We assume that middle-aged women continue to live their lives working, partying, being mothers, or hanging with their friends. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. Its a tiny marvel, looking back, that the Golden Girls magnificent casting came together as well as it did. Arguably the main protagonist of the show, Blanche Devereaux is portrayed by Rue McClanahan. She joined the cast as Rose Nylund, a Norwegian-American hailing from St. Olaf, Minnesota. The series also ranked among the Nielsen ratings' top ten for six of its seven seasons. This indicates that Sophia was likely close to her real-life age. To portray Sophia Petrillo, Getty was required to wear makeup and a wig to appear visibly older than her co-stars. In Italy, the series aired on Rai Uno (or Rai 1) as Cuori senza et (Ageless Hearts) from 1987 until 1994. Going by the math, that makes Blanche 53 at the start of the series. However, there are some clues that can be found in the show itself. 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. Carrie's age range in "And Just Like That." puts her in the same age range as the characters in "The Golden Girls" season one, according to TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. 2023 Wording Vibes - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, Although the womens ages were rarely disclosed, some deductive work may be used to, The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. Estimating the ages of the characters can be tricky, since the show never explicitly states their ages. This indicates that she was likely in her late 40s when the show began. Ironically, despite being the oldest actress in the show, Betty White was the last of the main stars to survive. How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? How Old Were the Golden Girls Supposed to Be?,The Golden Girls' ages were never quite revealed on screen. 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. Mulligan and Manoff were alumni from one of Susan Harris' earlier shows, Soap. Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). Golden Girls Cast, Ages, Names & More - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes Until April 2006, Lifetime played the series as a virtual season eight, airing the series in between the conclusion of the final season and the syndicated roll-over to season one. Similarly, Dorothy mentions in another episode that she was married in 1960, which would have made her 22. As a result, new viewers are becoming aware of the show. [52], The house's address was mentioned as being 6151 Richmond Street, Miami. Betty White's Best TV & Movie Roles - CBR 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. She would start getting under a dark cloud the day before tape day You could see a big difference in her that day. She was said to have worn aged cosmetics in character to make her appear to be an eighty-something woman. Soap lasted for four seasons and was marred by controversy due to Harriss insistence on including content that dealt with themes of sexuality, religion, and race. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years, totalling 204 episodes.. Rose was supposed to be played by Rue McClanahan, while Blanche Devereaux, one of Rose's roommates, was to be played by White.However, Jay Sandrich, the director of the show, suggested that Betty and Rue switch . 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. I kept reading scenes to them and saying, 'God, this is brilliant [] There's nothing trendy about this show. This suggests that her character was likely around the same age. In "The Golden . Producers wanted to cast McClanahan as Rose and White as Blanche based on roles they had previously played; White portrayed the man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, while McClanahan co-starred as the sweet but scatterbrained Vivian Harmon in Maude. 41 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets From 'The Golden Girls' - Good Housekeeping Before The Golden Girls, she was most renowned for creating the series Soap, which parodied daytime soap operas such as The Young and the Restless. 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. Luckily, Susan Harris didnt lose her spark after Soap concluded, as she included much of the humor and sharp wit that made Soap popular in The Golden Girls as well. 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. There are no tricks. How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? Some episodes featured flashbacks to previous episodes, flashbacks to events not shown in previous episodes, or to events that occurred before the series began. ", This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 17:40. Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? Reportedly, a second season was approved before being cancelled the day before the network announced its 199394 schedule. By Zachary Guida Jan 31, 2023 10 Ways Audience Popularity Gave TV Characters Greater Roles [111], Golden Girls 3033 is an animated pilot created by Mike Hollingsworth. 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. [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). Blanche was probably around 50 when the show began, rather than 54. Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC). 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". [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. [citation needed]. