RIP Rue McClanahan 1934-2010

This is too much. For those of us raised on TV in the '80s, it seems like our small screens are collapsing in on us. First in the past 2 years, we lose Golden Girls Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur. Then, a few months back, a shock when Designing Women's Dixie Carter passed away. Last week, there was Diff'rent Strokes' Gary Coleman, at only age 42. And today, I was so sad to hear about the passing of the beloved Rue McClanahan.

Back in 2006, I had the honor of interviewing Rue, Bea and Betty White in their respective homes, as I did research for my book The Q Guide to The Golden Girls. None of the ladies disappointed -- they were all as fun and vibrant as you'd ever hope -- and the days I spent with them have become fodder for some stories I've even told on stage as of late.

My interviews with Bea and Betty were audio only -- but with Rue, I lucked out, and was able to combine forces with the Archive of American Television. The result is an hours-long, up-close-and-personal portrait of the lady, covering everything from birth through her late career (off camera, Rue hinted that she was talking about doing a new series, which ended up being Del Shores' wonderful Sordid Lives.)

Here's the link to Part 1 of Rue's interview. I just rewatched it, and was struck all over again how charming and funny she was. We'll always love you, Rue!

Merry Christmas from the Men of Blanche's Boudoir

In honor of Christmas, I want to present one of my favorite clips from The Golden Girls, where a certain slut gives her housemates a special, homemade gift -- no macrame potholders here! -- a calendar featuring "The Men of Blanche's Boudoir."

The episode is particularly interesting if you know the back story behind its production -- namely, the prank the show's crew members decided to play on their four stars. As the show's director Lex Passaris and its script coordinator Robert Spina told me in my research for The Q Guide to The Golden Girls, the crewmen decided that, for the episode's dress rehearsal, they would replace the calendar prop with a creation all their own. And so, they stayed up late that night, when everyone else had left the stage, photographing themselves in various states of undress and debauchery. (Let's just say, in one photo, one crewman rode another, and a saddle was involved.)

Passaris prizes the resulting chaos that occurred when, at rehearsal the next day, the ladies opened their gifts. One thing about beloved Bea Arthur: once she would "break," and start laughing, there was almost no coming back. And so Bea opened the box, and then laughed until she cried.

At this holiday season, having lost Bea this year and Estelle not long before, it's nice to remember the laughs, both on screen and off. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Talking About... Me! (And The Golden Girls)

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of appearing on Talking About..., a fabulous local New York gay talk show hosted by the handsome JC Alvarez and, for this episode, substitute hosted by the lovely and talented comedienne Cara Kilduff. I was sorry to miss regular host Jonathan Griffith as well -- but hopefully, I'll soon be invited back, whether to discuss The Q Guide to The Golden Girls... or whatever else they want!

Talking About: Jim Colucci

Talking About

Rue McClanahan and the Archive of American Television

This morning, September 14, 2009, the Archive of American Television launched a new web site, www.emmytvlegends.org, containing links to their complete, hours-long archival interviews with over 600 legends from all aspects of TV.

I have had the privilege of conducting quite a few of these interviews, and many of those are now available online. For example, there's my chat with Rue McClanahan at her home in New York -- the interview which did double-duty for me as research for my book, The Q Guide to the Golden Girls.

Having just attended Bea Arthur's memorial service here in New York this afternoon, where other giants we recently lost were evoked, like Larry Gelbart and Dom DeLuise, it's in the front of my mind that the people who brought this medium to life are fast leaving us. I'm so thankful that Karen Herman and her Archive of American Television have preserved some of their knowledge -- not to mention funny stories! -- for the generations to come.

Take a look at Rue -- who by the way, brought the house down at Bea's memorial. After telling at first a touching personal anecdote, she went on to tell a story of what Bea said to her husband a few years back about former Golden Girls co-star Betty White.

Let's just say, there's a certain c-word which was among Bea's favorites. There were plenty of f-bombs on stage today. (And off -- like Anne Meara, after she stumbled into me on her way up the aisle afterwards, yelling at me "move your fucking foot!" She's a charmer.) But in quoting Bea, Rue became the first and only tribute payer today to break the "c-word barrier."

Here, in the link below, Rue talks about her entire career -- she was even beginning at the time, I believe, to prepare to do Del Shores' Logo series, Sordid Lives. And there's plenty of Golden Girls dish, not to mention Rue's seamless transition into Blanche-speak. Enjoy!

Rue McClanahan | AAT

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The Bea Arthur Residence for LGBT Youth

In November of 2005, Golden Girls star Bea Arthur staged a special, one-night only version of her earlier 2002 one-woman Broadway show as a benefit for New York's Ali Forney Center. Bea was always a friend of the gay community, and that night, worked to raise $40,000 for the construction of housing for homeless gay and transgender youth. (I got to meet Bea backstage that night, which I later wrote about in The Q Guide to The Golden Girls. See photo at right.)

