by Jim Colucci
– JANIS IAN, SINGER
. . . FROM THE START,
usually with my best friend, Bruce Newberg. We loved the irreverence, the sharpness, the pop feminism and the smart, smart writing. We loved their ability to be mean and acerbic and yet still loving and caring. Their vicious insults were the indication of their intimacy – a kind of devastating affection which Bruce and I share to this day.
– SAM HARRIS, ACTOR/SINGER
. . . FROM THE START.
I remember when it came on; I was 7. I don’t recall watching much television with my family, strangely enough. I guess they trusted me to watch it alone, because it seemed pretty innocuous, a show with a bunch of old ladies. And even though I was so young, I still found it hilarious.
– JAKE SHEARS, LEAD MALE SINGER OF SCISSOR SISTERS AND INTERNATIONAL DJ
. . . FROM SEASON ONE.
I remember watching the show a few times with my grandparents in Huntington, West Virginia, but they were very proper Christians, and stopped watching eventually because they found it too “tacky” and crass! That didn’t stop me, though.
– SAM PANCAKE, ACTOR
. . . WHEN IT FIRST AIRED,
I watched with my mom and dad, which was completely awkward. With every laugh I couldn’t suppress, I received a glance that said “Why did you get that joke?” The truth is, most of the time I didn’t get the joke, but those actresses were so funny that even when I didn’t understand what they were talking about, I found myself laughing out loud. Childhood lessons in line delivery.
– MICHAEL URIE, ACTOR
DURING ITS ORIGINAL RUN,
with my mom, who has a great sense of humor. Now I watch with my family and stepdaughter, who gets it and thinks it’s the funniest thing ever. She is one of the funniest people I know, and she’s 14.
– DOT-MARIE JONES, ACTOR
DURING ITS ORIGINAL RUN,
with my grandma. I remember one time, Rose referred to a female dog as a bitch – and by extension, the other three ladies in the house – and my mom asking me if I knew what that meant.
– KIRSTEN VANGSNESS, ACTOR/PLAYWRIGHT
. . . IN SUMMER RERUNS.
For one month out of every summer, my brother and I would get shipped off – and I say that lovingly – to stay with our grandparents upstate, in Troy, New York. There wasn’t much to do there when you were a kid, other than watch TV with your grandparents – and my grandparents loved The Golden Girls. So my brother and I, my grandparents, and my aunt would all watch together. And now, when I see the show, it brings back nice memories of those times.
– JASON COLLINS, CENTER, BROOKLYN NETS
. . . IN RERUNS.
I was home sick from elementary school. And then started coming up with excuses why I needed to stay home so I could watch the show. Sometimes my mom would watch it with me. And I remember telling my friends at school, “There is a show called The Golden Girls, and it is funny – and you all have to watch it!” I might as well have been telling them, “I’m gay!” I think that’s the first sign, isn’t it?
– CHRIS COLFER, ACTOR
DURING ITS ORIGINAL RUN,
either alone or with friends. It was a wonderful catharsis between my nightly rounds, and gave me some great zingers to use at after-parties. Since then, I’ve watched the show nonstop in reruns. One year, there were a few months when it was off the air and I was in a severe panic. But it came back!
– MICHAEL MUSTO, COLUMNIST AND AUTHOR
. . . IN RERUNS.
Once I discovered the show, it became a late-night addiction, instead of the 11 PM news or the talk shows. I’d watch with my roommates when we were all starting out in New York as struggling actors.
– KEVIN CHAMBERLIN, ACTOR
. . . IN RERUNS.
I have a few memories of watching some episodes with my grandma when I was younger, but -- like so many people have -- I fell in love with the show by watching reruns (over and over and over and over again).
– ROSS MATHEWS, TALK SHOW HOST
. . . BACK IN THE ’80S,
when it was first on. For me it was a way to escape from a lot of the pressures of training and of preparing for the Olympic games. I still go back and watch reruns now, and I love going back and visiting. It brings back so many good feelings.
– GREG LOUGANIS, GOLD MEDALIST IN DIVING, 1984 AND 1988 OLYMPICS.
