A "Golden" Quiz

Answer: Cynthia Fee

The song was written by Andrew Gold and was the show's theme song for the duration of the show, though it was shortened in the later years.

Answer: NBC

"The Golden Girls" was shown on NBC for the entirety of the show, always on Saturday night. The show debuted on September 14, 1985 and ended on the same date in 1992.

Answer: Saturday

"The Golden Girls" always aired on Saturday nights in the U.S. though the time slot changed once or twice.

Answer: Two

Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty, Betty White and Rue McClanahan all won Emmys for their characters. At the time the series won its Emmys, "All in the Family" was the only other sitcom where all of the main characters each won an Emmy Award for their character in television history. The show also won two Emmys for "Outstanding Comedy Series", one in 1985 and the other in 1986.

Answer: CBS

After the first two years, the ratings on the show fell considerably. In an attempt to raise the ratings, NBC moved "The Golden Girls" to a different time-slot. This proved unsuccessful and soon after, Bea Arthur announced she would be leaving the show. "The Golden Girls" ended with Dorothy marrying Blanche's uncle Lucas, (played by Leslie Nielson).

The show was then spun-off on CBS. "The Golden Palace" aired for only a year. Bea Arthur's character was the only one missing from the spin-off but the void was deep enough to cause the show to be canceled after only one season.

Answer: Empty Nest

"Empty Nest" is also considered a spin-off although it had very little to do with "The Golden Girls". The family in "Empty Nest" lived next door to "The Golden Girls" and appearances were made by Estelle Getty. Harry Weston, the father in "Empty Nest" is a pediatrician that appeared in "The Golden Girls", as well as his daughters, Barbara (a police officer) and Carol (an insecure neurotic).

Another character on "Empty Nest" was Charlie, a next-door neighbor who appeared on "The Golden Girls" once or twice as well.

Answer: 57

"The Golden Girls" won 10 out of the 57 Emmy Awards it was nominated for. The show was among the top ten rated series after its debut.

Answer: 3

"The Golden Girls" were nominated for three Golden Globes but were never awarded one.

Answer: Susan Harris

Susan Harris was the creator of "The Golden Girls". She was also one of the executive producers alongside Paul Witt and Tony Thomas.

Answer: 180

180 episodes of "The Golden Girls" were aired in the U.S. from 1985-1992, on Saturday evenings. For the majority of that time, the show was aired in the nine o'clock time slot.

Answer: #4

"The Golden Girls" never rose above the #4 spot on the Nielsen Ratings but was consistently on the top ten from seasons 1 through 6. The 7th season was the only year the show was not on the top ten list, coming in at #30 on the list.

Answer: 1988

In 1988, the show was one of the top five highest rated shows on the Nielsen ratings. The four girls performed a sketch for the royal family in that year.

Answer: 0

Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia each have at least one daughter on the show, but Rue, Estelle, Bea and Betty do not have daughters in real life.

Answer: Rue McClanahan

Born on February 21, 1934, Rue McClanahan is over a decade younger than the other three girls. Bea Arthur was born on May 13th, 1922, Betty White on January 17th, 1922, and Estelle Getty was born on July 25th, 1923. Estelle was approximately 20 years younger than the character she portrayed.

Answer: Season 5

Bea Arthur wanted to leave the show at the end of its fifth season but was talked into an additional two years.
Additional notes:
This show is a classic piece of history, often controversial and risque for its time period. The creator, Susan Harris, and the writers of this show took chances in every episode, discussing issues usually not brought out on television such as homosexuality, senility, menopause and domestic violence. The idea of four elderly, sexually active women living together doesn't sound like a show that would be successful. However, "The Golden Girls" will go down in history as one of the best sitcoms ever aired, and rightfully so. In my opinion, this show has original humor which sets it apart from sitcoms also airing in its day. Many thanks and a thousand bows to Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan for keeping us entertained and tickling our funny bone time and time again. Kudos on a job well done for every member behind and inside the creation and filming of "The Golden Girls".