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The Golden Girls - The Complete First Season


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Launched during the neon-lit 1980s, The Golden Girls shed light on a side of Miami ignored by Miami Vice. In other words, no drugs, no murder--just four women of "a certain age," spending their golden years in the sun. Like the theme, "Thank You for Being a Friend," the long-running sitcom was about friendship (not crime). As for the "girls," they were tart-tongued Dorothy, former farm girl Rose, Southern belle Blanche, and Dorothy's salty Sicilian mother Sophia. All were widows, with the exception of the divorced Dorothy. Created by Emmy-winning producer Susan Harris, The Golden Girls re-ignited the careers of 1970s TV veterans Arthur and White. At the same time, it made stars of McClanahan, by playing a comic version of A Streetcar Named Desire's Blanche Dubois, and the scene-stealing Getty, made to look older than her actual age (she and Arthur were born the same year).

The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons and spawned spin-off The Golden Palace (without Arthur) and a British version called The Brighton Belles. By the end of its run in 1992, it had garnered numerous awards, including two Emmys for best comedy series. In addition, each of the four actresses received a well-deserved Emmy for her efforts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy, Amazon.com

Editorial
Synopsis

Episodes include: 'The Engagement', 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner', 'Rose The Prude', 'Transplant', 'Triangle', 'On Golden Girls', 'The Competition', 'Break In', 'Blanche And The Younger Man', 'Heart Attack', 'The Return Of Dorothy's Ex', 'The Custody Battle', 'A Little Romance', 'That Was No Lady', 'In A Bed Of Roses', 'The Truth Will Out', 'Nice And Easy', 'The Operation', 'Second Motherhood', 'Adult Education', 'Flu Attack', 'Job Hunting', 'Blind Ambition', 'Big Daddy' and 'The Way We Met'. Features twenty-five episodes in total.

Fun with Golden Girls
Review date: 2007-11-16 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is another wonderful creation of comic genius Susan Harris, who also created sitcoms such as Soap, Benson, and Empty Nest. Golden Girls is a sitcom about four senior ladies living under one roof in Miami, Florida, and all the zany and fun things that goes in their lives. The show revolves around sex hungry Blanche (Rue McLanahan) with her southern charm, and Sophia (Estelle Getty) as a sharp talking Sicilian with wit, and her daughter Dorothy (Bea Arthur) as a wise member of the house hold, and then the sweet and innocent Rose (Betty White) make a wonderful team and an excellent recipe for a great comedy. There are 25 episodes (season 1) on this DVD; in the episode Transplant, we see how a delicate and serious issue such as a request for an organ donation from a family member is dealt with when Blanche's sister Virginia asks for her kidney which would save Virginia's life. In Bed of Rose's episode a date of Rose passes away in his sleep; this shows the problems of old people dating, and how the girls deal with the situation. Big Daddy, The Way we met, Adult Education are few very funny episodes that many viewers enjoyed. Golden girls not only offer entertainment to old but also young people. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes 1980s sitcoms.

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Reviews


What about the other series???
Review date: 2007-07-19 Rating: 10 out of 10

I love this show! They are amazing
I wanted to buy series 4, 5, 6 and 7 but unfortunately living in Italy they are not compatible with Italian DVD reader...

Does anybody know when the versions for region 2 will be released?

The Golden Girls is the all time favorite!
Review date: 2006-10-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

i waited so long for these dvds to come out! it was a dream come true!i bought the first 3 seasons of the Girls (i'am waiting for the rest to come out in region 2) and i'am having the time of my life! No cuts ,no commercials,so much fun squeezed into those discs,if you're fan of the 80s and if you adore the Girls,i would say that don't wait and get the set! You will end up having a great time and awesome collection in your dvd storage. Enjoy!

Superb, award-winning U.S Sitcom
Review date: 2006-09-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

Oh how I really love this show! I was devastated when this programme finished (its sequel, The Golden Palace failed to live up to the dynamics of The Golden Girls and was scapped after just one season of 24 episodes)! Though it wound up production well over ten years ago, The Golden Girls (1985 - 1992) still firmly ranks as one of my all-time favourite sitcoms. The Golden Girls was a huge success throughout the duration of its run, collecting ten emmy awards including one for this first season for outstanding comedy series. In all, an impressive total of 180 fun-filled episodes were produced of The Golden Girls.

In 2005 Buena Vista Home Entertainment began releasing the early seasons of The Golden Girls (and not before time!). This 4-disc set of the first season is attractively packaged , containing all 25 episodes and also boasts a bonus feature which sees Joan and Melissa Rivers offering their own witty fashion critique to the now laughably dated and kitschy wardrobe of The Golden Girls.

The Golden Girls is set in the heart of Miami where four middle-aged to elderly women share a house and touchingly support one another, trade insults, eat a whole lot of cheese cake together and almost incessantly talk about sex.

