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In celebration of the show’s 40th anniversary, Disney Entertainment Television announced on Friday that fans of “The Golden Girls” can look forward to exclusive themed merchandise and experiences across the country, starting on the official Golden Girls Day, Wednesday, July 30, with nationwide events that will feature curated experiences from Zero Waste Daniel, themed beverages from Nocking Point Wines, treats from Yogurtland, and limited-edition merchandise from Brick Craft, Candier, and Furbish Studio.

Debuting September 14, 1985 on NBC and created by Susan Harris, “The Golden Girls” captivated audiences for seven memorable seasons, with the series’ theme song and lyrics becoming an enduring anthem for generations of fans.

The series followed four vibrant friends sharing life and laughter in Miami: strong-willed Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), sweetly naive Rose Nylund (Betty White), flirtatious Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and wise-cracking Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty).

Though their distinctive personalities occasionally clashed, their enduring friendship — celebrated in...

As “The Golden Girls” hits its 40th anniversary, Disney Entertainment TV is thanking you for being a fan — with enough merch and tie-ins to fill up the lanai. Kicking off with “Golden Girls Day” on July 30, the show will be celebrated via wines, yogurt treats, brick toys and more.

Among the big news: For the first time, the estate of singer-songerwriter Andrew Gold has allowed for lyrics from his tune “Thank You for Being a Friend,” made even more famous as “The Golden Girls” TV theme song, to appear on show products from the likes of Furbish Studio, Yogurtland and Candier.

“We’re excited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘The Golden Girls’ with a campaign that’s both deeply nostalgic and completely modern,” said Erin Weir, executive vice president of marketing at Disney Entertainment Television. “From immersive experiences and partnerships to special tributes, every element has been thoughtfully curated...

Creatives behind The Golden Girls shared funny and, at times, very candid behind-the-scenes stories — namely, among the long-rumored feud between stars Betty White and Bea Arthur — during a 40th-anniversary celebration of the long-running hit show on Wednesday night.

The sold-out event, held at NeueHouse Hollywood as part of the monthlong Pride Live! Hollywood festival, featured a panel of writers, producers and others who worked on the show, which ran for seven seasons on NBC, from 1985-92. The series, created by Susan Harris, starred Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo. (The Hollywood Reporter is the presenting media sponsor of Pride Live! Hollywood.)

Co-producer Marsha Posner Williams brought up a topic that has been much-discussed and speculated on: whether Arthur and White got along in real life.

“When that red light was on [and the show was filming], there were no more professional people than those women,...

The Golden Girlsis a beloved series that took us into the lives of Blanche, Rose, Sophia, and Dorothy. The show ran for seven seasons and has since remained one of those series you can always find airing reruns. Starring Estelle Getty as Sophia, the mother to Bea Arthur's Dorothy, the two lived with their friends Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) – and the rest was sitcom history. But that means that people are constantly wondering if the show is going to get remade or rebooted, and fans had thought that Tina Feywas going to try to undertake the seemingly impossible task.

During a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Fey addressed the rumor that she was going to be working on a reboot with Amy Poehlerand Lisa Kudrowstarring in it. For context, Dorothy was supposed to be in her early-to-mid 50s when the show began and Poehler is currently 53 years old,...

Comedy icon and 30 Rockcreator Tina Fey shoots down rumors of a remake of The Golden Girls.

Per People, Fey responded to a fan-made poster for a The Golden Girls remake starring her alongside Amy Poehler, Lisa Kudrow, and Maya Rudolph. "Oh, this. I did know about this," Fey said after being shown the poster, which originally circulated the internet in 2024. "I like that this was fooling people. Like, why would we ever take a picture where Amy and Lisa Kudrow are in costume, but we're not?" Fey added, "If this fooled you, you might be a Boomer. And if you're Gen X, and this fooled you, go to a hospital. I would never touch this. This is too perfect. The original is ... those ladies can't be touched."

Created by Susan Harris, The Golden Girls premiered back in 1985 and quickly established itself as the then-latest hit sitcom. The series broke new...

Tina Fey is clarifying details about the alleged Golden Girls remake that was in development.

In a recent interview, the 30 Rock star and creator addressed the viral poster of The Golden Girls that was shared on social media.

