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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums30 Years Later, ‘The Golden Girls’ is Still the Most Progressive Show on Television
Picture it: Hollywood, 1985. The first episode of The Golden Girls airs, introducing the world to Blanche Devereaux, Rose Nylund, Sophia Petrillo, and Dorothy Zbornak. The show attracted more than 25 million viewers, becoming the highest-rated program of the week and consistently ranked in the top 10 sitcoms during its run. Over the course of seven seasons, the show racked up 68 Emmy nominations, 11 wins, and is one of only 4 shows in TV history whose principal actors all won Emmys for their roles. Despite Hollywoods obsession with youth, The Golden Girls is still beloved by audiences thirty years after its premiere.
Beyond the fact that the show is extremely well-written and well acted (thanks to Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White), The Golden Girls also stands out for being one of the last sitcoms where progressive values were part of the shows DNA.
In an interview with Out Magazine, show creator Susan Harris explained, We liked to tackle not outrageous issues but important issues. Things that I knew that people went through that hadnt been addressed on television. Harris was no stranger to shows that incorporated political story lines, having previously worked on Norman Lears groundbreaking All in the Family, and having written the historic abortion episode for Maude, which won her the Humanitas Prize an award for film and television writing that promotes human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It is not surprising then that Harris brought this tradition to the writers room of The Golden Girls each week. The following are just some of the reasons why, after 30 years, The Golden Girls is still the most progressive show on television.
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Read More: https://medium.com/@traceylross/30-years-later-the-golden-girls-is-still-the-most-progressive-show-on-television-b63aadd2edec
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30 Years Later, ‘The Golden Girls’ is Still the Most Progressive Show on Television (Original Post)
LiberalArkie
Sep 2015
OP
They snowed the censors many times and by sliding in some real zingers before their time.
Frustratedlady
Sep 2015
#1
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)1. They snowed the censors many times and by sliding in some real zingers before their time.
I've probably watched it enough, I could quote the script of each show, but still get a chuckle out of some of their shenanigans.
Now, Betty is the only one left.
Paka
(2,760 posts)2. I still love to watch the reruns.