Who should have replaced Bea on The Golden Girls?

Stan

Stritch

Dena Dietrich

Shirley MacLaine

R2 God no

Marie Dressler

I don’t think Debbie Reynolds would have worked because they already had a ham with Betty White

Brett Somers

Debbie was interviewed with the GG cast around 1991 when she guest starred on the show. Does anyone know where I can find that interview?

Agnes Moorehead.

Harvey Fierstein playing her sister Gloria

Zara Cully

They needed a grounded sane voice, Doris Roberts might have worked, though I don't find her particularly likable.

Audrey Hepburn was still alive, that might have been a fun addition!

Jean Stapleton.

I think having a sassy mouthed older Latina would have worked well - and fit in with Miami.

That smokey voiced elderwoman on Night Court. I cant recall her name nor am I interested in looking up IMDB right now because as soon as I do, three of you will reply, "Thelma Ritter?" and NO, it was not Thelma Ritter but close. She couod deliver a put down with a carefree tone that would have been like Bea but different enough to not feel like an obvious clone.

Never mind. It was Selma Diamond and she died in 1985 so she wouldn't have been available to do much more than a Weekend at Bernies show.

Ted McGinley

Chita Rivera or Rita Moreno or both !

I always thought Cloris Leachman would have been great as 'Blanche' on the show. Rue could've gone to 'Facts of Life' and replaced 'Mrs. Garrett'.

Second Elaine Stritch but I don't see how this matters- shows long cancelled and they’re all long dead. Too bad dump isn’t dead yet and I hope I hope I live enough to enjoy that…

R22 Does ANY post on here really matter? Just have fun.

R5 = Susan Harris

Ok ok.

Did Stritch ever guest star on the Golden Girls? I’ve only seen a handful of episodes.

R26 No, thank god

Della Reese!

Charo obviously

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Eileen Heckart

Ann B. Davis

Suzanne Pleshette!!!

[quote]Stritch

She would have lasted maybe three episodes. Stritch had no interest in being part of an ensemble. She would have needed to steal focus every minute of every episode. Stritch was the original Trixie Norton when the "Honeymooners" sketches began on Jackie Gleason's variety show on the old Dumont network. Gleason fired her after only one episode.

Donna Reed

A little of Stritch goes a LONG way.

Dorothy was amazing obviously but kind of cunty to be fair so BACALL.

Marla Gibbs

If Elaine Stritch showed up on TGG I’d borrow a gun to shoot my television. That would have been far too much scenery to sit through watching her chew. Her one-woman show was enough. Watching her try to upstage three other old broads would have been a nightmare.

Stritch did the soaps. She played Alison's mother on One Life to Live. Must have been broke.

Stritchie didn't do warm...Bea played loud, over the top characters who could be quite tough but she was also quite good playing warm tender moments. That really wasn't Stritch's strength.

No one could have replaced Bea.

Robbie Rist.

Geraldine Page

[quote]No one could have replaced Bea.

Or be a success without her.

Tony Danza.

Fannie Flagg

It's a shame Dame Angela never guest starred alongside her old Bosom Buddy Bea.

Karen Cellini or Emma Samms!

They should've brought back Barbara Thorndyke. She got poor and needed a place to stay. But she's still a racist as ever and Magat-like.

R47. Fuck off

Nan Martin as Zombie Frieda Claxton would have made some for crazy shenanigans.

R46 Fannie would have been great

The wonderful Marian Mercer, who was already a member of the Witt/Thomas family.

I actually think an old guy would have been funny. No idea who it could be

Nobody.

I wasn’t a fan of “Golden Palace” but there’s no way the show could have maintained the same format with any one of them gone.

The actress who played Dorothy's sister. .. there were two

Barbara Cason

Marlo Thomas !

R16 = Maria Conchita Alonso

Elaine talks about her audition for the pilot.

Do I need to say it.

Jane Russell

Shelley Hack!

Jean Simmons.

Brenda Vaccaro as widow Angela Petrillo.

Sandra Gould.

Elaine Stritch could have been Blanche’s childhood best friend.

Or, they could have made her a permanent guest/investor at the Golden Palace.

Funny that Selma Diamond and Doris Roberts were mentioned here since it was the skit they did together that inspired TGG.

Gena Rowlands? Gene Simmons? Merle Oberon?

R68 wtf no way! 😂 love it

Richard Simmons

R56 Dena Dietrich aka Mother Nature. Good call.

