Picture it, September 14th, 1985: The pilot episode of what would become one of the most beloved shows of all time premieres. The Golden Girls was an immediate smash hit and still has a strong fan base today, thanks to re-runs and streaming. But even the most dedicated Golden Girls fans may not realize it launched one of the first shared entertainment universes. Consisting of five sitcoms, The Golden Girls universe was connected through varying degrees, with some of the shows tightly intertwined with the parent series, while others were only loosely part of the world. No matter how close or distant the shows were, every franchise universe needs its “Nick Fury” character (Samuel L. Jackson), and, in the case of The Golden Girls, that character is Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty). Initially conceived as a recurring character, the decision to make Sophia a series regular was made during the creation process, and she quickly became a fan favorite. Her popularity and wit made her the obvious choice to connect the entirety of the fictional version of Miami.
Which Shows are Set in ‘The Golden Girls’ Universe?
Few shows have stood the test of time quite like The Golden Girls. Throughout its run, the series was “must-watch” television. Due to its success, a spin-off was ordered, entitled Empty Nest. The series follows The Golden Girls’ neighbor, pediatrician Harry Weston (Richard Mulligan), whose adult daughters, Carol Weston (Dinah Manoff) and Barbara Weston (Kristy McNichol), return home to live with him. Empty Nest proved popular enough to garner its own spin-off, Nurses, which revolves around the lives of five nurse practitioners working in the same Miami hospital as Harry Weston and stars Stephanie Hodge, Arnetia Walker, Mary Jo Keenen, Kip Gilman, Florence Stanely and Carlos Lacamara, originally. The show didn’t prove as successful as its predecessors but did manage to run three seasons.
Following the conclusion of The Golden Girls, Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia continued their story in a sequel series titled The Golden Palace. The series follows the three remaining girls after Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur) gets married and moves out. Rose, Blanche, and Sophia buy a Miami Beach hotel and run it with the help of Roland Wilson (Don Cheadle) and Chuy Castillos (Cheech Marin). The Golden Palace didn’t find the same success as the original and was canceled after just one season. The final show set within The Golden Girls’ world was Blossom. Following the adventures of spunky teen Blossom Russo (Mayim Bialik), the show was the only series within the universe not created by original showrunner Susan Harris and was the most loosely connected. While each show had varying degrees of success, with Empty Nest the only show to match The Golden Girls’ seven-season run, they all shared one consistency: the presence of Sophia Petrillo.
Though the entire main cast of Golden Girls appeared on Empty Nest and The Golden Palace, Sophia was the only character to appear in the entire franchise, and, like the MCU’s Nick Fury, she often united their stories. While The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, and Nurses aired, the show’s characters would occasionally cross over. Sophia was often at the center of such mash-ups. One of the earliest examples of Sophia bringing the franchise together occurs during the Season 4 episode, “Little Sister.” She agrees to watch the Weston’s dog, Dreyfus, which, of course, leads to classic Sophia shenanigans that require her to seek the unlikely help of Rose. But her real “Nick Fury” moments came on two occasions when all three shows shared single events.
In an event known as “Hurricane Saturday,” a hurricane sweeps through all three shows. Sophia runs away after causing a rift between her and Dorothy. Her efforts lead her into Empty Nest’s plot, with the story ultimately ending in Nurses. The next three-series crossover occurred when an event called “Full Moon Over Miami” aired. Sophia is directly responsible for causing a fight between Carol and Barbara. Even after The Golden Girl’s run ended, Sophia continued to connect the larger universe. During the sequel series, The Golden Palace, it’s revealed that the dreaded Shady Pines Retirement Home has been retooled to be paradise. Sophia briefly runs away from the hotel and spends a lovely afternoon being pampered there. Following the conclusion of Golden Palace, Sophia became a main character on Empty Nest’s sixth season. Unlike the original show, which often had muddled continuity, she kept that storyline alive when she revealed she moved back into Shady Pines.
Sophia even connected Blossom, a series that otherwise had little relation to the main show, when she guest starred in the Season 1 episode, “I Ain’t Got Nobody.” Being the only character to appear on all five shows was quite an accomplishment, especially considering her role in the original series was nearly much smaller. But it was no mistake that she was the one to bring the shows together. Sophia was a viewer and creative favorite. Sophia Petrillo’s popularity led her to become a series regular on the original show, and that favoritism became the legacy that allowed her to crossover. Even fellow Golden Girl Rue McClanahan admitted as such in an episode of Intimate Portrait ddedicated to Getty. As McClanahan put it: “…on the street, the first people they [viewers] ask me is, ‘How’s the old lady? How’s Sophia? Oh, she was my favorite.’ And I always say ‘Wait a minute, you’re talking to me, and she’s your favorite?’ But I have to admit, she was my favorite too.”
Sophia’s signature wit and charm made her so beloved to viewers. She was such an icon that the creatives just couldn’t keep her bound to one show. Sophia Petrillo is certainly one of the greatest characters in television history. She’s a character that has outlived her iconic run on The Golden Girls and went on to unite several shows, including Empty Nests, Golden Palace, Nurses, and Blossom. Thanks to her wit and popularity, she is a character who continues to entertain viewers to this very day.
