Twenty-five years ago, a tall woman in an awkward brown ensemble walked through the door of her Miami abode, cracked a joke in her no-nonsense baritone voice about the state of Miami-Dade public schools, and then, for the next seven seasons, with the help of her unapologetically over-the-hill housemates, made television history. Yes, 25 years ago tonight, The Golden Girls premiered on NBC.
Despite fears that TV audiences would have no interest in a comedy about the lives of older women, the show was a smash from the start, won multiple Emmys, was a top ten hit in the ratings for six of its seven seasons, and is still a favorite in reruns.
Though the show never filmed in the Magic City, in which it was set, The Golden Girls -- along with the decidedly more macho cultural phenomena of Scarface and Miami Vice -- forever links the Big Orange with '80s pop culture.
Unfortunately, much like last year's 25th anniversary of Miami Vice, there doesn't seem to be much going on in the way of local commemoration. C'mon, club promoters, is it too late for someone to throw a Golden Girls-themed party? I'd consider showing up in Dorothy Zbornak drag in exchange for a few drink tickets if that sweetens the deal for anyone. No one? OK, fine -- forget I offered.
Later this year, though, you will get a chance to buy the complete series in a box set fashioned after Sophia's purse.
In the meantime, you can celebrate by watching the pilot episode (sadly, the character of Coco the gay chef was never heard from again).