Now, after the beloved actress' death this past April, The Ali Forney Center will be naming its first purchased residence (up until now the charity has worked solely with rented space) in honor of Bea. The Center will make the formal announcement at a memorial service being held for Bea on September 14 at New York's Majestic Theater.

See the press release below for additional details.

ALI FORNEY CENTER TO NAME FIRST PURCHASED RESIDENCE FOR HOMELESS LGBT YOUTH IN HONOR OF BEA ARTHUR

August 18 | 365gay Newswire

The Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, will formally announce it’s plan to name a residence for LGBT youth in honor of Bea Arthur at her memorial service on September 14th at the Majestic Theater in New York City. The Ali Forney Center is working with a group of Bea’s close friends and colleagues to plan the memorial service.

“Bea Arthur was tremendously kind and generous to the Ali Forney Center,” says Carl Siciliano, Founder and Executive Director. “The caring and concern that Bea expressed for our kids meant the world to us, and we are thrilled to be able to give honor to her memory in this way.”

In November of 2005, Bea flew to New York City from her home in Los Angeles in order to give a special benefit performance of her one-woman show. The performance raised over $40,000 for the Ali Forney Center.

In an interview for Next Magazine Bea explained her decision to offer her support. “I’m very, very involved in charities involving youth and the plight of foster children. But these kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay, or transgender – this organization really is saving lives.” Bea continued to offer her support, both as a donor and as an advocate. In one of her very last interviews, published in the New York Blade in May 2008, Bea spoke with pride of having done the benefit for the Ali Forney Center, and indicated that she would do anything to help gay kids disowned by their parents.

The Ali Forney Center currently offers eight residential sites in New York City to provide shelter and housing to homeless LGBT youth, all of which it rents. The Oak Foundation has recently provided the Ali Forney Center with generous financial support in order to purchase housing sites. The Ali Forney Center is committed to naming its first purchased site the Bea Arthur Residence for LGBT Youth.

“Before Bea became involved with us, we only had two sites, and could only shelter 12 kids.” says Siciliano. “We were struggling to respond to an epidemic of homelessness that was not very well understood, even in the LGBT community. Bea’s support and advocacy really helped raise awareness in our community. Bea Arthur played a crucial part in our efforts to expand our capacity to respond to the hundreds of LGBT youths who come to us for help. She feels very much like a patron saint!”

The Ali Forney Center is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth.AFC currently provides eight residential sites offering emergency shelter and longer-term housing, and additionally provides two drop-in centers, which offer medical care, mental health treatment, HIV prevention, testing and treatment, housing and benefit assistance, and job training and placement services. The mission of the Ali Forney Center is to help homeless LGBT youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. Ali Forney was a queer youth who was murdered on the streets in 1997, when there was no safe shelter for LGBT youth in NYC.

TONIGHT! A "Golden" event!

TONIGHT, September 2 here in New York City, I'll be joining former Golden Girls executive producer Richard Vaczy for a discussion of all things Bea, Betty, Rue and Estelle. The 8 PM event is free of charge, at the East of Eighth restaurant on 23rd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) in Manhattan. Come join us!



(Caricature by Glen Hanson )

Come to next week's Golden event!

On September 2 here in New York City, I'll be joining former Golden Girls executive producer Richard Vaczy for a discussion of all things Bea, Betty, Rue and Estelle. The 8 PM event is free of charge, at the East of Eighth restaurant on 23rd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) in Manhattan. Come join us!



(Caricature by Glen Hanson )

Welcome to Must-Hear TV!

Hey, everyone --

Welcome to my entertainment blog, "Must Hear TV," the companion to my on-air weekly spot on "The Frank DeCaro Show" on Sirius OutQ radio (Channel 109, Wednesdays 1-2 PM.)

As an introduction to this blog, here's a bit more about me:

Jim Colucci is a freelance entertainment writer whose work has appeared in such publications as TV Guide, Inside TV, Quick & Simple, InTouch, Rosie, The Advocate, Next and CBS' Watch magazine, where he serves as a contributing editor.

In addition to writing about the subject, Jim also delivers a weekly on-air report, “Must Hear TV,” as a correspondent for “The Frank DeCaro Show” on Sirius satellite radio.

In the fall of 2004, Time Inc. released Jim’s official, authorized companion book to one of NBC’s biggest comedy hits, entitled Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored. His second TV book, The Q Guide to The Golden Girls, was released by Alyson Books in September, 2006.

In television, Jim co-created an original animated pilot for the Disney Channel, and contributed comic material to four annual Oscar-themed comedy specials airing on Comedy Central, hosted by his partner, Frank DeCaro of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.

Jim has written for entertainment media since his days as the Film Editor for The Daily Pennsylvanian, the college newspaper at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a degree in marketing from the Wharton School of Business. Originally from Wayne, New Jersey, he now lives in New York City with Frank and their mischievous Boston terrier, Herman.

Please also do visit me at http://www.jimcolucci.com/ for TV-related clips, photos and other goodies -- the likes of which will soon appear here.