The Golden Girls: Season 3
While it might seem like something out of another dimension given the world we're living in now, this prime-time show that aired from 1985 to 1992 about the hilarious exploits of four single women of a certain age living out their semi-retirement in Miami still stands up. The plots are mostly predictable, and the set never changes, but this ensemble cast really comes into its own in the third season--one that earned them three Emmys and a Golden Globe. Blanche is just as man-crazy as ever, Sophia works her brutal honesty and "picture Sicily stories" to perfection, Dorothy remains the eternal stalwart straight man without compare, and Rose's dull-witted reveries always make for a great gag. Standout episodes in this season include "A Letter to Gorbachev," where Rose pens a letter urging Gorbachev to end the Cold War with the West; in a terrific dream sequence, she imagines herself addressing a huge crowd in Red Square against a backdrop featuring the faces of Marx, Lenin, and of course, herself. "The Housekeeper" tackles stereotypes as the girls hire a Caribbean woman as their new housekeeper and suspect she's put a curse on them. "Grab That Dough" sees the girls on a fictional game show where they allow greed and ambition to come between their friendships and predictably, no one wins. "Three on a Couch" is one of those convenient midseason flashback episodes, the premise being that the girls are so sick of each other that they try to get professional help to solve their problems; the therapist's frank advice is that they get as far away from each other as possible. Although the season is on the whole is a perfect collection of sharp one-liners, there is depth to this show that isn't afraid to discuss Alzheimer's disease in "Old Friends," or the crushing financial complications of being old and single in "The Audit." Extras include "Golden Moments," a great montage of the funniest lines in the season and "The Golden Girls Scrapbook" that comprises each girl's best lines. These two extras could be enough to satisfy anyGolden Girlsfan, who perhaps doesn't have the time to indulge in all 25 episodes.  --Gabi Knight