The Golden Girls brought a breath of fresh air to television. Plenty of Hollywood tends to focus on the young, under the belief that anyone over the age of 35 is of no worth to an audience. A show like The Golden Girls proved that a group of mature ladies could not only be entertained but would be celebrated by fans everywhere.

“I do think the four of us offer a wonderful picture of American womanhood,” said Rue McClanahan, during an interview with The Birmingham News. McClanahan played Blanche Devereaux.

McClanahan’s co-star, Betty White, also revealed that the cast was able to offer their own improvisational moments to the episodes during production.

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“We’ll be able to use our own ideas to make things work,” said White. “But that’s when we’re rehearsing. On a normal script, you rehearse for five days, experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t. You don’t mess around. During the rehearsal, you take out the things that don’t belong.”

Estelle Getty, better known as Sophia Petrillo, argued that the appeal of the show came from a “peek behind the curtain,” so to speak.

“What you’re seeing in this thing is people at home,” said Getty. “You’re seeing people who are not in public. At home, you can drink milk from the carton without having to worry about anyone else seeing you and laughing.”