Editing Empty Nest (section)

== Premise ==
The show's story revolves around [[Miami]] [[pediatrician]] Dr. Harry Weston, whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home. Later estranged daughter Emily returns to the nest (Lisa Rieffel). Early episodes establish that the ''Golden Girls'' characters are neighbors of the Westons. Original ''Golden Girls'' actors, [[Bea Arthur]], [[Rue McClanahan]], [[Betty White]] and [[Estelle Getty]] all guest-star as their ''Golden Girls'' characters, and Mulligan appears occasionally on ''The Golden Girls''.

In the show, eldest daughter Carol is a highly-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara is a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bicker and vie for the attention of their father, whom they call "Daddy", while their father occasionally expresses regret at never having had a son. The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss also prominently features as a member of the household.

In 1992, Kristy McNichol, who played Barbara, left the show, and [[Lisa Rieffel]] joined the cast as the third Weston daughter, Emily. Her character had previously not been shown onscreen, but had been mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season, and for the show's final two seasons only eldest daughter Carol remained of the Weston children. Kristy McNichol returned for the series finale in 1995.

Another main character is the Westons' neighbor and friend, Charley Dietz ([[David Leisure]]), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently enters the house uninvited and takes food or makes sexist comments. Charley has a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.

Harry Weston's job is another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons, he works at a hospital, where he is assisted by wisecracking [[Southern United States|Southern]] nurse Laverne, played throughout the series by [[Park Overall]]. Laverne and Harry are shown to be good friends. In season six, Harry retires, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas. Nurse Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, comes to work there as well.

Another character who appears is Carol's boyfriend, Patrick, an artist who is almost as eccentric as she is. Patrick convinces the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio and, when his relationship with Carol becomes serious, he eventually moves into the house. Carol and Patrick's romantic bliss is short-lived, and they break up at the beginning of season six. Carol then finds she is pregnant with Patrick's child, and chooses to raise the baby, Scotty, on her own.

[[Estelle Getty]] reprised her ''Golden Girls'' character [[Sophia Petrillo]] during ''Empty Nest''{{'}}s final two seasons (after the cancellation of ''[[The Golden Palace]])''. In the show, it is explained that Sophia has moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.