how old were the golden girls supposed to be how old were the golden girls supposed to be

The Golden Girls - Wikipedia How old were the golden girl actresses during filming? Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. Initially, White was considered for the role of Blanche Devereaux, which eventually went to Rue McClanahan. 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 . How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be - Pagelagi The story follows four older single women (three widows and one divorced) who share a home in Miami, Florida. Getty was the first of the four stars to die in 2008 at age 84. Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy, Lights, Motors, Action! How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? 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. New York: Scribner. In the United Kingdom, the series aired on Channel 4, Living and Disney Channel. Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. Blanche Devereaux | Golden Girls Wiki | Fandom Though Harris had created the character of Dorothy with a "Bea Arthur type" in mind, Littlefield and the producers initially envisioned actress Elaine Stritch for the part. But one of the questions that has always been asked is: how old were the Golden Girls characters supposed to be? However, it did so from a very different perspective. Sophia, Dorothy's straight-talking mother, was the oldest character in the Golden Girls' house. The series also ranked among the Nielsen ratings' top ten for six of its seven seasons. This means that she was 63 years old by the time the show premiered in 1985. She'd be walking around like Pig-Pen, under a black cloud. Both Betty White and Bea Arthur were 63 when The Golden Girls premiered, coinciding with the fan theory. 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. In Southeast Asia, Rewind Networks began airing reruns of The Golden Girls on its HD channel, HITS, in 2013. According to Cherry, the writers' room was "a competitive atmosphere. Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. How Old Were the Golden Girls? [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. Between 1973 and 1977 White made several appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Sue Ann Nivens, the snobby, man-obsessed supporting character. [52], The house's address was mentioned as being 6151 Richmond Street, Miami. 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. Rue McClanahan. Reportedly, a second season was approved before being cancelled the day before the network announced its 199394 schedule. Estelle Getty, who portrayed Sophia, was a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy, Sophias daughter. The basic facts to work with are that The Golden Girls began in 1985 and ended in 1992, both in real life and in-world. The 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. As of 2016, it was the 17th-most watched television finale. [11], Ideas for a comedy series about older women emerged during the filming of a television special at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, in August 1984. In fact, the two were less than four months apart in age. 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. [33] The character of Sophia was thought by the creators to enhance the idea that three retirement-aged women could be young. Sophia states it happened in 1931, making it likely Dorothy was born sometime in 1932, judging by her sign. She passed away after suffering complications from a stroke at 99 years old on December 31, 2021, just 17 days before her 100th birthday. Do you have knowledge or insights to share? 5. "[62], Bea Arthur had a preference for wearing loose-fitting clothing, like slacks and long sweaters, along with sandals, because she hated wearing shoes. Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. However, the actress who played Sophia, Estelle Getty, was only 62 years old in real life, making her one year younger than her on-screen daughter! 41 Behind-the-Scenes 'The Golden Girls' Facts - 'Golden Girls' Trivia. I kept reading scenes to them and saying, 'God, this is brilliant [] There's nothing trendy about this show. 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". Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Golden_Girls&oldid=1139544706, "Thank You for Being a Friend" (instrumental), "I was running all over the house grabbing anybody who would listen. In "And Just Like That", Miranda and Charlotte are 54, while Carrie is 55. Who was the youngest Golden Girl cast member? It wasnt until she was informed of Roses naivety that she gained the confidence to play the role and pull off the character. Many episodes were edited to allow more commercials and for content. Starring actress Hodge left after two seasons, David Rasche joined the cast at the start of the second season, and Loni Anderson was added as the new hospital administrator in the third. How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? Susan Harris developed a spin-off centering on the empty nest syndrome. The Golden Girls is one of the most beloved and enduring sitcoms of all time. According to the math, Blanche was 53 at the start of the series. This suggests that her character was likely around the same age. : Extreme Stunt Show, discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, List of awards and nominations received by The Golden Girls, "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time", Golden Girls appears to get better with pop culture age, "7 Things You Might Not Know About The Golden Girls", "The Golden Girls - Cast/Crew Documentary (2/9)", "These Are the Most-Watched TV Series Finales of All Time: 17", "The TV Ratings Guide: 1987-1988 season ratings", "Golden Girls: A 20th Anniversary Oral History", "Catching Up with the Golden Girls' Susan Harris", "Crackle's Creator Conversation: Soap's Susan Harris", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, "Betty White and Bea Arthur's Friends Open Up About Their On-Set Feud", "Say It Isn't So, Girls! 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. She passed away from Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) on July 22, 2008, at 84 years old. In 1989, Marc Sotkin, previously a writer on Laverne & Shirley and a producer on another Witt/Thomas series, It's a Living, assumed head writing responsibilities, and guided the show (to varying degrees) during what were its final three seasons. 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. 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. Often deemed as the den mother of the main characters in the show, Bea Arthur played the role of Dorothy Zbornak, a substitute teacher hailing from New York City. The women's ages were usually not explicitly stated, although some deductive work gives a pretty safe estimate of how old each Golden Girl was at the start of the series. Assuming her child would graduate at 17, that would make Blanche 48 in 1986 and 47 at the start of the series. None of the other Golden Girls outright state their ages, so Dorothy is where the deductive work begins. She was just as uptight as a human being could get. We assume that middle-aged women continue to live their lives working, partying, being mothers, or hanging with their friends. 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. Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. : Extreme Stunt Show attraction, later replaced by Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. [67], The Golden Girls was shot on videotape in front of a live studio audience. 10 things you never knew about 'The Golden Girls' - Fox News For example, in the pilot episode, Blanche states that she is 54 going on 55, which would mean that her age at the start of the show was 54. Ironically, despite being the oldest actress in the show, Betty White was the last of the main stars to survive. For example, Betty White, who played Rose, was 76 when the show first aired and 80 when it ended. