorothy's unorganized ex-husband Stan and had passed away in 1996, saying that he was a wonderful, funny, and very warm man, and was not like his character, Stan. Herbert "Herb" Edelman ( November 5 1933, Brooklyn New York – July 21 1996, Woodland Hills California) was Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)

DVD releases

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (formerly Buena Vista Home Entertainment) has released all seven seasons of The Golden Girls on DVD in Region 1, with other regions slowly following. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (previously known as Walt Disney Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Home Video) is the flagship label (' cf DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is DVD video discs may be encoded with a region code restricting the area of the world in which they can be played

The DVDs, aside from certain episodes in Seasons Three and Five, contain the original, uncut episodes of the series, which include snippets of dialogue that do not appear in the current syndicated versions. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Spin-offs

The Golden Girls was created by Susan Harris, who later devised Empty Nest as a spin-off from The Golden Girls with some character crossovers. Susan Harris (born Susan Spivak on October 28, 1940 in Mount Vernon New York) is a Television Comedy Writer Empty Nest is an American Television Sitcom that ran originally on NBC from 1988 to 1995 Nurses was later spunoff from Empty Nest, and the shows would occasionally have specials in which characters from one show made appearances in the other ones in order to boost ratings. Nurses was a Television Sitcom that ran on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris

The Golden Palace

After the original series ended, White, McClanahan, and Getty reprised their characters in the CBS series The Golden Palace, which ran from September 1992 to May 1993. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The Golden Palace was a Spin-off of the sitcom The Golden Girls broadcast during the 1992–1993 season on the American The year 1993 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1993. The show never approached the popularity or acclaim of the original, and ranked 57th in the annual ratings. There was reportedly a second season to this series that was canceled the day before the fall schedule was announced.

Lifetime, the current U. Lifetime Television is an American Television network devoted to movies, sitcoms and Dramas all of which are either geared toward S. syndicated home of The Golden Girls, aired reruns of The Golden Palace in the summer of 2005, and starting again in December of that year. The year 2005 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2005. This was the first time since the end of the series that The Golden Palace was seen on American television. Until April 2006, Lifetime played the series as a "virtual" Season 8, airing the series in between the conclusion of the final season and the syndicated roll-over back to Season 1.

The Golden Girls: Live!

The Golden Girls: Live! was an Off-Broadway show that opened in the summer of 2003 and ran until November of that year. Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City. The production ended its run because the producers failed to secure the rights to the show. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for The play was served with a cease and desist order by Susan Harris and Paul Junger Witt, creators of the original television show. A cease and desist (also called C & D) is an order or request to halt an activity or else face legal action Susan Harris (born Susan Spivak on October 28, 1940 in Mount Vernon New York) is a Television Comedy Writer Paul Junger Witt (born March 20 1943) is an American film and television producer Featuring an all-male cast, The Golden Girls: Live! consisted of two back-to-back episodes of the sitcom.

Empty Nest

A 1987 episode of The Golden Girls, titled "Empty Nests", featured guest stars Paul Dooley and Rita Moreno as George and Renee Corliss, a married couple living next to the Golden Girls and facing empty nest syndrome after their three adult daughters had moved out. Paul Dooley (born February 22, 1928) is an American Actor. Biography Personal life Dooley was born Paul Brown Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931) is a singer dancer and multiple award-winning actress Empty nest syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that Parents other guardian relatives may feel when one or more of their Children leave home The episode was intended to launch a spinoff series, but viewer response to the characters was not favorable, and the new show's premise was re-tooled. A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing

The following year Empty Nest debuted, starring Richard Mulligan as pediatrician Harry Weston, a widower whose two adult daughters had moved back home. Empty Nest is an American Television Sitcom that ran originally on NBC from 1988 to 1995 Richard Mulligan ( November 13, 1932 – September 26, 2000) was an American Television and Film Actor One supporting actor from the original episode, David Leisure, was retained in the new series, although his character, another neighbor of the Westons', was also re-named. David Russell Leisure (born November 16, 1950) is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the Sitcom Empty Nest Although the show did not feature the same characters who had appeared in "Empty Nests", the Westons' home was the same home used in the original episode. Characters from both shows made occasional guest appearances on the other show.

