Summary:

The Golden Girls , which ran on NBC from 1985 until 1992, centers around four women all near or above the age of 50. Created by Susan Harris ( Soap , Empty Nest ), the series was an immediate hit in it's Saturday night timeslot. The show mainly involved four women. The stories involve dating and solving various problems. The story of the week sometimes included issues such as harassment, homosexuality, impotence, AIDS, death, and adultery. Just Who Are the Golden Girls? Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak ( Beatrice Arthur ) is the tall, headstrong, witty and sometimes mean Golden Girl. Not known for her looks but she is definately intelligent. Despite being unlikely pairs, she still manages to get along with... Rose Lindstrom Nylund ( Betty White ) is the innocent Minnesota dumb (bleached) blonde of the girls. She is very sweet and kind to animals but can be persistant and annoying. She can be mean and insulting on some occasions, though, especially to... Blanche Elizabeth Hollingsworth Devereaux ( Rue McClanahan )is the sex-starved, conceited, arrogant, self-absorbed Golden Girl. She has a heart deep down inside and her mind is only in one place...sex. She gives the word Grandma a new meaning! Blanche is the owner of the house...a house whom every man in Miami's seen at least once. They usually get along with her but she is often at odds with... Sophia Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock ( Estelle Getty ) is the elderly, Sicilian, overly sarcastic, always-scheming mother of Dorothy . She has a good heart but will always speak her mind and tends to do things that gets on the nerves of others, especially her own daughter. That's the set-up...the 4 Miami Golden Girls under one roof...comedy ensured! First Telecast: September 14, 1985 Last Episode: May 09, 1992 Last Telecast: September 14, 1992 Episodes: 180 Color Episodes + 1 Reunion Special Theme Song: "Thank You for Being a Friend" Written by: Andrew Gold Sung by: Cynthia Fee NBC Broadcast History September 1985-July 1991 ----Saturdays----9:00 p.m. August-September 1991 ----Saturdays----8:30 p.m. September 1991-September 1992 ----Saturdays----8:00 p.m. Interesting Facts (Trivia) + The NBC series Mama's Family with Vicki Lawerence was cancelled in favor of The Golden Girls and was placed in "first-run sydnication" (it ran new episodes but had no network runs). Rue McClanahan departed from the series to be apart of The Golden Girls so they killed her character off. + The Golden Girls is sometimes known as Sex and the City of the 80's, with of course old ladies. Nielsen Ratings: (Top 30 or Better) #8 in the 1985-1986 Season #5 in the 1986-1987 Season #4 in the 1987-1988 Season #6 in the 1988-1989 Season #6 in the 1989-1990 Season #10 in the 1990-1991 Season #30 in the 1991-1992 Season *Now Airs On Lifetime Television Network. Check your local listings. Theme Song Lyrics (full version) Thank you for being a friend, Travel down the road and back again, Your heart is true, You're a pal and a confidant! And if you threw a party, Invited everyone you knew! You would see, The biggest gift would be from me, And the card attached would say, Thank you for being a friend! Please note, the theme song in sydnication is shortened due to time constraints. Check out the Sheet Music for the theme song at Andrew Gold's Web-Site. SPINOFFS Empty Nest -In May of 1996, Golden Girls second season spawned an episode titled 'Empty Nests' about George and Renee Corliss, a Miami couple that needs to spend a little bit more time with each other. The pilot was not picked up until 1988 but all the actors were replaced and the series was retooled after Dr. Harry Weston, a pediatrician widower, living with his daughters Barbara and Carol with constant drop ins by the annoying Charley Dietz. Nurses -Nurses debuted in 1991 and could be considered more of a spinoff to Empty Nest . It was about the Miami General Hopsital nurses at the hospital where Harry worked. The Golden Palace -A continuation of The Golden Girls involving Rose, Blanche and Sophia moving into and owning a hotel. Brighton Belles -A short-lived British remake.