Warner Brothers
The Golden Girls' Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Rose (Betty White) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) were beloved TV icons thanks to the popularity of the 1985-92 sitcom. But were those ladies just setting the stage for a new generation? Did you ever wonder: Was the hilarious foursome on The Golden Girls a direct inspiration for the Sex and the City cast we know so well from best-selling books, six HBO seasons and a movie franchise?
With Sex and the City 2 hitting theaters May 27, and fans going wild for its characters -- Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) -- I can't help observing the similarities between the New York and Miami foursomes. The more parallels I spot, the more I suspect Candace Bushnell was a huge Golden Girls fan!
Ever-realistic Dorothy, the single-yet-looking-for-love English teacher, is clearly a match for ever-realistic Carrie, the single-yet-looking-for-a-fairytale-ending columnist. Dorothy ended up getting married in the final episode of The Golden Girls. And Carrie married Big (Chris Noth) in the Sex and the City movie.
GG's Rose was cute, bubbly, sweet, and naïve. Charlotte -- although not as naïve as Rose, the St. Olaf, Minn., native -- is SATC's resident optimist, with her hopeful outlook on love and Pollyanna-leaning morals.
Blanche was The Golden Girls' sexually adventurous socialite, always looking for lovin’, money and status. Remind you at all of Samantha? Enough said.
And last, but certainly not least: Sophia. Dorothy's mother on The Golden Girls was brazen and bold, armed with a knack for hilarious, deadpan comebacks. Through her "Picture This" words of wisdom, she constantly taught the ladies in the condo new life lessons. Granted, Miranda doesn’t fire off constant zingers and punchlines as Sex and the City's harried working mom, but she is the (often funny) voice of reason within the group. Carrie regularly turns to Miranda for advice, because the no-nonsense lawyer can be counted on to speak her mind.
And what about SATC's other tweaks to the Golden Girls formula? GG took place in Miami, a city with a hot nightlife and plenty of available men; SATC actually made New York a character in the title of the show! The Miami ladies pored over their problems at the kitchen table over cheesecake; the younger version gathers to deal with crises over cosmos at a bar, over brunch in the neighborhood or (in the case of the new sequel) while jet-setting together on a lavish vacation overseas. And of course, the underlying theme of female friendship infuses both series.
Without a doubt, The Golden Girls paved the way for Sex and the City. Both series are empowering, funny and full of wisdom, and The Golden Girls never disappoints as a rainy day DVD treat. That said, we may all be in our golden years before we know which show's colorful fashion statements have truly stood the test of time!
PLUS: Sneak Peek: See the New Photos from Sex and the City 2
Which cast is your favorite -- Sex and the City or The Golden Girls? Chime in below!