. . . IN THE LATE ’80S OR EARLY ’90S,
with my mom. She has two sisters, and together I used to call the three of them with my grandmother “The Golden Girls.” My mom was definitely the Dorothy, her sisters were Rose and Blanche, and my grandmother obviously was Sophia. We used to laugh about it all the time.
– ZACHARY QUINTO, ACTOR
DURING ITS ORIGINAL RUN,
I was in college, so it was bound to be on in someone’s room. And now you can turn the TV on at any time of day, to any channel, in any country, and Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia will be cavorting in caftans. It’s one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.
– JONATHAN ADLER, DESIGNER
DURING ITS ORIGINAL RUN,
I would watch with my family, especially my sister, and I was lucky enough to get to watch with my grandma many times. I really looked forward to Saturday night prime time TV back then.
– JIM PARSONS, ACTOR
WHICH OF THE GIRLS IS
YOUR FAVORITE?
DOROTHY.
I love that she had real moments of tenderness, and could just give you that “look” – and if you’re a Golden Girls fan, you know what I’m talking about.
– HEATHER MATARAZZO, ACTOR
ROSE.
I think Betty White is hilarious. Her delivery, her timing. She plays sweet, and there’s something so loveable about her.
– JASON COLLINS, CENTER, BROOKLYN NETS
DOROTHY.
I’ve been a huge Bea Arthur fan my whole life, since her Maude days. Her slow burns to the camera are priceless. That woman’s got comic timing to die for.
– DAN BUCATINSKY, ACTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER
DOROTHY.
Always and forever. She was the shoulder padded, tunic-wearing heart and soul of that show. Also, probably the only one I could borrow clothes from.
– MICHAEL URIE, ACTOR
BLANCHE.
I’m from Mobile, Alabama, so I love Blanche’s Southern belle thing. Blanche was a diva, and I love the way she slinked around, like she was just above everything. I even love her reverence for the Confederacy, which borders on being racist and white supremacist, and her longing for old times, and Big Daddy. Oh, Big Daddy!
– LAVERNE COX, ACTOR
DOROTHY.
She’s a no-nonsense substitute teacher who lives with her mother, but she’s not afraid to rock scrunch boots and giant Chanel earrings.
– JONATHAN ADLER, DESIGNER
DOROTHY.
She never fails to make me LOL. I also loved the wedding dress she wore in the finale, with the weird toilet paper roll-like details on the shoulders.
– ROSS MATHEWS, TALK SHOW HOST
DOROTHY.
She was the most complex, with thick walls around her giant, sometimes bitter heart. I loved her intelligence and obligation to social progress. And of course the classic deadpan which spoke a thousand words. And then her words! Snapped, crackled and popped like those of a seasoned vaudevillian.
– SAM HARRIS, ACTOR/SINGER
BLANCHE,
because she seems to be having the most fun and is oblivious to getting older.
– JONATHAN DEL ARCO, ACTOR
ROSE.
I love her relentless optimism, and her homespun logic that seems insanely wrong but often manages to be just what someone needs to hear at the end of the day.
– PETER PAIGE, ACTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER
SOPHIA,
of course. She calls ’em as she sees ’em, even if she doesn’t see ’em too clearly.
– BRUCE VILANCH, WRITER/PERFORMER
>
DOROTHY.
Because she did more with one eyebrow than most people can do with an entire script.
– MAILE FLANAGAN, ACTOR
ROSE.
Because she has the most heart and was the glue that held them all together.
– PEREZ HILTON, BLOGGER
DOROTHY.
Bea Arthur taught me how to land a “blow” line, do a drive-by, a one-line zinger, and most importantly, the slow burn. No one does a slow burn like Bea.
– KEVIN CHAMBERLIN, ACTOR
ROSE.
She is so sweet and a bit thick, but always has her heart in the right place. And I love her endless and nonsensical stories about home.
– JOHN BARTLETT, DESIGNER
DOROTHY.
I think, even as a child, I both admired her ability to be “in the know” about what was going on (as opposed to Rose or myself). I really admired her timing and her dry interpretation of certain lines. I guess I’m really saying I loved Bea Arthur, which is very true -- I watched Maude in late-night reruns at the same time I watched The Golden Girls in primetime.
