RIP BEA

[Korea]

And then there were two.

Golden Girls star Bea Arthur died this morning in Los Angeles. She was 86. This is actually a bit of a shock. Not that 86 is young, but she always seemed healthy and spry, even in the last few years, doing her stage show and guest starring on various TV shows and endless specials.

The other day I listed my favorite TV shows of all-time, and I really should have included The Golden Girls on that list. This was a consistently funny, clever, entertaining sitcom. A classic, really, spawning a lot of great one-liners and situations. It was also a breeding ground for some writers and producers who would become famous for other projects later, including Marc Cherry and Mitchell Hurwitz (as well as many veteran writers and directors). It's still a very special show to me. I used to find myself up at 1AM watching several episodes on Lifetime.

Besides The Golden Girls, Arthur starred in Maude (a spinoff after appearing as the character on All in the Family), Dave's World, Studio One, Kraft Television Theatre, Caeser's Hour, and Great Performances. She also had a memorable guest role on Malcolm in the Middle as Dewey's babysitter.

Boy, Hunter sure will be sad. 

[grumbler]

She was generally so good as a character actor that you just didn't even think of her as Bea Arthur.  As a star, she was less impressive.

RIP

[Caliga]

Thank you for being a friend.

[Neil]

I enjoyed her work, although I found the actress herself to be politically intolerable.

[The Minsky Moment]

I am sorry for the family's loss.

But I am relieved to find out that the Bureau of Economic Analysis is still alive and well.

[Caliga]

I enjoyed her work, although I found the actress herself to be politically intolerable.

Agree, but I still really appreciated her work.  I believe I had previously stated on Languish that Dorothy was my favorite Golden Girl (with Sophia a close second).

[DontSayBanana]

Damn. That's two down, and Rue McClanahan doesn't look well, either.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

RIP Bea.

[Ancient Demon]

The funny thing is Bea Arthur was actually older than Estelle Getty who played her mother on Golden Girls (I only discovered that recently), yet their roles were convincing nonetheless.

RIP

[jimmy olsen]

 

RIP

[vinraith]

A good comedian, a good actress, and a good woman. RIP Bea, you were a hell of a Femputer.

[C.C.R.]

And then there's Maude...

[Korea]

I am sorry for the family's loss.

But I am relieved to find out that the Bureau of Economic Analysis is still alive and well.