The Golden Girls The Complete Fifth Season

It’s a good sign when a new year begins with Jeffrey Tambor (The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development) and ends with Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap, The Simpsons). Tambor shows up as Dorothy’s doctor in the The Golden Girls two-part fifth season premiere (”Sick and Tired”). Unfortunately, he isn’t able to determine why she’s feeling run down, so she pays a visit to Empty Nest’s Dr. Weston (Richard Mulligan, who returns a few episodes later). Blanche (Rue McClanahan), meanwhile, decides to become a romance novelist, despite the fact that she can’t write. Dorothy (Bea Arthur) will eventually find out she has chronic fatigue syndrome (an affliction shared by writer/creator Susan Harris, who’ll soon exit the show), while the flighty Blanche will retire from writing as suddenly as she took it up. Then she’ll get the news that her daughter, Rebecca, has decided to become a single mother–via artificial insemination. Blanche is aghast. As for Rose, she’ll get a new job as the assistant to a consumer affairs reporter and find second love with professor Miles Webber (Harold Gould). Other guests during the 1989-1990 season include Dick Van Dyke (”Love Under the Big Top”), Robert Culp (”Like the Beep Beep Beep of the Tom-Tom”), and a pre-Law & Order Jerry Orbach (”Cheaters”). Then there’s Shearer (”The President’s Coming! The President’s Coming!”), who provides the voice for the first George Bush. Also, Marc Cherry, the man behind Desperate Housewives, receives his first writing credit, while Mark Moses–now best known as the murderous Rex–appears as Blanche’s stepson. Unlike previous sets, this collection includes commentary from Arthur, McClanahan, and White. –Kathleen C Fennessy

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars “The Final Good Season of “The Golden Girls”"
Like most television programs entering their fifth year on the air “The Golden Girls” started to lose some of its shine, mainly from the fact that their beloved group of headwriters left the series at the end of the fourth year to pursue other projects. However, the chemistry among the cast was still there and Terry Hughes’ excellent directing continued, but the scripts were not as original and funny as in previous years. Still, season five is worth having as there are some innovative stories that were told. The season opening was a two-parter called “Sick and Tired” in which Dorothy can’t understand why she is always tired and without energy. “72 Hours” was a topical episode for its day as Rose is informed that she may have come in contact with the AIDS virus from a blood transfusion. Also this season Harold Gould gets a recurring role as Rose’s new boyfriend and Dick Van Dyke guest stars as a flame of Dorothy’s. 26 episodes are included in this set and the series showed that it was still mighty in the ever important Nielsen ratings as the “The Golden Girls” ended the 1989-1990 season at #6.

5 Stars Yet Still More Golden Greats
Season Five continues with some of the best TV comedy ever seen in the eighties. Golden Girls remains one of the best shows of its time – and even now! If you are not in to forgetting your problems and laughing your guts out, then this show isn’t for you… and that would have to be a big mistake.

This season must not be missed. This is one of the few shows I can watch over and over and still laugh at the same gags. Timeless!!!

5 Stars Highly Entertaining!
A wonderful show, especially for adults — or even young adults! As an ensemble, these ladies can really act, in my view, and the storylines are well-written; important social issues are touched upon in each episode, and with all of these things together, makes for an absolutely unique & eloquent show — with both humor and compassion. I’ve found that most every episode shows a very moral approach to many ‘taboo’ subjects. I have watched every single episode & never tire of my ‘Girls.’

5 Stars must
a “must have”! but no subtitles (but the English ones) for European countries (nor zone 2 DVD either)

5 Stars You won’t be disappointed!
Fantastic! I haven’t been disappointed by any Golden Girls DVD’s I have ordered from Amazon.com. I own every season and watch them all the time! Great when you need a laugh.

The quality of the DVD’s is excellent and the delivery was speedy and efficient. Which I have become accustom to when ordering from Amazon.com

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