how old were the golden girls supposed to be

Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Bea Arthur as the beloved main cast of the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). The faade was based on a real house at 245 North Saltair Avenue in the Westgate Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. "[44] Writer Christopher Lloyd explained that the usual situation was for all of the more junior writers to be assigned the same scene to write, with the one judged the best version becoming the one chosen. Rose was probably closer to 51 than her stated age of 55, and Sophia was likely closer to 79 than her stated age of 77. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. Blanche Devereauxs age had been a mystery and a recurrent joke for most of the Golden Girls, and it had been saved until last. Arthur and White worked well together in shared mutual respect, but they did not pursue a personal friendship with one another outside of The Golden Girls set. "[72], During the NBC upfronts, the preview screening of the show got a standing ovation. Casting director Judith Weiner had seen Torch Song Trilogy, and thought Getty was terrific in it. [57], The show's designer, Ed Stephenson, took inspiration from his time living in Florida to design a "Florida look" for The Golden Girls house set. Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." During a conversation where Rose discusses her difficulty finding a new job after losing her previous one at the grief counseling center, Dorothy reveals that Rose is 55. However, the exterior backdrop seen through the kitchen window changed from the view of Chicago high-rises to palm trees and bushes for the Miami setting. [5] Terry Tang of the Associated Press reported that the series continues to attract new fans in the 21st century and characterized it as an example of a sitcom that has aged well.[6]. 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. Beginning in 1990, Marc Cherry served as writer and producer, years before creating Desperate Housewives, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2012. If technically supported by the home television, this system allowed their audience to watch the show either in the dubbed German version (by default) or the original English version. 41 Behind-the-Scenes 'The Golden Girls' Facts - 'Golden Girls' Trivia. This could be because the writers wanted to create an atmosphere of timelessness, allowing the show to appeal to viewers of all ages. [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). [71], On Metacritic, the series has an overall score of 82 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim. [52][53] Debbie Reynolds was brought on as a guest star in the season six episode "There Goes the Bride: Part 2" to test her chemistry with the other actresses as a possible replacement for Arthur, but producers decided that nobody could replicate the chemistry of the four original actresses. [52], The house's address was mentioned as being 6151 Richmond Street, Miami. Considering how easily Blanche lied to her housemates about her age (and that Sophia immediately called her out and said she'd be 70 when the kid graduates), it's safe to assume that 53 is her actual age going into The Golden Girls. Sophia had her 50th birthday in April 1956, making her character 79 years old when the series premiered in 1985, according to a flashback scene in Season 2s , Roses age is the easiest to determine, owing to Dorothy revealing it in Season 1, Episode 22, Job Hunting. Dorothy exposes Roses age is exposed during a chat in which Rose describes her problems finding a new career after leaving her prior one at the, Sophia then recounts to Dorothy the account of the night Dorothy was conceived in Season 3, Episode 5, Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself. Sophia claims it happened in 1931, so Dorothy was most likely born in 1932, based on her sign. The basic facts to work with are that The Golden Girls began in 1985 and ended in 1992, both in real life and in-world. 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. Bill Dana played Sophia's brother Angelo and her father. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? When "The Golden Girls" premiered over 30 years ago, on Sept. 14, 1985, audiences were introduced to Southern belle Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and her roommates Rose Nylund (Betty. For simplicity's sake, each season is considered a separate year, as the show ran for seven seasons. Betty White was famous in Hollywood for being a pioneer of television dating back to the 1950s. This would mean that Dorothy, who was born in 1938, would have been around 47 when the show started. Although the women's ages were rarely disclosed, some deductive work may be used to approximate how old each Golden Girl was at the commencement of the series. "[45], After season three, Arthur had expressed her growing dissatisfaction with the disparaging jokes made about her physical appearance, which were often in the scripts. Exploring the World of Knowledge and Understanding. Getty was the first of the four stars to die in 2008 at age 84. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be on the show? Celebrities The oldest character in Golden Girls is Sophia (Estelle Getty), who is thought to be about 80 years old at the start of the series. 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 . Although the four main stars appeared to have good chemistry onscreen, there was some tension on the set between Betty White and Bea Arthur, whose personalities clashed during filming. