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• The Golden Girls was an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 1985 through 1992.

• Fast Facts

  1. Created by: Susan Harris
  2. Debut: September 14, 1985
  3. Finale: May 9, 1992
  4. Total episodes: 180
  5. Network: NBC
  6. Run time: 25 minutes
  7. Starring: Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty
  8. Theme: "Thank You for Being a Friend"
  9. Spinoff: The Golden Palace

• Plot

  The Golden Girls featured four older women who were roommates (and good friends) sharing a Miami house. At the start of every episode, one of them had a dilemma, and usually sought advice from the other three for help. After spending an enlightening conversation over some cheesecake in the kitchen, the four would solve the problem, and reaffirm their friendship.

  Blanche (Rue McClanahan), owner of the house, was a Southern belle with a seemingly insatiable sex drive; Rose (Betty White) was a naive farm-girl, who told moronic stories about her hometown, St. Olaf; Dorothy (Bea Arthur), a sarcastic but level-headed substitute teacher, spent the majority of the series trying to get rid of her ex-husband, Stan, who kept dropping by to visit; Sophia (Estelle Getty), Dorothy's 80-year-old mother, always made humorous, uninhibited remarks, often giving advice in the form of stories starting with the phrase "picture this."

  During its seven-year run, the show covered various social issues not often seen on network TV at the time, including safe sex, gay marriage, lesbianism, artificial insemination and AIDS--all of which were handled with a delicate balance of humor and drama.

• Critical Reception

  The Golden Girls was a vital part of NBC's Saturday night lineup that maintained its fan base through the years.

  In 1986 and 1987, White and McClanahan sequentially won "Outstanding Lead Actress" Emmys, while Arthur and Getty won "Outstanding Lead" and "Supporting Actress" statues respectively in 1988.

  The show, which had a short-lived spinoff, The Golden Palace, is currently in syndication on Lifetime Television in the U.S., but will move to the Hallmark Channel in 2009.

• Golden Girl Passes Away

  On July 22, 2008, actress Estelle Getty, who played Sophia Petrillo on the series died in her home in Los Angeles. She was 84 years old.New York Post: Golden Girls Actress Estelle Getty Dead at 84 (July 22, 2008) Actress Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy, passed away on April 25, 2009 at the age of 86, after a long struggle from cancer.Washington Post: Sharp-Tongued Sitcom Roles Symbolized Rise of Feminism (April 26, 2009)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Betty White | Rue McClanahan | Estelle Getty | NBC | Lifetime

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