“Oh, this. I did know about this,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I like that this was fooling people. Like, why would we ever take a picture where Amy and Lisa Kudrow are in costume, but we’re not? If this fooled you, you might be a Boomer. And if you’re Gen X, and this fooled you, go to a hospital.”

The fake post claimed Disney+ had ordered a remake of the classic sitcom starring Fey as Dorothy, Amy Poehler as Sophia, Lisa Kudrow as Rose, and Maya Rudolph as Blanche.

Fey says that she “would never touch” the sitcom and produce a remake, adding, “The original is … those ladies can’t be touched.

The sitcom The Golden Girls was a true gem, tackling unique themes centered around a group of older women and their daily struggles and adventures. During its seven-season run, the show received many awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series twice and securing three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Even more impressively, each of the four stars received an Emmy Award, a feat accomplished by only four sitcoms in the award's history.

Many praised the excellent casting of Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, all experienced actors in the sitcom genre. The four sassy women had great chemistry, and each cast member represented a unique archetype. The Golden Girls, which premiered in 1985, was way ahead of its time, proving that age is truly just a number. In 2014, the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 69 on their...

“Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan has been tapped to receive the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement at this year’s Writers Guild Awards. The award, chosen by the west coast arm of the Writers Guild of America (and its highest TV writing honor), recognizes members who have “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.”

Gilligan, whose credits also include “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul,” was additionally one of the notable writers on “The X-Files.” A multiple Emmy and WGA Award winner, Gilligan will be recognized at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Beverly Hilton.

“‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,’” Gilligan said in a statement. “Cribbing from a better writer is about all I can think to do right now, preoccupied as we all are by what...

"The Golden Girls" is basically the perfect sitcom, following the antics of four mature women who share a house in Miami, Florida. The series began in September 1985 and ran for seven seasons before ending in May 1992, and it's only grown in popularity since it first aired. It's a blast to tune in to see what the hilariously horny Blanche (Rue McClanahan), bubbly airhead Rose (Betty White), sarcastic divorcee Dorothy (Bea Arthur), and her smart-mouthed mother Sophia (Estelle Getty) get up to in each episode, and it's pretty easy to hit play on one and end up watching an entire season before you know it. It's really no surprise that the series has found new fans in the streaming era, so when there were rumors of a Disney+ reboot of the series sometime in 2024, people went bonkers. 

Some fans were furious about the idea of doing "The Golden Girls" without the original cast,...

Some of the best TV characters have executed ridiculous, illogical, and over-the-top schemes. The Golden Girls' Sophia tried to sell bottled water from her garden hose, a scheme that was absurd from the start. Maeby and George Michael's attempt to make out on Arrested Development was both ridiculous and naive, highlighting Maeby's foolishness.

Warning: This article discusses topics of incest and terrorism.

Over the years, sitcoms have aired some of the most illogical, ridiculous, and over-the-top schemes on TV screens, but some stood out more than others. The title of situational comedy was often applied by shows rather literally and highlighted the creativity and sneakiness of some of the best TV characters of all time. The types of plans, however, were often varied.

Some were so harsh or impacted others so heavily that they turned into awful sitcom betrayals, for example. Others came from pure intentions, however, and resulted...

Over the course of its seven-season run, The Golden Girls tackled many issues. Whether it was ageism, sexism, or queer rights, the show went out of its way to address important subjects, an effort that contributed to its staying power. Rose (Betty White), Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) became icons of liberation and education for many, even causing a few controversies along the way. Its popularity led to several spin-offs and a sequel series, The Golden Palace, most of which were helmed by Golden Girls creator Susan Harris.

Lee Gabler, a talent agent and former co-chairman and managing partner at Creative Artists Agency, died June 3 in Los Angeles after suffering a brain injury. He was 84.

After earning his stripes in the 1960s at the mailroom of Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, Gabler was soon promoted to talent agency under the mentorship of agency founder, Ted Ashley. The agency eventually evolved into International Creative Management, and by 1970, Gabler was promoted to executive vice president. He then transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department. He represented clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, Mtm and Bruce Paltrow.

In 1982, CAA recruited Gabler to bolster its television arm, and by 1989 he was head of the division. He was made co-chairman and managing partner in 1996. Gabler and his division represented Aaron Spelling, for whom he negotiated deals for “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place;” Paul Junger Witt,...