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? This suggests that her character was likely around the same age. The Golden Girls first aired on September 14, 1985, and it continues to appeal to both young and older audiences. It shattered stereotypes and even made that demographic entertaining for audiences of all genders and ages. Betty White was actually the oldest Golden Girl. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress 8 Silk Pillowcases for Your Best Beauty Sleep. It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, in association with Touchstone Television. [7][8], The first episode features a cook/butler named Coco (played by Charles Levin), but the role was dropped before the second episode. For, That was the case. When Arthur first received the script for The Golden Girls, she loved the concept of having senior women as the stars of the show. Estimating the ages of the characters can be tricky, since the show never explicitly states their ages. The hot young It Girl neighbor downstairsthe new Carrie Bradshaw if you will, a bruising realizationdrops the slur. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? 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. The producers of The Golden Girls decided to cast Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan after seeing them act alongside each other in shows like Maude (1972-1978) and Mamas Family (1983-1984). In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. Rose's age is the easiest to track down, thanks to Dorothy openly saying it in Season 1, Episode 22, "Job Hunting." During a conversation where Rose discusses her difficulty finding a new job after losing her previous one at the grief counseling center, Dorothy reveals that Rose is 55. That was the case. Getty came to Weiner's mind soon after, when it became time to begin casting of The Golden Girls. 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 Australia, the show airs daily on FOX Comedy. For example, one or more of the women would become involved in some sort of problem, often involving other family members, men, or an ethical dilemma. At times, she even froze on camera while filming. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Continue reading to find out how old were the golden girls on the set of The Golden Girls. This article promises to be interesting and really informative. She would start getting under a dark cloud the day before tape day You could see a big difference in her that day. At this time, syndicated reruns began airing, distributed by Buena Vista Television (now DisneyABC Domestic Television), the syndication arm of Disney, whose Touchstone Television division produced the series. The Golden Girls was a highly-acclaimed and rated, well-received, popular American situation-comedy/sit-com television series that aired on NBC originally from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. 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". After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. 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. [24] Though her vision of a sitcom about women in their 60s differed from NBC's request for a comedy about women around 40 years old,[27] Littlefield was impressed when he received her pilot script and subsequently approved production of it. The cast of The Golden Girls, Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose, have been even further immortalised in two puppet parody shows Thank You For Being A Friend[110] and That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody, both created by Australian screenwriter Thomas Duncan-Watt and producer Jonathan Rockefeller. [73], In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time. All the lead actresses won Emmy awards for their performances on the show. How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? October 8, 2022 According to evidence presented by the ladies themselves during the first year of the show, Sophia is 80 years old, Rose is 55 years old, and Blanche is 50 years old. Shoes Accessories, Copyright Your Next Shoes 2010 - 2023 |, The 9 Best Classic and Designer High Top Sneaker Brands, How to Spot Fake Converse Shoes: 10 Ways to Tell Real All Star Sneakers, Sabrina Carpenter Presents K-Pop Twice With Breakthrough Award in Racy Mini Dress Amidst Shawn Mendes Dating Rumors, The Cast of Creed III: What 7 Actors Look Like in Real Life, Aubrey Plaza and Jenna Ortega Steal the Show at SAG Awards With Hilarious Deadpan Presentation, Next in Fashion Season 2 Cast: Gigi Hadid Promotes Netflix Show in 5 Stunning Outfits, Jessica Simpson Shares Adorable Photo With Mini-Me Daughter Birdie Mae on Instagram. Betty White as Rose Nylund in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). According to Cherry, the writers' room was "a competitive atmosphere. She had established this signature look while playing Maude, and Evans honored it in her designs for Dorothy. | [42], Creator Susan Harris went on to contribute another four episodes to the first season, but became less involved with the sitcom throughout its run; she continued reading all scripts, however, and remained familiar with most of the storylines. Blanche was probably around 50 when the show began, rather than 54. "[60] Anna Wyckoff of the Costume Designers Guild wrote, "Evans took the direction from the producers to create a vibrant look for the four mature leads, and ran with itredefining what 'dressing your age' looked like. Getty was picky about the jokes Sophia would make. 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. 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. Harold Gould played two of Rose's boyfriends, Arnie and Miles. