How many of you remember watching The Golden Girls spin-off sitcom, The Golden Palace? In the final episodes of The Golden Girls, Dorothy marries Blanche's uncle Lucas, played by Leslie Nielsen. The story continues in The Golden Palace, the name of the hotel that Blanche, Rose and Sophia invest in with their retirement savings. With the restaurant's chef Chuy Castillos, played by Cheech Marin, and the hotel's manager, Roland Wilson, played by Don Cheadle, the girls struggle to keep the hotel in business. Sadly, the spin-off only lasted one season.
Rose orders Roland (Don Cheadle) to recite the names of the reindeer to prove his worthiness to play Santa Claus for a children's party
The Golden Palace's brief run included a Christmas episode: 1992's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot (Less) Like Christmas." Sophia accepts a large reservation for the holiday from a therapy group looking to escape from Christmas. That means the hotel must avoid hanging any decorations and ban any festivities. The friends agree to set aside their holiday for the sake of the business however, Chuy revels in this bit of humbug. Overnight, he is visited by three ghosts that convince him that he is missing out on the happiness of the holiday. Of course, these three ghosts take on the appearance of his three elderly female co-workers Blanche, Rose and Sophia.
Chuy (Cheech Marin) with the Ghost of Christmas Past (Betty White)
Meanwhile, Roland has volunteered to be Santa Claus for a children’s charity party and Rose gives him strict lessons on how to be a better Santa. Betty White is hilarious as Rose, demanding that Roland rehearse and perfect his characterization of Santa--you have to see Rose in her ridiculous elf costume as Nicodemus, Santa's head elf.
Rose Nyland in her elf costume
This episode from the rare sitcom can be found on Youtube. While it's not my favorite Christmas episode, it is noteworthy as yet another interpretation of A Christmas Carol. I'm not sure Charles Dickens ever could have imagined a Castillos walking Christmas cake as a part of his classic tale! I think it's also interesting to see the Academy Award-nominated Don Cheadle in this sitcom. I'm currently watching him in his new TV series House of Lies which airs on Showtime. Tell me what you think of The Golden Palace Christmas episode.
The second Golden Girls Christmas episode arrives in the fifth season and is titled "Have Yourself A Very Little Christmas." The girls spend their holiday at the church helping to prepare and serve meals to the needy.
However, they are surprised at the number of women and children among the homeless. Another surprise: Dorothy’s ex-husband Stanley Zbornak is one of the men in line for food! Stan confides in Dorothy that his novelty toy business suffered some bad breaks this past year and his current wife has thrown him out of the house, accusing him of infidelity. But Dorothy won't allow Stan to feel too sorry for himself, reminding him that he has the ability and resources to help himself out of his current crisis. Dorothy points out that the other people and families at the church this day are not so lucky.
Dorothy reminds Stan that he has friends and family to help him during his time of trouble
This story has a powerful social message: many people are just a paycheck or two from severe financial troubles or becoming homeless. The Golden Girls created many of these stories with social issues--remember the episodes where Dorothy confronts illiteracy, Rose suffers from age discrimination when looking for a job, and Blanche is sexually harrassed by her professor? One of the points I appreciate the most from this story line is that the girls are thoughtful enough to wonder how these needy people will get help with food after the Christmas holiday. This is a great reminder to all of us that charity and giving should be a year round activity.
Stan Zbornak is played by Herb Edelman
One of Rose's great jokes in this episode.
This 1989 Christmas episode can viewed on the fifth season DVD release on disc 2. The show is currently airing weekdays on the Hallmark Channel and WE. Are you a big fan of The Golden Girls? Which of the two Christmas-themed episodes is your favorite? Up next: The Golden Palace Christmas episode.
Now what you've been waiting for--Betty White also starred in two Golden Girls Christmas episodes, the first being 1986's "Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas."
The roommates successfully dodge Rose's story about the St. Olaf stage play of 'The Christmas Carol' with an all-chicken cast.
Hilariously, Blanche has a passion for men dressed in Santa Claus suits. Concerned with the commercialism of Christmas and overspending on each others' gifts, the four roommates decide to swap homemade presents this year. Blanche makes a photo calendar--The Men of Blanche's Boudoir.
Dorothy reacts to Mr. September in her new calendar from Blanche.
Everything seems to be going right this holiday, until...
A man in a Santa Claus suit holds the women hostage at Rose’s workplace, a counseling center. The stranger has no intention of hurting them, he's just desperately trying to avoid spending Christmas alone. Rose, Blanche, Sophia and Dorothy fear that this delay means that they have each missed their flights to go home to be with their loved ones for the holidays. At the airport, they learn their flights have been canceled due to stormy weather.
As usual, they discuss their troubles over cheesecake and coffee.
Feeling like their holiday has been ruined, the women end up at a roadside diner sharing their sorrows over cheesecake and coffee. Rose, Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia remind themselves that they are family and they belong together at Christmas time. They begin to feel better after they volunteer to cover the shift for the man running the restaurant, allowing him to go home to be with his family for a little while on Christmas Eve.
"Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how..."
It miraculously begins to snow in Miami. The episode ends with a joke when the ditzy Rose is inspired to select a Christmas song on the diner’s jukebox and ends up playing Surfin’ Safari.
This Christmas episode can be found on the second season DVD set's second disc. The Golden Girls is currently airing daily on the Hallmark Channel and WE.
