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The Golden Girls
Season 1
DVD cover
No. of episodes25
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 14, 1985 (1985-09-14) –
May 10, 1986 (1986-05-10)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of the American television comedy series The Golden Girls originally aired on NBC in the United States between September 14, 1985, and May 10, 1986. Created by television writer Susan Harris, the series was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions and ABC Studios (Touchstone Television.) It starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty as the main characters Dorothy Zbornak, Blanche Devereaux, Rose Nylund, and Sophia Petrillo. The series revolves around the lives of four older women living together in a house in Miami.

The first season of The Golden Girls premiered to strong ratings for NBC, ranking number one in its first week on air and number seven among all primetime programs airing during the 1985–86 primetime network season. Upon its initial airing, the show was met with critical acclaim and was the recipient of various industry awards, including three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe awards. Buena Vista Home Entertainment (now Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) released the first season on DVD in the United States on November 24, 2004, and in Canada on April 10, 2007.

Episodes

See also: List of The Golden Girls episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		Rating/share
(households)
11"The Engagement"Jay SandrichSusan HarrisSeptember 14, 1985 (1985-09-14)00125.0/43[1]
22"Guess Who's Coming to the Wedding?"Paul BogartWinifred HerveySeptember 21, 1985 (1985-09-21)00422.5/40[2]
33"Rose the Prude"Jim DrakeBarry Fanaro and Mort NathanSeptember 28, 1985 (1985-09-28)00619.0/32[3]
44"Transplant"Paul BogartSusan HarrisOctober 5, 1985 (1985-10-05)00521.8/37[4]
55"The Triangle"Jim DrakeWinifred HerveyOctober 19, 1985 (1985-10-19)00918.6/30[5]
66"On Golden Girls"Jim DrakeLiz SageOctober 26, 1985 (1985-10-26)00718.6/31[6]
77"The Competition"Jim DrakeBarry Fanaro and Mort NathanNovember 2, 1985 (1985-11-02)01019.6/31[7]
88"Break-In"Paul BogartSusan HarrisNovember 9, 1985 (1985-11-09)00319.0/29[8]
99"Blanche and the Younger Man"Jim DrakeJames Berg and Stan ZimmermanNovember 16, 1985 (1985-11-16)01123.2/36[9]
1010"The Heart Attack"Jim DrakeSusan HarrisNovember 23, 1985 (1985-11-23)01323.6/37[10]
1111"Stan's Return"Jim DrakeKathy Speer and Terry GrossmanNovember 30, 1985 (1985-11-30)01223.2/37[11]
1212"The Custody Battle"Terry HughesWinifred HerveyDecember 7, 1985 (1985-12-07)01420.3/33[12]
1313"A Little Romance"Terry HughesBarry Fanaro and Mort NathanDecember 14, 1985 (1985-12-14)01521.9/36[13]
1414"That Was No Lady"Jim DrakeLiz SageDecember 21, 1985 (1985-12-21)00819.3/33[14]
1515"In a Bed of Rose's"Terry HughesSusan HarrisJanuary 11, 1986 (1986-01-11)01624.0/38[15]
1616"The Truth Will Out"Terry HughesSusan BeaversJanuary 18, 1986 (1986-01-18)01724.2/39[16]
1717"Nice and Easy"Terry HughesStuart SilvermanFebruary 1, 1986 (1986-02-01)01822.8/37[17]
1818"The Operation"Terry HughesWinifred HerveyFebruary 8, 1986 (1986-02-08)01921.5/34[18]
1919"Second Motherhood"Gary ShimokawaChristopher LloydFebruary 15, 1986 (1986-02-15)02021.7/33[19]
2020"Adult Education"Jack SheaJames Berg and Stan ZimmermanFebruary 22, 1986 (1986-02-22)02125.2/41[20]
2121"The Flu"Terry HughesJames Berg and Stan ZimmermanMarch 1, 1986 (1986-03-01)02324.6/41[21]
2222"Job Hunting"Paul BogartKathy Speer and Terry GrossmanMarch 8, 1986 (1986-03-08)00222.3/37[22]
2323"Blind Ambitions"Terry HughesBob CollearyMarch 29, 1986 (1986-03-29)02421.8/38[23]
2424"Big Daddy"Terry HughesBarry Fanaro and Mort NathanMay 3, 1986 (1986-05-03)02221.7/39[24]
2525"The Way We Met"Terry HughesKathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Winifred Hervey, Mort Nathan, and Barry FanaroMay 10, 1986 (1986-05-10)02519.9/38[25]

Development

Conception

The Golden Girls was based on a parody performed by Selma Diamond and Doris Roberts (pictured).

NBC senior vice president Warren Littlefield conceived the idea of the series during the taping of a television special aimed at promoting the new 1984–85 season lineup. The special featured a skit by Night Court's Selma Diamond and Remington Steele's Doris Roberts promoting the upcoming show Miami Vice as Miami Nice, a parody about old people living in Miami, Florida. Amused by the performance, he visualized a series based on the geriatric humor of the female performers.