Buxom, Southern-belle Blance Deveraux, a promiscuous widow (she even tried to date a man on the day of her husbands funeral) advertises for two room mates in her Miami Beach home, for companionship and above all else at the time, to apportion costs of the running of her home. A fiesty but well-meaning and very likeable character, Blanche thinks of little else but sex, sex, sex and is forever on the look-out for a man. She is also (slightly unhealthily) obsessed with her looks and age often fearing her beauty is fading as old age looms closer. Southern-belle Blance Deveraux is marvelously played by the charismatic Rue McClanahan who really excells in the role.

Dorothy Zbomak is a tall, elegant though earthy and gruff-voiced (which becomes the [...] of many a joke in the series) supply teacher. She had recently divorced from the adulterous Stan Zbomak after he had run off with an air hostess. This is how Dorothy came to be living with sultry, man eater Blance Deveraux after answering her advertisment for two room mates to share her Miami Beach home. Dorothy is beautifully played by the inimitable Bea Arthur. Bea Arthur's impeccable timing and witty delivery is one of the many reasons why The Golden Girls was such a unique and special comedy series.

The dizzy, scatter-brained Rose Nylund was the illegitimate daughter of a monk, was sadly orphaned at birth and is of Scandinavian lineage. Rose had married a man named Charlie Nylund but he died one night whilst making mad, passionate love to Rose. Rose had met Blanche Deveraux in the local supermarket when Blanche was about to pin up her advert for two room mates. Blanche was instantly taken with Rose's sweet though rather niaeve character and invited Rose to move in with her, an offer which Rose swiftly accepted. Despite not being quite all there, Rose worked as a grief councellor. Betty White's beautiful portrayal of Rose Nylund is a joy to watch. Though Rose often provides a foil for the other characters to make the focus of a joke, Betty White's sparkling performance ensures that she remains just as inadvertently witty and amusing as the other players.

Last but certainly not least is Sophia Petrillo. Sophia is Dorothy's widowed, 80 year old and loveably eccentric mother. Sophia is of Sicillian descent and possesses a notably razor-sharp tongue. After a fire at the retirement home she was living in, Sophia moves in with Dorothy, Rose and Blanche. The then little known Estelle Getty, who put in a charming performance as acid-tongued Sophia Petrillo, was in actual fact, two months younger than her screen daughter, Bea Arthur. This was down to a fantastic, top-notch make up job which effectively "aged her up". The oldest member of the cast was infact the lovely Betty White, who played loveable dumb-blonde, Rose Nylund.

Created by Susan Harris (previously famous for the late 70's/early 80's sitcom, Soap), The Golden Girls boasts fast, furious scripts that crackles with sharp, intelligent wit and four dynamic characters that spark off one another highly effectively. The chemistry of Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty is magical, really shining through and becoming one of the sole ingredients to its knockout, phenemenal success.

I'd be here forever if I did a detailed break down of each episode on this first season collection but some of my personal favourites include the series pilot when Blanche is about to wed a two-timing cheat, the one where they all compete in a bowling pin championshp - Betty White in particular causes the most significant amusement in that episode , another one where they arrive home one night after seeing Madonna in concert (who 80 year old Sophia laughably describes as "a [...]" - tact is not one of Sophias strong points!) and find their home has been ramsacked and an episode which flashes back to how Dorothy, Rose and Blanche very first met. Throughout the other episodes it touches on their family relationships, their often complex affairs with men, shared stories and reminisces bewteen the four characters. At times the comedy can turn poignantly into drama, other times merely depicting their fondness for each other (without shrinking to being saccharine or schmaltzy).

I don't know why but when I think of The Golden Girls, I always picture Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia seated around the kitchen dining table, delicately tucking into cheese cake (Bea Arthur actually detested cheese cake in real life), indulging in what seems like a verbal tennis match, exchanging stories about love, life and men whilst in Rose's case she'd usually come out with some pointless story "back in St Olaph" or Sophia prattling on about Siccerly usually beginning with "picture it...Siccerly, 1953" etc.

The contrast of these four loveable characters from the sharp, witty Dorothy to fiery, vein Blanche, to dizzy, niaeve Rose to the sharp-tongued Sophia is what made The Golden Girls such a huge International success story. It is an important landmark in American television history. ESSENTIAL to any serious comedy collection! Wonderful!

(Incidentally i'd LOVE to see a reunion special of the Golden Girls!)




Best Show Ever Made!!
Review date: 2006-08-14 Rating: 10 out of 10


Season 3 is still my favourite season of this wondeful show. But season 1 is where it started of course. There is some very funny episodes and Rose is so cute like always. She have always been my favorite of them. When they go to bowl is my favourite episode ever. I have watched many times, and still so funny and Rose and Sophia has the same clothes like Blanche has. Sadly there is no extras like season 2 and 3. I really hope that future DVDs will have that and lots of it. But the show is still so funny and clever like when I saw it as a kid.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Rue McClanahan
Beatrice Arthur
Estelle Getty
Betty White

Creators:
Beatrice Arthur (Primary Contributor)
Betty White (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
EAN: 8717418050566
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 4
Format: Box set, PAL,
Release date: 2005-06-27
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 616 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)

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