Betty White: First Lady of Television

Watching this after Betty's passing has made it all the more touching for me. She had such a brilliant career, was admired for her friendliness and work ethic and unashamedly adored animals. While enjoyable, the documentary was short. I would've loved to have heard more about her personal life and just got to know her a little better in that regard. Since I am a HUGE Golden Girls fan and see it as a crowning achievement in comedy, I would've also loved to heard her, along with the rest of the cast, take on their time together. It would've also been nice to known more about her work with animals since she seemed to hold them so close to her heart and they were so very special to her. The compiled archive of Betty's professional accomplishments is vast, undeniable, speaks volumes of her talent, charm and wit and this documentary gave us a short look directly at it. While I suppose one should expect such a direct focus considering the title is "Betty White: FIRST LADY OF TELEVISION" (i.e. Betty White: Her Lifelong Profession), I won't deny that I'm slightly disappointed that we didn't get to see more about Betty White: The Woman. She was so much more than her career and I would've simply loved to have seen more about that aspect of her life. Thanks to Betty for leaving us with the body of work she left behind allowing us to always find something to laugh about. It was quite the mark she left on this world and the world is a better place because of it. Much Love Betty RIP.

Loved everything about Betty, her story, & history. Would have enjoyed more photos from her earlier life and fewer opinions from those with whom she worked minimally, but it was ok.

For something that was 10 years in the making, I'd expected more. More videos of Betty's early days in television (Life with Elizabeth, Date with the Angels, her emceeing the Macy's parade, etc. - you could easily find these old videos on YouTube). I expected more interviews with co-stars. Granted many of her contemporaries are gone, they could have done a little more effort. And because the narrative revolves around what her co-stars tell us about Betty (most of which we already know), it lacked the objective voice of why she had the career that she had - why she remained relevant & beloved till her last decade. With the exception of her roles in the Mary Tyler Moore Show & The Golden Girls, most of her roles on television aren't that noteworthy. Let's face it - if you're a television actor, you'll take what you can get. (Personally, I love her on Life with Elizabeth. She was a natural). This is not to say she isn't a great actor - she is. A pity that she didn't get or choose to do more serious roles. She was great in The Golden Girls' more serious scenes. (Rose the Prude, Season 1 Episode 3 comes to mind). I love Betty White, so do the producers of this documentary - this is a love letter to her. But as a documentary, this was a disappointment.

Spoiler -- everyone's older sister. Aunt. Best friend. Betty white.. from doing game shows with her husband allen ludden, to numerous television sitcom series. From her show life with elizabeth, to being the naughty girl on mary tyler moore, to the innocent sweetheart on golden girls. And of course, the internet got her to host saturday night live! Fun. I didn't need to hear everyone fawning over her and saying how great she is, i would rather have had more information on behind the scenes. Born in 1922, an only child. Always energetic, positive, and upbeat. Fun stuff! They don't say much about her three marriages; she does talk about ludden, but her first marriage only lasted six months, and I'll bet there's a story there. Too bad we don't hear it. It's a fun hour. Directed by steve boettcher, who specializes in documentaries. He had done one on mary tyler moore a few years before.

She's like an American treasure, and this documentary shows exactly why. I wasn't familiar with all of her work that she did in her earlier years. She was a trailblazer. Funny and inspiring!

A wonderful tribute to the legacy that is Betty White. The show features insights into how Betty became such an icon as told through snippets of interview of close friends and coworkers.

...but I'd have loved it if they'd, at the bottom of the screen, named the ppl being interviewed. And how/when/where/ they worked together. I have no idea who one or two of them are :(