References to Dorothy peppered the scripts, and the highlight of the show’s brief history was Arthur’s guest star return in a pair of episodes. In fact, “The Golden Palace” is an uneven but often entertaining post-script to “The Golden Girls” that deserves to be given a second look.Īdmittedly, the absence of Arthur from the proceedings was a problem that the show could never get around. But while the show never found an audience during its single season run – and it is still being denied an audience, due to its removal from commercial distribution – it really isn’t a bad program. CBS was originally willing to let it run for a second season, yet it abruptly changed its mind and cancelled the show right before its renewal was to be announced. While the show debuted to very respectable ratings, it quickly plummeted as its season progressed and landed up 57th place. Sadly, “The Golden Palace” is remembered today as a failure. Harris, Witt and Thomas signed with CBS, which inserted “The Golden Palace” into a Friday night line-up that included two long-running sitcoms (“Designing Women” and “Major Dad”) plus a new sitcom called “Bob” that was built around comedy legend Bob Newhart. NBC would not match the offer – the network noted that audiences had already moved away from “The Golden Girls” and the idea of launching a spinoff to a sinking series did not appear to be viable.

But CBS unexpectedly jumped in with the promise of a full 24-episode season. NBC agreed to run “The Golden Palace” with a 13-episode commitment. Working with the remaining stars, they conceived a successor to “The Golden Girls” called “The Golden Palace,” in which Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) depart their shared Miami house and manage a hotel. However, the show’s producers – Susan Harris, Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas – believed that they could still get mileage out of “The Golden Girls” franchise without Arthur’s Dorothy character.

For Beatrice Arthur, this was a clear signal that the series had run its course, and she was eager to depart at the end of the season.

Although it placed in the top ten for the TV ratings for its first six seasons, the seventh season saw a dramatic slump, with “The Golden Girls” dropping to 30th place in the ratings.

Unfortunately, the series did not end on a high note. One of the most beloved sitcoms in the history of American television was “The Golden Girls.” From 1985 to 1992, this program engaged audiences and scored Emmy Awards with its vibrant scripts and the extraordinary synergy between its four leading stars.

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