The Golden Girls - The Complete
First Season starring Betty White
Goodbye Bea
Launched during the neon-lit 1980s, The Golden Girls shed light on a side
of Miami ignored by Miami Vice. In other words, no drugs, no murder--just
four women of a certain age, spending their golden years in the sun. Like
the theme, Thank You for Being a Friend, the long-running sitcom was
about friendship (not crime). As for the girls, they were tart-tongued
Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), former farm girl Rose (Betty White), Southern
belle Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Dorothys salty Sicilian mother
Sophia (Estelle Getty). All were widows, with the exception of the divorced
Dorothy. Created by Emmy-winning producer Susan Harris (Soap), The
Golden Girls re-ignited the careers of 1970s TV veterans Arthur (All in the
Family, Maude) and White (The Mary Tyler Moore Show). At the same
time, it made stars of McClanahan (who co-starred on Maude), by playing
a comic version of A Streetcar Named Desires Blanche Dubois, and the
scene-stealing Getty, made to look older than her actual age (she and
Arthur were born the same year). Notable guests to lend their talents to

the first season include Star Trek: Voyagers Robert Picardo (The
Operation), Alices Polly Holliday (Blind Ambitions), and WKRP in
Cincinnatis Gordon Jump (Big Daddy). In addition, Harold Gould (Rhoda),
who appears in Rose the Prude, would return as a (different) recurring
character five years later. The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons and
spawned spin-off The Golden Palace (without Arthur) and a British version
called The Brighton Belles. By the end of its run in 1992, it had garnered
numerous awards, including two Emmys for best comedy series. In
addition, each of the four actresses received a well-deserved Emmy for her
efforts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Personal Review: The Golden Girls - The Complete First Season
starring Betty White
The recent deaths of Estelle Getty and Beatrice Arthur makes watching
"The Golden Girls" a more poignant, but certainly not a less funny,
experience. The series began in 1985 and immediately defined the phrase
"Must See TV." With my college friends and I, it was always, "What did you
do on Saturday night?" The answer always was, "I stayed home and
watched "The Golden Girls", of course."
The basic series premise is familiar to all fans by now. Three women
over the age of 50 (although Blanche would never admit to it) are all room-
mates in Blanche's Florida house. Blanche (Rue McClanahan) is man-
crazy and seemingly over-sexed, Rose (Betty White) is sweetly naive
about life. Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur) is the sensible one. Arthur's perfect
comic timing and dead-pan delivery ground the series in reality. The trio is
soon joined by Dorothy's wise-cracking mother Sophia (Estelle Getty),
who moves in after her retirement home burns down. The foursome remain
best friends through thick and thin, despite many comic misadventures:
1. The Engagement (Pilot): Blanche plans to marry boyfriend Harry, who is
not what he seems to be. Note, in this episode, the Girls have a gay cook
named Coco, who was immediately written out when it was decided
Sophia would be the one to give uncensored remarks.
2. Guess Who's Coming To The Wedding: Dorothy is delighted her
daughter is getting married, until she learns her ex-husband Stan (Herbert
Edelman) will also be at the wedding.
3. Rose, The Prude: Rose ponders being intimate with a man for the first
time since her beloved husband Charlie died. Guest star Harold Gould
would portray Rose's boyfriend Miles Webber later in the series.
4. Transplant: Blanche's sister Virginia (Sheri North) arrives in need of a
kidney transplant.
5. The Triangle: A man causes a misunderstanding between Dorothy and
Blanche.
6. On Golden Girls:
Blanche's undisciplined grandson (Billy Jacoby) visits and gets a lesson
in manners from the Girls. Billy Jacoby's brother, Scott Jacoby, would
portray Dorothy's son Michael later in the series.
7. The Competition: A bowling tournament brings out the worst in the Girls.

8. The Break-In: After the Girls are robbed, a terrified Rose buys a gun.
Sophia remarks, "one night I'll belch and stable Mable here will blow my
head off."
9. Blanche & The Younger Man: Blanche dates a much younger fitness
instructor. Rose's mother visits, and soon resents Rose being so over-
protective and "mothering" her.
10. The Heart Attack: Sophia suffers a heart attack during a storm.
11. Stan's Return: Stan returns again, much to the annoyance of Dorothy
and Sophia.
12. The Custody Battle: Dorothy's sister Gloria wants Sophia to live with
her.
13. A Little Romance: In this hilarious episode, Rose dates Dr. Jonathon
Newman, a very short man, and has a wacky dream.
14. That Was No Lady: Dorothy dates a married man and feels guilty.
15. In A Bed Of Rose's: Rose is shocked when her date dies in her bed.
16. The Truth Will Out: Rose is nervous about a visit from her daughter
and grand-daughter.
17. Nice And Easy: Blanche's niece is a bit too much like her.
18. The Operation: Dorothy is scared to have an operation on her foot.
19. Second Motherhood: Blanche dates a wealthy businessman.
20. Adult Education: Blanche is propositioned by her nightschool teacher.
21. Flu Attack: Just before the Friends Of Good Health Awards Banquet,
the Girls, except Sophia, are struck by
the flu.
22. Job Hunting: When the Grief Center closes, Rose has trouble finding
another job.
23. Blind Ambition: Polly Holliday guest stars as Rose's sister Lily, who
recently became blind. The Girls attempt to have a yard sale, but can not
bear to part with any of their belongings.
24. Big Daddy: Blanche's father, Big Daddy (Murray Hamilton) wants to
become a country-western singer.
25. The Way We Met: The Girls recall how they became room-mates.
The series was an instant success. Frequent reruns on numerous
stations, such as Lifetime, WE, and The Hallmark Channel, have only
increased the series' appeal. The Golden Girls are as enduring as they are
humorously endearing. Needless to say, "The Golden Girls" on DVD is
highly recommended.
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