The Golden Palace

"The Golden Girls" was a consistent winner from 1985 to 1992 on NBC, but Beatrice Arthur's departure and a slow decline in ratings killed the series. Or did it? By the fall of 1992, CBS thought they would strike while the iron was still somewhat warm by bringing the rest of the core cast (Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty) back with a new series and a slightly new situation. The three actresses were still the same characters and still in Miami, but McClanahan had sold her home and bought a hotel in the city. Naturally she brings White and Getty with her and comedy was supposed to follow. The trio just never had the chemistry or comedic/dramatic timing that they all shared with Arthur. The series also brought in hotel workers Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle (a complete unknown at the time who has become one of the best character-actors of the last few years, making the largest impressions in Steven Soderbergh films like "Out of Sight" and "Traffic"). The new additions, along with familiar faces like Herb Edelman and Harold Gould, ended up creating a helter-skelter group that always seemed to be chasing the magic of the old series. In the end, the Friday night time slot and anemic ratings doomed the program mercifully after one season and only 24 episodes. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I didn't know what to expect from this show, especially since Beatrice Arthur was one of my favourite actresses on "The Golden Girls". This spin-off though, definitely does have its charms.

It's a shame this show did not continue longer as some of the episodes are really funny and enjoyable. The new supporting cast adds some variety to the show, and the three remaining Girls are still as comical as before.

If you compare "The Golden Palace" to "The Golden Girls" you may be disappointed, but if you'd like to see the ongoing adventures of three wonderful characters, you will enjoy this show.

If this series had not been a sequel to the incredibly popular Golden Girls, it might have had a decent run. Unfortunately, the original series was just too beloved, too hilarious, and too perfect to continue without Bea Arthur in the form of The Golden Palace. I loved what someone posted - it would have been like the Beatles continuing without John Lennon.

Therefore, it's very hard to take The Golden Palace on its own merits, which are good ones. The show has a good premise. The GGs take over a Miami hotel, managed by Rowland, who is played by no less than Don Cheadle. The chef is Cheech Marin. Bea Arthur makes a couple of guest appearances, as does the character of Miles. Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty all retain their wonderful characterizations, and if the show isn't as funny as The Golden Girls, it's still pretty funny. Yet it only ran one season, not even picked up by some affiliates because it was felt you can't toy with perfection.

The Golden Palace had all the ingredients for a good TV series except one. It wasn't the Golden Girls.

It was very sad when The Golden Girls came to an end in 1992 with the departure of Bea Arthur - but it was some consulation when this series followed - if only for one season.

The writing was still sharp and dialogue brilliant and played with the usual excellence of the three remaining cast. Unfortunately Dorothy's absence was seriously noticeable and probably played a big part in it not going past 24 episodes. Don Cheadle and Cheech Marin could not fill the void.

The best episode was of course the two-parter where Dorothy visited the hotel.

Still vintage stuff but sadly a show that will be forgotten in the shadow of it's excellent predecessor.

Thanks Hulu!! I have been wanting to see this for years but could never find much on it. Since it never really lived in syndication like The Golden Girls, and was quickly canceled -- it seemed like it would have been a stinker. On the contrary, I think it's great. Sophia, Rose, and Blanche are still their wonderful selves. Seeing fresh jokes from their characters that I've never heard before make me laugh out loud. I've noticed some changes to their characters but nothing that takes away from who they were in GG too much. I'm not crazy about Cheech Marin's character but Don Cheadle was an AMAZING addition.

The one glaring flaw in my opinion, is that the writers seemed to have run out of material pretty quickly. The jokes were still a hit, but the storylines seemed to hit a wall. The Christmas episode was a real *jump the shark* moment, and what the writers did to Rose and Miles relationship wasn't cool, but was an example of how they must have been dry for ideas.

Regardless, it's still enjoyable and I hope this show stays on Hulu for years. I'll watch and rewatch.