Lee Gabler, the talent agent and former co-chairman and managing partner at Creative Artists Agency who orchestrated pioneering television deals, died June 3 in Los Angeles of a brain injury. He was 84 years old.

His death was announced by a Sony Pictures rep. See some reactions from clients and friends below.

Gabler’s began his career in the early 1960s in the mailroom at Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, and soon after was promoted to talent agent under the mentorship of agency founder Ted Ashley. One of Gabler’s first assignments in the Variety Show department was covering The Ed Sullivan Show.

The agency eventually evolved into ICM (International Creative Management) and by 1970 Gabler had risen through the ranks to executive vice president. He transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department, representing clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, Mtm, and Bruce Paltrow. He helped...

Explore ‘The Golden Girls’ Cast and Legacy Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux Betty White as Rose Nylund Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo “Thank you for being a friend.”

Airing from 1985 to 1992, with seven seasons in total, The Golden Girls was a smash hit during its entire run. It was popular for addressing a demographic that rarely saw the spotlight on television or in Hollywood: senior women.

Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux in the 1985 sitcom The Golden Girls (Credit: NBC)

The sitcom was conceptualized by writer Susan Harris. Before The Golden Girls, she was most renowned for creating the series Soap, which parodied daytime soap operas such as The Young and the Restless.

Soap lasted for four seasons and was marred by controversy due to Harris’s insistence on including...

The Writers Guild of America West will present Designing Women and Evening Shade creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason with its highest honor — the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement. The award is presented to a Guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.” Designing Women star Jean Smart will present the statuette to Bloodworth Thomason at the Wgaw’s annual WGA Awards on April 14.

The multiple Emmy-nominated television creator-writer, director, and producer launched her career with an Emmy-nominated script on M*A*S*H* in 1973. She concurrently worked on M*A*S*H* and Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff Rhoda before creating and producing her first series Filthy Rich in 1982. Filthy Rich would lay the groundwork for the creation of landmark comedy series Designing Women by bringing her together with actresses and collaborators Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Smart.

In addition to her work in television,...

When I heard the news about Norman Lear’s death, I was sitting with my writing team at Abortion Access Front. We had just finished writing this social post when the notification came in on Slack: “Norman Lear died.”

It hit me harder than I thought it would. All my gratitude for how he paved the way for me came rushing to the surface.

All in the Family blew apart the Overton Window in terms of what comedy on TV looked like. I could not have imagined a media world...

TV giant Norman Lear, who died Dec. 5 at 101, leaves behind arguably the single most valuable body of work ever committed to the medium. On seminal series like All in the Family, Maude and The Jeffersons, Lear dared to tackle issues then considered unthinkable sitcom fodder — rape, abortion, homosexuality, racism, alcoholism — with a genius’ eye and ear for capturing their moral complexities while poking at the foibles of the American working class. These six episodes, however, stand out among the rest for having actively moved the needle on public opinion — and in doing so elevated Lear’s work from mere entertainment to timeless agitprop art.

1. All in the Family — Season 8 — “Cousin Liz” — Original Air Date: Oct. 9, 1977

Lear’s magnum opus, All in the Family, tackled the most hot-button issues throughout its nine seasons, from rape to racism to the war in Vietnam. But one particularly resounding episode was “Cousin Liz,” in...

The '80s were a different time; shoulder pads were in, Reaganomics was taking over the country, and in 1984, a hyper-stylish show called "Miami Vice" was about to become all the rage. Before the Florida-set cop series ever premiered on NBC, though, it had already inspired another series, one that seemed to have very little in common with the Michael Mann-produced action show.

That series was "The Golden Girls," the popular and gut-bustingly funny sitcom about women of a certain age that has only become more beloved in the decades since it ended. "The Golden Girls" is remembered for its positive and honest conversations about aging and its characters' penchant for savage, hilarious quips. It also bolstered the fame of its already-famous stars, Bea Arthur ("Maude"), Betty White ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), Rue McClanahan (also "Maude"), and Estelle Getty ("Mask"). Put together around a kitchen table, the four...