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? - TrendRadars 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. We hope this article on how old were the golden girls has been interesting and has also been able to bring back good memories. As of February 2013, WE tv's rights expired and Viacom networks' TV Land, home to Betty White's last series Hot in Cleveland, purchased them,[79] as did Logo TV. For simplicity's sake, each season is considered a separate year, as the show ran for seven seasons. She passed away in 2010, at the age of 76, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. RELATED: How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? On the other hand, the women in And Just Like That dress in a trendy, modern style. [36] Once the show was picked up for a first season, new director Paul Bogart felt exactly the opposite, insisting that McClanahan use a Southern accent. [69] One of the other girls then told a story from her own life, which somehow related to the problem (though Rose occasionally regaled the others with a nonsense story that had nothing to do with the situation, and Sophia told outrageous, made-up stories). The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. The women had a homosexual cook named Coco who lived with them at first, but after the premiere episode, the character was never seen again. Sophia, Dorothys straight-talking mother, was the Golden Girls houses oldest figure. Sarah Jessica Parker and Betty White, both of whom play a 55-year-old woman. Discover all about The Golden Girls cast from their names, ages and how old they were supposed to be in the showwho was oldest & youngest, and more. During a conversation where Rose discusses her difficulty finding a new job after losing her previous one at the grief counseling center, Dorothy reveals that Rose is 55. Both the Hallmark Channel and WE tv picked-up the reruns in March 2009. Rue McClanahan was the youngest of the Golden Girls, according to Parade. Some episodes featured flashbacks to previous episodes, flashbacks to events not shown in previous episodes, or to events that occurred before the series began. [32], Getty, who went through a three-hour transformation to become Sophia, wore heavy make-up, thick glasses, and a white wig to look the part. Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, and Harris served as the original executive producers. After the retirement home where Dorothys mother, Sophia Petrillo, lived burned down in the pilot episode, the three were joined by Dorothys 80-year-old widowed mother, Sophia Petrillo. [64] Rue McClanahan had a special clause written into her contract allowing her to keep her costumes, which were mostly custom-made for her, utilising expensive fabrics. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. Rose even went to the trouble of looking up the information in official documents, only to discover that it had been removed by authorization of the governor.. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the Golden Girls characters were actually younger than their stated ages. While RTL initially chose to cut some scenes for time, some of the gags remain incomprehensible for their broadcast and all subsequent reruns, only to be restored partially for the release of DVD in 2005. As of December 1, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+. The reasons for her departure are speculative, but the popular theory is that Arthur felt as though the quality of the sitcom had begun to slip by the seventh season, and she wanted to leave while the show was still popular. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. And that was, to me, what made it seem like it could be a contemporary, young show. "[38] Both actresses had dramatically different training and acting backgrounds; Saks commented on White's habit of breaking the fourth wall to engage and joke with the studio audience during breaks between filming, which Arthur found unprofessional. Betty White was 63 years old when the show premiered in 1985, yet she managed to play a younger persona perfectly. The show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. That means with a little digging, coming up with each Golden Girl's age is easy for a superfan. By the end of the series, Rose was 62. 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 . The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. [41], The show was the second television series to be produced by the Walt Disney Company under the Touchstone Television label, and was subsequently distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc. (which holds as the ownership stake in Disney Channel Southeast Asia, now DisneyABC Television Group). 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. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). She would return home to New York if she were unsuccessful. In 2022, we no longer believe that women need to lose their purpose once they hit the big 5-0. By tape day, she was unreachable. 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. The golden girls trivia is the most exciting series we have created for those who love comedy. The sitcom was conceptualized by writer Susan Harris. Win free shoes, organize your shoe closet, see the latest styles + more, About The Golden Girls is one of the most well-known television shows of all time. Apparently, writer Susan Harris envisioned a Bea Arthur type when conceptualizing the character of Dorothy. At least two females were forced to change roles! She received her Bachelors of Arts in history and her Masters of Arts degree in history both from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. "We had games going all the time off camera." 13. Who is the youngest Golden Girl in real life? - TeachersCollegesj McClanahan said, "Betty and I loved word games, and we would play word games every day,". The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur elected to quit the series after six seasons in the top ten and the seventh season at #30. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? the golden girls | CBR Betty White was famous in Hollywood for being a pioneer of television dating back to the 1950s. Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). Getty was picky about the jokes Sophia would make. The 'And Just Like That' Women and 'The Golden Girls' Are the Same Age RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. For instance, Blanche mentions in one episode that she was married in 1952, which would have made her 21 at the time. However, there are some clues that can be found in the show itself. The series starred Stephanie Hodge and a set of other young nurses. Golden Girls Trivia Sue's personality as the perky housewife host on a fictional television station of the show . Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. Blanche Devereaux, a widow, was joined by Rose Nylund, a fellow widow, and Dorothy Zbornak, a divorced woman after they both answered a room-for-rent post on the bulletin board of a local grocery shop. 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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! [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. 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. The women in The Golden Girlsall have white, short hair styled in a way we often associate with older individuals. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? 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. Chick Vennera played a prize fighter and TV reporter Enrique Mas. In the hour-long series finale, which aired in May 1992, Dorothy meets and marries Blanche's uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielsen) and moves to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta. Reportedly, White doubted that she could effectively play the role of Rose. Each of the four main stars received an Emmy Award, making The Golden Girls one of only four sitcoms in the Primetime Emmy Awards history to achieve this.