The first
episode of the American comedy series THE GOLDEN GIRLS was broadcasted on 14
September 1985 by NBC. The show became very successful and would last seven
seasons. Since the final episode aired on 9 May 1992, reruns of the series have
been countless.
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| The Golden Girls, season 3, episode 14, 0:21:14 |
Rose Nylund
(Betty White), Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy Zbornak (Beatrice
Arthur) and her mother Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) share a home and their
lives in sunny Miami, Florida.
The address of the house is mentioned on the
show, 6151 Richmond Street, however it does not exist in real life. The show
was filmed in front of a studio audience in Los Angeles with the exception of a
few outdoor shoots to indicate where the next scene takes place. All episodes
feature the house where the ‘girls’ are living.
The house is
not located in Miami but at 245 N. Saltair Avenue in Brentwood, a neighbourhood
in Los Angeles. From season three onwards a replica was also used for exterior shoots.
The facade of the house was built at the Walt Disney Studio’s in Orlando,
Florida. It was part of Residential Street, a street with only houses from
films and television series.
Visitors of
the Disney MGM Studios (nowadays Disney’s Hollywood Studios), one of the four
theme parks of Disney World, were able to visit this street during the Studio
Backlot Tour, a ride by tram. Getting off was not allowed unfortunately, but taking
pictures was no problem. Compared to the images from the series trees and
plants had grown quite large.
Residential Street was demolished in 2003 in
favour of a new attraction.
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| The Golden Girls, season 3, episode 8, 0:01:14 |
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| Disney MGM Studios, Orlando, 9 September 1999 |
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| The Golden Girls, season 3, episode 9, 0:01:08 |
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| Disney MGM Studios, Orlando, 9 September 1999 |
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| The Golden Girls, season 3, episode 23, 0:00:56 |
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| Disney MGM Studios, Orlando, 9 September 1999 |
A special
television programme was made to celebrate the opening of the Disney MGM
Studios on 1 May 1989. Actor John Forsythe is seen walking through Residential
Street. When he passes the house from
The Golden Girls, Rue McClanahan and
Estelle Getty (without her white Sophia-wig) step out and wave. During the
series none of the actors were ever seen in front of the house.
The complete
programme is on
YouTube, the Residential Street segment starts at 1:04:23.
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| The Disney MGM Studios Grand Opening |
Screenshots © Touchstone Television
Disney-MGM
Grand Opening © The Walt Disney Company
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