The Golden Girls

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The Golden Girls ranks 327 out of the 18,229 shows on TV.com.

The 1,332 users who count themselves as The Golden Girls fans have written a total of 153 reviews.

Status

Premiered

Ended

Genre

Theme

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The Golden Girls, which ran on NBC from 1985 until 1992, centers around four women all near or above the age of 50. Created by Susan Harris (Soap, Empty Nest), the series was an immediate hit in it's Saturday night timeslot.

The show mainly involved four women. The stories involve dating and... more »

The Golden Girls, which ran on NBC from 1985 until 1992, centers around four women all near or above the age of 50. Created by Susan Harris (Soap, Empty Nest), the series was an immediate hit in it's Saturday night timeslot.

The show mainly involved four women. The stories involve dating and solving various problems. The story of the week sometimes included issues such as harassment, homosexuality, impotence, AIDS, death, and adultery.

Just Who Are the Golden Girls?

Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak (Beatrice Arthur) is the tall, headstrong, witty and sometimes mean Golden Girl. Not known for her looks but she is definately intelligent. Despite being unlikely pairs, she still manages to get along with...

Rose Lindstrom Nylund (Betty White) is the innocent Minnesota dumb (bleached) blonde of the girls. She is very sweet and kind to animals but can be persistant and annoying. She can be mean and insulting on some occasions, though, especially to...

Blanche Elizabeth Hollingsworth Devereaux (Rue McClanahan)is the sex-starved, conceited, arrogant, self-absorbed Golden Girl. She has a heart deep down inside and her mind is only in one place...sex. She gives the word Grandma a new meaning! Blanche is the owner of the house...a house whom every man in Miami's seen at least once. They usually get along with her but she is often at odds with...

Sophia Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock (Estelle Getty) is the elderly, Sicilian, overly sarcastic, always-scheming mother of Dorothy. She has a good heart but will always speak her mind and tends to do things that gets on the nerves of others, especially her own daughter.

That's the set-up...the 4 Miami Golden Girls under one roof...comedy ensured!

First Telecast: September 14, 1985 Last Episode: May 09, 1992 Last Telecast: September 14, 1992
Episodes: 180 Color Episodes + 1 Reunion Special

Theme Song: "Thank You for Being a Friend"

Written by: Andrew Gold
Sung by: Cynthia Fee

NBC Broadcast History

September 1985-July 1991----Saturdays----9:00 p.m.
August-September 1991----Saturdays----8:30 p.m.
September 1991-September 1992----Saturdays----8:00 p.m.

Nielsen Ratings:
(Top 30 or Better)

#7 (tied with Dynasty) in the 1985-1986 Season
#5 in the 1986-1987 Season
#4 in the 1987-1988 Season
#6 in the 1988-1989 Season
#6 in the 1989-1990 Season
#10 in the 1990-1991 Season #30 (tied with In the Heat of the Night) in the 1991-1992 Season

*Now Airs On Lifetime Television Network. Check your local listings.

Theme Song Lyrics (full version)

Thank you for being a friend,
Travel down the road and back again,
Your heart is true, You're a pal and a confidant!

And if you threw a party,
Invited everyone you knew!
You would see,
The biggest gift would be from me,
And the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend!

Please note, the theme song in sydnication is shortened due to time constraints.

Check out the Sheet Music for the theme song at Andrew Gold's Web-Site.

SPINOFFS
Empty Nest-In May of 1996, Golden Girls second season spawned an episode titled 'Empty Nests' about George and Renee Corliss, a Miami couple that needs to spend a little bit more time with each other. The pilot was not picked up until 1988 but all the actors were replaced and the series was retooled after Dr. Harry Weston, a pediatrician widower, living with his daughters Barbara and Carol with constant drop ins by the annoying Charley Dietz.

Nurses-Nurses debuted in 1991 and could be considered more of a spinoff to Empty Nest. It was about the Miami General Hopsital nurses at the hospital where Harry worked.

The Golden Palace-A continuation of The Golden Girls involving Rose, Blanche and Sophia moving into and owning a hotel.

Brighton Belles-A short-lived British remake.less «

• Sophia

  Why was it so important to Sophia that Dorothy have a man in her life. In my opinion i think Dorothy alaways turned guys down that Sophia set her up with because she was afraid of being hurt, the way Stan hurt her.

  Why was it so important to Sophia that Dorothy have a man in her life. In my opinion i think Dorothy alaways turned guys down that Sophia set her up with because she was afraid of being hurt, the way Stan hurt her.less «

  wheelrchair Last online 13 hrs, 38 mins ago
  5 comments, last one 17 hrs, 49 mins ago + Add Comment

• Golden Girls Letter Game

  If you've played this on other forums, the idea's pretty simple. You follow the alphabet and find one word for e...more »

  If you've played this on other forums, the idea's pretty simple. You follow the alphabet and find one word for each letter that is specific to the series. It can be anything at all, from a cast member's real name, to a character on the show, to a recurring joke, to a plotline, etc. etc. I'll get us started: A = Angelo less «

  millerem99 Last online 1 hr, 23 mins ago
  32 comments, last one 21 hrs, 21 mins ago + Add Comment

