Andrew Gold |

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone dedicated this song to you?

Thank You for Being A Friend
(Written by: Andrew Gold)

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant.

And if you through a party
Invited everyone you ever knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.

The Golden Girls celebrated its 28th anniversary this year. We were introduced to Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia in 1985, when most of us had only one television channel. The show was an instant success and ran for seven seasons. It was syndicated in 1990, and since then, several television networks have bought the rights to air the classic sitcom.

Without question, The Golden Girls is my all-time favorite TV show. I religiously watched it with my family as a child, and continued to enjoy it in my adult life. Thanks to my siblings, I have all seven seasons, so I often watch an episode or two when I go to bed. It is the only show that I can watch repeatedly and still laugh.

Anyone who has lived in the 90s knows what you are talking about when you say ‘Shady Pines’ or ‘St. Olaf.’ The characters have solidified a place in our consciousness, and for me, it is also a reminder of my age of innocence.

The Golden Girls retired after its seventh season in 1992, only because Bea Arthur (Dorothy) got tired of doing it, and she subsequently quit. It was still a very successful show. Sometimes people just want to do different things.

Betty White

Ninety-one year old Betty White is the only living character, and she is also the most successful since the show ended. Ms. White has done commercials, voice overs, movies and sitcoms. She has even hosted Saturday Night Live. As we would say in Trinidad – That is woman!

I love the family storylines of TV from the 80s and 90s. Example: Rosanne – My So-Called Life – Family Matters – Sanford and Son – Family Ties. Now, it seems that every other show glorifies promiscuity, and every lead actor is a perfectly quaffed twenty or thirty something.

These days I don’t watch sitcoms. The Food Network and HGTV get most of my TV time. I do enjoy dramas like Homeland and Scandal, and I think Face Off on Syfy is amazing.

Happy anniversary Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia!!!
Thank you for 173 episodes full of lessons, laughter, love and cheese cake.