[3] Dr. Sam Quinn (Crenna) was a successful surgeon in Chicago, who for many years had the comfort of coming home to his devoted wife Molly (Astin) after long hours at the local hospital.

Sam missed being able to come home to warm dinners and clean laundry, and lovemaking opportunities were few and far between—not to mention fruitless (Molly's long hours caused her to fall asleep right away when the two retired for the night).

Sam and Molly had two teenaged children, beautiful, carefree and sometimes smart-alecky daughter Lisa (Helen Hunt), who was in high school, and all-around cool customer Andy (Anthony Edwards), an aspiring rock musician who, at 18, was moving into his own apartment.

Completing the household in the Quinn's luxurious high-rise apartment was Molly's salty mother (Billie Bird), only known as "Mama", whose blunt and often spontaneous comments added to the comic relief.

Also featured were Sam's jovial colleague at the hospital, Dr. Walter Chaiken (Richard McKenzie), and Judge Caroline Phillips (Della Reese), who presided over many of the cases that Molly was hired for.

This kitchen would remain on The Golden Girls for its entire seven-year run, with only a minor cosmetic change occurring toward the end of its first season: the wallpaper was changed from the yellow-with-white polka dot pattern held over from It Takes Two, in favor of a more Floridian palm leaf print on beige backing; shelves were built into the wall adjacent to the living room doorway, and decorative plates and baking molds were displayed to give a feminine touch.

The exterior backdrop seen through the kitchen window was also changed from the view of neighboring Chicago high-rise buildings in It Takes Two to that of palm trees and bushes for the Miami suburb residence of The Golden Girls.