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while still at the height of its popularity.

Following the end of Maude in 1978, Miss Arthur returned to Broadway until 1983 when she again attempted series television starring in the very short-lived series "Amanda's," which was based on the British comedy series "Fawlty Towers." After the show's failure, she was all set to take refuge the stage when fate once again intervened. Although she didn't know it at the time lightning was about to strike twice!

In 1985, Bea got another television series. She was set to co-star with Betty White, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan in a show about four middle-aged women who share a house in Miami. The Golden Girls hit the air in the fall of 1985 and was an instant smash! The show continued for seven seasons, and each actress won an Emmy as well as several other awards for their work throughout the show's run!

Ironically, it was Bea who ended the show after seven seasons, just as she had done with Maude. She walked away when the show was at the height of its popularity. The producers then recruited Richard Cheech Marin into the cast, and the remaining actresses began The Golden Palace, in which Rose, Blanche, and Sophia decide to open a hotel, hiring Marin as a cook. The new show flopped, however, and was canceled after only one year.

Following her departure from The Golden Girls in 1992, Arthur became something of a recluse, keeping a low profile until 2001, when she returned to the Broadway stage in a one-woman show titled And Then There's Bea. She continued to perform in similar shows off and on from 2001 until finally closing her one-woman show for good in March of 2006. After this, she once again went into semi-retirement, only recording audio and video pieces for DVD presentations and television biographies. Sadly, Bea succumbed to cancer and passed away on April 25, 2009, at the age of 86.

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