The Golden Girls

[James from London]

Is timing as much a factor in a drama such as Dynasty as it is in comedy?

Well, I guess the thing with comedy is you're going for a very specific result which is a laugh in response to a gag, whereas with drama it's more about telling an ongoing story, even though there are still climactic moments you want to hit. Using those two shows as examples, it's as much about editing as anything else. DYNASTY being a single camera drama means a lot of the timing of a scene is achieved in the editing room afterwards: the way you cut from one actor to another, the use of music etc. On a multi-camera sitcom, the director is editing as they go, so everything has to be that bit more rehearsed beforehand: the precise moment when an actor moves into shot or stands up or sits down can mean the difference between a gag working or falling flat. Traditionally, sitcoms are rehearsed for about a week and then performed almost like a play whereas a show like DYNASTY would probably just be rehearsed on the spot and then filmed straightaway, so an actor on a sitcom has more time to finesse their performance. I'm not really sure if that answers your question or not!

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Well, I guess the thing with comedy is you're going for a very specific result which is a laugh in response to a gag, whereas with drama it's more about telling an ongoing story, even though there are still climactic moments you want to hit. Using those two shows as examples, it's as much about editing as anything else. DYNASTY being a single camera drama means a lot of the timing of a scene is achieved in the editing room afterwards: the way you cut from one actor to another, the use of music etc. On a multi-camera sitcom, the director is editing as they go, so everything has to be that bit more rehearsed beforehand: the precise moment when an actor moves into shot or stands up or sits down can mean the difference between a gag working or falling flat. Traditionally, sitcoms are rehearsed for about a week and then performed almost like a play whereas a show like DYNASTY would probably just be rehearsed on the spot and then filmed straightaway, so an actor on a sitcom has more time to finesse their performance. I'm not really sure if that answers your question or not!

It does and it's interesting, thank you.
I'm assuming when a drama such as Dallaa would employ comedy with a quip from JR or Sue Ellen, the actors wouldn't have to be as concerned, if at all, with their timing as the leading ladies on The Golden Girls would.
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[James from London]

I'm assuming when a drama such as Dallaa would employ comedy with a quip from JR or Sue Ellen, the actors wouldn't have to be as concerned, if at all, with their timing as the leading ladies on The Golden Girls would.

Well on a sitcom, the whole production is geared towards the timing of the comedy. How actors function within that - well, it's hard to generalise. Some are very technically minded - "I'm going to say and do everything exactly like so", and they've worked out how to stress every syllable - while others might be more instinctive and/or naturalistic - "I'm just going to be as 'real' as I possibly can and let the jokes take care of themselves" - or some combination of the two - and this would be negotiated during the rehearsal process. On a show like DALLAS, there'd be less direct pressure to nail the gag because there's no studio audience to make laugh! In fact, I'd say it's a danger to focus too much on the 'comedy' in a drama otherwise you end up with something like New DYNASTY or bad FALCON CREST where the actor is almost winking at the viewer saying, "Aren't I just hilarious?" to which the answer is, "No, you're really not."

 

[Seaviewer]

When interviewed, however, Arthur said she knew "nothing" about timing, but that was just baffling for me to hear

Based on interviews I've read and heard, it seems that there are two categories of actor - those who plan and prepare everything they do, and those who just rely on their intuition and wing it.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I just assumed that when Bea Arthur said she "knew nothing of timing," she was simply stating that she was not conscious of it, that she did not study it in acting classes or get it from a book. She just did what seemed appropriate to get the best reaction. It was all instinct to her and not something that could be quantified.

 

[Richard Channing]

Matt Baume makes so many great videos on queer representation on TV over the years, I really recommend his channel. Here's his latest, on why gay men love The Golden Girls whicih has lots of interesting trivia about the show that I didn't know.

 

[ClassyCo]

The screenshot in the OP is from this scene. It's easily one of the finest on-screen moments between Dorothy and Sophia. Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty had incomparable chemistry.​

 

[ClassyCo]

Bea Arthur's Dorothy Zbornak is my favorite:

 

[Jimmy Todd]

The Golden Girls had more than quite a few quest stars who were already established "legends," such as Mickey Rooney, Caesar Romero, Burt Reynolds as well as those who would go on to become bigger stars, such as Mario Lopez, George Clooney, Jenny Louis and Quentin Tarantino. Did the show have more than the average of such guest stars than other shows?

 

[DallasFanForever]

. Did the show have more than the average of such guest stars than other shows?

