Michael Eisner, former president of Disney adored the whole idea behind The Golden Girls when it was first pitched to him. The big-time producer, however, had some changes in mind and felt that the addition of some young blood might help it appeal to a younger crowd. To meet his demands, Sophia was written in, as well as Dorothy.
Eisner loved it, and he gave them the green light.
Real Life Inspiration
A lot of people did and still do relate to The Golden Girls. Men and women from all over the United States retire in Florida. It’s really no surprise that the characters and settings are inspired by actual people. Brandon Tartikoff, a producer from the network, used to visit a family member that lived in a similar situation.
After he witnessed the hilarious banter and the strong bonds, he knew he’d found some real television gold.
Naming Names
There seemed to be a bit of confusion about what the full names of some of the characters were over the years. For instance, Blanche was named as “Blanche Marie Hollingsworth” in one episode, but in a later episode, it was implied that her name was “Blanche Elizabeth Devereaux.”
It was never revealed why it was altered over time.
Multiple Realities
Don’t you love it when TV shows have inside jokes and references? The Golden Girls did just that. In one of the episodes, Blanche watches the soap opera, Another World. This was a show in which Rue had actually appeared as a guest star quite a few times.
The creators of the show thought that fans would get a real kick out of this. It also helped characterize the actresses quite a lot
Golden Girls: An All-Male Show
Fans and audiences alike were in for quite a surprise, when in 2003, an all-male cast put on a live off-Broadway rendition of the show. Susan Harris, one of the original creators of the legendary series was reportedly unimpressed.
In fact, she started making phone calls, calling for the immediate cancellation of the production. Her wish was granted, and the men were forced to cease their efforts.