The Brighton Belles

Brighton Belles was a short-lived British sitcom, based on the hit U.S. NBC sitcom The Golden Girls. The programme consisted of 11 episodes, which were broadcast from 1993 until 1994.

Plot Differences
Apart from the change of location from Miami to Brighton (which is a retiree haven), the names of the characters were changed (see below for names), as was characters to help translate the show.

The changes included:
 * Rather than being a Sub Teacher, Frances was headteacher.
 * Bridget was Irish.
 * Annie was still a Grief Counsellor but she worked for Citizens Advice in place of a specialised centre.
 * Josephine was married to a Scottish Mobster.
 * The House was now a Period Townhouse.

Cast

 * Sheila Hancock as Frances (Dorothy)
 * Wendy Craig as Annie (Rose)
 * Sheila Gish as Bridget (Blanche)
 * Jean Boht as Josephine (Sophia)

Pilot
9 Mar 1993 · Tue 8.30 pm.

Series
7 Sep-12 Oct 1993 · Tue 8.30 pm.

7 Dec-28 Dec 1994 · Wed mostly 7 pm.

Reception
The show received a negative reception from audiences and critics alike. The Show was such a failure that it was pulled from airing with the remainder of the series airing a year later. The show's failure was also due to The Golden Girls success in Britain, making a spin-off clearly a mistake.