Your favorite ladies from “The Golden Girls” might have wrapped for their final season in 1992 but not many people got the chance to see the spin-off “The Golden Place” until now.
“The Golden Girls” is a timeless TV sitcom that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1992 that became a pop culture icon still to this day that is beloved by members of all generations. One of the reasons for the booming success of the show was the main cast consisting of four comedy acting legends Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, and the recently passed Betty White.
“The Golden Girls” is based on four women living together in Miami experiencing the angst and joy of their golden years with each cast member known for their unique sense of humor that reflects the actor’s given personalities. Bea Arthur played Dorothy known for her dry senses of sarcastic humor, Betty White played Rose who is obliviously optimistic, Rue McClanahan’s character Blanche was known for her romantic antics, and Estelle Getty played the role of Sophia is a sassy slap of a reality check for her friends.
Though “The Golden Girls” filmed their final season in 1992 and all of the original cast members have passed, the legacy of the sitcom lives on through the spin-off show “The Golden Place.” The spin-off was thought to be a following success of the original show but was short-lived broadcasting from September 1992 to May 1993 to continue the show following the departure of Bea Arthur.
“The Golden Place” only released one season consisting of 24 episodes and the show attributed to the lacking success of the show due to Arthur’s departure from the franchise. Arthur decided to leave “The Golden Girl” franchise because she wanted to take a break from filming regular series work as she wanted to relax during her later years. Despite not being a part of the main cast, Arthur makes a guest appearance in two of the episodes in the spin-off series.
Despite missing one of the original golden girls, the remaining cast member committed to the spin-off series with the central plot being the ladies sell Blanche Devereaux’s home because Dorothy got married and end up buying a hotel. “The Golden Place” spin-off is a domestic comedy rather than a workplace comedy show with an interesting twist that the cast lives where they work.
The new spin-off series also introduced a new cast of characters around the hotel including two staff members with manager Roland (played by Don Cheadle) and chef Chuy (played Cheech Martin) creating a more diverse cast compared to the original sitcom. Another new face on “The Golden Place” was a child that hung around the hotel known as Oliver (played by Billy Sullivan) which seemed like a good idea initially until they decided to remove him from the cast halfway through the season.
Though “The Golden Place” didn’t receive enough airtime when broadcasting the new season, this comedy TV show is getting a second chance for more viewers through a streaming deal with Hulu. If you’re a fan of “The Golden Girls,” you can go watch the spin-off series now available on Hulu.
