Written by Andrew Solt
Greg Vines Country of origin United States First episode date 2 June 2003 Director Andrew Solt Distributed by Lifetime | Directed by Andrew Solt Original language(s) English Network Lifetime Language English | |
Starring Bea Arthur
Rue McClanahan
Betty White Composer(s) Richard Friedman
Tony Hodson
Cory Lerios Similar Lyubov Yarovaya, The Barker, Barricade, The Landlady, Sunday in the Country | ||
The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments is a 2003 American television special celebrating the 1985–1992 sitcom The Golden Girls starring Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White. It originally aired on Lifetime on June 2, 2003.
Contents
Summary
A retrospective of The Golden Girls hosted by Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White, with the exception of Estelle Getty, who was unable to participate due to failing health. The special features a montage of clips from the women's favorite episodes and musical moments from the show, never-before-seen bloopers and outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage, as well as interviews with executive producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, and creator/writer Susan Harris.
The women also introduce clips focused on their individual characters and comment on their character's specific traits and quirks. During the special, Bea Arthur pays tribute to late actor Herb Edelman, who played the recurring role of her character's ex-husband Stanley Zbornak during the series' entire seven-year run. A new version of the theme song "Thank You for Being a Friend" was recorded for this special.
Principal cast
Guest stars
Reception
The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments became the highest-rated special in Lifetime network's 19-year history, averaging a 3.7 household rating (4.2 million viewers) during its premiere on June 2, 2003; the second was The Designing Women Reunion which scored a 3.1 rating with 3.3 million viewers when it aired the following month.
The six-hour "Golden Girls" event on Lifetime from 6:00 p.m. to 12 midnight, which included the 90-minute special, the pilot episode, the one-hour series finale and additional favorite episodes of The Golden Girls, was seen by an estimated 15 million viewers.
Lifetime subsequently rebroadcast the special on December 15, 2003 and again on November 12, 2005 to commemorate the show's 20th anniversary.