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be? But the women were so uniformly brilliant at nailing it the first time we basically knew that if the women didn't get it right the first time, the joke needed to be replaced." The part of Sophia Petrillo was the first of the four roles to be cast. However, Season 3, Episode 25, "Mother's Day," confirms Blanche was 17 in 1949, when she and her mother reminisce about one of Blanche's dates. [56] In 2020, owners marketed the property for $3 million. ", 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. Rose is said to be in her mid-50s, suggesting that she was between 55 and 59. But what made the show golden were its stellar cast and the beloved characters they portrayed. The Golden Girls came to an end when Bea Arthur chose to leave the series. The Golden Girls was part of a series of Brandon Tartikoff shows that put an end to NBC's ratings slump, along with The Cosby Show, 227, Night Court, Miami Vice, and L.A. Law. 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. It was my positive attitude, and that made Bea angry sometimes.. [84], After the original series ended, White, McClanahan, and Getty reprised their characters in the CBS series The Golden Palace, which featured Rose, Blanche, and Sophia selling their house to buy and run a hotel in Miami. She expressed that she would not continue if changes were not made, but changes were made and jokes regarding Dorothy's physique appeared less often. Arthur's son, Matthew Saks, later spoke of tension between the two actresses, stating that his mother, "unknowingly carried the attitude that it was fun to have somebody to be angry atIt was almost like Betty became her nemesis, someone she could always roll her eyes about at work. On November 15, 2005, Warner Home Video released The Golden Girls: A Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series on DVD which contains a separate biography of Arthur, White, McClanahan and Getty, revealing each woman's background, rise to stardom and private life, which originally aired on Lifetime network between June 2000 and January 2003. New York: Scribner. 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. Designing Women began competing against The Golden Girls. The show ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and featured four women in their golden years living together in Miami. The show promptly received a full order of 12 episodes. "[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. : 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! Although Sophia appears to be much older than the other girls in the show, Getty was actually younger than both Bea Arthur and Betty White. [43] Mitchell Hurwitz also served as writer for the show in its last two seasons. For one thing, it did pave the way for a new terrain. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. Sarah Jessica Parker and Betty White, both of whom play a 55-year-old woman. Initially, the producers wanted Betty White to play Blanche because she had been famous for playing promiscuous characters in the past. [50] She had reportedly started to show signs of the dementia during the filming of the television series, when, despite more than three decades of theater work, she began to struggle to remember her lines, and in later seasons of the show, had to rely on cue cards. [82], Buena Vista Home Entertainment has released all seven seasons, with edits, of The Golden Girls on DVD in Region 1 and Region 4 with the first four being released in Region 2. Sophia was never afraid to admit how old she was, often using it to her advantage over the other women in the house. In the original Sex and the City, Samatha Jones (Kim Cattrall) was in her late 40s/ early 50s, but Cattrall decided not to be a part of the reboot. None of the other Golden Girls outright state their ages, so Dorothy is where the deductive work begins. As of December 1, 2021, every episode was made available to stream on Disney+. [54] The model used for exterior shots of the house from the third season through the end of the series was part of the backstage studio tour ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. She is also the only living core cast member from the series. At least two females were forced to change roles! Blanche would have been 60 by the series' end. She would return home to New York if she were unsuccessful. [31] The suit was later settled. At the age of 86, Bea Arthur passed away from lung cancer in April 2009. 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. [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. Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. (Photo Credit: MovieStills DB). Cheers. For instance, in the series finale, it is revealed that Blanche was born in 1931, which would make her 54 at the beginning of the show. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. Ellen Albertini Dow played Sophia's friend Lillian and an unnamed hospital patient with a flower cart. How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be?,The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. The show was a hit with viewers of all ages. How old was Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls? [35], Hired to shoot the pilot, director Jay Sandrich also became instrumental in helping to cast the roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund. The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most of its run, and won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice. She'd be walking around like Pig-Pen, under a black cloud. [4] In 2014, the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 69 in their list of the "101 Best Written TV Series of All Time".

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