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We’re back! Minus a very exciting special episode over the summer, we took a much needed, extended break from the pod. We also got in the lab, with a pen and a pad – and then Nikki came up with something REALLY good. Make sure to listen to find out what we’re up to long term, but short term, as we unsubtly teased earlier in the year: this is our golden era. It’s Golden Girls time. So join us as Salina meets the gals (Nikki is already a cheesecake bestie), and then come back Thursday for an episode all about the representation of aging women in Hollywood.  Wanna follow along with the exact episodes we’re watching? Great! Check out the series pilot and season 1 finale on Hulu. 

Covering Golden Girls got us thinking about what a feat it was to get four women – let alone those over the age of 50 – in leading roles on TV in the 1980s. We decided it was time for a temperature check: how is Hollywood doing all these years on? What has and hasn’t changed since these iconic women left the screen 30+ years ago? What did Golden Girls get right at the time and where did they miss the mark? You’ll be utterly shocked to learn, well, it’s complicated. 

Blanche Devereaux is so many things. She’s the lady of my dreams, your dreams, all of our dreams. But, like, she’s also the branch from Designing Women to Golden Girls. Sometimes we just close our eyes and it’s almost like we’re right back there with our favorite Atlanta siren: Suzanne Sugarbaker. All batting eyelashes and questionable comments. Join us on our new adventure as we hop from character to character this season, exploring their highs, lows, and frankly, what made us fall in love with them.  For the purists out there, we’re including the exact episodes we watched to prepare – so watch along and then tune in to talk all things Blanche.  Come back Thursday for an Extra Sugar all about the lady behind the lady: Rue McClanahan.  And, as always, thank you for being a friend!

Rue McClanahan once said, “People always ask me if I’m really like Blanche. And I say, ‘Well, Blanche was just Rue with the volume turned up.’” In this week’s “Extra Sugar”, we’re raising a slice of cheesecake to Rue, learning about her five-decade career, some of the diverse roles she had after Golden Girls, AND how she got that name: Rue. And, as always, thank you for being a friend!

Dorothy Zbornak could level a room with one withering stare — and finish the job with a single sarcastic comment. This week on “Sweet Tea & TV”, we’re diving into the world of The Golden Girls’ resident truth-teller — the tall, tough, totally iconic Dorothy, played by Bea Arthur. We’ll unpack what makes her the glue (and sometimes the eye-roll) of the group, why her brand of honesty hits just as hard today, and how Bea made this sharp-tongued realist into one of TV’s most beloved characters. We’re covering it all — the good, the bad, and the gloriously snarky. From her most heartfelt moments to her best zingers, we’re celebrating everything that makes Dorothy… Dorothy. Plus, stay tuned later this week for an “Extra Sugar”, spotlighting Bea Arthur herself — the woman behind the wit, the voice, and the world-class side-eye.

In this week’s “Extra Sugar”, we’re going beyond the biosketch and learning much more about the real woman behind Dorothy Zbornak: Bea Arthur.  We’re talking about her fearless advocacy, her trailblazing role in Maude — where she tackled issues like women’s rights, aging, and reproductive freedom — and how that legacy paved the way for Dorothy and generations of strong female characters to come. So, grab a slice of cheesecake and join us as we celebrate the woman who proved that comedy could have a conscience — and that a well-timed glare could change the world.

Rose Nylund may not be one to “toot her own Vertugenflürgen, so we’ll do it for her.  Let’s face it: she’s the Golden Girl you want to hug most. She’s the forever optimist, genuinely sincere and sincerely genuine, inclusive, and downright wholesome. Rose is like a walking, breathing plate of warm cookies and hot cocoa.  But don’t get it twisted: she’s also strong, wildly competitive, and not to be underestimated. Sometimes her best qualities – along with heavy helping of naivety and cluelessness – place her in precarious situations. And, look, we’re all better for knowing more about St. Olaf.  There would be no Rose, not as we know her, without the legendary Betty White at the helm. So come back Thursday for an Extra Sugar all about the gal behind the gal. 

