Did Golden Girls have far too many annoying Susan Harris touches - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 08-01-2018, 04:51 AM

It's like you know that you're watching a Susan Harris produced sitcom (SOAP, Benson, Empty Nest, et al.) if it contains the following tropes:

The transitional that sounds like it was by the same cheap orchestra

The overuse of establishing shots

The lack of continuity in consistency in characterizations

Overly bright lighting

'80sSitcoms · 08-01-2018, 09:48 AM

Short answer: no

The orchestra was beautiful, classic, and is a part of the reason why this show is timeless.

Establishing shots were never overused. It's always nice to have the scene set when you're watching.

I never noticed the lighting being bright; if anything, the special lighting was very complimentary for the girls.

Now the inconsistencies, yes, stick way out there. But in the book "Golden Girls Forever", one of the writers admits they actually did not keep a series bible, so that they could write whatever they wanted to for their episodes (not what I would do, but there you go).

Steve_uk · 08-01-2018, 10:15 AM

The episodes with Susan Harris authorship were the best.

RetroGuy2000 · 08-01-2018, 01:28 PM

I actually love the interstitial music, and most 70s and 80s sitcoms used them, not just the Susan Harris productions. You instantly know the show you're watching, just from the interstitial music. The only time I don't like them is when a show gets cheap and starts using interstitials from another show; this happened in the later seasons of The Facts of Life, when they inexplicably started using the music from Silver Spoons. WTF?!

For me, the music on GG is a sort of comfort food.

Like '80sSitcoms, I like the establishing shots. (I just sometimes wish the establishing shots of buildings actually matched the sets they're supposedly based on).

Yes, the inconsistencies bug me to no end. But that wasn't limited to Susan Harris' sitcoms, by any means.

AMackII · 08-03-2018, 12:34 PM

Not Really. The Authorship of Susan Harris is not a problem with the show itself.

tlc38tlc38 · 11-24-2018, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Short answer: no

The orchestra was beautiful, classic, and is a part of the reason why this show is timeless.

Establishing shots were never overused. It's always nice to have the scene set when you're watching.

I never noticed the lighting being bright; if anything, the special lighting was very complimentary for the girls.

Now the inconsistencies, yes, stick way out there. But in the book "Golden Girls Forever", one of the writers admits they actually did not keep a series bible, so that they could write whatever they wanted to for their episodes (not what I would do, but there you go).

I agree with all of this. The inconsistency bothers me but not much. I still enjoy watching all the episodes, even those few bad apples.

Heenan Fan · 01-16-2019, 06:57 PM

I'm a big Susan Harris fan, so I would have to respectfully disagree with the op.

bandonurse · 01-21-2019, 07:23 PM

Whatever imperfections she may have had, I will always thank her for creating Golden Girls in the first place.

So she gets a hard pass from me for not being perfect.

BeatleMoe · 01-27-2019, 08:15 AM

I think part of the early episodes I found annoying were Paul Bogart's camera pans. He did that on All in the Family where he would just zoom in on a character. In Transplant, where Virginia hugged Blanche, it was too up close for me. Job Hunting really overdid it on the close ups. That's just me though.

bandonurse · 01-27-2019, 06:22 PM

You know who the camera man was? Wow.... I'm "majorly" impressed!

Heenan Fan · 01-29-2019, 08:18 PM

Paul Bogart was a pretty big name, all things considering.

08-01-2018, 04:51 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,142	Did Golden Girls have far too many annoying Susan Harris touches It's like you know that you're watching a Susan Harris produced sitcom (SOAP, Benson, Empty Nest, et al.) if it contains the following tropes: The transitional that sounds like it was by the same cheap orchestra The overuse of establishing shots The lack of continuity in consistency in characterizations Overly bright lighting
	Last edited by TMC; 08-03-2018 at 04:12 PM.

08-01-2018, 09:48 AM	#2
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Short answer: no The orchestra was beautiful, classic, and is a part of the reason why this show is timeless. Establishing shots were never overused. It's always nice to have the scene set when you're watching. I never noticed the lighting being bright; if anything, the special lighting was very complimentary for the girls. Now the inconsistencies, yes, stick way out there. But in the book "Golden Girls Forever", one of the writers admits they actually did not keep a series bible, so that they could write whatever they wanted to for their episodes (not what I would do, but there you go).
	Last edited by '80sSitcoms; 08-03-2018 at 09:46 AM.

08-01-2018, 01:28 PM	#4
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	I actually love the interstitial music, and most 70s and 80s sitcoms used them, not just the Susan Harris productions. You instantly know the show you're watching, just from the interstitial music. The only time I don't like them is when a show gets cheap and starts using interstitials from another show; this happened in the later seasons of The Facts of Life, when they inexplicably started using the music from Silver Spoons. WTF?! For me, the music on GG is a sort of comfort food. Like '80sSitcoms, I like the establishing shots. (I just sometimes wish the establishing shots of buildings actually matched the sets they're supposedly based on). Yes, the inconsistencies bug me to no end. But that wasn't limited to Susan Harris' sitcoms, by any means.
	__________________ The Facts of Life's "Lost Girls" Tribute to Julie Piekarski, Eastland Girl Join "The Group", Sitcoms Online's Facts of Life group!

01-27-2019, 08:15 AM	#9
BeatleMoe Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 13, 2002 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 615	I think part of the early episodes I found annoying were Paul Bogart's camera pans. He did that on All in the Family where he would just zoom in on a character. In Transplant, where Virginia hugged Blanche, it was too up close for me. Job Hunting really overdid it on the close ups. That's just me though.
	__________________ BeatleMoe

08-01-2018, 10:15 AM	#3
Steve_uk Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 29, 2012 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 5,803	The episodes with Susan Harris authorship were the best.

08-03-2018, 12:34 PM	#5
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,221	Not Really. The Authorship of Susan Harris is not a problem with the show itself.

01-16-2019, 06:57 PM	#7
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	I'm a big Susan Harris fan, so I would have to respectfully disagree with the op.

01-21-2019, 07:23 PM	#8
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	Whatever imperfections she may have had, I will always thank her for creating Golden Girls in the first place. So she gets a hard pass from me for not being perfect.

01-27-2019, 06:22 PM	#10
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	You know who the camera man was? Wow.... I'm "majorly" impressed!

01-29-2019, 08:18 PM	#11
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	Paul Bogart was a pretty big name, all things considering.