How "The Golden Girls" Got Its Start Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The idea for the "The Golden Girls" came from Beatrice Arthur.

Answer: False

Brandon Tartikoff, then President of NBC, went to visit his elderly aunt in Connecticut, and witnessed her bantering with her neighbor. This lead to a series about women from the 50 plus set who frankly discussed such issues such as sex, formerly thought to be taboo for television characters from that age group.

2. Rue McClanahan was initially considered for the role of Rose.

Answer: True

Believe it or not, Rue McClanahan was initially hired to play Rose and Betty White was going to play Blanche.

Both had played similar roles in the past (Miss McClanahan on "Mama's Family," Miss White on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show") so it was decided to switch the two performers, which of course worked out quite well.

3. Beatrice Arthur was the only actress considered for the role of Dorothy.

Answer: False

Although the script for the pilot stated that Dorothy was a "Beatrice Arthur type," Miss Arthur had no interest in doing another television series. Therefore, Broadway performer Elaine Stritch was tested, but it was decided Miss Stritch did not have the proper chemistry with the other women.

Therefore, Rue McClanahan begged her old friend Miss Arthur (they had worked together on "Maude") to take the role of Dorothy, and Miss Arthur agreed.

4. The character of Sophia was not intended originally to be a regular character.

Answer: True

Initially, the character of Sophia was supposed to visit the ladies every few episodes. However, when Estelle Getty wowed the audience during the filming of the pilot (she received spontaneous applause three times), the premise was rewritten so she would move in with the ladies and be in every episode.

5. The character of Coco was dropped because the producers thought it was too controversial to have a regular gay character on the series.

Answer: False

The character of Coco was dropped because it was determined that if there was a servant in the home, the ladies would always be sitting and being waited on. To make them more mobile, it was decided to not have a full-time servant as part of the household.

6. Meshach Taylor, a regular on "Designing Women," appears in the pilot for "The Golden Girls."

Answer: True

Meshach Taylor, who played giggling Anthony, appears almost unrecognizable as he plays a policeman in one scene of the pilot.

A few seasons later, "Designing Women" regular Alice Ghostly appeared on an episode of "The Golden Girls" as Stan's mother.

7. The character of Blanche had a different last name in the pilot than in the rest of the series.

Answer: True

Blanche's last name in the pilot episode was Hollingsworth, which of course became her maiden name during the rest of the series, with her married name being Devereaux.

8. In the pilot, the lanai is in a different position than in the rest of the series.

Answer: True

In the pilot, you reach the lanai by going down a hallway by the kitchen. In the rest of the series, it is located on the opposite end of the living room.

In a flashback episode, Sophia visits from Shady Pines. Dorothy asks her to wait out on the lanai...

Sophia: "What's that?"

Dorothy: "The porch!"

Sophia: "Well excuse me, Krystle Carrington!" :-D

9. Rue McClanahan uses the same accent to play Blanche in the pilot as she does in the rest of the series.

Answer: False

During the pilot, Miss McClanahan was directed to play Blanche without a marked accent, even though the character was from the South.

After the pilot, "The Golden Girls" creator Susan Harris informed her she wanted the character of Blanche to have an accent. Rue McClanhan then developed an Southern accent based on a relative of hers. It really clicked with the audiences, even though it was not really an authentic accent.

10. The place Dorothy was said to have grown up was different in the pilot than in the rest of the series.

Answer: True

In the pilot, it was stated that Dorothy grew up in Queens. This was changed to Brooklyn for the rest of the series.

Source: Author Lost_Player_47

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

"The Golden Girls" is one of the most beloved TV Series of all time. Its inception is quite fascinating. Let's all learn together how the four women in a home in Miami we love came to be! All questions are True and False--have a great time!

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