– JIM PARSONS, ACTOR
SOPHIA.
I just love that she just says whatever the hell she feels like saying. I aspire to that freedom and lack of inhibition. How liberating it must be to not ever care about tact.
– REX LEE, ACTOR
DOROTHY,
of course. She said a million words with that face. She was so tough, but also deeply caring and smart, and often misunderstood. Those other three would fall apart without her, and they all know it.
– DREW DROEGE, ACTOR
DOROTHY.
All of the women on the show were consummate pros, but Bea Arthur had everything. Presence, timing, believability, heart – she was a perfect storm of every skill set a sitcom actor needs.
– ALEC MAPA, ACTOR
ROSE
is my favorite – who doesn’t love Betty White? I was also a huge fan of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and I loved the switch-up in the characters Betty played so well. When I got to direct Betty on yet another sitcom back in the day, I was keenly aware of how amazing it was to work with such a television legend. Her timing and delivery are impeccable!
– AMANDA BEARSE, ACTOR/DIRECTOR
SOPHIA,
because she gets to cut to the chase. It’s rare that she is learning the lesson; she’s mostly the one doling out the knowledge. Plus, she is the perfect combination of mean and funny.
– ANDREW RANNELLS, ACTOR
DOROTHY
At the end of the day I think Dorothy is my girl. But I wanna go to the rusty anchor with Blanche, be a candy striper with Rose, go to a piano bar with Dorothy and introduce Sophia to drag bingo.
– JAI RODRIGUEZ, ACTOR
CONCLUSION:
THE GIRLS ARE STILL GOLDEN TODAY
“During the production of only the third or fourth episode, I was watching a run-through with Paul Witt. I remember turning and saying to him that what these amazing women are doing is going to be like Lucy. He looked at me as if to say, ‘We’ll see.’ And I could have been wrong. But I’ve sat through a lot of run-throughs, and I’ve never had the same feeling that the material was clearly so universal and timeless we’ll still be laughing at it thirty, forty, fifty years later.”
– TONY THOMAS
PICTURE IT: NEW York City. On a midweek afternoon, hundreds of fans crowd inside a Barnes and Noble bookstore, and hundreds more huddle outside in the rain—all hoping for a moment with three of their idols. Finally, more than six hours after the line was officially established, there they were. At first glimpse, the crowd called out passionately for them, as if they were about to take the stage and burn up their electric guitars. But no, these three women were slightly older than your typical rock stars (even Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney).
Those three women are none other than the Golden Girls themselves, Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan. And you’re probably also not surprised that these women have the power to elicit such a strong reaction from their fans. That November 22, 2005, as a crowd heavy on young girls and gay men filled the Barnes and Noble in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the store quickly sold out of the show’s third-season DVD sets. A few of those at the front of the line had earned their spots by camping out overnight on the sidewalk, or in one case driving all night from Boston with her mother and sister. Two NYU students named Nya and Erin passed the time by leading fellow fans in a sing-along of “Thank You for Being a Friend.” Then, more than an hour before the Girls’ allotted signing time was to begin, bookstore employees had to cut off the queue at five hundred people. And so more fans took to the rainy street, piling five- and six-deep in front of the store’s north- and east-facing windows. There, as the three-hours-long signing commenced, one young male fan scored the moment he was hoping for: Betty saw his homemade sign: I’M SERIOUS—WILL YOU SHARE CHEESECAKE WITH ME?! She made a pantomime gesture for being way too full, and the two of them shared a laugh, six feet and several inches of glass apart.
By the summer of 2006—fourteen years after The Golden Girls ended its original run—the show was still drawing eleven million viewers per week and thirty million per month on the Lifetime cable network, its home from 1997 to 2009. Although up against much newer sitcom competition, any given one of the show’s seven daily airings still ranked among the top three “off-network” sitcoms shown by Lifetime, and among the top seven on any cable channel.
