The Golden Girls

Four single women share a house in Miami, pooling expenses, gossip and late-night cheesecake as they deal with love, family and everyday hassles. Dorothy, a sardonic schoolteacher, balances blunt practicality with dry humor. Rose, the naive Midwesterner, brings cheerful stories and accidental wisdom. Blanche flirts and revels in attention, while Sophia, Dorothy's quick-witted mother, delivers blunt one-liners and unexpected insight. Episodes blend sitcom setups with frank conversations about aging, sex, money and friendship, letting the quartet spar, comfort and outsmart one another as they build a chosen family that supports each woman on her own terms.

Created by Susan Harris, The Golden Girls premiered on NBC in 1985 and aired through 1992. The series was developed as an original television sitcom, assembling established actresses into an ensemble that quickly became central to NBC's comedy lineup.

The series earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and wins during its run, receiving industry recognition for both performance and writing. Awards acknowledged the chemistry among the leads and the show's ability to balance humor with topical material, helping secure its reputation in television history.

The theme song "Thank You for Being a Friend" became closely tied to the show and is instantly recognizable to many viewers. Its frank, humorous portrayal of older women, sexual agency and intergenerational banter influenced later comedies and sitcoms. References, parodies and homages have kept the characters and catchphrases alive in pop culture conversations.

Critics and audiences praised the show's brisk scripts and strong ensemble work, reflected in a voter score of 7.537/10 from 368 votes. Major themes include friendship, independence in later life, and social expectations, all delivered through sharp dialogue and situational comedy. The Golden Girls remains notable for normalizing stories about older women while staying consistently funny and relatable.