End of a Golden Age

Rue McClanahan, who died this past week at 76, will no doubt be remembered more for her role as the man-hungry Blanche on the NBC sitcom "The Golden Girls" more than for anything else. Though that show wasn't one of the best sitcoms by any stretch of the imagination - it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't terrific either - that's not such a bad thing to be remembered for, because it was a perfect example of a show that could have failed miserably but worked beautifully because the ensemble cast was better than the scripts they worked with.

"The Golden Girls," my mother's favorite sitcom in the eighties, was to television shows what Blind Faith was to rock and roll - an ensemble of established stars who were brought together for name recognition as much as compatibility, though Estelle Getty hadn't been as well known as McClanahan, Beatrice Arthur, or Betty White. (Think of Estelle Getty as the Ric Grech of American television.) Unlike Blind Faith, which didn't work out, "The Golden Girls" was an instant success from the day it debuted in 1985. It depicted four different women over fifty living together in Miami, with differing personality quirks. One reason the show was a hit was because of McClanahan, who gave her character Blanche a lot of vim and vigor. Her portrayal came as surprise to viewers who remembered her on "Maude" (which, of course, starred Arthur) as Maude Findlay's sweet but dim neighbor Vivian. In fact, McClanahan was to play the sweet but naive Rose on "The Golden Girls" and Betty White, known for her sardonic TV characters, was to play Blanche. Someone then had the bright idea of switching their roles and have them play against type . . . and, to an extent, each other.

Maybe great TV produces stars more than stars produce great TV, but with this new twist from a show with old pros, it allowed the two actresses - McClanahan especially - to add new facets to their careers. Suddenly, there was a fresh idea to a familiar sitcom.

It's hard to believe that with the death of McClanahan, the show's youngest cast member, Betty White - the oldest of the four - is the last survivor.