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.