90s TV Babies Meet The Golden Girls: Uncovering Timeless Comedy | 80s TV PodcastJoin co-hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they welcome back the “’90s TV Babies”—Sergio Perez, Sailor Franklin, and Serita Fontanesi—plus first-time (almost silent) guest: the 20s² TV Baby Theo —for a 2026 discussion of The Golden Girls.The group is assigned a lineup of key episodes across Seasons 1, 2, 4, 6, and the two-part series finale.They catch up on the last six months: Serita welcomes baby Theo (nearly six months old),...
90s TV Babies Meet The Golden Girls: Uncovering Timeless Comedy | 80s TV Podcast
Join co-hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they welcome back the “’90s TV Babies”—Sergio Perez, Sailor Franklin, and Serita Fontanesi—plus first-time (almost silent) guest: the 20s² TV Baby Theo —for a 2026 discussion of The Golden Girls.
The group is assigned a lineup of key episodes across Seasons 1, 2, 4, 6, and the two-part series finale.
They catch up on the last six months: Serita welcomes baby Theo (nearly six months old), shares his love of his Paddington bear, and talks about returning to work; Sailor celebrates a new solo apartment in South Pasadena, a promotion to visual and performing arts associate at a nonprofit, and performing in a 134 West variety show (“Merry Queerness: A Wildly Inappropriate Holiday Show”) featuring a “Last Christmas” number; Sergio describes his first “adult summer” without children’s theater, a year in a new apartment with Koji, and travel to the dunes at Pismo Beach.
Theo’s teething, sock-removing, and foot-in-mouth milestones frequently steal the spotlight.
On The Golden Girls, the guests discuss its lasting impact, rapid-fire joke writing, and how boldly early seasons tackled topics like LGBTQ+ themes, age gaps, consent/power dynamics, teen pregnancy, grief, and loss—often balancing heart with humor.
Sergio admits he’s watching the series for the first time and praises the show’s intelligence and influence on later sitcoms; Sailor highlights the value of 24-plus-episode seasons and names Dorothy as her favorite; Sergio chooses Rose and admires Betty White’s performance.
They single out “Mrs. George Devereaux” for its emotional weight and structure, and critique the pacing and feel of the series finale’s ending. They also touch on behind-the-scenes context discussed on the podcast, including Estelle Getty’s later-season memory issues and reported tensions between Bea Arthur and Betty White, and briefly fan-cast a hypothetical reboot.
The episode includes a Cozy Earth ad read (41% off with the show’s promo code - ONLY GOOD UNTIL MARCH), mentions a 40th anniversary Golden Girls special on Hulu (2025), shares Serita’s Venmo for diaper money, and plugs Susan’s arts organization Arts à la Carte
The hosts preview upcoming episodes featuring writer/producer/professor Georgia Jeffries (episode 99) and announce Morgan Fairchild as the special guest for the show’s 100th episode.
THE ASSIGNMENTIf you want to watch what the 90s TV Babies watched…
Here is your assignment should you choose to accept it:
S1E1 Pilot, The Engagement
S1.E9 Blanche and the Younger Man
S1.E13 A Little Romance
S1.E25 The Way We Met
S2.E02 Ladies of the Evening
S2.E24 To Catch a Neighbor
S4.E15 Valentine’s Day
S6.E9 Mrs. George Devereaux
S7.25 & S7.26 One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest
BONUS EXTRA CREDIT EPISODESS2.E5 Isn’t it Romantic
S2.E21 Dorothy’s Prized Pupil
S6.E14 Sister of the Bride
S7.E2 The Case of the Libertine Bell
S3, Ep1 - Friendship and Memories
00:00 Welcome Back + Golden Girls Episode Assignment
02:24 Meet the Nineties TV Babies (and Baby Theo!)
03:24 Serita’s Life Update: New Baby, Time Off, Paddington Bear
05:04 Sailor’s Update: Shows, Audio Fixes, and Holiday Performance
11:11 Sailor’s Big News: New Apartment + Promotion
12:20 Sergio’s Update: Post-Theater Freedom and Travel Adventures
18:57 Back to the Show: Everyone’s Golden Girls History
24:29 Sailor’s Take: Why Golden Girls Still Hits in 2026
28:39 Campy vs. heartfelt: unpacking the dream episode’s wild tonal mix
30:00 Bring back 24-episode seasons: why filler, flashbacks & character color matter
32:20 Sergio’s first-time watch: rapid-fire jokes, smart writing, and trusting the audience
34:15 Standout lines & bold topics: teen pregnancy, grief, and jokes that land
36:16 Sponsor break: Cozy Earth bamboo sheets (41% off)
36:59 Why Golden Girls still feels ahead of its time (and the case for a reboot)
39:53 Surprises on rewatch: dramatic acting, theater-style sitcoms, and that gut-punch ending
46:38 Favorite Girl debate: Dorothy vs. Rose, and what makes each character click
49:00 Behind-the-scenes: cast dynamics, Estelle Getty’s memory issues, and Betty White lore
53:14 Finale reactions: hating Stan, rushed romance, and an ending without a button
57:26 Monoculture is gone: streaming chaos, reboot realities, and dream fan-casting
01:01:50 Wrap-up & plugs: anniversary special, links, Patreon, and what’s next
AUDIOOGRAPHY
🎙️ FEATURED GUESTS- Sergio Perez – Associate Producer, actor, writer & "90s TV Baby"
- Sailor Franklin – South Pasadena based stage manager, performer and Visual & Performing Arts Associate | Connect on Instagram
- Serita Fontanesi – New mom to baby Theodore; host of Not Ugly | Venmo Theo diapers! Visit Serita.co or Listen to Not Ugly Pod
👵 GOLDEN GIRLS RESOURCESFIND GOLDEN GIRLSWatch On Hulu or Philo
Also YouTube and Apple TV
- DVDs are available through eBay, Walmart, and your local library.
- 40th Anniversary Special (2025) – 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship | Watch on Hulu
- Official Social Media – Stay updated with the girls | Follow on Facebook
📻 CONNECT WITH 80s TV LADIES- Official Website: 80sTVLadies.com
- Email Us: 80sTVLadies@gmail.com
- Support the Show: Get ad-free episodes and bonus content | Support on Patreon
🎭 SUSAN'S NEW VENTUREArts A La Carte – A non-profit dedicated to helping develop new works in theater.
- Website: ArtsALaCarte.org
- Instagram: @ArtsALaCarteLA
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