Jean the big lez moves in and is still in love with Rose after all these years. Blanche is still jealous and tries to seduce Jean by wearing skimpy outfits around the house. Rose thinks scissoring has to do with arts & crafts. Sophia joins a gang and burns down Shady Pines. Dorothy is having crazy wild sex with Lucas in Atlanta.

I think the only obvious answer is Julie Andrews.

Oscar the Grouch.

The cast of Alice (the Florence Jean Castleberry years).

Lucille Ball

Aunt Angela!

Gary said no

R67 Hell no

[quote]Elaine Stritch could have been Blanche’s childhood best friend. Or, they could have made her a permanent guest/investor at the Golden Palace.

"Golden Palace" sank fast enough without any dubious help from Elaine Stritch.

Divine

Roseanne

Carol Burnett. She had already worked with Betty and Rue on Mama's Family and she was funny and as well-known as Bea.

That's it. Case closed.

No Carol is not a straight, sassy shrewd type. She's more like Rose.

Tina Louise

Charlotte Rae.

Leslie Jordan or Florence Henderson

Judy Tenuta

Don Knotts.

Elizabeth Montgomery

Joan Collins. (Why not?)

Gabrielle Carteris

Elaine Stritch.

How about Elaine Stritch?

I was going to give a vote for Brett Somers, but I think having Brenda Vaccaro come back to play Angela full time is the winning suggestion.

Not Elaine Stritch?

Brett Somers would have been like Elaine Stritch, only without any talent.

Florence henderson might have worked as someone whos hubby just came out as trans and so they separated. He/she and her new bf could pop up from time to time.

So could her six kids.

Gabrielle Carteris wouldn't be a good fit, as they wouldn't want two characters Sophia's age...

Lucille Ball

Diahann Carroll. She could've reprised her role as Dominique Deveraux, showing up at the Golden Palace with all her luggage (remember, she doesn't sleep IN her clothes nor WITH them, so it's a double suite for her). By the fourth episode she announces she's Blanche's half sister - they share the same daddy.

Brett Butler

And her mother was Mammy Watkins R103, she was born as a result of that affair with Big Daddy. And there could be other mixed race siblings out there… ‘cause we never did find out who that “Camptown Races” music box was really for.

Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers would have been exhausting.

Shelley Winters. Thread Closed.

Tina Louise

R105 That would've been great - I forgot about Mammy Watkins!

When Blanche and Dominique go over their family tree, it could be labeled 'A Very Special Episode' to warn viewers this 'comedy' was taking a serious turn about interracial families. It could've been titled 'Sisters At Heart' to pay homage to the special Christmas "Bewitched" episode.

Coco

Brett Somers would have been ten times better than Elaine Stritch.

Valerie Harper

Sandy Duncan.

Vera Charles.

Marian Seldes would have been a perfect fit. She's the most like Bea in appearance and demeanor.

Did they ask Helen Lawson?

Dena Dietrich.

[quote]Stritch had no interest in being part of an ensemble.

And yet her most famous role was in "Company."

She could be in an ensemble, but only if she could get all the funniest lines and draw the most attention.

Charles Pierce.

James Coco

Charles Nelson Riley

Forget Stritch working with Estelle, Stritch and Betty White would have been a feud for the ages. Betty thought Bea was difficult?

Let Betty try one of the jokes/digs on Elaine that she used to do to Bea, Elaine would read her to filth in front of the audience and everyone.

Brett Somers. Hologram if necessary.

R122 CNR is an awesome choice.

Charles would have killed it. I loved that guy.

No replacement, just more adventures for the 3 remaining women.

Less waiting around for men to call.

[quote]Less waiting around for men to call.

Sounds like you want the show to be like your personal life.

Diahann Caroll

R129 Go back and read the posts at R103, R105 and R110.

Adrienne Barbeau.

Angela Lansbury! Then Bea visits a couple of times during the season and we get Bea and Angie together!

Vicki Lawrence

Nell Carter

Tallulah Bankhead. Yes, I know that she was dead at the time, but this whole thread is filled with dead people.

Carole Cook

Diane Carol

[quote]Diane Carol

Who was that? Miss Ingenue of 1962?

Roseanne Barr

PATTI LUPONE ! She could've played Dorothy's daughter who takes over the hotel.

Marla Gibbs! She moves in from the projects when Jackee buys the building.

Fess Parker

Sally Struthers

Crystal Gayle

Reba

Eve Arden

Peggy Cass

Mama Cass

Cass Daley

Foghorn Leghorn.

Tyne Daly.

Joyce Dewitt. Duh.