Empty Nest launched its own spin-off in 1991, Nurses, set in the same hospital where Dr. Nurses was a Television Sitcom that ran on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris Weston worked. As one of the few times in television history that three shows from the same producer, set in the same city, aired back-to- back-to-back on a single network in the same night, the three shows occasionally took advantage of their unique circumstances to create storylines that carried through all three series, such as "Hurricane Saturday". This was one of the major factors in the popularity of fictional crossovers as a television plot device in the 1990s. A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete Fictional characters, settings or universes into the context of a single The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999

After the end of The Golden Palace, Getty joined the cast of Empty Nest, making far more frequent appearances as Sophia in the show's final years.

Foreign versions

Brighton Belles

Also in 1993, ITV premiered Brighton Belles, a United Kingdom version of the American sitcom. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent The show, starring Sheila Hancock, Wendy Craig, Sheila Gish, and Jean Boht was nearly identical to Girls except for character name changes and actor portrayals. Sheila Hancock OBE (born 22 February, 1933) is an English Actress, known primarily for her comic performances Wendy Craig (born 20 June 1934) is a BAFTA Award winning English actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms Sheila Gish ( 23 April 1942 - 9 March 2005) was a British stage and Television actress Jean Boht (born Jean Dance on March 6, 1936 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England) is an English Actress The 10-episode series was canceled after six weeks due to low ratings, with the final four episodes airing more than a year later. [1]

ΧΡΥΣΑ ΚΟΡΙΤΣΙΑ

In 2008, Greek broadcaster ET1 premiered Golden Girls (in Greek XΡΥΣΑ ΚΟΡΙΤΣΙΑ), which features the four women but in Greece. Each of the characters have been Hellenized to suit the culture and modern setting. Names were only slightly changed but more for cultural reasons, as Sofia (Sophia), Bela (Blanche), Dora (Dorothy), Fifi (Rose), and Panos (Stan). The series has been airing since mid January, and features many similar plots to the original.

Theme song

The theme song is "Thank You for Being a Friend", which was a #25 Pop hit for Andrew Gold in 1978. The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio program, Television program, or Movie. "Thank You for Being a Friend" is a popular song written by Andrew Gold. Andrew Gold (born August 2 1951, Burbank, California) is an American Singer, Musician and Songwriter Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The show's version is a cover sung by Cynthia Fee. In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released

The Golden Girls House

The house's address was mentioned as being 6151 Richmond St. in Miami, although no such street or address exists in that city.

The outside model used in the shots of the house in the series was part of the backstage studio tour ride at Disney/MGM studios. This façade — along with the Empty Nest house — was among those destroyed in Summer 2003, as Disney bulldozed the homes of "Residential Street" to make room for its "Lights, Motors, Action!" attraction. The façade was reportedly based on a real home in or near Pacific Palisades, California. Pacific Palisades is a district within the US city of Los Angeles California, located between Brentwood to the east Malibu to the west The real house was seen in the first season's exterior shots. It was after this that the model was built at Disney World.

The interior shots of the house, obviously a soundstage, do not make any logical architectural sense in the real world. A sound stage is a soundproof Hangar -like structure building or room used for the production of theatrical motion pictures and Television shows The narrow, diagonal hallway that led to the characters' bedrooms was far too close in angle to the space of the kitchen (and the supposed location of the garage) to contain any rooms that even approach the size of those shown in bedroom scenes. In fact, for the first few episodes, Blanche's bedroom was accessed through the large opening at the front of the house, later deemed the entrance to the "lanai" patio. The doors down the hallway led to different Girls' bedrooms, depending on the specific episode as well, although Blanche's bedroom was always the last door at the end of the hall.

Before filming the first episode, Arthur carved a small niche into the house's front door, in the shape of an exclamation point. It can be seen in every episode.

The house's kitchen was recycled from the short-lived Susan Harris series It Takes Two, which ran in 1982-83. The year 1982 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1982. The year 1983 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1983. After the first few episodes in season 1, the polka dot wallpaper of the original kitchen was replaced with a leafy pattern, deemed to be more "tropical" in appearance. Polka dot is a Pattern consisting of Dots Polka dot patterns are quite variable they range from a series of dots that are equally spaced and sized to a random arrangement

