The Golden Palace Coming to Lifetime on 8/1-9/16/05; Returns 12/14/05!

[Pavan]

Lifetime is very likely to be airing The Golden Palace. They even have set up a "petition" on their own site. Word is they are very close to airing it. So, if you want it on the air, sign their petition here: http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/golden/petition/

More details will come soon.

[James"Thunder"Early]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

Lifetime is very likely to be airing The Golden Palace. They even have set up a "petition" on their own site. Word is they are very close to airing it. So, if you want it on the air, sign their petition here: http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/golden/petition/

More details will come soon.

I suspected this when I saw the petition, I've already signed. hopefully they'll start airing it, Thanks for the information Pav!

[jayman75]

Wow, Pav, I beat you to it! I posted about that here.

EVERYONE MUST SIGN THIS PETITION!!!!! Come on, everybody!

[Joker85]

That's great that they are doing that, but frankly I'd rather them bring Empty Nest to Lifetime. The Golden Palace was extremely mediocre. It doesn't have the repeat value that GG does.

[MikeLutton]

i want to see Gimmie a Break on Lifetime n Maude.glad Golden place might be on lot of them a missed also hope not early n am lol

[Pavan]

A hint: Golden Palace will be airing later this summer on Lifetime.

Keep signing the petition, though. So, they know we all want it on the air. I hope to release full details soon.

[James"Thunder"Early]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

A hint: Golden Palace will be airing later this summer on Lifetime.

Keep signing the petition, though. So, they know we all want it on the air. I hope to release full details soon.

Great News!

[Edster2973]

I'd much prefer to see The Golden Palace released on DVD, probably after the release of the last season, but I guess this is a step in the right direction. Keep us posted folks!

Ed

[seventies_sitcoms]

I'd like a GP release on DVD too. You know Lifetime will butcher them. I'll bet a DVD would sell pretty good to the GG fans/ completists.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by seventies_sitcoms

I'd like a GP release on DVD too. You know Lifetime will butcher them. I'll bet a DVD would sell pretty good to the GG fans/ completists.

Absolutely, plus Bea Arthur did guest-star on the show for a 2 part episode. That is practically a Golden Girls episode, albeit in the new setting of The Golden Palace along with the spin-off's additional new cast members.

That alone would make it worthy of release, but we'll see what happens. Sanford & Son just had all of its 6 seasons released, but there are no plans for the spin-off Sanford to be released, and that spin-off ran for 2 seasons. For some reason, some spin-off shows are not regarded as part of the parent show that it spun off of, so I guess it's not a sure thing that we'll get The Golden Palace.

Then again, it may be that Sanford hasn't been seen in such a long time and isn't very popular that they figure it'd be too risky to release such an unknown spin-off, whereas if The Golden Palace is seen with some regularity on Lifetime and becomes identified with the public as being a part of The Golden Girls, then perhaps they'll piggyback the spin-off as an extension of the original once Season 7 is released. They won't consider the spin-off as risky since it'll be more well-known in syndication. Who knows.

All I can say is that perhaps we should start making noise and let Buena Vista know that there is interest in the spin-off. It may be too early at this point, since we're not even guaranteed the rest of the other seasons of The Golden Girls, but it doesn't hurt to plan.

Fans of Three's Company have been doing something similar with that show's respective spin-offs, namely The Ropers and Three's a Crowd. Both spin-offs have not been guaranteed but fans have been clamoring for them since Season 1 of Three's Company saw release. Since sales for the show have been more than healthy, and since fans are making noise about wanting the spin-offs, Anchor Bay is working out a way to release the spin-offs and we expect news to hit anyday now. So it can happen if fans are smart and organized, AND if sales are healthy enough on the parent show's release. Since there are ads for Season 3 of The Golden Girls already up, I think it's safe to say it's doing well (at least I hope it is).

Anyway, this is my 2 cents. If we want The Golden Palace released along with The Golden Girls, then we need to take action. We can't simply hope Buena Vista will take it upon themselves to do it. They need to be informed that there is a fanbase interested in the show. We can do this...