• continuity errors and oddities

  two continuity errors with GG that i noticed are, 1) in the "break-in" episode, rose states that she's afraid of large do...more »

  two continuity errors with GG that i noticed are, 1) in the "break-in" episode, rose states that she's afraid of large dogs. however in the 7th season episode, "questions and answers" the girls get rose a dog named jake, who is on the larger side. 2) during a 4th season ep. dorothy tells rose that she's known her for over 5 years. however, every other time the number of years they knew each other were mentioned, it matched up to the shows premiere year, 1985. an oddity, if you look closely when they come back from commericals, if it's a night shot, you'll notice many times a light comes on in a window on to the left of the house.less «

  sitcomfreak Last online Sep 24, 2007
  19 comments, last one Jun 12, 2009 + Add Comment

•  

  10 Perfect

  classic hide « show »

  The Golden Girls ended the year i was born and still watching reruns now makes me laugh. Thats the true test, whether the show/ the jokes will still be funny not only years after the show ended but if they would entertain an audience that might've never even heard of the show and are too young to even know the actors. I began watching the reruns recently and i loved the series. i've seen Betty White in several movies before but not the other actors/actresses. Still despite that im still able to enjoy the banter, and awkward yet funny situations middle-aged woment get into.

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  CoffeeCake225 Added 2 days ago All my reviews
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  10 Perfect

  One of my favorite shows ever! hide « show »

  The Golden Girls was one of the most daring sitcoms ever to be shown on television. What kind of audience wanted to see women in their 50s (and one in her 80s!) living out their lives as roommates? Sure, if they were 20, but 50? No prominent men in their lives, or anything! 50 year old women living life to the fullest. But the excellent character development, cast choice, scripting, and, well...nearly everything about the show made it a hit! Perhaps the Golden Girls' only real flaw is that it gives the three leading characters very predictable (yet believable, for the most part) personalities. Blanche is the love hound; Dorothy is the sensible, slightly more mature one; Rose is, well, the ditz; and Sophia is the crude one. The writers, however, develop on this excellently. They make the four very realistic characters. Blanche is very selfish and vain, but has a soft spot for her friends which no man can overpower. Dorothy is often the butt of Blanche's jokes, many of which come unintentionally, but she usually takes it in good humor. She can be selfish on occassions, but she generally does what is best for her friends and family. Hey, there has to be a mature one to keep the order of things. Rose is the airhead, whom Blanche often insults (something I'll never understand, because she's incredibly friendly). Her long-winded stories and unawareness often anger her friends, but she always forgives them for their, well...cruelty, I suppose the word is. Finally, there's Sophia. She's always mixed up in a get rich quick scheme or irregular activity which most senior citizens couldn't think of doing. Needless to say, the scripters excellently sculpted the characters. The actors' performances are outstanding, as well. With Bea Arthur's strong body language, Rue McClanahan's ability to create false innocence while she's insulting a friend, Betty White's perfect 'airhead' voice, and Estelle Getty's acting as an old woman, there are few moments where the cast's acting will let you down. Well, I began to ramble about 500 sentences ago, so I'd best wrap this up. The Golden Girls is an undisputed classic, and I would recommend it to any budding TV fanatic.

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  FanOfLucyAndBea Added 10 days ago All my reviews
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  8 Great

  Not bad. hide « show »

  I have never been a fan of this show. But I must say that it is still a classic in terms of acting and its impact on the comedy scene. Perhaps there is no other show that has tried to emulate this one. I guess you could say it's one of a kind. I think I have watched only a few episodes, but not entirely. I find the storylines and pace of the show a bit dragging. In fact, I can't watch a full episode because I get bored. Overall, while it's not a show I like, it still is a classic to others alike. Thank you.

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  cactusjack39 Added Apr 15, 2009 All my reviews
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  2.5 Terrible

  I just did not like this episode with its saddness. hide « show »

  I thought that this episode was not that well written. I mean you know of a person, who we never met, and then you write an episode having him die. This was not one of my favorite episodes. I only wish that there had been an extra scene at the end where Sophia is lying on the couch and wakes up and realizes that this whole death was just a bad nightmare and that she learns the important lesson. That would have made the episode better, in my opinion. I do feel, with the writers, that this was an idea from out of the blue and was not that good.

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  mastercherub Added Mar 25, 2009 All my reviews
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  9 Superb

  Golden Girls kicks off on Hallmark March 1 with an 18 1/2 hour marathon! hide « show »

  Picture it…On March 1, viewers can enjoy 18 hours of tales from St. Olaf, pizza-and knishes, Southern belles and sassy seniors with an 18 hour marathon of "The Golden Girls," which redefined the term 'Must See TV' for a generation of fans, and generations to come. With six seasons in the Top 10, 79 award nominations with 34 wins and 38% of America watching the finale, "The Golden Girls" stands in select company as one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. (L to R) Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur and Betty White star as four South Florida seniors sharing a house, their dreams, their loves and losses. Bright, provocative, clueless, and hilarious, these lovely mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends. Experience a full day of laugh-packed episodes from this landmark television series when "The Golden Girls" begins airing on Hallmark Channel beginning Saturday, March 1, 8:30 a.m – 2:30 a.m., and continues Mondays-Fridays 8-9 a.m., 4-5 p.m. and 12 a.m.-2 a.m., Saturdays 6-9 a.m. and Sundays 8:30-10 a.m (All times ET/PT).

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  HallmarkChannel Added Feb 27, 2009 All my reviews