Inga Swenson, the two-time Tony-nominated singer and actress who as the dictatorial German cook Gretchen Kraus sparred with Robert Guillaume‘s character on the 1980s ABC sitcom Benson, has died. She was 90.

Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in hospice care in Los Angeles, her son, Mark Harris, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Swenson also sparkled in two critically acclaimed 1962 films released seven weeks apart — as the mother of Helen Keller (Patty Duke) in Arthur Penn’s The Miracle Worker (1962) and as the wife of a U.S. senator with a dark secret (Don Murray) in Otto Preminger’s political thriller Advise & Consent (1962).

On the strength of those performances, the Nebraska native — no, she was not born in Germany — was cast in 1963 as the spinster Lizzy in 110 in the Shade, based on N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker. She received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical for that performance,...

The Writers Guild of America West has penciled in Living Single creator-showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser for its 2023 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement. She will receive the career honor, which is presented to a WGA member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer,” at the 75th annual WGA Awards on March 5.

Related Story WGA Awards TV Nominations: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘The Crown,’ ‘Severance’, ’Yellowjackets’ Among Shows Vying For Top Prizes Related Story WGA Awards Film Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere', 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'The Menu', 'Nope' & More Related Story Michelle Buteau To Host 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards In New York

A 35-year guild member with more than 600 hours of TV to her credit, Bowser began her career as an apprentice writer on NBC’s Cosby Show spinoff series A Different World,...

Horror fans are looking forward to Blumhouse's creepy doll film M3GAN, which will be released in January 2023. Gemma creates an android toy who she hopes will be a good friend for children who are lonely. From the recently released trailer, it's clear that this turns into a total disaster.

Robots are a fascinating topic for the horror genre. Whether they are an experiment gone wrong or a friendly object who becomes a killing machine, robots are unique villains who are sometimes more entertaining to watch than traditional slasher villains. Redditors have recommended some favorite films where technology becomes horrifying.

The Demon Seed (1977) Stream on Roku and Tubi

Adapted from the book written by Dean Koontz, The Demon Seed features a robot named Proteus which can help people who have leukemia. Redditor SteelBelle posted that the movie makes them "slightly terrified of my Alexa smart plugs." The fan described the...

Many people throughout the years have been referred to as “Disney Legends,” usually based on their close proximity to the company or for working on multiple projects with them. But starting in the late 1980s, becoming a Disney Legend was something that would actually happen – you’d get a statue and a golden, lifetime ticket to all of the Disney Parks and your handprints would soon be immortalized in Legends Plaza, an area on the Disney Lot in Burbank (formerly the reflection pool for the masterful Team Disney Burbank building designed by postmodern architect Michael Graves). In recent years, a lavish ceremony has been added to the D23 Expo, the all-Disney version of Comic-Con, that happens every two years in Anaheim.

While this year’s inductees have yet to be announced, we have some ideas about who should be honored this year:

Robert A.M. Stern Disney

Like Graves, Stern is...

Click here to read the full article.

Drag events have become a hot-button topic in some parts of the U.S., but in the 90210, a series of drag brunches at the Golden Girls Kitchen, a tribute to the classic NBC sitcom, are simply a hot ticket.

The pop-up — an officially licensed shindig at 369 N. Bedford Drive presented by events and experiences firm Bucket Listers (in partnership with rights holder Disney) — has six brunches on the calendar through the end of October, four already sold out.

“The drag brunches were fastest to sell out,” explained Bucket Listers founder and CEO Andy Lederman. The show’s four characters — Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia — will be re-created by drag queens who are expected to lip-sync the show’s theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend.”

Bucket Listers — a company that partners with event producers, movie studios and other IP holders to create...

For years, Mike Hollingsworth has found creative ways to inject jokes into animated comedies. Working as the supervising director on “BoJack Horseman,” as well as “Tuca & Bertie,” “Inside Job,” and more, Hollingsworth fills frame after frame with visual humor — from cutaway punchlines and background puns, to silent callbacks and quips written on T-shirts, chyrons, and more.

