(cast pictured: David Leisure, Park Overall, Richard Mulligan, Kristy McNichol, Dinah Manoff)
Three years after The Golden Girls premiered, a spinoff about a golden boy debuted on this day in 1988. Empty Nest starred Richard Mulligan as Dr. Harry Weston, a widowed pediatrician, living with his neurotic daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff), and his dog, Dreyfuss, who lapped up great popularity with viewers. The two lived alone, as daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol), a police officer, has flown the nest. With the Golden Girls as neighbors, characters from that show occasionally made appearances on Empty Nest, and Dr. Weston appeared on their show, as well. In fact, after the Girls went off the air, Estelle Getty reprised her role of Sophia Petrillo and became a series regular. The popular sitcom lasted for seven seasons, and in 1989, Richard Mulligan won a golden Emmy® for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
