WELCOME TO EPISODE 1 OF THE GOLDEN GIRLS DEEP DIVE PODCAST! Starting from the beginning of the show, each week we recap an episode of The Golden Girls and we end each episode with a fully researched deep dive into something from the Golden Girls universe!

In Episode 1, we meet the housemates Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Coco, their gay chef and housekeeper. Doooooon’t get too attached to Coco. Shenanigans ensue when Blanche gets engaged to Harry, causing the rest of the housemates to wonder what will become of them all. 

For this week’s Deep Dive, Patrick finds out what happened to Coco, played by actor Charles Levin. We learn how the character came to be, why he was cut after the pilot, and the interesting career Levin would have after Golden Girls. Perhaps most intriguing is the story of Levin’s mysterious death in an Oregon forest at age 70. 

Source List:

• Golden Girls Forever An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai - Jim Colucci - 2016

• Golden Girls: Why Coco the Butler Was Dropped After the Pilot - Zachary Guida -  CBR -Jan 31, 2023

• Deep in the Shag: Q&A with Actor Charles Levin - Joey Kulkin - The Incredible Kulk - Oct 6, 2013

• Charles Levin… Found Dead in Oregon - Derrick Bryson Taylor - The New York Times -  July 15, 2019

• Photos of… Charles Levin's car at death scene -  Ruth Styles - Daily Mail Online - Nov 18,  2019

• Police Report… Charles Levin - Bryan Alexander - USA Today - Nov 9, 2019

• Charles Levin's Death Ruled an Accident - Jodi Guglielmi - EW - Nov 11, 2019

• Thank You for Being a Friend - Wikipedia

• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Golden Girls Theme Song & Intro - Lesley Cornelius - Screenrant - Jul 27, 2019 

• 5 Things You Didn't Know About The Golden Girls Kitchen - Selena Barrientos - Jul 30, 2019

• "The Golden Girls" The Engagement (TV Episode 1985) - Trivia - IMDb

• A Brief History of Blanche’s Boudoir - Claire S. - Golden Girls Fashion Corner - Apr 19, 2018