Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King to star in virtual Golden Girls special with all-black cast

The Golden Girls is returning tonight for a one-off special starring a cast of black female actors.

Originally running from 1985 to 1992, the award-winning sitcom starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty as four elderly women who live together in a Florida home.

Now, the show is being brought back for a special virtual episode as part of “The Zoom Where it Happens” web series, with the titular Golden Girls being played by four black actresses.

Tracee Ellis Ross will play White’s Rose Nylund, with Regina King starring as Arthur’s Dorothy Zbornak, Sanaa Lathan as McClanahan’s Blanche Devereaux and Alfre Woodard as Getty’s Sophia Petrillo.

The Golden Girls special will air online on Tuesday (8 September) evening and will be hosted by Lena Waithe, with “a special guest” promised to make an appearance.

The event is intended to encourage people to vote in the forthcoming US election and is hosted in partnership with Zoom.

The first episode will support racial justice organisation Color for Change.