“There aren’t too many shows from 1985 which hold up like that,” notes television historian Tim Brooks, formerly Lifetime’s Vice President of Research and the coauthor with Earle Marsh of a TV fan’s bible, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946–Present. Tim explains that the steady viewership of The Golden Girls, barely changed from 1997 to that point in 2006, was very unusual. After all, over the course of those nine years, most of us viewers had aged into the next Nielsen age group—and some viewers, unfortunately, just plain die off. Yet, for example, the dinnertime airings of The Golden Girls, at 6:00 and 6:30 p.m., attracted 1.1 million viewers back in 1999, and still drew 1.1 million by 2005. So obviously, the show must have been continually attracting new fans to replace those who for one reason or another left. “That’s unusual because with all the competition out there, shows of any kind usually tend to wear out,” Tim says. “But The Golden Girls has turned out to be a long-distance runner.”
The show also turned out to be a boon for Lifetime in that it attracted a wider audience than the network’s typical fare. As Tim explains, whereas the typical Lifetime Original Movie tends to attract women in mostly the middle age ranges, the Girls’ appeal is not age specific. Younger women, older women—The Golden Girls is one of the few shows they all share. And since the network in general pulls strong ratings among African American women, so did the Girls. As Tim explains, “The show has a lot of gender appeal rather than being based on race or age.”
And although as of 2016, the Nielsen Corporation still does not report their viewership as its own demographic, everyone knows anecdotally that the Girls mean an awful lot to the Gays. As marketers continue to get hip to gays’ fabled disposable income, a few smaller research companies are beginning to track trends in LGBT viewership. And in the preliminary data Lifetime produced during the show’s tenure on that network, Tim says, The Golden Girls always did very well among gays; it was a top-ten cable show.
Only a few sitcoms have been turned into Saturday morning cartoons, such kid-focused fare as The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Gilligan’s Island, and Happy Days. The Animated Everyday Adventures of Sophia Petrillo and the Golden Gang would have been the first to feature an animated old lady, a testament to Sophia’s appeal to fans of all ages.
Illustration by KENT ZBORNAK, Courtesy of ROBERT SPINA.
Saturday Morning Girls
IN THE FALL of 1988, at the height of the Girls’ powers, the show’s production associate Robert Spina began to wonde
r, “What does Sophia do during the day while the other Girls are at work?” He answered his own question by conceiving an animated Saturday morning series, to be called The Animated Everyday Adventures of Sophia Petrillo and the Golden Gang and to star the voice of Estelle Getty.
“I imagined that the kids of Richmond Street would stop by to hang out with the badass grandma,” Robert explains. Accompanied by Empty Nest neighbor Harry Weston’s dog, Dreyfuss, and armed with Sophia’s all-powerful, multipurpose purse, the “Gang” would “have adventures around the neighborhood.” For adult viewers, each episode would feature Golden Girls “Easter eggs,” such as regular “Picture it: Sicily” stories, references to old friends from Shady Pines, and even cameo voice appearances by the other three Girls.
Robert and stage manager Kent Zbornak presented their pitch to Golden Girls producers Paul Witt and Tony Thomas, who jumped on board and brought the concept to executives at Disney. As Robert recalls, the typical series of meetings, notes, and rewrites ensued—but the project never came to fruition. Still, of having gotten to step briefly inside Sophia’s world, he says, “The whole experience was a blast.”
Golden Shout-Outs
FOR ALL THE times The Golden Girls presented its educated, liberal viewpoint on social issues, the show rarely got overtly political, favoring one party over another. In fact, writer Tom Whedon remembers that on the extremely rare occasion when he did slip some political commentary into a script “we got a very angry response.” In Tom’s season-five episode “Have Yourself a Very Little Christmas” in December 1989, a priest working at a soup kitchen refers sarcastically to Ronald Reagan’s handling of the homeless situation. “When the Great Communicator talked about his vision of a ‘City on a Hill,’ I wonder if it included people sleeping on gratings in the street,” remarks Reverend Avery (Matt McCoy). “The line slipped by the producers, or they probably wouldn’t have put it in,” Tom admits. “And it got more angry letters than anything that was ever on the show.”
