When The Golden Girls premiered, the four main characters were Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Coco?!?
Yes, the "girls" originally had a gay housekeeper named Coco who would provide outspoken advice whenever they needed it. Sound familiar? That actually sounds like Sophia. Originally Sophia was going to be a recurring character who would peek in occasionally from Shady Pines. The network (and eventually the world) loved her, however, so Coco was out after the pilot and Sophia was in. She took on the role of a sharp tongued confidante and the rest is history.
