The shine's still on The Golden Girls, even after years in reruns.

I love to watch reruns of The Golden Girls and never cease to marvel at how clever this warmhearted sitcom was—and still is. Nothing on TV today even comes close to capturing the nature of life for single older women. Oh yes, Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote is nifty but not very reflective of an ordinary woman's lifestyle.

The Golden Girls is much closer to the daily pace and activities of unglamorous lives. Each character embodies qualities of women we all know—except, perhaps, Estelle Getty, who defies every example we're familiar with of how an "old lady" should behave. It may well have been Getty's spunky and raunchy character that attracted teens as well as mature viewers and gave the show its transgenerational appeal.

So I was very excited when I attended a CBS luncheon several years ago and sat next to one of the show's creators. I asked how the idea was born, and the answer was simply this: Back in the mid-1980's, Miami Vice was the hot show and CBS wanted to compete in that time slot. They knew that part of the program's appeal was the Miami scene, so the writers asked, "What else is there in Miami?" The answer: "Old people." The rest, as they say, is history. The Golden Girls, created by Susan Harris, debuted in 1985 and instantly became the number-one show in the country.

Thirty years later, it continues to tickle and touch us, to show us that friendship and communal living can be a wonderful alternative to being married with children. Such arrangements may, in fact, be the way of the future for many single women who miss the companionship of a family but can't or don't want to remarry. These days everyone seems to be concerned with redefining the family—or perhaps we're simply facing the truth about what a family is. Basically, it's made up of those who provide you with the love and nurture—people you can count on. Despite their squabbles, the Golden Girls demonstrate the importance of committed friendship between diverse personalities. If ever we needed that message, we need it now.

So until something better—or as good—comes along, I'll happily spend a few evenings with Estelle and Bea, Rue and Betty, catching those "golden" moments in reruns.