In celebration of the show’s 40th anniversary, Disney Entertainment Television announced on Friday that fans of “The Golden Girls” can look forward to exclusive themed merchandise and experiences across the country, starting on the official Golden Girls Day, Wednesday, July 30, with nationwide events that will feature curated experiences from Zero Waste Daniel, themed beverages from Nocking Point Wines, treats from Yogurtland, and limited-edition merchandise from Brick Craft, Candier, and Furbish Studio.

Debuting September 14, 1985 on NBC and created by Susan Harris, “The Golden Girls” captivated audiences for seven memorable seasons, with the series’ theme song and lyrics becoming an enduring anthem for generations of fans.

The series followed four vibrant friends sharing life and laughter in Miami: strong-willed Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), sweetly naive Rose Nylund (Betty White), flirtatious Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and wise-cracking Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty).

Though their distinctive personalities occasionally clashed, their enduring friendship — celebrated in the theme song “Thank You for Being a Friend” — remains the heart of the show.

For the first time, the estate of singer-songwriter Andrew Gold has made the lyrics of his classic hit “Thank You for Being a Friend” available for “The Golden Girls” products being sold by Furbish Studio, Yogurtland and Candier:

•  Furbish Studio, known for its iconic collection of needlepoint pillows featuring witty sayings, playful prints and vibrant patterns, is launching the limited-edition “Thank You for Being a Friend” pillow. The pillow will be available for pre-order through the company’s website, www.furbishstudio.com, starting August 19, ahead of the official product launch on September 12.
• Yogurtland will introduce a limited-edition cheesecake-flavored yogurt, “Thank You for Being Cheesecake,” to celebrate National Cheesecake Day on July 30. Aptly named in connection with the iconic theme song for “The Golden Girls,” Yogurtland fans can escape the heat at any of the 202 participating locations across the United States until August 17.
• Candier, the candle brand renowned for its unique, fun and luxurious scented candles, will introduce two limited-edition items: “I’ll get the Cheesecake!” candle and the “Thank You for Being a Friend” candle, starting September 14.

Additional “The Golden Girls” products and celebrations include the following:

• From July 31 to August 17, Brooklyn-based fashion brand Zero Waste Daniel will honor television’s most iconic foursome with a limited-edition capsule collection inspired by “The Golden Girls,” celebrating the enduring legacy of Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia. The collection reinterprets nostalgic elements from the sitcom through the bold, artistic and heartfelt vision of one of Brooklyn’s most unique creative studios. It will be available to purchase online and at a special in-store activation at the Zero Waste Daniel flagship location (257 Varet Street), which will be transformed into a Golden Girls-inspired dreamscape, part fashion destination and part fan tribute.

• Beginning August 17, Nocking Point Wines, the distinguished wine company known for delivering custom-curated wines, will launch a wine assortment with four distinct bottles to celebrate the four vibrant friends: a full-bodied red for strong-willed Dorothy Zbornak, rosé in honor of spacey Rose Nylund, a sauvignon Blanc befitting flirtatious Blanche Devereaux, and a red blend perfect for the wise-cracking Sophia Petrillo.

• Brickcraft, the design-forward building brand known for bringing fan-favorite franchises to life through brick-building sets, will debut a limited-edition “The Golden Girls” brick-building set in November.

Disney Entertainment Television also has multiple programming events planned:

• Fisher-Price has launched a playful and nostalgic short-form content series titled “Little People Collector Mini Adventures.” This series reimagines beloved moments from “The Golden Girls” using the Fisher-Price Little People Collector The Golden Girls: Late Night Cheesecake set featuring Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia. Each episode highlights fan-favorite themes and timeless humor, introducing the charm and wit of these iconic characters to a new generation in Little People form. 

• All-new episodes will debut July 30 across the official social media accounts of “The Golden Girls,” Mattel and Fisher-Price, coinciding with International Cheesecake Day. Additional episodes are scheduled to air Aug. 19, with a special episode commemorating the 40th anniversary of the show set to air Sept. 14. Another episode, focusing on the most memorable moments from the series, will be released on Nov. 18.

• This fall, ABC News will mark the iconic sitcom’s 40th anniversary with a one-hour special detailing the incredible inside story of “The Golden Girls,” featuring series creator Susan Harris, Emmy Award-winning producer Tony Thomas, and many of the show’s original writers and producers. Paying tribute to the legendary actresses who brought Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia to life, and to 40 years of friendship, laughter and their famous love of cheesecake, the special will explore how “The Golden Girls” used uninhibited comedy to rewrite the narrative for women over 50 and how its timeless appeal has created a lasting influence on pop culture.

Check out a 40th anniversary promo below.

“The Golden Girls” is one of only four sitcoms where every performer in the main cast won at least one Emmy Award for their performance. Overall, the series won 11 Emmy Awards, including two wins for Outstanding Comedy Series, and earned four Golden Globes and several other prestigious industry honors during its run. The iconic series ranked among the Nielsen ratings’ Top 10 for six of its seven seasons and ranked 18 out of Variety’s 100 Greatest TV Shows of all time.

The iconic series has been streamed over 1 billion hours globally on Disney+ and Hulu. All seven seasons are available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.

Note: The post Disney Entertainment Television Celebrates 40th Anniversary Of ‘The Golden Girls’ With Themed Merchandise & Experiences appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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I just finished watching an episode from season 1 on Apple TV.☺️

3 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

I just finished watching an episode from season 1 on Apple TV.☺️

Suddenly, I'm in the mood for cheesecake 😂😂😂

Does Disney own Golden Girls? I didn't know that.

They should do a panel with all the various and confusing kids of the characters.

Or Hank Azaria.

5 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Does Disney own Golden Girls? I didn't know that.

They should do a panel with all the various and confusing kids of the characters.

Or Hank Azaria.

They produced it, yes.

2 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Suddenly, I'm in the mood for cheesecake 😂😂😂

I have some in my refrigerator.😂