The Golden Girls on DVD (1 Viewer)

[Casey Trowbridg]

Like Malcolm said, I've never heard anything like that before, and it doesn't jive with anything I've heard, not that I expect that everything I've heard up until now is true.

Either way, thanks for the information!

 

[StacyV]

I didn't watch it, but hadn't Betty, Bea and Rue reunited for the Lifetime special just last year? Seems like that would've been the perfect time to capture some audio commentary for an upcoming dvd release.

 

[Chris]

My wife would definitely buy.

 

[Sean Laughter]

There's also the fact that Bea Arthur and Betty White co-hosted one of those Disney "Anniversary Celebration" specials that Disney did quite frequently in the 80's as a part of their Sunday night special thing. In this case I think it was the "Walt Disney World Anniversary." It was just the two of them, and regardless of contractual obligations if the company knew the blood between them was that bad I HARDLY doubt they'd have chosen to have those two do it together rather than say maybe Bea and Rue.

One thing I always found odd about that special, Bea and Betty addressed each other by their real names, but it was quite obvious they were actually playing their characters from the TV show.

 

[Simon Caleb]

I know it's pretty strange to hear such a story, I too had a hard time believing it, after all Betty came across as sweetness incarnate, but since then, I've heard others within the industry who knew of her behaviour.

I've asked my friend when the Golden Girls on set trouble became a serious issue, I'm told It was towards the end of 1990.
As for wether it's believable or not, I'd side with my friend who knew the director

 

[Greg Madsen]

Golden Palace was cancelled after its first season.

As for Golden Girls ending at its peak I would have to disagree. The last season was by far the worst and I just cringe when I see these episodes on Lifeteime (Stan and the fake monkey anyone?)

I waould also have a hard time believing that story

 

[Simon Caleb]

Well I guess you can put it down to heresay, unless you know someone directly connected to the show.
If it were my fave actor I wouldn't believe it either, but hey, everyone thinks Alan Rickman is a wonderful person in the UK.

Does anyone remember the Joel Schumacher Batman Forever interview where he blew the whistle on Tommy Lee Jones behaviour & his disgust at "how the industry protects such spiteful/hateful actors"...

 

[Brandon Gantt]

I've heard about Bea and Betty not getting along before. In the recent Lifetime special none of the women appeared together. Rue, however, is very close to both of them and you will almost always find her at events supporting both.

I'm only 22 and I grew up with The Golden Girls, and I would love to have it on DVD.

 

[Malcolm R]

I agree it seems like a very credible source. I just can't reconcile why if BW was such a horror to work with, and they were trying to force BW off the show, why the producers/crew ever would have agreed to try and continue with BW on "The Golden Palace." And I'd think Bea would have stayed miles away from the set of TGP if there was so much personal animosity.

 

[Simon Caleb]

Would it not depend on how desparate people are to stay in continued employment?
I put up with some pretty evil behaviour towards myself & fellow collegues during the filming of Nick Hamm's The Hole :frowning:

 

[Rob P S]

The syndicated and Lifetime episodes are divided into three sections, but weren't the original network episodes done in two acts? Also, scenes are cut from the episodes, but the opening credit sequence is extended for some reason.

Incidentally, Bea made only token appearances in some of the last-season shows.

 

[Greg Madsen]

Examples?

 

[Rob P S]

Here's two:

161. Dateline: Miami
A Saturday night and Dorothy being the only one with a date, prompts the other girls to reminisce about some of the worst dates they have ever had.

164. Ro$e Love$ Mile$
Rose has had it with Miles' penny pinching ways and decides to take Blanche's advice and go out with her and some big spenders. Meanwhile, Blanche has been left in charge of Sophia while Dorothy is away, and Sophia decides this would be the best time to take a trip to Sicily.

 

[MichaelFA]

Those two episodes were produced right after each other, and I am almost certain that she only made a small appearance in each because she was sick with something. That is if I remember correctly, but I am pretty sure it is something like that.


As for the DVDs... they are my most wanted DVDs and the day they announce Season 1 will be the best day ever, but... I just don't see it happening this year. The repeats do so well on Lifetime, and isn't the company that owns the rights to the DVD somehow related to the company that owns the rights to Lifetime? They wouldn't wanna do anything Lifetime didn't want them to then.

 

[Malcolm R]

Disney (Touchstone Television) is the rights holder. I don't believe they're associated with Lifetime.

 

[MichaelFA]

Doesn't Disney own Buena Vista or co-own Buena Vista?

 

[EricSchulz]

This is correct...

Bea Arthur was extremely sick towards the end of the series. She looks quite different in the last season than the earlier ones. I do not remember what the illness was, though.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Disney = Buena Vista

 

[Brian W.]

You never know whether these things are true are not. It's all hearsay, and they're usually blown out of proportion.

But then we heard rumors about how difficult Rosie O'Donnell was for years, and I didn't believe them, then when the court case came along last year we found out the rumors were MILD compared to the reality, so...

But I've never heard about Betty White having a reputation for being difficult to work with.

 

[MichaelFA]

So then who owns Lifetime?