Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White was the oldest of the four main stars. 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. [6], The show features an ensemble cast and the plot revolves around four older single women (three widows and one divorce) sharing a house in Miami. 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. The shows executives were unsure how the public would react to the eccentric program because older women in leading roles were rarely seen on television. [68] Many episodes of the series followed a similar format or theme. This indicates that Sophia was likely close to her real-life age. She would return home to New York if she were unsuccessful. The series also ranked among the Nielsen ratings' top ten for six of its seven seasons. Blanche was probably around 50 when the show began, rather than 54. Finally, Sophia is stated to be in her late 70s, suggesting that she was between 77 and 79. 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. Their fears were allayed when the preview screening garnered a standing ovation and the program was instantly renewed for 12 more Golden Girls episodes. In order to try and determine the real ages of the Golden Girls, we need to look at other sources of evidence. Reportedly, White doubted that she could effectively play the role of Rose. They decided that a separate cook would distract from their friendship. Clearly, the wardrobe and hairstyles in each show are extremely different from each other. Styles It was, however, more than a fringe success. At least two females were forced to change roles! How Old Was Rose Nylund On Golden Girls? The owner of the house is a widow named Blanche Devereaux (McClanahan), who was joined by fellow widow Rose Nylund (White) and divorce Dorothy Zbornak (Arthur) after they both responded to an ad on the bulletin board of a local grocery store a year before the start of the series. [41], The show was the second television series to be produced by the Walt Disney Company under the Touchstone Television label, and was subsequently distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc. (which holds as the ownership stake in Disney Channel Southeast Asia, now DisneyABC Television Group). 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. There are no tricks. Rue McClanahan was the youngest of the Golden Girls, according to Parade. Their hair also hasnt greyed (or is colored), and they style their hair in a more contemporary way. In any event, Arthur chose to commit to a seventh and final season. 100 Black-Owned Businesses to Shop Now. For simplicity's sake, each season is considered a separate year, as the show ran for seven seasons. Sophia states it happened in 1931, making it likely Dorothy was born sometime in 1932, judging by her sign. As of September 8, 2021 all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls were made available to stream on Disney+ in Canada. An instant ratings hit, The Golden Girls became an NBC staple on Saturday nights. [30] Stritch's audition flopped, however, and under the impression that Arthur did not want to participate, Harris asked McClanahan if she could persuade Arthur, with whom she worked previously on the CBS sitcom Maude, to take the role. New York: Scribner. 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. In New Zealand, the series aired on TVNZ and is replayed on public holidays and it is shown on Jones!. Designing Women began competing against The Golden Girls. Win free shoes, organize your shoe closet, see the latest styles + more, About 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. This means that she was 63 years old by the time the show premiered in 1985. Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) was thought to be around 47 years old in the first season of Golden Girls. It won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. She took to writing her lines on props at which she could glance easily, like the wicker purse Sophia always carried with her. 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. Subscribe Between 1973 and 1977 White made several appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Sue Ann Nivens, the snobby, man-obsessed supporting character. : Extreme Stunt Show attraction, later replaced by Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. 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. The Golden Girls are also dressed in cardigans or long dresses, similar to the outfits we would find in our grandmothers closet. In a 1988 interview, Getty commented on her phobia and expressed how working with major stars, such as Arthur and White, made her even more nervous. Their regular writer declined, so Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris,[24] who had been semiretired since the conclusion of their ABC series Soap. In her spare time, Maddy loves playing volleyball, running, walking, and biking, although when she wants to be lazy she loves to read a good thriller. Rue McClanahan. This program, on the other hand, was centered on a group of older ladies. Betty White was 63 years old when the show premiered in 1985, yet she managed to play a younger persona perfectly. "[45], Estelle Getty's stage fright, which affected her from the beginning of the show, grew worse as the show went on. This "created a great deal of stress and competitiveness amongst those of us who weren't in that inner sanctum. [58], The kitchen set seen on The Golden Girls was originally used on an earlier Witt/Thomas/Harris series, It Takes Two, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983. [citation needed]. However, there is also some evidence to suggest that these ages may not be accurate. (season two, episode five). Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper and Betty White as Ellen Harper-Jackson in the 1983 sitcom Mamas Family (Credit: NBC). 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. Actress Elaine Stritch was also considered for the role, but she blew her audition by using curse words, which was something that the writers felt was out of character for Dorothy. [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. Characters from both shows made occasional crossover guest appearances on the other show, with the four girls guesting on Empty Nest and Mulligan, Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, and Park Overall appearing on The Golden Girls in their Empty Nest roles. "[72], During the NBC upfronts, the preview screening of the show got a standing ovation. dog | 281K views, 6.6K likes, 7.7K loves, 9.7K comments, 2.9K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from AMC Princess Ana - Team AMC Ana: This is Ana's FIRST. [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". In Canada, Corus Entertainment's digital specialty channel, DejaView, aired reruns of The Golden Girls until 2017. Getty figured it would be her last chance to find television or film work. The series finale of The Golden Girls was watched by 27.2 million viewers. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. [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. It ran from September 1992 to May 1993 and also starred Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. 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How old were The Golden Girls supposed to be? 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). [33] The character of Sophia was thought by the creators to enhance the idea that three retirement-aged women could be young. Arthur died from cancer in 2009 at age 86 and McClanahan followed in. Interestingly enough, Estelle Getty suffered from stage fright and would often freeze on camera during the filming of The Golden Girls. 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 . According to the math, Blanche was 53 at the start of the series. From left to right- Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls. RELATED: The Golden Girls: How the Classic Sitcom Ended. How old were the ladies on golden girls in real life? 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. [81], Forever Golden: A Celebration of The Golden Girls released in select movie theaters across North America via Fathom Events on September 14, 2021, marking the show's 36th anniversary. The Golden Girls began in 1985 and concluded in 1992, both in real life and in the fictional realm. "[34] Getty continuously battled stage fright during her tenure on the show. In addition, the character of Sophia had originally been planned as an occasional guest star, but Getty had tested positively with preview audiences, so the producers decided to make her a regular character. Bea Arthur actually hated cheesecake. After some careful math, viewers also figured out that Dorothy (played by Bea Arthur) was supposed to be 53. This suggests that her character was likely around the same age. How Old Were the Golden Girls? Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Golden Girls are truly ageless. As of 2016, it was the 17th-most watched television finale. There was a lot of competition to get your words into the script. However, she wasn't much older than Bea Arthur. Rose Nylund was 55 years old when the show premiered, as Dorothy stated in the Season 1 episode Job Hunting.. In "The Golden Girls", Rose is 55, Dorothy is 53, Blanche is 47 and Sophia is 79. She was also 63 years old by the time The Golden Girls premiered in 1985. [74] The show was the anchor of NBC's Saturday line-up, and almost always won its time slot, as ABC and CBS struggled to find shows to compete against it, the most notable being ABC's Lucille Ball sitcom Life With Lucy in the beginning of the 198687 season although it aired at 8:00, an hour earlier. After learning this tidbit, its clear that the only difference between the Golden Girls and the Sex and the City ladies is how they style their hair. Blanche Elizabeth Marie Devereaux (ne Hollingsworth) is one of the four, fictional, main characters on the highly-acclaimed, revered, and well-received 1985-1992 NBC situation-comedy/sit-com TV series, The Golden Girls, and its spin-off, The Golden Palace. How Old Were the Golden Girls Characters Supposed to Be? For, That was the case. 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. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar.