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The Essential Fan Guide to The Golden Girls
Everything you need to know about the enduring hit TV comedy The Golden Girls is in the pages of this book.
This is the definitive guide to The Golden Girls. More than thirty years after it first aired, perhaps more than any other TV show, this show's cult fan base continues to grow. It ran for seven seasons (collecting a staggering fifty-eight Emmy nominations and eleven wins along the way) and over the years, this hit comedy about four fierce and sassy roommates in Miami charmed millions of viewers with its incomparable wit. Above all, The Golden Girls celebrated the strength and depth of the friendship between its four iconic characters.
The Essential Fan Guide to The Golden Girls brings you everything you need to know about the enduring hit TV comedy. Inside you'll find: overviews of its seven seasons; top episode guides; behind-the-scenes trivia; cast and writer profiles; guides to stand out guest stars; and plenty of deep dives into the unforgettable aesthetic of costumes and set design. Whether you're a new or old fan, this book will satisfy your craving for all things related to The Golden Girls.
This is the definitive guide to The Golden Girls. More than thirty years after it first aired, perhaps more than any other TV show, this show's cult fan base continues to grow. It ran for seven seasons (collecting a staggering fifty-eight Emmy nominations and eleven wins along the way) and over the years, this hit comedy about four fierce and sassy roommates in Miami charmed millions of viewers with its incomparable wit. Above all, The Golden Girls celebrated the strength and depth of the friendship between its four iconic characters.
The Essential Fan Guide to The Golden Girls brings you everything you need to know about the enduring hit TV comedy. Inside you'll find: overviews of its seven seasons; top episode guides; behind-the-scenes trivia; cast and writer profiles; guides to stand out guest stars; and plenty of deep dives into the unforgettable aesthetic of costumes and set design. Whether you're a new or old fan, this book will satisfy your craving for all things related to The Golden Girls.
- GenresNonfiction
152 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 7, 2020
I believe this is the fourth book I have read about the Golden Girls, and I have at least two more I have not read yet. This book, in and of itself, is rather nice. It has good trivia, lovely illustrations, and fun quotes from the show. However, having read several other books previously and listened to the whole Out On The Lanai podcast, I did not feel I learned anything new. Wait, I did learn that Sophia’s maiden name was Grisanti?! I have no idea how I never learned that until now and I’m dying to know in which episode that info was given. Anyone know?
I found the order in which the book was assembled to be somewhat strange. The beginning had great information on each character. It then spent a few pages covering season 1. Then there were biographies for each actress. Then there was season 2, followed immediately by the author’s list of the top 10 episodes from the series. Yes, this book is for a fan who likely knows most (if not all) episodes already. However, if someone hasn’t watched the series in a while, it would be good to give the summaries of each season before going in to such a “Best Of” list. Another example is the section about Coco, the chef / house boy who only appeared in the pilot. Why would the pages about him not appear until after the section about season 4? I have several more examples but my point has been made. Oh, except for how very few pages were actually numbered and it seemed completely random as to when a page number would appear.
Something I appreciated is that this book mentioned the spinoff, Golden Palace, without acting like it was a huge abomination as other Golden Girls fandoms have done. I binged Golden Palace recently (first time I saw any of the episodes). Of course it would never be as good as the original Golden Girls (except the two episodes where Bea Arthur came back) but I enjoyed it in its own right and appreciated getting to spend more time with these characters I have loved for so long. It’s kind of like reading this book… It was not my favorite Golden Girls book but I appreciated the care that the author put in to her research and sharing her love of this amazing series with fellow fans.
I found the order in which the book was assembled to be somewhat strange. The beginning had great information on each character. It then spent a few pages covering season 1. Then there were biographies for each actress. Then there was season 2, followed immediately by the author’s list of the top 10 episodes from the series. Yes, this book is for a fan who likely knows most (if not all) episodes already. However, if someone hasn’t watched the series in a while, it would be good to give the summaries of each season before going in to such a “Best Of” list. Another example is the section about Coco, the chef / house boy who only appeared in the pilot. Why would the pages about him not appear until after the section about season 4? I have several more examples but my point has been made. Oh, except for how very few pages were actually numbered and it seemed completely random as to when a page number would appear.
Something I appreciated is that this book mentioned the spinoff, Golden Palace, without acting like it was a huge abomination as other Golden Girls fandoms have done. I binged Golden Palace recently (first time I saw any of the episodes). Of course it would never be as good as the original Golden Girls (except the two episodes where Bea Arthur came back) but I enjoyed it in its own right and appreciated getting to spend more time with these characters I have loved for so long. It’s kind of like reading this book… It was not my favorite Golden Girls book but I appreciated the care that the author put in to her research and sharing her love of this amazing series with fellow fans.
January 26, 2020
A perfectly enjoyable fan overview of the the greatest sitcom ever, although it's not a patch on the extraordinary work done by Jim Colucci in his book "Golden Girls Forever". The background is much simpler & less detailed than in the Colucci book, and I have a few quibbles with the content (no mention of Betty White's resurgence in "Hot in Cleveland" and a top 10 episode choice I dispute most vigorously). But where it is a complete success is in the gorgeous illustrations, which deserve to be framed.
August 19, 2025
I love anything Golden Girls related and this is a cute book with beautiful illustrations, but it has many errors and gives a much more superficial overview of the show, actors, etc. Jim Coluci’s “Golden Girls Forever” is THE book to read for detailed, behind the scenes info!
September 18, 2026
i loved the golden girls and this reminds you of the fun they had and how good the shows were i love this book and i love the golden girls
January 19, 2020
I received this as an end of year gift from a dear friend and it was a lot of fun to read! I have always been a fan of the Golden Girls and somehow my friends feel I am very much like Sophia (lol). An essential companion for all fans.
December 15, 2019
I’ve always been a Dorothy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews