Creator Susan Harris on Why We'll Never See a New "Golden Girls" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 02-18-2017, 03:18 PM

Why You'll Never See a "Golden Girls" Reboot
by Amy Wilkinson
February 17, 2017

Even before all seven seasons of the ’80s sitcom about four feisty Miami grandmothers were available to stream on Hulu, it seemed nostalgia for "The Golden Girls" had reached something of a fever pitch.

Just look at the recent bounty of homages, like the puppet parody That Golden Girls Show or the newly opened Golden Girls-themed cafe Rue La Rue Café in New York. But despite enduring love for the NBC series (and attempts to revive it in one form or another), don’t expect an official reboot anytime soon, says creator Susan Harris.

“They’ve wanted to do Golden Girls the Musical and re-do Golden Girls, and we’ve always said no because Golden Girls would not be Golden Girls without that cast,” says Harris, who admittedly learned that lesson the hard way.

When "The Golden Girls" ended its seven-season run in 1992, she and producing partners Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas recruited stars Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty for a spin-off on CBS called "The Golden Palace", which found the three women (joined by co-stars Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle) running a hotel.

But the series, which lasted for only one season, lacked one key component: Beatrice Arthur, whose character, Dorothy, only made sporadic appearances. “Without Dorothy, it didn’t work,” recalls Harris, adding that, “The Golden Girls was what it was and that’s the way it should remain.”

http://ew.com/tv/2017/02/17/golden-girls-reboot/

mets82 · 02-18-2017, 03:39 PM

I didn't mind the Golden Palace. Yes, Dorothy was missed but Don Cheadle and Cheech Marin are nothing to sneeze at. They had that kid in there who was soon dropped which usually isn't a good sign when it happens that fast.

bandonurse · 02-18-2017, 05:28 PM

LOL,........ "It didn't work"

That's Producer-speak for "The ratings weren't good enough."

It worked, Susan, it just didn't get the immediate ratings it needed to keep the network happy. They could have given it a little longer to see if it caught on, but TV executives are too greedy and impatient to do something like that.

02-18-2017, 03:18 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,120	Creator Susan Harris on Why We'll Never See a New "Golden Girls" *Why You'll Never See a "Golden Girls" Reboot* by Amy Wilkinson February 17, 2017 Even before all seven seasons of the ’80s sitcom about four feisty Miami grandmothers were available to stream on Hulu, it seemed nostalgia for "The Golden Girls" had reached something of a fever pitch. Just look at the recent bounty of homages, like the puppet parody That Golden Girls Show or the newly opened Golden Girls-themed cafe Rue La Rue Café in New York. But despite enduring love for the NBC series (and attempts to revive it in one form or another), don’t expect an official reboot anytime soon, says creator Susan Harris. “They’ve wanted to do Golden Girls the Musical and re-do Golden Girls, and we’ve always said no because Golden Girls would not be Golden Girls without that cast,” says Harris, who admittedly learned that lesson the hard way. When "The Golden Girls" ended its seven-season run in 1992, she and producing partners Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas recruited stars Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty for a spin-off on CBS called "The Golden Palace", which found the three women (joined by co-stars Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle) running a hotel. But the series, which lasted for only one season, lacked one key component: Beatrice Arthur, whose character, Dorothy, only made sporadic appearances. “Without Dorothy, it didn’t work,” recalls Harris, adding that, “The Golden Girls was what it was and that’s the way it should remain.” http://ew.com/tv/2017/02/17/golden-girls-reboot/

02-18-2017, 03:39 PM	#2
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	I didn't mind the Golden Palace. Yes, Dorothy was missed but Don Cheadle and Cheech Marin are nothing to sneeze at. They had that kid in there who was soon dropped which usually isn't a good sign when it happens that fast.
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02-18-2017, 05:28 PM	#3
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	LOL,........ "It didn't work" That's Producer-speak for "The ratings weren't good enough." It worked, Susan, it just didn't get the immediate ratings it needed to keep the network happy. They could have given it a little longer to see if it caught on, but TV executives are too greedy and impatient to do something like that.