Though The Golden Girls made its debut on September 14, 1985, the series still remains fresh for generations of new viewers thanks to great writing and syndicated reruns. | Jim Spellman/GettyImagesRue McClanahan gave her reluctant Maude co-star the final push to convince her to give The Golden Girls a try. Queen Elizabeth was a huge Golden Girls fan. All of those “crazy earrings” (Arthur's words) that Golden Girls stylist Judy Evans gave Dorothy were clip-ons. The Golden Girls introduced a new word to non-Floridian viewers: lanai.