'Golden Girls': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Zoom special starring Tracee Ellis Ross and an all-Black cast
2020 has been quite a harrowing year and many of us have found solace in online shows to take a break from all the gloom and distress. To make you feel even better, we have some good news for you. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross announced on Instagram that an all-Black cast will star in a ‘Golden Girls’ special which will take place on Zoom.
Release date
The special can be seen on Zoom on September 8. It is part of the series ‘Zoom Where It Happens’ – an initiative with the popular video conferencing platform.
Plot
The original 1985 sitcom revolved around four elderly single women -- three widows and one divorcée. They shared a house in Miami. Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) is a widow and the owner of the house. She is joined by fellow widow Rose Nylund (Betty White) and divorcée Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), who respond to an ad on the bulletin board of a local grocery store a year before the start of the series. In the first episode, the three ladies are joined by Dorothy's 80-year-old mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), because the retirement home she was staying in, burned down. After seven seasons the show came to an end in 1992. The event description says, “We bring to you our rendition of Golden Girls, reimagined with an all-Black cast of your favorite actresses: Alfre Woodard, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sanaa Lathan, and Regina King, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and hosted by Lena Waithe.” However, it is not clear whether the Zoom version of the original will be a re-enactment of a particular episode or a new take on it. As per Entertainment Weekly, the event will also focus on the civil rights organization ‘Color of Change’.
Cast
Ross posted an image on Instagram of Regina King, Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan, and herself photoshopped over the show's original cast. It seems, as per the photoshopped image, Ross will be Rose, originally played by White, King is Dorothy, as originally portrayed by Arthur. Woodard will step in as Sophia, who was played by Getty, and Lathan will be Blanche, as essayed by McClanahan. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood will helm the episode while Lena Waithe will host it.
Regina King
King has appeared in both television and films and is remembered for her role in films such as ‘Friday’ (1995) and ‘Jerry Maguire’ (1996), and the ABC anthology series ‘American Crime’, for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards. King won the Best Supporting Actress for the film ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ at 91st Academy Awards.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Ross is best known for her lead roles in the television series ‘Girlfriends’ (2000–2008) and ‘Black-ish’ (2014–present). For the latter, she has won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.
Alfre Woodard
Woodard is an actress, producer, and political activist. She is the recipient of four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe award. She won the latter for ‘Miss Evers' Boys’ (1998) for the category Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
Sanaa Lathan
Lathan’s film credits include ‘Love & Basketball’ (2000), ‘Alien vs Predator’ (2004), ‘Something New’ (2006), ‘Contagion’ (2011), and ‘Now You See Me 2’ (2016). She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’.
Trailer
Ross shared an announcement on Instagram. There is no trailer for the event yet.
Where and how to watch it
Viewers can watch in for free as long as they register beforehand and be ready to receive messages about how you can make a change during this election, as mentioned in the event description. You can register here. The event takes place on September 8, 6 pm PST/9 pm EST.
