The reason Bea Arthur refused to do a Golden Girls reunion - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 06-10-2026, 11:19 PM

https://www.metv.com/stories/the-rea...-girls-reunion

"When you do a series, it’s your life," said the actor.

Here's why some of The Golden Girls' ''saucy'' scenes were Rue McClanahan's favorites

One Golden Girls dream was another TV censor's nightmare.

Wildchats · 06-14-2026, 01:25 AM

So they had plans to do a reunion movie around 2003/2004 but she said no? I feel it would have happened had she said yes. But Estelle most likely wouldn't have been there.

BestTVever · 06-14-2026, 12:51 PM

I binge watch old interviews with the Golden Girls. Rue said she knew Bea wanted to leave and was surprised she agreed to do season 7. I think they had a 5 year contract and she extended it for one year each. There is no other way around it that Bea did not like Betty. It was like oil and water. Bea was too much of a professional to fight on set so it was more like a silent war but Bea could not stand to do it anymore. Bea's son stated there were no fights on the set but it annoyed Bea how Betty would go out to the audience and socialize with the audience. Bea was a classic trained actor who would never do that. Once during rehearsal Bea flubbed her lines and Betty made a joke about it with the audience. It was the only time they almost had a major fight on the set. Bea was outraged. Bea was a professional and team player but outside the set Bea would go off on Betty to anyone that would listen calling her the "C" word. I don't think Bea was showing up for any reunion.

06-10-2026, 11:19 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,304	The reason Bea Arthur refused to do a Golden Girls reunion https://www.metv.com/stories/the-rea...-girls-reunion "When you do a series, it’s your life," said the actor. Here's why some of The Golden Girls' ''saucy'' scenes were Rue McClanahan's favorites One Golden Girls dream was another TV censor's nightmare.

06-14-2026, 01:25 AM	#2
Wildchats Me Senior Member Join Date: Jul 15, 2001 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,076	So they had plans to do a reunion movie around 2003/2004 but she said no? I feel it would have happened had she said yes. But Estelle most likely wouldn't have been there.
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06-14-2026, 12:51 PM	#3
BestTVever Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2021 Location: Miami Posts: 1,898	I binge watch old interviews with the Golden Girls. Rue said she knew Bea wanted to leave and was surprised she agreed to do season 7. I think they had a 5 year contract and she extended it for one year each. There is no other way around it that Bea did not like Betty. It was like oil and water. Bea was too much of a professional to fight on set so it was more like a silent war but Bea could not stand to do it anymore. Bea's son stated there were no fights on the set but it annoyed Bea how Betty would go out to the audience and socialize with the audience. Bea was a classic trained actor who would never do that. Once during rehearsal Bea flubbed her lines and Betty made a joke about it with the audience. It was the only time they almost had a major fight on the set. Bea was outraged. Bea was a professional and team player but outside the set Bea would go off on Betty to anyone that would listen calling her the "C" word. I don't think Bea was showing up for any reunion.