I have a soft spot for female ensemble TV shows (except Sex and the City — I didn’t have HBO and even when TBS eventually picked it up, I never got into it). The passing of another one of my beloved Golden Girls, Bea Arthur, on April 25 made me reminisce on how much I love the show.
Many of the female ensemble shows that followed – from Living Single to Sex and the City, Girlfriends, and Desperate Housewives – have taken bits and pieces from the Golden Girls.
”Golden Girls is definitely the model for any female ensemble show,” said Marc Cherry, a head writer for Desperate Housewives.
Against a television industry that loves its young but spits out the old, The Golden Girls wasn’t supposed to work when it aired in 1985. But it did. And except for the clothing – it’s a timeless show that’s as relevant today as it was in the ’80s.
Over 180 episodes, The Golden Girls followed four well-dressed women living together – and sharing lots of cheesecake – in a Miami home with a spacious lanai. They were led by imposing substitute teacher Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), who maintained an arsenal of withering put-downs and killer glares. Homeowner Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) was an oversexed Southern belle who refused to acknowledge her age. Betty White played Rose Nylund, a dense Pollyanna who told rambling stories about her Minnesota hometown, St. Olaf. And Dorothy’s diminutive Sicilian mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), was a former resident of Shady Pines nursing home who, because of a stroke that had destroyed the tact region of her brain, spouted riotously blunt one-liners. Entertainment Weekly.
In the minds of some, old folks are supposed to be living in retirement homes and watching Mash or Murder She Wrote, not dating, dancing, and finding new careers. And the Golden Girls broke all those stereotypes with comedy. The entire ensemble made the show, but Dorothy was often the anchor of the house. I love Dorothy’s quick comebacks and her relationship with her mother (Sophia). Sophia was the best because she always kept it real. She DID NOT care what anyone thought. Blanche was overly sexy and self-absorbed but she was still lovable. And Rose was pretty dim-witted, but she definitely made for some funny moments:
Here are two other memorable Golden Girls moments:
If you watched, what are some of your favorite Golden Girls moments? Your favorite female-ensemble show?
Article by Ebonie
Ebonie, based out of Atlanta, is the author of the blog, WhatLooksLikeCrazy [whatlookslikecrazy.wordpress.com]. She’s a recent journalism grad, and WLLC is a mix of opinion and reported stories about the black community, politics, music, and current events.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I was so sad and shocked upon hearing this.
I loved the Golden Girls and to be honest, I was chatting it up with a friend the other day when I found out about her passing and we were like it was definitely the perfect ensemble of a show about Women. Designing Women just wasn’t it, and Sex & The City was basically, GG, tweaked and spiced up and in NY.
She will be missed.
@JG*, Though I LOVE Sex and the City, I STILL watch Golden Girls. LoL. They were the original… I was sad to hear of her passing too
I’m not even gone front like them days when I lived in Dayton without cable during the summer on FOX 45 I wasn’t watching their reruns…or hell it could’ve been the real episodes I’m getting that old now. When they all die I’mma miss all of the cool ass old white ladies.
Yea Keenan, exactly, lol. That is exactly why I watched the Golden Girls. No cable. You can throw in MASH, Cheers, and a bunch of other shows, lol. Like you said, I got love for the Golden Girls, lol. Watchin them was like having some cool, old, white aunts. LMAO.
I’ll tell you one thing…Everybody and they Mama remembers the theme song to Golden Girls. “Thank you for being a friend…….” LMAO.