Awards

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards - Top TV Series - George Aliceson Tipton - 1989 to 1991
• American Comedy Awards
  • Funniest supporting female performer in a TV series - Estelle Getty - 1991, 1992
  • Funniest female performer in a TV series (leading role) network, cable or syndication - Betty White - 1987
• BMI Film & TV Awards - Best TV series (title song) - Andrew Gold - 1987 - 1991
• Bambi award - Reader's choice - Beatrice Arthur - 1992
• Directors Guild of America Awards - Outstanding directorial achievement in comedy series
  • 1986 - For Pilot episode - Jay Sandrich, Director; Harry Waterson, Unit Production Manager; Gary Shimokawa, Associate Director); Tom Carpenter, Stage Manager; Doug Tobin, Stage Manager; Laurie Gilbert, Production Assistant
  • 1987 - For episode, "Isn't It Romantic?" - Terry Hughes, Director; Gary Shimokawa, Associate Director; Lex Passaris, Associate Director; Tom Carpenter, Stage Manager; Jane Greene, Stage Manager; Robert Spina, Production Associate; Ellen Deutsch, Production Associate
• Emmy Awards (The Golden Girls is one of only three sitcoms in which all the main actors won at least one Emmy Award; the other two are All in the Family and Will & Grace. The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its George Aliceson Tipton, also known as George Tipton, is an American Composer, Musical arranger and conductor. The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of Comedy, with Broadcast Music Incorporated ( BMI) is a US Performing rights organization. Andrew Gold (born August 2 1951, Burbank, California) is an American Singer, Musician and Songwriter The Bambi is an annual television and media prize awarded by the German media company Hubert Burda Media. The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. All in the Family is an American Situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12 1971 to April Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award -winning American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006 )
  • Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
    • Betty White - 1986
    • Rue McClanahan - 1987
    • Beatrice Arthur - 1988
  • Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series - Estelle Getty - 1988
  • Outstanding comedy series
    • Paul Bogart, Supervising Producer; Terry Grossman, Producer; Kathy Speer, Producer; Tony Thomas, Executive Producer; Marsha Posner Williams, Co-Producer; Paul Junger Witt, Executive Producer - 1986
    • Barry Fanaro, Co-Producer; Terry Grossman, Producer; Susan Harris, Executive Producer; Winifred Hervey, Co-Producer; Mort Nathan, Co-Producer; Kathy Speer, Producer; Tony Thomas, Executive Producer; Marsha Posner Williams, Co-Producer; Paul Junger Witt, Executive Producer - 1987
  • Outstanding directing in a comedy series - Terry Hughes, Director - 1987
  • Outstanding writing in a comedy series - Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan - 1986
  • Outstanding technical direction/electronic camerawork/video control for a series
    • Randy Baer, Cameraperson; Victor Bagdadi, Senior Video Control; Gerry Bucci, Technical Director; Dale Carlson, Cameraperson; Steve Jones, Cameraperson; Donna J. Quante, Cameraperson - 1986
    • Jack Chisholm, Cameraperson; Stephen A. Jones, Cameraperson; Robert G. Kaufmann, Senior Video Control; Ritch Kenney, Cameraperson; O. Tamburri, Technical Director; Ken Tamburri, Cameraperson - 1988
    • Dave Heckman, Camera Operator; Chester Jackson, Camera Operator; Randy Johnson, Video Control; Stephen A. Jones, Camera Operator; Ritch Kenney, Camera Operator; Bob Keys; John O'Brien, Video Control; Richard Steiner, Video Control; Kenneth Tamburri, Technical Director - 1992
• Golden Globes Awards
  • Best TV series - comedy/musical - 1986 - 1988
  • Best performance by an actress in a TV series - comedy/musical - Estelle Getty - 1986
• Retirement Research Foundation Awards - Television and theatrical film fiction - special achievement award - Susan Harris, Executive; Paul Junger Witt, Executive; Tony Thomas, Executive - 1989
• TP de Oro, Spain Awards - Best foreign series (mejor serie extranjera) - 1989
• Viewers for Quality Television Awards - Best actress in a quality comedy series - Betty White - 1987, 1988
• Young Artist Awards - Exceptional performance by a young actor, guest starring in a television, comedy or drama series - Billy Jayne aka Billy Jacoby (playing "David" in episode, "On Golden Girls" (episode #1. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The Young Artist Awards are presented yearly by the Young Artist Foundation 6) October 26, 1985) - 1987

References

External links

• The Golden Girls at the Internet Movie Database
• Extensive Golden Girls Quotes
• @ccess The Golden Girls Wiki
• Complete Episode Guide
• The Golden Girls at Lifetime TV
• Encyclopedia of Television
• The Golden Girls:Live!
• TV Series Finale - details of final episode, spin-offs, reunions & "where are they now?"