It definitely seemed that way to me. Guests stars were all over the place in 80s sitcom land but I always felt the GG’s did this more than anyone else. And I think the key is they did a great job of picking the right guest stars way more often than not. The Burt Reynolds episode is the best proof of that in my opinion. Despite him only being in the final scene, the entire episode revolves around him. And of course there’s the Sonny Bono episode that is a complete circus but absolutely hysterical to watch.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Do you think the people in charge had a good eye for potential talent since so many unknowns went on to bigger careers?

 

[Daniel Avery]

We tend to remember the ones who went on to bigger things because...well, because they went on to bigger things. But there were a LOT of guest stars over the years, just like most other sitcoms, and the majority of them were not "name actors" before or after the series. When they had an established star appear (like Bob Hope or Burt Reynolds) it was usually because that star had expressed an interest in appearing. It was a popular show, obviously, and the ladies had a lot of Hollywood friends. This is why some of the big names appeared as themselves rather than a character. I tended to prefer when the big name played a character, though---like Dick Van Dyke as Dorothy's boyfriend who wanted to be clown or Ken Howard as Blanche's excessively bashful boyfriend.

 

[ClassyCo]

I've always wanted the complete series set that's packaged inside Sophia's purse.




Interestingly, there aren't any replicas out there -- that I could find anyway -- of Sophia's purse. I was going to buy my wife one last Christmas just simply for her to have, but I couldn't find one. The ones that looked close enough that I did manage to find were outrageously priced.

 

[ClassyCo]

But there were a LOT of guest stars over the years, just like most other sitcoms, and the majority of them were not "name actors" before or after the series.

Quite true. My wife and I have been watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS from the beginning, and I'm noticing just how frequently they do use guest stars. All five of the episodes we watched last night included guest stars.

"Transplant" (Season 1, Episode 4) -- Sheree North as Blanche's sister Virginia
"The Triangle" (Season 1, Episode 5) -- Peter Hansen as Dorothy's sleazy boyfriend Dr. Elliott Clayton
"On Golden Girls" (Season 1, Episode 6) -- Billy Jacoby as Blanche's rebellious grandson David
"The Competition" (Season 1, Episode 7) -- Ralph Manza as Sophia's first boyfriend Auggie
"Break-In" (Season 1, Episode 8) -- Christian Clemenson as the security alarm salesman & Robert Rothwell as Blanche's boyfriend Lester
​

None of these guest stars, with the exception of Sheree North do I have any other connection with. North was a popular actress in the mid-to-late-'50s, and she matured into a plausible character actress in the '70s.

​

When they had an established star appear (like Bob Hope or Burt Reynolds) it was usually because that star had expressed an interest in appearing. It was a popular show, obviously, and the ladies had a lot of Hollywood friends. This is why some of the big names appeared as themselves rather than a character.

I think it's neat when celebrities are fans of TV shows and request guest gigs. Bob Hope and Burt Reynolds couldn't've played anyone but themselves, but I do like how Debbie Reynolds popped in as potential roommate Truvy and Leslie Nielsen gives us our series farewell as Blanche's uncle Lucas Hollingsworth.

Ken Howard as Blanche's excessively bashful boyfriend.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS are full of inconsistencies as we all know. But I really wish the writers would've had Blanche -- at least "semi" -- settle down with Jerry that final season. I mean, it was the last season, and they could've at least made him a recurring boyfriend for her. The way she says at the that she feels "like a lady" is so sweet and I just wish they would've revisited it.

 

[Seaviewer]

None of these guest stars, with the exception of Sheree North do I have any other connection with. North was a popular actress in the mid-to-late-'50s, and she matured into a plausible character actress in the '70s.

Ralph Manza appears in a few episodes of Get Smart (as different characters) and I seem to remember Christian Clemenson in Lois & Clark.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Dena Dietrich has a place in the memories of anyone my age or slightly older because of a series of commercials she appeared in throughout the 1970s for Chiffon margarine.

"It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"

 

[Richard Channing]

Fun fact: Both Betty White and Bea Arthur starred in separate US remakes of Fawlty Towers. The Betty White one only filmed a pilot but the Bea Arthur one ran for a full season.
Betty White plays Sybil in her version whereas Bea Arthur is an (unsuccessful) amalgamation of Sybil and Basil.

 

[ClassyCo]

Fun fact: Both Betty White and Bea Arthur starred in separate US remakes of Fawlty Towers. The Betty White one only filmed a pilot but the Bea Arthur one ran for a full season.
Betty White plays Sybil in her version whereas Bea Arthur is an (unsuccessful) amalgamation of Sybil and Basil.

I saw this the other this day in one of the 13 Week Theatre videos. I was going to post it, but never got around to it.

 

[ClassyCo]

A genuine find: