THE GOLDEN GIRLS — Season 4 — Pictured: (l-r) Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Betty White as Rose Nylund — Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank
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There’s only one way to begin this salute to our beloved Golden Girls. All together now…
Thank you for being a friend.
Travel down the road and back again.
Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant.
We’ll get to the rest of those iconic lyrics at the end. But forty years ago — on September 14, 1985 — television audiences were introduced to something truly groundbreaking: a sitcom centered on four older women living together, supporting one another, and proving that life doesn’t end at 50. In fact, it only gets more interesting — and perhaps, a little more complicated, too.
Picture it: Sicily, 1922…
There was Bea Arthur as Dorothy, the sharp-witted voice of reason; Betty White as Rose, the sweet and endearing storyteller; Rue McClanahan as Blanche, the flirtatious Southern belle; and Estelle Getty as Sophia, Dorothy’s outspoken mother with a quick wit and a punchline for every occasion.
At the time, NBC was riding the early wave of its “Must See TV” dominance on Thursdays and aimed to extend that success into Saturday nights. After just one episode, The Golden Girls became an instant hit — breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, and inviting audiences into a world they had never seen before.
The show tackled subjects that were rarely addressed on television — aging, friendship, grief, sex, illness, LGBTQ+ issues, and more — all with grace, warmth, and humor. It gave a voice to women (and men) of a certain age, showing that yes, there is indeed vibrant, complicated, joyful life after 50.
THE GOLDEN GIRLS — “One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest: Part 1 & 2” Episode 05/09/1992 — Pictured: (l-r) Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo; Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak; Betty White as Rose Nylund; Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux— Photo by: Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank
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That Golden Quartet
The chemistry between the four leads was undeniable — especially during those late-night kitchen table conversations, always over a generous slice of cheesecake. It felt like a gathering of old friends.
Decades later, the show’s influence endures. The Golden Girls paved the way for more inclusive, diverse, and mature stories on television. And its timeless humor continues to resonate with audiences of all ages — including Gen Z fans discovering it for the first time.
Golden Factoids — 40 Years of Friendship, Sass & Cheesecake
1. Bea Arthur was reluctant to join the show at first — it took personal persuasion from Rue McClanahan, her former Maude co-star, to convince her.
American actresses Beatrice Arthur (as Maude Findlay) (left) and Rue McClanahan (as Vivian Cavender Harmon) talk at a table in a scene from the television show ‘Maude,’ Los Angeles, California, mid 1970s. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
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2. Betty White and Rue McClanahan previously worked together on Mama’s Family, alongside Vicki Lawrence. White played Mama’s daughter, Ellen; McClanahan played Mama’s sister — despite being 12 years younger than White, who was 27 years older than Vicki Lawrence (her TV daughter!).
Estelle Getty, meanwhile, was one year younger than her TV daughter Bea Arthur!
MAMA’S FAMILY — Season 2 Gallery — Pictured: (l-r) Betty White as Ellen Harper Jackson, Vicki Lawrence as Thelma ‘Mama’ Crowley Harper, Rue McClanahan as Aunt Fran Crowley — (Photo by: Ron Tom/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
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3. Role reversal alert: Producers originally cast Betty White as Blanche (the man-hungry role, like her Sue Ann Nivens character) and Rue McClanahan as Rose. But both wanted to play against type. Director Jay Sandrich made the inspired decision to have them swap roles.
UNITED STATES – APRIL 29: THE GOLDEN GIRLS – 9/24/85 – 9/24/92, BETTY WHITE, RUE MCCLANAHAN , (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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4. Sophia wasn’t supposed to be a regular. Estelle Getty’s role was meant to be occasional, but audience test groups loved her so much that she was promoted to series regular.
THE GOLDEN GIRLS — Season 1 — Pictured: (l-r) Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund— Photo by: Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank
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5. Getty had intense stage fright and frequently struggled with her lines. She often relied on cue cards or wrote her lines on props — including inside Sophia’s trademark wicker purse.
THE GOLDEN GIRLS — Season 1 — Pictured: (l-r) Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo— Photo by: Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank
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6. The Golden Girls cracked the Top 10 in primetime for its first six seasons — debuting at No. 7 and peaking at No. 4 in Season 3.
UNITED STATES – APRIL 29: THE GOLDEN GIRLS – 9/24/85 – 9/24/92, ESTELLE GETTY, RUE MCCLANAHAN, BETTY WHITE, BEA ARTHUR, (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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7. All four actresses won Primetime Emmy Awards for their performances. Arthur, White, and McClanahan won for Lead Actress in a Comedy, and Getty won for Supporting Actress — a rare clean sweep for a sitcom ensemble. Other shows that achieved this? All in the Family, Will & Grace, and Schitt’s Creek.
UNITED STATES – APRIL 29: THE GOLDEN GIRLS – 9/14/85 – 9/14/92, “The Golden Girls” is one of only three sitcoms in which all the main actors won at least one Emmy Award. Rue McClanahan (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 1987); Estelle Getty (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 1988); Bea Arthur (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 1988) and Betty White (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 1986), (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1975: Photo of All In The Family (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS — NBCUniversal Portrait Studio, August 2017 — Pictured: Sean Hayes, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, “Will & Grace” — (Photo by Maarten de Boer/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 19: Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy, and Eugene Levy from “Schitt’s Creek” presents appears at the 73RD EMMY AWARDS, broadcast Sunday, Sept. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. — (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images)
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8. The pilot featured Charles Levin as Coco, a gay houseboy. He was cut after Episode 1 to focus more on the dynamic between the women. Levin had previously played Vera’s husband on Alice and the recurring gay character Eddie Gregg on Hill Street Blues.
THE GOLDEN GIRLS — Season 1 — Pictured: (l-r) Betty White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Scott Jacoby as Michael Zbornak— Photo by: Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank
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LOS ANGELES – JUNE 1: Alice, a television situation comedy, originally broadcast on CBS. Featuring Beth Howland (as waitress Vera Louise) and Charles Levin (as Elliot Novak). Image dated June 1, 1983. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
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9. When Bea Arthur was hesitant about returning for a seventh season, Debbie Reynolds guest-starred in Season 6 to test chemistry as a possible replacement. Ultimately, Arthur returned for a final season, and the show ended on her terms. (Fun fact: Reynolds had headlined a short-lived NBC sitcom in 1970–71.)
UNITED STATES – MAY 14: THE GOLDEN GIRLS – 9/24/85 – 9/24/92, DEBBIE REYNOLDS, RUE MCCLANAHAN, BETTY WHITE, (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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10. Arthur declined to appear in the spin-off, The Golden Palace (1992–93), which continued the story without Dorothy. After The Golden Palace ended, Estelle Getty joined Empty Nest in a recurring role for its final two seasons, reprising Sophia in the same shared universe.
LOS ANGELES – AUGUST 1: Pictured from left is Estelle Getty (as Sophia Petrillo), Betty White (as Rose Nylund), Rue McClanahan (as Blanche Devereaux) in the CBS situation comedy, THE GOLDEN PALACE. Photo dated August 1, 1992. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
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And now, as promised, let’s bring it home with the rest of that unforgettable theme song:
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.”
THE GOLDEN GIRLS — Season 3 — Pictured: (l-r) Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo — Photo by: Ron Tom/NBCU Photo Bank
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcberman1/2025/09/14/the-golden-girls-turns-40-thank-you-for-being-a-friend/
