No TV Reunions for Bea Arthur - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 02-17-2002, 12:33 AM

*Cough* pompous ingrate *cough* *cough*:
http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20020216/101387695400.html

GoldenFamilyTies · 02-17-2002, 01:04 AM

I never did understand her...

Madness · 02-17-2002, 01:42 AM

I remember a few months ago on Entertainment Tonight she said if the script was right she would consider doing another show. I guess she's had a change of heart. It's too bad, too because she is a very talented actress with perfect comedic timing.

boechsner · 02-17-2002, 03:03 AM

What's not to understand? She makes a very good point and makes perfect sense. Besides, a reunion for The Golden Girls would never happen and not just because of Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty is very ill and from what I've heard can hardly walk.

AKA · 02-17-2002, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by boechsner
What's not to understand? She makes a very good point and makes perfect sense. Besides, a reunion for The Golden Girls would never happen and not just because of Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty is very ill and from what I've heard can hardly walk.

Yes, she's had Parkinson's for quite awhile and it's taken over, I'm afraid.

Guys, not all of your favorite shows warrant a reunion. I completely agree with what she has to say in the article and applaud her honestly.

What she said hardly makes her a "pompous ingrate."

Drew · 02-17-2002, 07:10 PM

I agree with what you all are mostly saying, like AKA. Not all great shows warrant a reunion, and I agree with what Bea says in the article, it would never top the show. Although reunions are nice to see, there not always that great, and arent ment to be. And if you cant get the full cast back its not the same. Now a good angle for the reunion to go would be, sadly, to have Sophia pass on and the girls meet up again after her funeral. They could have other guest stars like from Empty Nest. But anyway, it still wouldnt be the same, just like it wasnt the same on the Facts of Life reunion. I did watch that, and liked it alot, but it still wasnt the same without Nancy McKeon. I did like the three girls alot and there story line fit the movie well, but still it just wasnt as touching I tihnk to see the girls back together. Thats just my opinion now.

TV Guy · 02-18-2002, 01:02 AM

There's a lot to be said for leaving the audience wanting more. Bea Arthur has always had high standards -- she chose to leave "Maude" rather than do what most likely would have been a substandard seventh season with a reworked premise (Maude becomes a congresswoman). She also wisely bailed out of "Golden Girls" when the producers revamped the show ("Golden Palace").

boechsner · 02-18-2002, 02:08 AM

Actually, Bea Arthur decided to leave The Golden Girls and at the end of that season NBC obviously was going to cancel The Golden Girls, so the series was revamped and offered to CBS who picked it up for a season.

joan davis fan · 02-18-2002, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA

Guys, not all of your favorite shows warrant a reunion. I completely agree with what she has to say in the article and applaud her honestly.

What she said hardly makes her a "pompous ingrate."

Same thing with ALICE. A few years back ( When E was showing Alice reruns ) watching an interview with Linda Lavin, she was asked if she would do an Alice reunion. She bluntly said no as you cant go home again, same reason why Dick Van Dyke never did got together over the years with Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Amsterdam & Deacon ( before they died ) and do a re-vamped Dick Van Dyke show. Lavin & Dyke do make a good point as some of the reunion shows I have seen over the years have lacked in quailty and seemed to be hurried together.

An Alice reunion would be interesting but may be kinda hard to do even if Linda Lavin wanted to do it between the death of Vic Tayback, the poor health of Beth Howland ( MS according to Paul Harvey ), and Polly Holiday in the past has said she wont come back to Alice, though she may have a change of heart now. Heck, even Joliene is now doing movies, might be tough to even get her.
Wonder whatever happened to the guy who played Vera's husband, Diane Ladd, Henry, and of course Tommy ( Phil McKeon ). Not much has been said about them over the years.

Same thing with Maude and Golden Girls, even if Bea Arthur say would have a change of heart ( and despite the deaths of Ester Rolle and Miss Naugntuck and the poor heath of Getty )could a reunion even be possible?

boechsner · 02-18-2002, 01:29 PM

Perhaps the best thing that could be done is an hour long reunion, where the cast sits around and talks about "the good old days." This was done with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Taxi and All in the Family to name a few. In May, The Cosby Show will join this group. That way, the characters are left the way they were at the time each series ended and we won't be disappointed by a full length reunion movie. However, there are rare cases when reunions actually work, hence The Brady Bunch. For the most part they don't.

TV Guy · 02-18-2002, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by boechsner
Actually, Bea Arthur decided to leave The Golden Girls and at the end of that season NBC obviously was going to cancel The Golden Girls, so the series was revamped and offered to CBS who picked it up for a season.

The "Golden Girls" producers twice suggested revamping the series to the hotel-based format while Bea was still with the show, once at the end of the fifth season, and again at the end of the sixth season. Bea pushed back both times, since she had already done a failed series with that format ("Amanda's"). During the seventh season, the producers felt that the show had run out of gas and told Bea that they were going ahead with the new format with or without her. At that point, she chose to leave, although it was an amicable departure.

