THE GOLDEN GIRLS
COMEDY / DRAMA
USA
1985-1992
THE GOLDEN GIRLS is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. THE GOLDEN GIRLS consists of 177 episodes of 30 minutes.
STORY: The show, featuring an ensemble cast, revolves around four older single women sharing a house in Miami. The owner of the house is a widow named Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), who was joined by fellow widow Rose Nylund (Betty White) and divorcée Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur). The three are joined by Dorothy's 80-year-old widowed mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), after the retirement home where she has been living has burned down.
GAY COUPLE STORYLINE: Clayton’s (Monte Markham) first episode dealt with Blanche balking at having a gay brother, and episode “Sister of the Bride” picks up… Clayton arrives and Blanche assumes Doug (Stuart Nisbit), the moustachioed man right behind Clayton, is a taxi driver. Clayton clears this all up and introduces Blanche to Doug… his very special friend. Doug is a police-officer. Blanche immediately casts herself as the victim when she met Clayton’s boyfriend Doug. Her rationale: “I don’t really mind Clayton being homosexual. I just don’t like him dating men.”
Clayton Hollingsworth (Monte Markham) & Doug (Stuart Nisbet)
MONTE MARKHAM (2019-2023) June 21, 1935, Manatee County, FL, USA ,
STUART NISBET (2019-2023) January 17, 1934, Los Angeles, CA, USA
† June 23, 2016, Glendale, CA
SPECIAL: “Sister of the Bride” is a brave episode. It spotlights a resilient gay character, it deals with gay marriage decades before it would be legalized without batting an eye, and it isn’t afraid to show a beloved character (Blanche) in a negative light in order to teach a valuable lesson.
AWARDS: ‘THE GOLDEN GIRLS’ won 11 Primetime Emmys. 46 wins and 88 nominations.
8.2 IMDB
