[marcsotkin]

My name is Marc Sotkin. I was the show runner (Exec. Producer) on both Golden Girls and Laverne & Shirley. I also worked on other shows like Charles In Charge, Blansky's Beauties, and It's A Living among others. I've just been turned on to this site. If you have any questions, I love to talk TV.
Marc

[CheeseCake]

Oh, wow! It's fantastic that you're here!

Do you have a favorite memory from working on The Golden Girls? Were you sad when the show ended, and do you think it could have lasted another season?



Thank You!

This post has been edited by CheeseCake: 27 October 2005 - 06:15 AM

[Paul]

Another member of The Golden Girls crew! We're very lucky here!
Oh and by the way, welcome aboard!

[Sam]

Hi Marc

It's good to have you here. Welcome to the forums

I'm sure a lot of questions will be fired your way with regards to The Golden Girls and other shows you have worked on. Thanks a lot for taking the time out to answer those for us, aswell as these questions recently put to you by one of our moderators by e-mail. That was very interesting.

Best,

Sam

[Nougi]

Thanks Marc and welcome to the forums! We're all so glad to have you here!

I have a question about the 72 hours episode of the Golden Girls : Were some scenes more difficult for Betty to tape than others (emotionally I mean) and if so which ones?

Thanks so much for answering!

This post has been edited by Nougi: 27 October 2005 - 03:29 PM

[Stephen]

Welcome Marc!

It's great to have another member of the GG crew on this site and I'll be sure to ask you about your memories of the show and everything ekse you've worked on. As said before, thanks so much for answering those questions recently about the show.

Have fun here and welcome again to the forums!

[Catherine]

Wow how cool is this. Welcome to the forums, Marc. It's great to have another member of the Golden Girls crew over here.

[marcsotkin]

I'm going to answer a few of these with one post. Nougi asked me about an episode entitled 72 hours. I have no idea what that episode was - which leads me to a favorite story. I did 4 years of It's A Living before GG and always title shows that I write as The____Show. The ____is whatever the episode is about. So The Amy and Louie Show is the episode where Amy dates Louie. Easy to remember. When I went on GG the first episode I wrote was where Rose got a new job as a consumer reporter. I entitled it The Rose's New Job Show. I was told I couldn't do that on GG, that it would show a lack of caring. So in protest I started writing episodes with titles like, Ebbtide, Ebbtide's Revenge, Ebbtide IV The Wrath of Stan, etc. The titles meant nothing but, for some reason executives felt they showed more caring. But as a result, when someone asks me about an episode like 72 hours, I have no idea what the show was about. So, if you as me about the one where Rose does whatever - I'm happy to fill in the blanks.

[Robert]

marcsotkin, on Oct 27 2005, 07:28 PM, said:

I'm going to answer a few of these with one post. Nougi asked me about an episode entitled 72 hours. I have no idea what that episode was - which leads me to a favorite story. I did 4 years of It's A Living before GG and always title shows that I write as The____Show. The ____is whatever the episode is about. So The Amy and Louie Show is the episode where Amy dates Louie. Easy to remember. When I went on GG the first episode I wrote was where Rose got a new job as a consumer reporter. I entitled it The Rose's New Job Show. I was told I couldn't do that on GG, that it would show a lack of caring. So in protest I started writing episodes with titles like, Ebbtide, Ebbtide's Revenge, Ebbtide IV The Wrath of Stan, etc. The titles meant nothing but, for some reason executives felt they showed more caring. But as a result, when someone asks me about an episode like 72 hours, I have no idea what the show was about. So, if you as me about the one where Rose does whatever - I'm happy to fill in the blanks.

Welcome aboard, Marc.

I must say that little anecdote was fascinating. I know many people (including Sam, I think) have asked what the meaning of Ebbtide was and its relation to the show. Your post has provided us with an answer! Thanks very much.

[Nougi]

You're welcome Marc! I'm going to try and help ya filling the blanks. Let me tell ya more about the 72 hours episode, it was about AIDS, Rose made tests to know if she had been infected by the virus after a blood transfusion. She had to wait 72 hours for the results.

Some kind of endless and unbearable wait for her and the girls. I mean for example Sophia was scared to death so she didn't want to drink in the same tea cup as Rose so she wrote a big black R on Rose's cup! She didn't want to use the same toilet seat either. Dorothy told her mom not to be so childish and explained to Sophia she couldn't contract AIDS just by drinking in the same tea cup or by using the same toilet seat.

That's only an example among others in fact this episode talked about any wrong ideas people use to have regarding AIDS

Hope it helps!

[Jennierose]

Marc! What years were you with TGG? That would help us know what questions to ask.

Jennie

This post has been edited by jennierose: 28 October 2005 - 06:00 PM

[marcsotkin]

I worked on seasons 5-7 and on Golden Palace. To answer Nougi's question, 72 hours - written by Vacsy & Gamble - We did a number of episodes about serious subjects and the Ladies rarely had problems. I don't remember Betty having any particular trouble with this episode.

[Adam]

WOWZERS!!!!! Marc, its amazing that you joined, and I'm so glad you did...what an honor to be on the same forum as you. My name is Adam, and I'm 16 years old, its great to meet you, thanks for coming!