FINALLY, IN 2004, I was involved in a one-hour TV special celebrating TV's favorite (female) sidekicks. It featured clips and reunions of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "227," "Maude," "The Nanny" and "The Golden Girls." Since Estelle Getty was ailing and unable to attend, we still wanted Bea, Betty White and Rue McClanahan to speak about their "sidekick," Sofia. While I inviting the actresses, I felt I needed the "gods of timing" to be on my side. Would Bea join us? Would she call me in a timely manner as she often personally handle personal appearance invitations?

When she first telephoned she made it very clear that Estelle wasn't a sidekick, and emphatically stated, "We were all equals." She also said she didn't want to be part of an appearance cleverly created to get the word "reunion" attached. I assured her that while this would be the first time they had appeared together in a long time, if Estelle could be there, we'd have her without question. Furthermore, my definition of sidekick is broader. It doesn't only mean "second banana" - like Ethel to Lucy. It also extended to actresses who stood side by side despite billing - even though Emmy Estelle had won a Supporting Actress Emmy. Bea had to think. I waited. Nervously.

When the date for the taping approached, I called her again. She hemmed and hawed, and groused a little too. But she agreed and said she would drive herself. I thought, What if she gets lost? Or doesn't show? Or is stuck in LA traffic?!?! You get the idea. This did not sit well with me; I feared the worst. The day before her appearance, she called me. After a deep breath, I said, "Hi, Bea" and she said, "I can't do it." and stopped speaking. My heart nearly stopped. We would lose two cast reunions. Just like a Maude episode, after an seemingly endless pause she continued, "You can send a driver." It's all in the timing.