Andrew Gold, the SoCal-based singer-songwriter who penned the iconic Golden Girls theme, "Thank You For Being A Friend," as well as the 1977 hit "Lonely Boy," passed away at his Encino home on June 3 after suffering a heart attack in his sleep, according to the LA Times. He was 59. more ›

Thanksgiving is utterly wonderful because it's a simple concept that for many reasons, we can't do everyday: gather with others over food and take a moment to remember what we should be grateful for. It's easy to constantly be thinking about what we need to change in our lives, how to make it better -- but all of us do have things big and small that we are lucky to have. Here are a few of mine:
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Golden Girl and just all around classy woman Rue McClanahan has died, according to KCBS2. It happened around 1 a.m., with her family by her bedside, when she suffered a massive stroke. The 76-year-old had a long career, appearing in close to 300 movies and TV episodes, most notably as Blanche Devereaux in the "The Golden Girls," which aired around 180 episodes itself. For that role, she was nominated four years in a row (1986-89) for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in the Emmys -- she won it in 1987. She also was nominated three times for a Golden Globe. Other known roles include ones on "Maude" and "Mama's Family." She was a lifelong animal welfare advocate and vegetarian. R.I.P, Rue. more ›

Last week Hollywood lost the legendary Bea Arthur, when the funny lady of television and Broadway passed away at 86. The fab foursome of Arthur's hit series The Golden Girls is often compared with the totally different kind of fab foursome seen on Sex and the City, this TV Land video shows the late, great Arthur (along with television's other golden ladies Katherine Helmond, Charlotte Rae, and Sally Struthers) lampooning the HBO series, and reminding us she'll always have the last laugh. more ›

Actress Bea Arthur, known best for her iconic television turns as The Golden Girls' Dorothy Zbornak and the titular Maude, has died, the Associated Press is reporting. She was 86. "Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer, Watt said, declining to give further details." more ›

A lot of us grew up with The Golden Girls, from their unprecedented success on NBC's Saturday night sitcom lineup to the now-ubiquitous Lifetime reruns. It was a show that probably shouldn't have been a hit--four elderly women sharing a home in Miami in the mid-1980s--but thanks to its incredibly sharp (and still funny) dialogue and the talents of its four leading ladies, the show has earned its place as a pop culture icon. more ›

Yesterday LAist was invited to watch a taping of The Florence Henderson Show on the AARP's new network, Retirement Living TV. It was a bonus that they shoot it on the same soundstage where they filmed I Love Lucy. Blogger Donna Lethal's presence was required for her sense of irony, incredible database of old Hollywood trivia, ability to spot someone famous at 20 yards, and long red hair that men find irresistible. more ›

Picture it: North Hollywood, 2007. Two old pals get together to work on an installment of LAist's Neighborhood Project but are easily distracted by watching episodes of The Golden Girls on dvd. Deeply entrenched in a bout of hunger, the two turn to the internets to find a local pizzeria that isn't a great big multinational chain (one of them used to be the LAist Food Editor, after all, and has these lofty ideals about consumerism) and they land on the site of a well-known nearby establishment. The pizza is ordered, delivered, and consumed, and the two are left remarking that it was one helluva pizza. more ›

In Which we Discover how the Golden Girls helped make stuff we like Have you ever written anything? I don't mean like a letter or a note, but something long, something good. Sure, you think you could. A lot of people do. But unless you're actually writing something, you're not a writer. Writing is really time consuming. It's not just about fun and ideas. It's about forcing yourself to sit down, get off the phone,... more ›

The NSFW video above shows the sweet (and sweaty) scene inside the Golden Gals Gone Wild art opening held Saturday night in Hollywood at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery. It was so hot that some of the go-go dancers decided to take their clothes off and get more comfortable. Who can blame em. Read our review and view a photo essay of the event here, and click here for an interview with the... more ›

There were cross dressers, women in fishnets, a little person, celebs, frat boy authors, tattooed artists, and musicians dressed as nurses. Just another night on Hollywood Blvd? Perhaps. But mix in the opening night of an art show totally dedicated to erotic, unusual, and sometimes disturbing images of tv legends, The Golden Girls, and you get something very different, even for Hollywood. Curator Lenora Claire was glowing as she worked her way out of... more ›

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt, who has completely covered her house in mosaic tiles. more ›

Not since Magritte was in town at the beginning of this year have so many people talked about an art show. Featuring dozens of controversial pieces from a variety of artists like Jackie Beat, Angus Oblong, Plastic God, Mad Puppeteer, Jim Winters, Austin Young, Selene Luna, Jtodd Irby, Chris McKim, Garilyn Brune and Gay Bigfoot, who knew that a topless painting of Bea Arthur that was bought off eBay for a little over $100... more ›

If you see Jennifer Love Hewitt today, wish her a happy birthday; she turns 27. And she's not the only one celebrating. Charlotte Church, the little "voice of an angel" soprano, turns 20. Musician Mark Arm from Mudhoney turns 44 and Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads will be (yikes) 57. This was Nina Simone's birthday too, but she's not around anymore for someone to put a little sugar in her bowl. more ›

Yesterday an eagle-eyed LAist reader wondered why we were salivating over the Buena Vista Lofts while the developer is in bankruptcy. We followed up with the folks at Curbed LA and they got a curt response, which boils down to the fact that the company's assets exceed their debts. Sigh. Looks like the developer's Chapter 11 filing was in the last days before rules governing bankruptcy changed. Our lofty heaven is earthbound after all. more ›

The Museum of Television & Radio’s annual William S. Paley Television Festival – a love fest between the creators and stars of the latest and greatest in TV land and their adoring public – kicks off on Feb. 28 with the cast and crew of Grey's Anatomy. more ›