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. Initially, the producers of the show had planned for Getty only to be a recurring guest. [24] Produced to introduce the network's 198485 season schedule, two actresses appearing on NBC shows, Selma Diamond of Night Court and Doris Roberts of Remington Steele, appeared in a skit promoting the upcoming show Miami Vice as Miami Nice, a parody about old people living in Miami. DO YOU LOVE SHOES? Privacy Policy, Brands The ages of the Golden Girls were never revealed on TV. The show was aired as a bilingual broadcast using a two-channel sound system (Zweikanalton). [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. The show promptly received a full order of 12 episodes. 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. 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. [83] The 21-disc collection features all 180 episodes of the series as well as all special features contained on the previously released season sets; it is encased in special collectible packaging, a replica of Sophia's purse. McClanahan and White were friends on- and off-screen. Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble, previously writers on 227 and My Two Dads, also assumed the roles of producers and head writers. "It was so exciting to be with four people with that chemistry. Contact Us Empty Nest launched its own spin-off in 1991 set in Miami in the same hospital where Dr. Weston worked. Rue McClanahan. In New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. RELATED: Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams Is Iconic for Pushing Boundaries. The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. Did Rue McClanahan have a Southern accent? The faade was based on a real house at 245 North Saltair Avenue in the Westgate Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The film Golden Girls was a critical and commercial triumph. This faade, along with the Empty Nest house, sustained hurricane damage leading to Disney's 2003 decision to bulldoze the houses of "Residential Street" and construct its Lights, Motors, Action! Interestingly enough, Estelle Getty suffered from stage fright and would often freeze on camera during the filming of The Golden Girls. 100 Black-Owned Businesses to Shop Now. [48][49] Her co-stars, in an interview, said that her disease had progressed to the point that she was not able to hold conversations with them or recognize them. was an off-Broadway show that opened in the summer of 2003 in New York City at Rose's Turn theater in the West Village, and ran until November of that year. 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 oldest character in Golden Girls is Sophia (Estelle Getty), who is thought to be about 80 years old at the start of the series. -- Thirty years ago today, "The Golden Girls" premiered on television. All four cast members got Emmy nominations for their roles in the Golden Girls. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the Golden Girls characters were actually younger than their stated ages. [24] The Cosby Show director Jay Sandrich, who had previously worked with Harris, Witt, and Thomas on Soap, agreed to direct the pilot episode. However, White and McClanahan wanted to play against their typecasting, so McClanahan was cast as Blanche instead. In reality, all but one of the principal cast members of the Golden Girls had enormous age gaps between their true ages and the ages of their roles. In Australia, the show airs daily on FOX Comedy. It could also be because the show was trying to emphasize the idea that age is just a number and that life does not end at a certain age. [59], Costume designer Judy Evans created distinctive looks for each of the four actresses to suit their characters' personalities and to reflect the Florida setting. Exploring the Basics, Benefits, and Policies, How to Contact Tesla: Customer Service Phone Number, Website, Social Media, Email & Live Chat, Bruce Willis Health Condition: Understanding the Actors Diet and Exercise Regimen, Exploring the Impact of Greg Gutfelds Vacation from Fox News. 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. The Golden Girls is one of the most beloved and enduring sitcoms of all time. Thats also the same reason why she refused to reprise her role in the spin-off series The Golden Palace, which featured Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. How old Were the Golden Girls When they Started? - Wording Vibes 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. The show is seen in more than a hundred countries. Afterwards, Getty had returned to New York, but gained permission from her manager to return to California in early 1985. This would mean that Dorothy, who was born in 1938, would have been around 47 when the show started. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. Bea Arthur was not a part of the main cast but did guest star in a double episode, reprising her role as Dorothy.[106]. McClanahan said, "Betty and I loved word games, and we would play word games every day,". 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 wooden accents, columns, and doors were painted to mimic bald cypress wood, popular in South Florida homes, with rattan furniture and tropical-printed upholstery chosen for the furniture. [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. Sophia was supposed to accompany her, but she ends up staying in Miami with the other females, which leads to the spin-off series, The Golden Palace.