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11 Reasons "Grace And Frankie" Is The New "Golden Girls"

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There will never be another Golden Girls. It was television lightning in a bottle. But the Netflix original series Grace and Frankie sure comes close—a comedy about four older people navigating life and love after 60. And it hits a lot of the same emotional, comedic and dramatic marks as our favorite TV comedy.

We're saying it now: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson are the new Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia.

Below, check out 11 reasons Grace and Frankie is the new Golden Girls.

The new season of Grace and Frankie is on Netflix now. Watch Golden Girls weekdays on Logo.


1. They're of a certain age, but aren't defined by it.

Though giving Father Time a run for his dollars, Grace and Frankie are actually about 10-15 years older than our favorite Miami foursome. But like the Girls, they face aging and its myriad problems with wit, humor and enough sass to shame a drag queen into hiding.


2. They live by the beach.

Though "Miami is nice" (so I'll say it twice)  — San Diego is German for "whale's vagina", so....


3. They form an unconventional family.

One of the reasons GG continues to resound with queer audiences is its depiction of family as more than just the people you're related to by blood. Grace and Frankie's two families were pretty traditional, but once those structures were disrupted by Robert and Sol's romance, they found a new way to be one big (sorta) happy family.


4. They get more action than G.I. Joe.

When the Girls weren't talking about sex, they were doing field research — particularly Blanche, but even she would have to give Grace her tens. We should all run out and pick up some of Jane's old workout tapes because mama is still snatching it at 77 years young.


5. They're stylish.

Bea Arthur's culottes, cowl necks, slouchy boots and floor-length pearl necklaces have found their way into TV's Fashion Hall of Fame. And they're soon to be followed by Lily Tomlin's hippie chic looks and statement jewelry. The statement being: get into it.


6. They don't take no guff.

Once their husbands leave them — for each other — Grace and Frankie lose whatever fucks they had remaining and the world better take note: they will not be ignored, they will not be brushed aside and they will not go quietly into that good night.


7. It's super queer.

Golden Girls was influential for its depiction of LGBT characters — from the very first episode featuring their houseboy Coco to Dorothy's Lebanese lesbian friend Jean who has a crush on Rose to Blanche's gay brother Clayton who wants to marry his cop boyfriend. 25 years later, Robert and Sol rare the fulfillment of those early episodes and their relationship, as complicated as it is, proves that it's never too late to find love — no matter who you are.


8. It was created by a veteran female TV producer.

Golden Girls was co-created by Susan Harris, who had previously brought the groundbreaking Soap — with one of the first openly gay characters on television, Jodie Dallas — to living rooms across America.

Marta Kauffman co-created Grace and Frankie, but she's best known for a little show called Friends. And of course, Ross' ex-wife, Susan, left him for another woman. It all comes full circle.


9. They likes to have funz.

Just because you're a certain age doesn't mean life is over. That was the central conceit of The Golden Girls but Grace and Frankie take it one step further. The Girls loved to get wild by going out on dates and eating cheesecake in the middle of the night. Grace and Frankie are popping pills, taking peyote and dancing on bars. They're cooler than most of your friends.


10. It's poignant.

Can we talk about the acting? Golden Girls is one of the few shows in TV history where the entire cast won acting Emmys and for good reason. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda — along with the always amazing Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson — are fantastic and you really feel for their characters.

The supporting cast is also on point, deftly balancing comedy and pathos, all the while drawing targets on each other's backs where the Emmys will inevitably be thrown.


11. They'll travel down the road and back again for each other.

At the end of the day, The Golden Girls and Grace and Frankie are about relationships and the bonds that keep us together. In spite of their differences, Grace and Frankie find common ground and an unlikely friend in each another. Robert and Sol, on the other hand, have waited 20 years to be together, risking their families and everything for the chance.

For all of them, to quote the greatest theme song of all time, their hearts are true.

Check out our interview with Jane and Lily below.


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