We’ve come to the moment where we can finally talk about possibly the one last thing all Americans can agree on: the loveliness that was Betty White.  Betty White grew up with television and she paid her dues. From hours in full make-up on live television, to decades of stiff game show competition, “The Golden Girls” was far from her only contribution to culture and entertainment. The part we don’t often hear about is the influential network of female entertainers she ran with, as well as the vast network of more behind-the-scenes players that she was connected with. So, “Sweet Tea & TV” is here to correct that for ya.  Betty made us laugh. She made us cheer. But, more importantly, she made space for others to do the same. And in doing so, she ensured that the women of television would always have a seat at the table. 

We’ve reached the part of the season where we’re ready to talk about Salina’s “spirit Golden Girl”; America’s most curmudgeonly storyteller; the resident “roastmaster” with the emotional grace of a wrecking ball: Sophia Petrillo.  Sophia brought us unequivocally blunt honesty, but she also brought us comic relief and a whole lotta heart (buried under the…verbal assaults…” Let’s talk about her character and her shiniest (and not so shiniest) moments across the series.  And don’t forget to come back Thursday for an “Extra Sugar” dedicated to the little lady behind the…little lady…told my ST&TV’s resident…little lady.  As always, thank you for being a friend!

Sophia may have been the smallest of The Golden Girls, but this week’s episode proves that Estelle Getty’s contributions to entertainment were anything but miniscule.  In this week’s “Extra Sugar”, we’ll dive into the life of the woman behind Sophia Petrillo — from her early days as a shy actress hustling through community theatre to the late-in-life breakthrough that turned her into a comedy legend. Drawing on stories from her memoir If I Knew Then What I Know Now… So What?, we’ll explore some of the best behind-the-scenes moments and fan encounters — the ones that reveal Estelle as not just an icon, but a relatable human who often couldn’t believe her own fame. As always, grab a slice of cheesecake as you tune in, and let’s give Estelle her flowers.

In the hallowed halls of television history, most sitcoms could never make a storyline about a health scare from a little-known virus genuinely funny. Fortunately, as we’ve well established this season, “The Golden Girls” is not “most sitcoms.” In fact, its treatment of “heavy issues” is singular and we’re so excited to chat about it this week.

As we begin to close out our “The Golden Girls” coverage (cue all the tears), we were THRILLED to learn about a special episode of ABC’s “20/20” celebrating the 40th anniversary of the show! We knew it was our responsibility - nay, duty - to report back to “ST&TV’ about it.  Let’s chat about the highlights of this true love letter to the fans, including the things that surprised us! The things that didn’t. And what we wish we could’ve gotten a little more of! As Cindy Fee would sing, thank you for being a friend!

Whether it was losing spouses, finding love again, or facing the future alone, the Golden Girls never sugarcoated the realities of aging - but always kept the humor. In this week’s convo, we talked about the stories of grief, romance, and reinvention through a few key episodes: S1 E13 - A LIttle Romance S4 E6 - Sophia’s Wedding S4 E10 - Stan Takes a Wife S5 E11 - Ebb Tide S6 E9 - Mrs. George Devereaux S6 E12 - Ebbtide’s Revenge S7 E17 - Questions and Answers 

Call it a smorgasbord, a potpourri, a catchall. Whatever you call it, we’re chatting about the ‘golden legacy’ — the spinoffs, the legendary guest stars, their immense staying power. And courtesy of our amazing listeners, we’re also covering these ‘can’t miss’ episodes before we leave Miami for good:  S1 E7 - The Competition (A Nikki fave - this is where we see Rose’s competitive streak first emerge) S1 E18 - The Operation (Classic tap dance scene)  S2 E14 - The Actor (I feel like there’s a treat in this episode that will make you chuckle, Salina)  S3 E25 - Mother’s Day (Alice Ghostley episode)  S5 E18 - An Illegitimate Affair (Dorothy and Sophia’s mother-daughter performance is *chef’s kiss*) S2 E24 - “To Catch a Neighbor” (We get a huuuuuuge guest star in this one.)  Thank YOU for being a friend! 

As we start the final lap of our coverage of “The Golden Girls”, we needed to make a pit stop at the preeminent, yet unauthorized look behind-the-scenes of the show via Jim Colucci’s “Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai”.  Jim’s book - a staggering 10 years in the making!! - offers a toooooon of episode-specific behind-the-scenes info, background intel, and loads of interviews with not only the girls themselves, but also the huge cast and crew that put this classic together. It’s worth saying: the ST&TV Book Club is no different than any other book club. Reading the book is not required. Just ask Salina. ;)   For one of the last few times: thank YOU for being a friend!