The beloved sitcom, The Golden Girls, made a hilarious comeback (of sorts). Tracee Ellis Ross, Regina King, Alfre Woodard, and Sanaa Lathan took part in an all-Black table reading of the comedy which aired online, and most viewers couldn’t get enough!
According to AWM, the original show ran for seven seasons. It followed four white women living together in Miami. They were in their “golden years,” and did not have to work or occupy themselves with many mundane family obligations. The show was a hit among viewers for all seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. This remake of the show will “reimagine” the program from a Black perspective, which will breathe new life into the concept.
The special featured Ross as Rose (originally played by Betty White,) Woodard as Sophia (formerly played by Estelle Getty), and Lathan as Blanche (Rue McClanahan’s former alter-ego.) King meanwhile stepped into Bea Arthur’s shoes to play Dorothy as the stars reenacted the show’s 1986 “Flu” episode.
Although this revival is good news for fans of The Golden Girls, the news is not that good. Instead of bringing the show back in full, the reimagining seems to be set for only a one-night special that will air over Zoom.
The virtual event was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and hosted by Lena Waithe, who encouraged viewers to take the census and stressed its importance in underrepresented communities.
The reading was part of a new web series called Zoom Where it Happens, which was launched by Black women in Hollywood, with the aim of encouraging people to participate in the upcoming presidential election. The event also supported Color of Change, a nonprofit racial justice organization.
According to AWM, when Ross shared the news on Instagram, her fans inundated her with comments.
“I’ll be watching! Signed up and ready!” one fan wrote.
“Dreams come true!” another shared.
A third fan added: “I swear I been telling people we needed a black Golden Girls.”
While most viewers are excited, some are offended by the idea that Zoom is “messing with a classic.”
“Please no. I mean no disrespect, but The Golden Girls is a classic, and it should stay that way!!” wrote a critic.
Another critic added, “As much as I would love to see y’all make magic together, it would be nice to see an original piece of work and leave this classic alone. I would never want to see white counterparts redo your original work or anyone for that matter. I love y’all too much not to support, but I’m just saying.”
Unfortunately, say The Golden Girls showrunners, fans cannot expect a reboot of the hit series. Why? The reason is simple, really. The charming series is only as good as it is because of the dynamic created by the original cast.
“They’ve wanted to do Golden Girls the Musical and re-do Golden Girls,” said one of the creators of the sitcom Susan harris.
“We’ve always said no because Golden Girls would not be Golden Girls without that cast,” the showrunner added in a 2017 conversation with Entertainment Weekly.
Source: AWM
