Post by Freddy Peterson on Jul 8, 2014 19:38:30 GMT
Trying to share the story of this forum would be like trying to trace the history of St. Olaf... it's darn near impossible! But, I wanted to give some credit where it is due.
In 2003, I discovered online forums devoted to one of my favorite television shows - The Golden Girls. At the time all four ladies - Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan and Betty White - were all still alive. The show aired in reruns on Lifetime TV, and there was a devoted following by many people of all ages. I was excited to find a place where I could share in my love of the show, talk about other topics and engage people from all over the globe.
At the start, The Golden Girls was not on DVD, and the hopes were slim that it would ever occur. Can you imagine - not being able to see the original, unedited series when you wanted to? The members of the forum - led by Sam, from the UK - kept the spirit of the Miami foursome alive, and talked about everything related to the show. The inconsistencies... the men... the food... the storylines... the guest stars... the men... the spin-offs... the men... well, you get the picture. Even a yearly Christmas card exchange became part of the dialogue, in addition to discussions on music, movies, the weather, daily activities, happy occasions and somber experiences. In short, like The Golden Girls, our little group became a virtual family that shared daily life together.
As the years went on, the forums expanded into more topics, and new faces popped in... as others stopped coming around as much. As we celebrated the releases of seven wonderful seasons of the show on DVD, we also cried together as we lost Estelle, Bea and Rue. With their passing, along with regulars Herb Edelmann (Stanley Zbornak) and Harold Gould (Miles Webber), we are left with just one Golden Girl - Betty White.
Through the opportunities of having the show available on DVD, and the loss of cast members, the forums began to quiet down a bit. However, there was still a good, solid core of people dedicated to the friendships built across the internet, and the miles, who wanted a place to still come together and chat... and share the occasional cheesecake.
In June 2014 it was decided that Couch Potatoes, our wonderful home for more than a decade, would be retired. Sam did a tremendous job in her efforts over the years, and she deserves a break. That said, I wanted to find a new home that may not offer all the wonderful design and look of our previous address, but still gives members the chance to engage one another.
Hopefully Ian, Nougi, Stephen, The Big Gun, Jarrko, Gerfluken, Siobh, Jacques, AxelFoley, Rob, Koi, and the many, many others who made Couch Potatoes a wonderful place will continue here with the new forums. And, of course, we are excited to welcome new forum members as well...
My hope is that our members will jump right in and have fun with the boards, and revisit some of the threads that were copied over from Couch Potatoes. There is a great deal of history to share and enjoy, so let's live it up!
Welcome to our new home. I'm glad you stopped in and said hello.
Best,
Jim
In 2003, I discovered online forums devoted to one of my favorite television shows - The Golden Girls. At the time all four ladies - Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan and Betty White - were all still alive. The show aired in reruns on Lifetime TV, and there was a devoted following by many people of all ages. I was excited to find a place where I could share in my love of the show, talk about other topics and engage people from all over the globe.
At the start, The Golden Girls was not on DVD, and the hopes were slim that it would ever occur. Can you imagine - not being able to see the original, unedited series when you wanted to? The members of the forum - led by Sam, from the UK - kept the spirit of the Miami foursome alive, and talked about everything related to the show. The inconsistencies... the men... the food... the storylines... the guest stars... the men... the spin-offs... the men... well, you get the picture. Even a yearly Christmas card exchange became part of the dialogue, in addition to discussions on music, movies, the weather, daily activities, happy occasions and somber experiences. In short, like The Golden Girls, our little group became a virtual family that shared daily life together.
As the years went on, the forums expanded into more topics, and new faces popped in... as others stopped coming around as much. As we celebrated the releases of seven wonderful seasons of the show on DVD, we also cried together as we lost Estelle, Bea and Rue. With their passing, along with regulars Herb Edelmann (Stanley Zbornak) and Harold Gould (Miles Webber), we are left with just one Golden Girl - Betty White.
Through the opportunities of having the show available on DVD, and the loss of cast members, the forums began to quiet down a bit. However, there was still a good, solid core of people dedicated to the friendships built across the internet, and the miles, who wanted a place to still come together and chat... and share the occasional cheesecake.
In June 2014 it was decided that Couch Potatoes, our wonderful home for more than a decade, would be retired. Sam did a tremendous job in her efforts over the years, and she deserves a break. That said, I wanted to find a new home that may not offer all the wonderful design and look of our previous address, but still gives members the chance to engage one another.
Hopefully Ian, Nougi, Stephen, The Big Gun, Jarrko, Gerfluken, Siobh, Jacques, AxelFoley, Rob, Koi, and the many, many others who made Couch Potatoes a wonderful place will continue here with the new forums. And, of course, we are excited to welcome new forum members as well...
My hope is that our members will jump right in and have fun with the boards, and revisit some of the threads that were copied over from Couch Potatoes. There is a great deal of history to share and enjoy, so let's live it up!
Welcome to our new home. I'm glad you stopped in and said hello.
Best,
Jim