The Golden Girls was a very popular Sit-com, though it was aimed at a very niche audience as not everyone could get the humour surrounding the goings on of mid to late life ladies and their perceptions of the world around them, their relationships with each other and those around them, too.
However, it was a massive hit in its time and had many fans who still love the show to this day and won’t hear a bad thing said about the show. So join us, as we look back at the show with some amazing facts that you probably didn’t know about The Golden Girls…
1. It had a royally good fan!
When it was released, The Golden Girls was a massive hit with one member of the Royal Family, namely The Queen Mother. She was such a big fan of the show, she asked the ladies to come and act out an episode for her, which they obliged to do, acting out an episode in which the girls go to London.
2. Rue McClanahan was often tired
The actress who portrayed Blanche on the show, Rue McClanahan, was often tired on set and could often be found sleeping in off-set, quiet areas of the set when she was due to appear in scenes!
3. Cheesecake was a big part of the show’s production!
During the course of the recording the seven-year run of The Golden Girls, they ate more than one hundred cheesecakes between them! That’s some feat, and something I think I could easily achieve single handedly!
4. Estelle Getty gave the make-up bods a head ache!
Between the filming of seasons one and two of The Golden Girls, Estelle Getty underwent a face lift. This was to the horror of the make-up department, who were already working hard to make Estelle look older than she was for the purposes of the show, meaning they had even more work to do!
5. Many of the “crazy earrings weren’t earrings at all!
In the words of Bea Arthur, her character Dorothy wore many “crazy earrings”. However, Bea Arthur did not have her ears pierced, and so all of the earrings she wore were clip-ons so that her character could still be seen to be wearing them!
6. They were based on a real couple of women
The Golden Girls first came about when NBC Executive, Brandon Tartikoff went to visit an elderly aunt. He saw her interacting with her elderly neighbour, and how they spoke to each other. the two would bicker and argue, but were ultimately the best of friends, and so the idea for The Golden Girls was born!
7. Blanche liked to watch herself on TV
In The Golden Girls, Blanche likes to watch the old soap opera, Another World on TV. This is slightly ironic, as the actress who plays Blanche, Rue McClanahan, made several appearances on Another World, so Blanche was effectively watching herself!
8. It clearly had 4 very talented actresses!
All four of the main stars of The Golden Girls won Emmy Awards for their performances on the show. Betty White and Estelle Getty both received 7 nominations each in total, whilst Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan both received 4 nominations each. Now that is a talented cast!
9. Mother and Daughter were impossibly aged
Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur played Sophia and Dorothy on the show respectively and were portraying a mother and her daughter. In reality, however, Estelle Getty was actually 1 year, 2 months and 12 days YOUNGER than Bea Arthur who was playing her daughter!
10. Rose’s Norwegian, wasn’t Norwegian!
At times through the show’s run, Rose would say something in Norwegian and this would be accompanied by a subtitle, usually getting a big laugh. However, not one thing she says is actually Norwegian, but is gibberish, but with the timing, delivery and accent she used, it came across as genuine, with many people thinking the actress was actually bilingual!
So there you have it, some fantastic facts about a very popular TV show. Were you a big fan of the show, or was the humour not quite on your level? It was certainly an acquired taste, but if you were quite young when you saw it, we urge you to go back and revisit the show, as we’re confident you’ll get more out of its humour now.
Let us know if you do, and let us know all your thoughts and memories in the comments as always!