“Maude” at 50: Celebrating a TV Classic’s Golden Anniversary
September 12 marked 50 years since Maude premiered on CBS. The Emmy-winning spinoff of All in the Family instantly became one of TV’s most-watched shows, made Bea Arthur an icon, and tackled hot-button contemporary issues with a boldness that has never been matched. Here, I pay tribute to the show’s legacy and countdown its 25 best episodes.
When I was a young teenager I fell in love with The Golden Girls through the reruns that looped endlessly on cable. It coincided with my burgeoning obsession with film and television history, which I devoured through a number of books. I became fascinated by the existence of the series Maude, a critically acclaimed mega-hit that wrapped its run 6 years before I was even born. I read about how it was one of the boldest comedies in television history and how it rocketed Bea Arthur (always my favorite of the Golden Girls) to superstardom.
Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to watch it. It didn’t air in syndication and it was not available on home media.
In 2015, Shout! Factory released the entire series on DVD. It was lovingly restored in a box set that was brimming with special…