Now, he’s applying his impressive skillset to a stone-cold classic of live-action television: “The Golden Girls.” In “Golden Girls 3033,” a pilot made to elicit a series order, Hollingsworth reimagines Susan Harris’ beloved sitcom with animation, relying on the original scripts and audio as a jumping off point before shaping fresh episodes for a story set more than 1,000 years in the future. Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) all still share a house in Miami — but it’s the year 3033, they’ve discovered the Fountain of Youth,...

Picture it, Miami. 1992.

The Golden Palace, a 90s spin-off series of The Golden Girls, will stream exclusively via Hulu starting Jan. 10. The streamer is releasing Palace in celebration of franchise star Betty White’s 100th birthday just 7 days later.

Though it only ran for one season, The Golden Palace is a treasured follow-up of the original series that has mostly been unavailable to stream. It’s set after the events of the Golden Girls series finale that saw Bea Arthur’s departure as Dorothy Zbornak after marrying Blanche’s (Rue McClanahan) uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielson).

The new series reunited White’s Rose Nylund with Dorothy’s mother Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), and Blanche as they’re amid mayhem while moving out of the Miami residence they shared for the titular Art Deco hotel in South Beach they invested in and would manage. Series costars include Don Cheadle, who played hotel manager Roland Wilson,...

Grab a slice of cheesecake to celebrate, as The Golden Girls are heading to the big screen for the first time in September. In honor of nearly 40 years of the iconic sitcom, ABC Signature has partnered up with Fathom Events to bring several fan favorite episodes to theaters for two days in September for what's called Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls. On Sept. 14, 36 years to the day the comedy series premiered on television, the first screening will be shown in theaters followed by another screening on Sept. 21.

It's not clear which episodes will be screened for the event, but most big fans will just be happy to see the leading ladies on the big screen together regardless. The series is also known for its iconic theme song, Cynthia Fee's "Thank You for Being a Friend." For some fans, hearing that song in the theater alone will be worth the price of admission.

As fans and colleagues of Earl "Dmx" Simmons continue to share their favorite memories of the late rapper and actor on social media, a clip touching on his apparent love of The Golden Girls has gone viral. The information stems from a 2017 interview with Gabrielle Union, who had worked with Dmx on the Jet Li action movie Cradle 2 the Grave in 2003. Conducted by Sean Evans from the YouTube show Hot Ones, the interview clip was shared by First We Feast shortly after Dmx's untimely death.

Rip Dmx...

Merrill Markoe, longtime head writer at “Late Night With David Letterman,” will receive the Writers Guild of America West’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement.

She will be honored at the Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 1 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“Merrill Markoe’s pioneering work created what was then a new language of comedy in television, and her writing has influenced every comedy variety series in the last three decades. We are truly honored to give her this award,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman.

Markoe has been a member of the WGA West since 1977. She’s best known as the co-creator and original head writer of 1980’s “The David Letterman Show,” for which she shared a Daytime Emmy Award. Markoe went on to earn six Emmy nominations and share three Emmy Awards for her work on “Late Night With David Letterman,” creating many of the show,...

Merrill Markoe, the multple-Emmy-winning former head writer of Late Night with David Letterman, will receive the WGA West’s 2020 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement.

Named after one of television’s the most influential writers, the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award is the guild’s highest honor for television writing. It is presented to a guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.”

Markoe will receive the award at the Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 1 in Los Angeles.

“Merrill Markoe’s pioneering work created what was then a new language of comedy in television, and her writing has influenced every comedy variety series in the last three decades. We are truly honored to give her this award,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman.

Markoe’s career as a TV writer began in 1977 on the revival of Laugh-In,...

Katherine Helmond, the seven-time Emmy-nominated Texas actress who played the feisty, man-crazy mother Mona Robinson on the long-running ABC sitcom Who’s the Boss?, has died. She was 89.

Helmond, who earlier starred as the wide-eyed socialite sister Jessica Tate on another popular ABC comedy, Susan Harris’ daytime-serial spoof Soap, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency, Apa, announced.

The shapely, blue-eyed Helmond also portrayed Doris Sherman, the widowed owner of the fictional NFL team the Orlando Breakers, on ABC’s Coach, and she was Lois Whelan, the upper-class mother of Patricia Heaton’...

Katherine Helmond, the seven-time Emmy-nominated Texas actress who played the feisty, man-crazy mother Mona Robinson on the long-running ABC sitcom Who’s the Boss?, has died. She was 89.

