Finding new ways to relate to women was an important job for Hot in Cleveland

There was no shortage of acting experience on the popular 2010 series Hot in Cleveland. Betty White alone had already been acting for around 65 years before the series premiered, with hits such as The Golden Girls, Mama’s Family, and Life with Elizabeth.

She was a seasoned pro surrounded by other veterans, including Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick. According to a 2010 interview with the Merced Sun-Star, the four of them had nearly 165 years of combined acting experience.

"We’ve been doing this a long time and we know what we are doing," Bertinelli said. "We are not vain about it. We are very giving with each other."

That camaraderie was important offstage because the series itself centered on the connection the women had onscreen.

The sitcom followed three best friends from Los Angeles who unexpectedly land in Cleveland after their plane makes an emergency landing. They quickly discover they are considered "hot" in Cleveland—hence the series title.

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Despite the wild premise, Bertinelli described it as a mix of Sex and the City and The Golden Girls. She also expected the series to resonate with audiences because it was easy to identify with one of the characters.

"A lot of women, and I’m one of them, want to see things out there they can relate to," Bertinelli said. "Ads for cosmetics have 18-year-olds selling wrinkle cream. I don’t buy it. I want to see people my age."

Wendie Malick, who played Victoria Chase, a former soap opera star clinging to her fading career, was confident viewers would appreciate how unwavering the friendships were on the show.

"These women have always had each other’s backs," Malick said. "And they’re not the easiest women in the world. They’re somewhat complicated and self-involved and overly dramatic. But behind all this is a true friendship between these women."

The Hot in Cleveland actresses knew who their core audience was and catered to them. Most of the show’s fans were women who often saw themselves in the characters. While the sitcom appealed to a broad audience, it was women who helped keep the ratings strong.

Jane Leeves, who played Joy Scroggs, a beautician dealing with aging and failed relationships, agreed with her co-stars.

"All of these characters are at crossroads in their lives," Leeves said. "An actress aging who can’t get work. A divorcée. I didn’t want this to be a show about how the women look, but about where they’re going next in their lives. And that’s what it does."