NBC Is Giving ‘The Golden Girls’ A Black Reboot Starring Tracee Ellis Ross

From 1985 to 1992 fans of Betty White and Beatrice Arthur tuned in once a week to watch a group of senior citizen roomies living in Miami on a show called “The Golden Girls.” The Emmy- nominated sitcom became a beloved series that won popularity in syndication amongst fans young and old. And that includes fans of color.

Now, the dedicated audiences of “The Golden Girls” is getting a reboot and this time it’s gonna be super Black.

“The Golden Girls” is getting an all-Black cast for one night.

Over the weekend, actress Tracee Ellis Ross shared a video on her Instagram account which revealed the big news. The video shows the old cast replaced with the new onerevealing who is taking on which role. According to the video, Ross will take on the role of Rose Nylund which was originated by White, King will replace Arthur’s role of Dorothy Zbornak, Lathan will take on McClanahan’s role as Blanche Devereaux, and Woodward will fill in Getty’s role of Sophia Petrillo.

Woodard, Ross, Lathan, and King will star in the re-imagining of the hit 1980s comedy series which will air tonight for a Zoom Where It Happened virtual watch party.

“In an effort to further engage our community and drive change, all you need to do to enjoy this evening is sign up to receive messages about how you can make a change during this election!” says the page for the event. “This event is in partnership with Zoom, and the first episode is spotlighting and supporting Color of Change – the nation’s largest online racial justice organization.

“The Golden Girls” reboot isn’t the only show revamped virtually for charity.

Earlier this summer NBC brought the cast from the beloved “Parks and Recreation” series together for a reunion. Actors Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir, and Retta all took part in the reunion alongside a group of guest stars from the Pawnee world.

“Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” the show’s executive producer Michael Schur said in a statement. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old ‘Parks and Rec’ team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!”

The show works to raise funds for families in need during the time of the pandemic.

“In such uncertain times, we can’t think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion,” Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, co-presidents of scripted programming at NBC Entertainment also explained in a statement. “A huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’ for putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

“The Golden Girls” special airs tonight at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST. The show will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and hosted by actress Lena Waithe.