Littlefield met with producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who were pitching a series about a female lawyer, to ask about developing Miami Nice. Witt asked his wife, Susan Harris, to write the series after the duo's original writer had declined. Harris, who was planning on retiring after Thomas and her ABC series Soap, was interested, noting that "it was a demographic that had never been addressed." Though her vision of a sitcom about women in their 60s differed with NBC's request to write a comedy about women at the age of around 40,[26] Littlefield was impressed when he received Harris' pilot script and subsequently approved production of the pilot. The Cosby Show director Jay Sandrich, who had previously worked with Harris, Witt, and Thomas on Soap, agreed to direct.[27]

The pilot also includes the girls' gay houseboy, Coco (Charles Levin), who lived with them. Levin had been suggested by then-NBC president Brandon Tartikoff based on his groundbreaking recurring gay role, Eddie Gregg, on NBC's Emmy-winning drama, Hill Street Blues. After the pilot, the character of Coco was eliminated from the series.[28][29]

Crew

The season aired on NBC in the United States on Saturday nights at 9:00 pm EST. Harris, her husband Paul Junger Witt, and Tony Thomas were the executive producers for the season. The season featured a panel of writers. Harris and Winifred Hervey each wrote five episodes for the season. Writing duos James Berg and Stan Zimmerman and Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman each wrote three episodes for the season, while Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan wrote five episodes, including the season finale. Liz Sage wrote two episodes, and Susan Beavers, Bob Colleary, Christopher Lloyd, and Stuart Silverman were each credited for an episode.

Directors for the season included Paul Bogart, Jim Drake, Terry Hughes, Jay Sandrich, Jack Shea, and Gary Shimokawa. Bogart directed four episodes for the season. Hughes was credited for 10 episodes, and Drake received directing credits for eight episodes. Sandrich, Shea, and Shimokawa each directed one episode for the season.

Casting

Betty White (pictured left) was originally planned to play Blanche until director Jay Sandrich suggested a switch between Rue McClanahan's (pictured right) role and hers.

Based on their previous work on Maude and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rue McClanahan and Betty White were considered for the parts of Rose Nylund, the bubbly Nordic woman, and Blanche Devereaux, the sexy siren, respectively. Sandrich, who was hired to film the pilot, suggested that the women switch roles to avoid typecasting.

The character of Dorothy Zbornak was tailored toward Bea Arthur, but being unavailable at the time, the producers looked at Elaine Stritch for the role. When her audition flopped, Harris asked McClanahan to convince Arthur, with whom she costarred on Maude, to take the role. Arthur flipped upon reading the script, but was apprehensive because of McClanahan's approach, as she did not "want to play (their Maude characters) Maude and Vivian meet Sue Ann Nivens." Arthur was further convinced when hearing that White would be playing Rose and McClanahan would be playing Blanche.

The role of Sophia Petrillo, Dorothy's mother, was played by Estelle Getty, who was discovered by Tony Thomas while performing in the Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy as the mother character. Getty, being younger than Arthur and White, wore heavy make-up, thick glasses, and a white wig to age her. The character of Sophia was thought by the creators to enhance the idea that three retirement-age women could be young. Disney's Michael Eisner explains, "Estelle Getty made our three women into girls. And that was, to me, what made it seem like it could be a contemporary, young show."[30]

Reception and accolades

Ratings

The Golden Girls debuted on September 14, 1985, in its 9:00 pm Saturday-night timeslot, following a broadcast of the Miss America contest and preceding another new comedy series, 227. The debut episode garnered a 25.0 household rating and a 43 share, which translates to a reach of 21.5 million homes. It was the highest-rated program of the week, and the highest-rated premiere of a program in two years.[31] The show also elevated the ratings for Saturday nights, which were on a steep decline in the years preceding its debut. After five episodes, the series was averaging a 21.5 household rating, landing among the top-20 highest-rated programs.[32][33]

Critical reception

When the first episode aired, New York Times writer Aljean Harmetz claimed that surprisingly, "nearly everybody is sure the show will be a hit."[34] On Metacritic, a site which uses a weighted mean score, the season scored a 82/100 from six critics, translating to "universal acclaim".[35]

Accolades

See also: List of awards and nominations received by The Golden Girls

At the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Golden Girls won the award for Outstanding Comedy Series.[36] Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, with White winning for her performance in the episode "In a Bed of Rose's".[37] Estelle Getty received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[38] Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan won the Emmy award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the episode "A Little Romance". Susan Harris also received nomination for the award for the pilot episode.[39] Directors Jim Drake and Terry Hughes each received a nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for their work in "The Heart Attack" and "A Little Romance", respectively.[40] At the 43rd Golden Globe Awards, the series won the award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The four lead actress were each nominated for the award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, with Getty tying with Cybill Shepherd for the award.[41] Jay Sandrich won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series for the episode "The Engagement" at the 38th Directors Guild of America Awards.[42] The series was also nominated at the 2nd TCA Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.[43]

DVD release

The first season was released on November 23, 2004, in North America. The set contains three discs, comprising 25 total episodes, and a fashion commentary bonus feature, in which Joan and Melissa Rivers provide a critique on the costumes worn by the main characters.[44] The entire first season was also released in the series collection entitled The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection, released on November 9, 2010.[45]