Ed

[Joker85]

I just don't have any interest in seeing it on DVD, or on lifetime really. In my mind, The Golden Palace tainted The Golden Girls. First off, I don't ever believe that Blanche would sell that house. Secondly, without Dorothy it just doesn't work. I know she was on a TGP 2 parter but have you ever seen it? It's an extremely bitter episode. Dorothy is acting out of character and the rest of them seem extremely bitter towards her, probably cause they were still upset at Bea for leaving to begin with. There's even a point in the episode where Blanche yells at Dorothy for leaving and "Breaking up the family." But, for those who have never seen any eps of Golden Palace it will be good I suppose for you to see them and form your own opinion.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by Joker85

I just don't have any interest in seeing it on DVD, or on lifetime really. In my mind, The Golden Palace tainted The Golden Girls. First off, I don't ever believe that Blanche would sell that house. Secondly, without Dorothy it just doesn't work. I know she was on a TGP 2 parter but have you ever seen it? It's an extremely bitter episode. Dorothy is acting out of character and the rest of them seem extremely bitter towards her, probably cause they were still upset at Bea for leaving to begin with. There's even a point in the episode where Blanche yells at Dorothy for leaving and "Breaking up the family." But, for those who have never seen any eps of Golden Palace it will be good I suppose for you to see them and form your own opinion.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion about whether you want to see the show released, but I reckon, as time passes and we lose some of the actresses from the show (Estelle Getty it seems may not be with us for too long), we'll want any and all things Golden Girls related. Maybe not, but either way, some of us do want it, and that's a good enough reason I think to start planning. Not that you said it wasn't...

As for the episode where Bea guest-starred, I have seen it. In fact, I have it on VHS, albeit in poor quality.

I don't read any bitterness at all in the episode. Sure, the show would've preferred to keep Dorothy as part of the ensemble, but it's not like they hated her for not being there. And there is no way Bea would've stood in for an episode if the show was intent on taking pot shots at her.

At this stage of the game, Dorothy wasn't as wisecracking as she once was but was instead someone the girls liked to poke fun at, especially when it came to her lack of dating. This trend started long before Bea decided to quit the show. I suspect the producers simply ran out of situations where Dorothy could come up with a dry wisecrack, or perhaps they felt the best way to showcase Sophia as spunky was for her to poke fun at her daughter, since most of the jabs at Dorothy did come from her mother. Either way, this 'bitterness' was simply a continuation of what went on before, and I think Bea knew that. There was nothing personal implied. If there had been, she simply would not have done the guest spot. She didn't have to, and she wasn't contractually obligated to do so either.

Yes, Blanche did say that Dorothy had broken up their family, but she wasn't furious with her at the time. It was more of a desperate exclamation that came about since Dorothy was intent on bringing back Sophia since she felt that Sophia was being worked too hard at the hotel. Kind of like 'First you left, and now you're taking Sophia'. Of course Blanche (and Rose) is going to be upset. Sophia was as much of a mother to her as she was to Dorothy, especially since her own mother had been deceased.

I also don't read anywhere where Dorothy was out of character. If you compared her to the Dorothy from the early seasons of The Golden Girls (Seasons 1-4/5), then yes, she's not the same. Bea's portrayal of Dorothy was consistent with the Dorothy through the later seasons (5-7) however. And I thought her interactions with Chuey ('Walk away now and no one gets hurt!') and the customer at the palace were hysterical.

Can the episode/The Golden Palace be compared with our beloved Golden Girls? Absolutely not, but the spin-off is part of the show's history, like it or not. There were things about the spin-off that I didn't like. Some aspects were more silly than funny, but I want it all, the good and the bad, and I feel my collection won't be complete without the spin-offs (I include Empty Nest along with the others). Just knowing that there are other episodes out there is enough for me to want them, even if they don't measure up to the originals.

But I understand if you feel differently...

Ed

[Joker85]

I loved the line where she says to Chuey "Walk away.." but it was the only good moment in the ep I thought. I didn't like how they made Dorothy suddenly admit what a horrible place Shady Pines was. That was the great part about it, we all knew it was nice for a retirement community but Sophia made up wild stuff about it cause she hated the fact she had to be there. I dunno. I felt the last scene pretty much summed up The Golden Palace. They all leave Dorothy standing in the lobby with little goodbye and she just slowly walks out. It's like she really was no longer part of the family. It was a very sad moment for me as a fan. I understand they had a hotel to run but the writers could have written it a little better. And again, I just don't like the concept. Blanche selling the house for them to go run a Hotel? I just don't see it happening. It's like Betty White said in an interview, that the show became The Golden Girls in the lobby and it just doesn't work that way, esp since they didn't have Bea. I think one of the writers said it best, "The chemistry just wasn't there anymore." I agree, I think without Bea the dynamic completely changed for the worse and it just wasn't the same. Plus having Miles cheat on Rose, the ep where Stanley comes back and is running from the law. They just weren't good and I prefer not to think of them as part of The Golden Girls. Though I do love Empty Nest and would like nothing better to see it on lifetime and DVD. But I respect your opinion and I'm glad that you can get some enjoyment out of them. And I'm glad for the fans of TGG that have never gotten to see TGP to form their own opinions on it, be that positive or negative.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by Joker85

I loved the line where she says to Chuey "Walk away.." but it was the only good moment in the ep I thought.

