The Golden Girls: Season 6
The wisecracks, hugs, and late-night servings of cheesecake continue in the sixth season ofThe Golden Girls. At the end of the sitcom's previous year, Blanche's daughter, Becky (Debra Engle), announced her pregnancy. In the sixth, Blanche (Rue McClanahan) becomes a grandmother ("Blanche Delivers"). Other developments: Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur) starts seeing ex-husband Stan (Herb Edelman), Sophia (Estelle Getty) dons a habit, and Rose (Betty White) discovers the true identity of Miles (Harold Gould). AsThe Golden Girlsmoves on into the 1990s, the earrings--and Dorothy's shoulder pads--remain as out-sized as ever, but the show takes on more contemporary issues, like cross-dressing ("Ebbtide's Revenge") and sexual orientation ("Sisters of the Bride"). Despite the bevy of put-downs, the message is one of tolerance--for anyone who exists outside the norm. There are also a few surprises, such as the appearance of Rose's birth father ("Once, in St. Olaf"), Dorothy's engagement ("There Goes the Bride"), and the secret relationship between Blanche's nanny (Ruby Dee) and her late father, Big Daddy ("Wham, Bam, Thank You, Mammy").As before, everyone wanted to drop by NBC's Saturday staple, like Martin Mull ("Snap Out of It"), Sonny Bono ("Mrs. George Devereaux"), Cesar Romero ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... Before They Die"), Debbie Reynolds ("There Goes the Bride"), Alan King ("Melodrama"), and Hal Linden ("What a Difference a Date Makes"). The behind-the-scenes talent shines just as brightly in co-executive producer Tom Whedon (father ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon) and story editors Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives) and Mitchell Hurwitz (Arrested Development). Although there are no commentaries this time around, the set includes an insightful chat with McClanahan, White, Cherry, Hurwitz, and others from a Museum of Television and Radio tribute. One of the more notable insights: "To this day... 70% of our mail comes from people under 25 years old."--Kathleen C. Fennessy