References

  1. ^ "'Golden Girls,' 'Miss America' Rocket NBC". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 8. September 18, 1985. p. 45. ProQuest 1438416989.
  2. ^ "NBC takes final week of off-season ratings". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 14. September 30, 1985. p. 98. ProQuest 1014707073.
  3. ^ "ABC Takes Wednesday". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 11. October 9, 1985. p. 111. ProQuest 1438420767.
  4. ^ "The TV Rate Race". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 289, no. 3. October 9, 1985. p. 22. ProQuest 2594603324.
  5. ^ "NBC makes it three out of four". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 18. October 28, 1985. p. 104. ProQuest 1014725795.
  6. ^ "World Series gives ABC week's ratings edge". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 19. November 4, 1985. p. 42. ProQuest 1014715626.
  7. ^ "NBC takes week six as sweeps begin". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 20. November 11, 1985. p. 56. ProQuest 1014708767.
  8. ^ "ABC leads sweeps with strong showing in seventh week". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 21. November 18, 1985. p. 88. ProQuest 1014718278.
  9. ^ "Movies, Thursday and Saturday schedules give NBC week eight". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 22. November 25, 1985. p. 42. ProQuest 1014708269.
  10. ^ "Ninth week of season: second win for CBS". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 23. December 2, 1985. p. 87. ProQuest 1014710938.
  11. ^ "NBC claims Thanksgiving victory with return of Perry Mason". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 24. December 9, 1985. p. 58. ProQuest 1014719129.
  12. ^ "NBC continues winning ways". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 25. December 16, 1985. p. 88. ProQuest 1014721078.
  13. ^ "NBC takes another Wednesday as it posts eighth weekly win". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 26. December 23, 1985. p. 61. ProQuest 1014718357.
  14. ^ "NBC goes nine for 13". Broadcasting. Vol. 109, no. 27. December 30, 1985. p. 80. ProQuest 1014722791.
  15. ^ "CBS wins second week in a row by a nose". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 3. January 20, 1986. p. 214. ProQuest 1014710358.
  16. ^ "Sixth Cosby record this season gives NBC another win". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 4. January 27, 1986. p. 74. ProQuest 1016911509.
  17. ^ "ABC starts fast but finishes last". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 6. February 10, 1986. p. 56. ProQuest 1016909677.
  18. ^ ""Sins" wins for CBS; NBC leads sweeps". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 7. February 17, 1986. p. 53. ProQuest 1016909361.
  19. ^ "NBC's best Thursday gives it another weekly win". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 8. February 24, 1986. p. 46. ProQuest 1016909425.
  20. ^ "NBC's regular schedule powers it to another win". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 9. March 3, 1986. p. 70. ProQuest 1016909221.
  21. ^ "NBC edges CBS thanks to 'Cosby' and Klugman". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 10. March 10, 1986. p. 92. ProQuest 1014715684.
  22. ^ "NBC breezes to another ratings victory". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 11. March 17, 1986. p. 86. ProQuest 1016912979.
  23. ^ "Lowest-rated Oscars still lift ABC to tie NBC". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 14. April 7, 1986. p. 150. ProQuest 1014726066.
  24. ^ "NBC returns to winning form". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 19. May 12, 1986. p. 50. ProQuest 1016906834.
  25. ^ "'North and South' wins war for ABC". Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 20. May 19, 1986. p. 73. ProQuest 1014722857.
  26. ^ Prague, Jacke (April 8, 2010). "Crackle's Creator Conversation: Soap's Susan Harris". Crackle. Crackle.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  27. ^ Cronin, Brian. "TV Legends Revealed #35". Legends Revealed. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  28. ^ Colucci, Jim (2006). The Q Guide to The Golden Girls. Alyson Books. pp. 8, 43–55.
  29. ^ Bloom, Ken; Vlastnik, Frank; Lithgow, John (2007). Sitcoms: The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time. Black Dog Publishing. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-57912-752-7.
  30. ^ "The Golden Girls". Archive of American Television. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  31. ^ "The Nielsens". Observer-Reporter. No. 85222. Washington, Pennsylvania. Observer Publishing Co. September 20, 1985. p. 18. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  32. ^ Winfrey, Lee (November 2, 1985). "A 24-carat sitcom". Evening Independent. No. 309. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 8. Archived from the original on May 17, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  33. ^ Bark, Ed (November 15, 1985). "Masters of schlock take ratings dive". Evening Independent. No. 11. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 17. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  34. ^ Harmetz, Aljean (September 22, 1985). "NBC's 'Golden Girls' Gambles on Grown-Ups". New York Times (published September 22, 1985). Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  35. ^ "Critic Reviews for The Golden Girls Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  36. ^ "38th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners - Outstanding Comedy Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  37. ^ "38th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  38. ^ "38th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
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  41. ^ "The 43rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1986)". GoldenGlobes.com. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
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  43. ^ "Television Critics Association Awards (1986)". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  44. ^ "The Golden Girls - Season 1". TV Shows on DVD. TV Guide Online. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  45. ^ "The Golden Girls - 25th Anniversary Complete Collection". TV Shows on DVD. TV Guide Online. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
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