Golden Girls

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, former farm girl Rose, Southern belle Blanche, and Dorothy's salty Sicilian mother Sophia. All were widows, with the exception of the divorced Dorothy. Created by Emmy-winning producer Susan Harris, The Golden Girls re-ignited the careers of 1970s TV veterans Arthur and White. At the same time, it made stars of McClanahan, by playing a comic version of A Streetcar Named Desire's Blanche Dubois, and the scene-stealing Getty, made to look older than her actual age (she and Arthur were born the same year).

As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and the second season of The Golden Girls picks up where the first ended. The same classic quartet--Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia--is back, along with their snappy retorts, shoulder pads, and cheesecake. Well, there was one change. In the season premiere, "End of the Curse," Blanche (Rue McClanahan) goes through menopause.
Highlights of the 26 episodes include "Ladies of the Evening," featuring a cameo from Burt Reynolds, just a few years prior to his own network sitcom, Evening Shade. As Blanche exclaims, "Mr. Burt Reynolds is one of our finest living actors...I mean, you put Sir Laurence Olivier in Cannonball Run--see what he can do." Then there's "Isn't It Romantic?" with Lois Nettleton (In the Heat of the Night) as Dorothy's lesbian friend, Jean, who falls for an unsuspecting Rose (Betty White). As was often the case, a sensitive subject is handled with taste and humor and resulted in an Emmy nomination for Nettleton's performance.

Further highlights include a white-wigged Nancy Walker (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda) as Sophia's long-lost sister, Angela, in "The Sisters" and "Long Day's Journey Into Marinara," and a pompadoured George Clooney (ER) in "To Catch a Neighbor." The final episode of The Golden Girls second season, "Empty Nest," features David Leisure and Oscar winner-Rita Moreno (West Side Story) and sets the scene for creator Susan Harris's 1988 spin-off, Empty Nest (although only Leisure would segue to the new show, while Soap's Richard Mulligan would take over for Moreno).

One of the most popular television shows of the 1980s, THE GOLDEN GIRLS was created by television writer Susan Harris (SOAP). The show centered on four elderly single women living in the same house together, all played by sitcom veterans: sensible Dorothy (Bea Arthur), sweet but stupid Rose (Betty White), lusty Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Dorothy's outspoken mother Sophia (Estelle Getty). The program was nominated for many Emmy and Golden Globe awards, and was consistently in Nielsen's top 10 for its entire run, garnering both critical acclaim and public popularity. It also proved daring for its time, tackling sensitive political issues and for the mere fact it was a prime time show whose characters were much older than television's most desired demographic. This collection includes all hilarious episodes in the third season, which many fans argue was the best of the show's entire run. Episodes include: 'Old Friends', 'One For The Money', 'A Visit From Little Sven', 'Three On A Couch', 'The Artist', 'Grab That Dough' and 'Mother's Day'. 25 episodes.