TMC · 02-18-2002, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA

Yes, she's had Parkinson's for quite awhile and it's taken over, I'm afraid.

Guys, not all of your favorite shows warrant a reunion. I completely agree with what she has to say in the article and applaud her honestly.

What she said hardly makes her a "pompous ingrate."

What I meant to say is that the tone simply and quite heavily gives the impression to showing absolutely little regard and/or gratitude to what put you on the map in the in the very first place (it's all about "me" "myself, and "I").

AKA · 02-19-2002, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TMC

What I meant to say is that the tone simply and quite heavily gives the impression to showing absolutely little regard and/or gratitude to what put you on the map in the in the very first place (it's all about "me" "myself, and "I").

I disagree, but I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

I don't think she has little regard for what put her on the map; the woman is 78 years old. She's had her run on two successful sitcoms. She doesn't want to do it anymore. So what? Good for her.

TMC · 02-19-2002, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA

I disagree, but I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

I don't think she has little regard for what put her on the map; the woman is 78 years old. She's had her run on two successful sitcoms. She doesn't want to do it anymore. So what? Good for her.

It certainly didn't sound like it on paper if you ask me!

boechsner · 02-20-2002, 02:19 AM

Not having regard for what put her on the map!! How could she not? Just because she doesn't want to do reunions?

Why is so much being read into her statements? She made a clear and concise point and just because she doesn't want to do a reunion doesn't mean she's not grateful for her success in Maude and The Golden Girls. For her, she makes it obvious, being in sitcoms had it's upside and downside, and that would go for every actor/actress.

02-17-2002, 12:33 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,952	No TV Reunions for Bea Arthur Cough pompous ingrate cough cough: http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20020216/101387695400.html

02-17-2002, 07:10 PM	#6
Drew Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 12, 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 300	I agree with what you all are mostly saying, like AKA. Not all great shows warrant a reunion, and I agree with what Bea says in the article, it would never top the show. Although reunions are nice to see, there not always that great, and arent ment to be. And if you cant get the full cast back its not the same. Now a good angle for the reunion to go would be, sadly, to have Sophia pass on and the girls meet up again after her funeral. They could have other guest stars like from Empty Nest. But anyway, it still wouldnt be the same, just like it wasnt the same on the Facts of Life reunion. I did watch that, and liked it alot, but it still wasnt the same without Nancy McKeon. I did like the three girls alot and there story line fit the movie well, but still it just wasnt as touching I tihnk to see the girls back together. Thats just my opinion now.
	__________________ Designing Women JULIA~"...And that, Marjorie --- just so you will know --- and your children will someday know --- is the night the lights went out in Georgia! All in the Family EDITH to ARCHIE~"Im not sure who married the meathead, Gloria or me." the Golden Girls SOPHIA~"Silly Rabbi, Trix are for kids."

02-17-2002, 01:04 AM	#2
GoldenFamilyTies Por siempre tú Senior Member Join Date: Jan 15, 2002 Location: United States Posts: 1,329	I never did understand her...

02-17-2002, 01:42 AM	#3
Madness I call it the rocket Senior Member Join Date: May 03, 2000 Posts: 2,047	I remember a few months ago on Entertainment Tonight she said if the script was right she would consider doing another show. I guess she's had a change of heart. It's too bad, too because she is a very talented actress with perfect comedic timing.

02-17-2002, 03:03 AM	#4
boechsner Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 2,212	What's not to understand? She makes a very good point and makes perfect sense. Besides, a reunion for The Golden Girls would never happen and not just because of Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty is very ill and from what I've heard can hardly walk.

02-18-2002, 01:02 AM	#7
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	There's a lot to be said for leaving the audience wanting more. Bea Arthur has always had high standards -- she chose to leave "Maude" rather than do what most likely would have been a substandard seventh season with a reworked premise (Maude becomes a congresswoman). She also wisely bailed out of "Golden Girls" when the producers revamped the show ("Golden Palace").

02-18-2002, 02:08 AM	#8
boechsner Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 2,212	Actually, Bea Arthur decided to leave The Golden Girls and at the end of that season NBC obviously was going to cancel The Golden Girls, so the series was revamped and offered to CBS who picked it up for a season.

02-18-2002, 01:29 PM	#10
boechsner Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 2,212	Perhaps the best thing that could be done is an hour long reunion, where the cast sits around and talks about "the good old days." This was done with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Taxi and All in the Family to name a few. In May, The Cosby Show will join this group. That way, the characters are left the way they were at the time each series ended and we won't be disappointed by a full length reunion movie. However, there are rare cases when reunions actually work, hence The Brady Bunch. For the most part they don't.

02-20-2002, 02:19 AM	#15
boechsner Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 2,212	Not having regard for what put her on the map!! How could she not? Just because she doesn't want to do reunions? Why is so much being read into her statements? She made a clear and concise point and just because she doesn't want to do a reunion doesn't mean she's not grateful for her success in Maude and The Golden Girls. For her, she makes it obvious, being in sitcoms had it's upside and downside, and that would go for every actor/actress.