It was a classic moment for sure. Bea isn't even on the show for 2 minutes and she's already cracking up the audience...

Originally Posted by Joker85

I didn't like how they made Dorothy suddenly admit what a horrible place Shady Pines was. That was the great part about it, we all knew it was nice for a retirement community but Sophia made up wild stuff about it cause she hated the fact she had to be there.

I see your point. It makes us realize that Dorothy had sent Sophia to a place that she knew was awful, which doesn't say much about her as a daughter, unless we're to assume that Dorothy came to this realization AFTER the home burned down and AFTER she was informed by Sophia (and other residents who visited Sophia; one that comes to mind is the one who they helped try to escape but she had Alzheimer's) by how horrible it was. Otherwise, it's like she sent off her mother to a horrible place, and that doesn't sit well...

Originally Posted by Joker85

I dunno. I felt the last scene pretty much summed up The Golden Palace. They all leave Dorothy standing in the lobby with little goodbye and she just slowly walks out. It's like she really was no longer part of the family. It was a very sad moment for me as a fan.

Yeah, but again, I see that as Bea's choice. She wanted to move on, plain and simple, but again, I don't think there was any hostility; if there was, Bea would never have agreed to appear. Would anyone?

And for me, I just thought the last scene symbolized that Sophia would be fine without Dorothy. She had to be, and Dorothy looking on and seeing the hustle and bustle meant that she got a first real glimpse of how Sophia's life was without her around, and she could see that it did Sophia good. She needed to be busy rather than inactive. That's my take on it anyway.

Originally Posted by Joker85

I understand they had a hotel to run but the writers could have written it a little better. And again, I just don't like the concept. Blanche selling the house for them to go run a Hotel? I just don't see it happening. It's like Betty White said in an interview, that the show became The Golden Girls in the lobby and it just doesn't work that way, esp since they didn't have Bea. I think one of the writers said it best, "The chemistry just wasn't there anymore." I agree, I think without Bea the dynamic completely changed for the worse and it just wasn't the same.

I agree totally, and in all honesty, when compared to the original show, it doesn't measure up, but a part of me wants it in my collection so that it feels complete. I think there were a few Season 6 & 7 episodes that were sub-par as well, but I still want them, even though I don't intend to view them with much regularity. I guess it's like having a yearbook where you don't want to part with it, but you don't ever look at it except for a few rare occasions.

Originally Posted by Joker85

Plus having Miles cheat on Rose, the ep where Stanley comes back and is running from the law. They just weren't good and I prefer not to think of them as part of The Golden Girls.

I haven't seen these episodes so I can't comment, but I do think, from what you've described, that they were bummers. Kind of like All in the Family, where it spins off into Archie Bunker's Place, resulting in Edith Bunker dying. It was a real downer for sure, and I prefer that they had cancelled the show instead of tarnishing it by doing that. I understand where you're coming from...

Originally Posted by Joker85

Though I do love Empty Nest and would like nothing better to see it on lifetime and DVD. But I respect your opinion and I'm glad that you can get some enjoyment out of them. And I'm glad for the fans of TGG that have never gotten to see TGP to form their own opinions on it, be that positive or negative.

Well, if it doesn't see release, you'd be happy, but if it does get released, you still don't have to buy it. All I'm suggesting is that there be support for it to be released. Those who want to see it will be happy and those who hate the spin-off can make their voices heard by simply not buying it. Seems both sides can win...

Ed

[Joker85]

Yeah it is a lot like All in the Family. And certainly the last 2 years of The Golden Girls had more than there share of sub par episodes, particularly season 7. I dunno, you may be right, as time goes on and we start to lose the girls I may want that set just for something else with them as those characters. And maybe with it coming to lifetime I can try to view it for what it is instead of trying to compare it to The Golden Girls.