Helmond, who earlier starred as the wide-eyed socialite sister Jessica Tate on another popular ABC comedy, Susan Harris’ daytime-serial spoof Soap, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency, Apa, announced.

The shapely, blue-eyed Helmond also portrayed Doris Sherman, the widowed owner of the fictional NFL team the Orlando Breakers, on ABC’s Coach, and she was Lois Whelan, the upper-class mother of Patricia Heaton’...

Jenji Kohan, creator of Weeds and Orange Is the New Black, will be this year’s recipient of the WGA West’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award, which is given to a guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.” She will be honored at the guild’s La awards show on February 17.

“Jenji Kohan’s work is what all good writers aspire to – touching on the harsh but also comedic realities of life through characters that don’t sound written, that talk like real people,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her scenes can be comic and tragic simultaneously; while she engages, she also unnerves, pushing us out of our comfort zone. Her work has truly advanced the literature of television, and the WGA West board of directors considers it our honor to give her this award.

Jenji Kohan, creator and showrunner of “Orange Is the New Black” and “Weeds,” has been named recipient of the Writers Guild of America West’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement.

She will be honored at the Writers Guild Awards show on Feb. 17 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“Jenji Kohan’s work is what all good writers aspire to – touching on the harsh but also comedic realities of life through characters that don’t sound written, that talk like real people,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her scenes can be comic and tragic simultaneously; while she engages, she also unnerves, pushing us out of our comfort zone. Her work has truly advanced the literature of television, and the Wgaw Board of Directors considers it our honor to give her this award.”

Kohan is also an executive producer and writer on “Glow.” She has...

1968: Oltl's Jim asked Price to assist with Carla's case.

1980: The Edge of Night's Geraldine interrupted Raven's plans.

1985: Days of our Lives' Patch attacked Hope.

2010: General Hospital's Mike appeared for the final time."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1968: Joan Crawford made the second of four appearances on The Secret Storm as Joan Borman Kane, substituting for her sick daughter Christina Crawford.

1968: On One Life to Live, Joe (Lee Patterson) told Anna (Doris Belack) about his feelings for her, which went beyond the boundaries of friendship. Meredith (Trish Van Devere) had left...

2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later...

Soap and daytime soap opera actor Robert Mandan died on April 29 in Los Angeles after a long illness, his friend, playwright and screenwriter Gary Goldstein, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 86.

Mandan had worked on such soap operas as From These Roots (as David Allen), The Doctors (Mike Hennessey/Mr. Tabor), The Edge of Night (Nathan Axelrod) and Search for Tomorrow (Sam Reynolds) when he was hired to play Chester, a conniving Wall Street stock broker, on the ABC primetime comedy Soap.

Susan Harris created the sitcom, which aired for four seasons, from 1977-1981. The show, always a critical darling, was a top 10 hit in its first season but suffered in the ratings as it was moved around the schedule.

Mandan and Helmond reunited for two episodes of her next series, Who's the Boss?, and for a 2002 production of "A Twilight Romance" at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. He also...

“He was my brother.” Producer Tony Thomas remembered his longtime partner Paul Junger Witt as an extraordinarily talented producer who had great taste in material and an instinctive skill at pitching shows to network buyers.

Witt died Friday in Los Angeles at age 77 after a long battle with cancer.

“He was a lion — an absolute lion,” Thomas told Variety. “He was laser-brain smart and strong and believed in his convictions and would not be deterred. He had terrific taste and he knew how to tell a story extremely well. He was a great salesman. He knew how to find the right way to articulate to a given network what the show was and the elements that they would respond to.”

Witt and Thomas worked together for more than 45 years. From 1975 on, the two were partners in the prosperous Witt/Thomas Prods., which later expanded to Witt/Thomas/Harris Prods. when writer Susan Harris,...

Paul Junger Witt, the TV producer whose credits include “The Golden Girls” and “Soap,” has died at the age of 77, according to media reports.

According to Variety, Witt passed away in Los Angeles on Friday following a long battle with cancer.

Through his company Witt/Thomas/Harris productions, run with producing partner Tony Thomas and wife Susan Harris, Witt was also behind such shows as “The Partridge Family,” “Benson,” “It’s a Living,” “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” from the 1970s through the ’90s.

