The Golden Girls (1985)

About The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is a legendary American sitcom that was initially released in 1985. It chronicles the lives of four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida. The bond they share is the core of the show's charm, blending comedy with themes of friendship, aging, and life's continuous adventures.

Making / Production

"The Golden Girls" was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, in association with Touchstone Television. The creative forces behind the series were Susan Harris, Paul Junger Witt, and Tony Thomas. During its seven-year run, the show aired 180 episodes.

Actors

• Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak: A strong, smart, and sometimes intimidating high school teacher.
• Betty White as Rose Nylund: A sweet, naive woman from small-town Minnesota.
• Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux: The vivacious, flirtatious, Southern belle.
• Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo: Dorothy's sharp-tongued Italian mother who often shares stories of her Sicilian upbringing.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The show was one of the earliest to regularly portray older women as leading characters.
• Queen Elizabeth is known to be a fan of this TV series.
• Estelle Getty, who played Sophia, is younger than her on-screen daughter Dorothy (Bea Arthur).

Awards

"The Golden Girls" has garnered numerous awards throughout its run, including the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and all four leads won individual Emmys — making it one of the few sitcoms for which all the main cast have won at least one Emmy Award.

Quotes

• Rose: "I know what I am, I'm a lean, mean, sex machine!"
• Dorothy: "If I'm not back in five minutes...Wait longer!"
• Sophia: "Jealousy is a very ugly thing, Dorothy. And so are you in anything backless."

Music, Soundtrack

• The iconic theme song, "Thank You for Being a Friend," was written by Andrew Gold, but the version used in the show was performed by Cynthia Fee.
• Music played an important role in the series, with many episodes featuring the girls singing and dancing.