'Gilmore Girls' Feud Upset More Than Fans (Article) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PrettyinPink55 · 02-12-2006, 02:26 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060212/..._gilmore_girls

'Gilmore Girls' Feud Upset More Than Fans
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

This season's "Gilmore Girls" story line where the normally tight mother-and-daughter team of Lorelai and Rory feuded and gave each other the silent treatment caused some sharp arguments among the show's rabid fans.

Turns out there were some divisions on the set, too.

"It wasn't my favorite," admitted Lauren Graham, who plays mom Lorelai.

Lorelai and Rory have since made up; tears flowed. Their rapid-fire repartee is back, although usually by phone. Rory is in Yale now, and, in one busy episode this month, became editor of her school paper and moved in with her boyfriend.

The show's creators are clearly trying to push things and avoid the fatigue that usually afflicts television shows in their sixth season.

Long the WB's most critically acclaimed series, "Gilmore Girls" has quietly grown to become its second most popular after "7th Heaven." The show averages just under 5 million viewers a week, up from 4.1 million two seasons ago, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Last month's announcement that the WB and UPN will shut down to form a new network in the fall has left all of their programs in flux. But "Gilmore Girls" would seem to have earned the right to determine its own destiny and make the move to the new CW network.

The growth has come despite the widely objected-to story line.

Part of Graham's problems with the feud were personal; she missed working with co-star Alexis Bledel every day. Primarily she believed it didn't ring true to her character.

"I struggled with the idea that this character, being the parent, would go so far as to stop speaking to her daughter and not make more of an effort," said Graham, taking a break in her trailer on the Warner Bros. lot during a slow day of filming. "We had it in bits and pieces, but it was hard for me to justify — that I wouldn't try harder, that I wouldn't reach out more, that I could stand to be away from her for that long."

She questioned co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino more this year than ever, "and I'm sure they enjoyed it not at all," Graham said.

Some critics took her side. Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald said "it seemed suddenly as if the characters were being manipulated to create drama, rather than allowing the drama to flow naturally out of the characters."

The Palladinos concede that it's tough to come up with new stories for a long-running show without them seeming contrived. But in this case, they said it was important to do something that shakes Rory to her foundation — a typical rite of passage for budding adults, who learn about themselves by how they respond.

"To really rock Rory's world, we had to go to what the core of the show was and to really have them have a rift and explore what the show would be," Sherman-Palladino said. "I know there are two camps. Personally, for me, I've loved the psychological implications of this year more than any other year because we've really gotten to do some real mother-daughter stories."

Think deeply about the characters, and the silence rings true, she said. Lorelai has spent her life trying to do everything differently from her own mother. And if it was Lorelai taking time off from Yale, her mother would have personally dragged her back to school.

While things are better now between Lorelai and Rory, it's not so for Lorelai and Luke, her diner-owner beau.

They're engaged after an agonizingly long courtship. But the sudden emergence of Luke's daughter from a previous relationship has thrown their marriage plans in doubt.

It's never simple, is it? Driving wedges between seemingly well-suited characters is another risk to an audience's patience. The Palladinos like the idea of exploring the difficulties in bringing together two strong personalities very set in their ways.

"It's very different if you get married at 29, than at 38," Sherman-Palladino said. "It's a very different world, and that's what we're trying to tap into."

The future of "Gilmore Girls" is a convoluted plot itself. The Palladinos say they're genuinely undecided about whether they will continue with the series after this season — alarming news for fans of a series that, more than most, reflects the strong sensibilities of their creators.

One factor that may have driven them away — a pilot for a new series, a romantic comedy, that would have been filmed in New York — is no longer in the picture. It was scrapped with the WB's dissolution.

The Palladinos are making plans for a cliffhanger ending to this season (wedding? no wedding?) and for the show to run without them in the fall, just in case.

Graham said the signs point to one more season after this one; the production company is making sure to add another year for people who had six-year contracts. Graham said that's when she'd like to move on, citing the show's workload.

"Getting the language perfect requires a number of takes that you might not have on another show," she explained. "It's just a lot of work — 13, 14 hours door to door. I've missed weddings, I've missed babies being born. I'm not complaining, because of what it has brought me, but I would be ready for a different balance."

She has a hard time imagining the Palladinos not involved, particularly if the series is coming to an end.

Television economics may also play a part in the decision. The WB is canceling "7th Heaven" because, after a decade on the air, the network's most popular show was losing money because it was so expensive to make.

"They've come to us before and asked point-blank how long we think the show can go," Sherman-Palladino said, "and we say it's a family show, it can go on forever. If `7th Heaven' could have gone on for 10 years, why couldn't this show go for 10 years? There's no reason. They're going to be hard-pressed to assemble a cast this good on television again."