Also Read: Happy 96th Birthday, Betty White! Watch 9 of Her All-Time Best TV Moments (Videos)

On the film side, Witt also produced the Robin Williams drama “Dead Poets Society,” Nora Ephron’s “Mixed Nuts” and 2011’s “A Better Life,” which earned an Oscar nomination for star Demián Bichir.

He is survived by Harris and five children.

Read original story Paul Junger Witt, ‘Golden Girls’ Producer, Dies at 77 At TheWrap...

Paul Junger Witt, who produced such hit TV shows as Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides and features Dead Poets Society, Three Kings and Insomnia, among others, died Friday morning at his home after a long battle with cancer, his publicist said. He was 77.

Witt, who began his career in the mailroom at Columbia Pictures, rose to become a producer of some TV’s most beloved and successful shows. Witt was behind such hits as The Partridge Family, Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides, Soap, its spinoff Benson, Empty Nest, Blossom and the original Beauty and the Beast.

In addition to his TV work, Witt also was a producer of features Dead Poets Society and Insomnia, both starring Robin Williams; Three Kings; and critically praised A Better Life, along with the classic 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song. The photo at left shows Witt with Williams at the Insomnia premiere in...

Paul Junger Witt, producer of such TV comedies as “The Golden Girls,” “Benson,” and “Soap” and a principal of the prosperous Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 77.

Witt had faced a long battle with cancer, a family representative said.

With producing partner Tony Thomas, Witt in the 1970s and 80s ran Witt/Thomas Productions, which was also home to NBC’s “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” and the original “Beauty and the Beast” series. In 1983, Witt married writer-producer Susan Harris, creator of NBC’s “Golden Girls,” and the company expanded as Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.

In addition to his TV work, Witt was a producer of such films as 1989’s “Dead Poet’s Society,” 1999’s “Three Kings,” 2002’s “Insomnia,” and 2011’s “A Better Life.”

Born in New York City, Witt graduated from the University of Virginia. He got his start in Hollywood in the mail room of Columbia Pictures.

On-screen presidents are an unusual collection because they don’t always reflect what we want from a leader. (Though these days, it seems that consensus is fracturing more than ever.)

Some are abrasive, some are diabolical. Others are worse at their job than you would expect. So when picking the “best” TV versions of U.S. presidents, it’s just as important to consider what these individuals brought to the position that previous inhabitants did not, for good or ill.

Despite the occasional missteps of these fictional Commanders-in-Chief, many of them do represent the theoretical ideals that a national leader should uphold: a clear grasp of the office’s privilege, an understanding of the ramifications of key policy decisions, and the power that words can have to send a message to the entire nation.

We kept this particular roundup to fictional Presidents of the United States. You could make a...

The exploitation films of the ‘70s always offered up the goods to everyone. And by goods I mean a whole lot of sex and violence, and if you were so inclined to notice behind fogged up eyewear, pulpy takes on the relevant social issues of the day. Not all were created equal, of course; they can’t all be clever variants of the form such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, or Foxy Brown. However, they almost all deal with female empowerment and Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) more than checks off all the boxes, squeezing every last drop of pulp from its sci-fi fruit.

Released by Centaur Dimension Pictures in June, Invasion of the Bee Girls Aka Graveyard Tramps (it doesn’t really fit, but is one of the best alternate titles I’ve ever heard) managed to fairly impress critics on its tour of local theatres and drive-ins, including Roger Ebert,...

Today is not only International Women’s Day, but a day when many are choosing to strike for A Day Without Women, an economic protest to remind the nation just how important women’s contributions to society are. And as part of that, IndieWire has assembled a powerful list of shows, all currently streaming online, that would not exist without the brilliant female creators at their center. This is the great TV that happens when women show up. Don’t take it for granted.

“30 Rock” (NBC, Netflix)

Did we fully appreciate the gift we had in Tina Fey’s absurdist take on life behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show, while it was on the air? Maybe not, but here’s what matters: “30 Rock” was one of the most original, bizarre, hilarious and unapologetically female shows of its time, and it holds up damn well.

“Broad City” (Comedy Central,...

