Overview

• The NBC sitcom premiered on Sept. 14, 1985 with Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Betty White and Rue McClanahan leading as four women sharing a home in Miami.
• The series ran seven seasons through May 1992, earning 68 Emmy nominations, with each of the four stars winning an Emmy for their performances.
• A Time personal essay underscores the show’s enduring comfort and its candid approach to topics such as aging, menopause, elder care, homophobia and discrimination.
• People revisits post-series careers and notes the one‑season spin‑off The Golden Palace (1992–1993) as well as crossovers with Empty Nest.
• All four leads have since died—Getty in 2008, Arthur in 2009, McClanahan in 2010 and White in 2021—yet the show remains widely beloved in reruns and streaming.