On this date, September 9, 1985, 'The Golden Girls' broadcast their first show to American audiences. The beloved TV series went on to tremendous success over their 7 seasons together from 1985 to 1992. Who is your favorite Golden Girl?
Here are some fun facts about the girls and the show. Bea Arthur was not series creator Susan Harris' first choice as 'Dorothy.' She wanted Lee Grant, who starred in a short-lived 1978 sitcom called 'Fay.'
Co-star Rue McClanahan pushed Bea Arthur to give the role a try. Another fun fact is that Rue and Betty White would pass the time on set playing word games between takes.
Estelle Getty played the group's matriarch, but she was only one year younger than her TV daughter. The show's makeup department took 45-minutes to create the older look for Estelle to play 'Sophia Petrillo.'
You are in good company if you are a fan of 'The Golden Girls.' It turns out that Queen Elizabeth is also a big fan. She even invited the girls to perform live at 1988's Royal Variety Performance in London!
The clothes from the show are iconic, and the ladies were always dressed in fabulous outfits. Apparently, Rue McClanahan had a clause in her contract that gave her the rights to all of 'Blanche's' clothes. It is believed that she has 13 closets full of these threads.
Even though the girls' home was located in Los Angeles, California, and not Miami, as we were led to believe on the show, the entire series is very believable. This is primarily due to the fantastic actresses that carried out these classic TV roles on 'The Golden Girls.'