In the gallery above, we’ve picked 29 moments among a multitude from “The Golden Girls,” the ‘80s-‘90s comedy that is available to binge in its entirety on Hulu now. Click through for a rough guide to what’s in store when you revisit Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia.

Read More: Friends of Dorothy: Was ‘The Golden Girls’ Really as Queer-Friendly as Its Reputation Suggests?

Created by Susan Harris, who had also created the controversial but critically acclaimed sitcom “Soap,” “The Golden Girls” was unlike anything America had seen before on TV. It centered on four older women living in one house in Miami, who, despite the gray in their hair (some of it camouflaged with dye), still had plenty of zest for life, sex, and troublemaking.

Based on their performances on “Maude” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Rue McClanahan and Betty White were cast first. Director Jay Sandrich...

Warner Archive has announced the release of Demon Seed (1977), and soon fans can witness Julie Christie versus evil artificial intelligence in remastered HD!

A release date has yet to be announced, but stay tuned to Daily Dead for future updates to this story, and check out the official details and cover art below.

From Warner Archive: "Demon Seed (1977)

New 2017 1080p HD Remaster

BD50

Color - 94 Minutes

Original Aspect Ratio - 2.40:1

DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 Mono-English

English Sdh

Special Features:

Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Susan Harris is alone in the house when, suddenly, doors lock, windows slam shut and the phone stops working. Susan is trapped by an intruder…but this is no ordinary thug. Instead, the intruder is a computer named Proteus, an artificial brain that has learned to reason. And to terrorize. In “one of her finest, most vulnerable performances” (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic), Julie Christie...

Happy Friday, everybody! In this week's Ask Alan, I take questions on whether certain Peak TV shows won't age particularly well, which showrunners have the most impressive "writers tree" of all(*), and whether TV's increased serialization makes it harder to air episodes out of order these days. (*) One I had in my notes but neglected to mention when I recorded this: Susan Harris, who on "Golden Girls" alone employed future show creators Marc Cherry, Mitch Hurwitz, and the "Modern Family" Christopher Lloyd. You can watch the video embedded at the top and bottom of this post. As always, you can send questions to askalan@hitfix.com.

This story first appeared in a special Awards Watch issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. September 1985 saw the birth of some of America's most treasured pop-cultural heroes (Super Mario Bros., MacGyver), but arguably no one was more beloved than the four irrepressible stars of The Golden Girls. The sitcom, created by Susan Harris and starring Bea Arthur, then 63, Rue McClanahan, then 51, Betty White, then 63, and Estelle Getty, then 62, followed the antics of four older women living together in Miami. Critically acclaimed right out of the gate (THR called it "the funniest new show of

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The Golden Girls.

The sitcom, created by Susan Harris and starring Bea Arthur, then 63, Rue McClanahan, then 51, Betty White, then 63, and Estelle Getty, then 62, followed the antics of four older women living together in Miami. Critically acclaimed right out of the gate (THR called it "the funniest new show of the year"), The Golden Girls sparked a ratings revival for NBC upon airing, stealing almost all network ...

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We've sort of gone gaga for Golden Girls today on Vulture: The show took on Friends in our Sitcom Smackdown, and we also talked to former Gg scribe Marc Cherry. And now we bring you proof that the Girls remain golden around the globe: Series creator Susan Harris last year lent her blessing (and name) to a Dutch version of the show. Take a look at the opening credits, which even feature a Dutch remake of "Thank You for Being a Friend."Folks in the Netherlands may be experiencing the latest clone of Gg, but the Dutch certainly aren't the first to enjoy localized antics of geriatric gals. Here's Spain's Las Chicas De Oro (we assume the ladies all gather in the kitchen to enjoy tres leches cake): There's also been a Russian version, but instead of a balmy beachside locale, it's set in a snow-bound house. And everyone...

London - A British college is offering a new course designed to help people prepare for X Factor auditions. ITV, which airs the U.K. version of the music competition show, on Tuesday reported about the course, which is called The X Factor Preparation Course. Bishop Auckland College in Durham, England is offering it. The 17-week class, which costs about $150 (£95), promises students "tuition in singing and performing and coaching on how to project themselves confidently," according to the college's web site. It is taught by Susan Harris, who has worked with such musicians as Lenny Kravitz, according

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