___

On the Net:

http://www2.warnerbros.com/gilmoregirls/

___

EDITOR'S NOTE — David Bauder can be reached at dbauder"at"ap.org

PrettyinPink55 · 02-12-2006, 02:28 PM

So it looks like this season finale will end in a cliffhanger!

I can't imagine the show without ASP and DP!!!!!!

TJL · 02-12-2006, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrettyinPink55

I can't imagine the show without ASP and DP!!!!!!

I agree. They are so hands on when it come to this show. Lots of sitcoms and dramas suffer in quality when the key creative gurus leave.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I think the Lorelai/Rory estrangement storyline was good for the series.
It was realistic, for lack of a better word.
I don't care how much of an amazing bond the Gilmore girls have had over the years - sooner or later they had to have them fight.

PrettyinPink55 · 02-12-2006, 08:53 PM

I agree with all your points. The rift between Lorelai and Rory was bound to happen sometime, and like Amy said, it did give the show a chance to evaluate the relationship and each of the characters and who they are. I actually enjoyed the storyline. But of course, our girls are best together!
I really hope ASP and DP don't leave at the end of the season! What will become of GG then?

Wings#1ShowPeriod · 02-12-2006, 09:02 PM

I thought the rift was good, because it lead to a great reunion that was awesome. I do hope ASP comes back, because for the obvious reasons, they write the best episodes.

Superstar · 02-13-2006, 04:25 AM

I liked that rift, one of my fave storylines from the whole show. I can't imagine the show without Amy and Daniel. I hope they'll stay with the show.

MsOrange · 02-15-2006, 01:01 PM

I liked the rory/lorelai rift... i haven't become a fan of this thing w/ Luke/April/Lor though...

MaydayMalonesGirl · 02-15-2006, 04:04 PM

Maybe I'm alone here, but I really disliked the whole "rift" storyline. When it was in play the show lacked something in my opinion to the point that I didn't even enjoy watching some of the episodes in the beginning of the sixth season.

02-12-2006, 02:26 PM	#1
PrettyinPink55 Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 24,601	'Gilmore Girls' Feud Upset More Than Fans (Article) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060212/..._gilmore_girls 'Gilmore Girls' Feud Upset More Than Fans By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer This season's "Gilmore Girls" story line where the normally tight mother-and-daughter team of Lorelai and Rory feuded and gave each other the silent treatment caused some sharp arguments among the show's rabid fans. Turns out there were some divisions on the set, too. "It wasn't my favorite," admitted Lauren Graham, who plays mom Lorelai. Lorelai and Rory have since made up; tears flowed. Their rapid-fire repartee is back, although usually by phone. Rory is in Yale now, and, in one busy episode this month, became editor of her school paper and moved in with her boyfriend. The show's creators are clearly trying to push things and avoid the fatigue that usually afflicts television shows in their sixth season. Long the WB's most critically acclaimed series, "Gilmore Girls" has quietly grown to become its second most popular after "7th Heaven." The show averages just under 5 million viewers a week, up from 4.1 million two seasons ago, according to Nielsen Media Research. Last month's announcement that the WB and UPN will shut down to form a new network in the fall has left all of their programs in flux. But "Gilmore Girls" would seem to have earned the right to determine its own destiny and make the move to the new CW network. The growth has come despite the widely objected-to story line. Part of Graham's problems with the feud were personal; she missed working with co-star Alexis Bledel every day. Primarily she believed it didn't ring true to her character. "I struggled with the idea that this character, being the parent, would go so far as to stop speaking to her daughter and not make more of an effort," said Graham, taking a break in her trailer on the Warner Bros. lot during a slow day of filming. "We had it in bits and pieces, but it was hard for me to justify — that I wouldn't try harder, that I wouldn't reach out more, that I could stand to be away from her for that long." She questioned co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino more this year than ever, "and I'm sure they enjoyed it not at all," Graham said. Some critics took her side. Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald said "it seemed suddenly as if the characters were being manipulated to create drama, rather than allowing the drama to flow naturally out of the characters." The Palladinos concede that it's tough to come up with new stories for a long-running show without them seeming contrived. But in this case, they said it was important to do something that shakes Rory to her foundation — a typical rite of passage for budding adults, who learn about themselves by how they respond. "To really rock Rory's world, we had to go to what the core of the show was and to really have them have a rift and explore what the show would be," Sherman-Palladino said. "I know there are two camps. Personally, for me, I've loved the psychological implications of this year more than any other year because we've really gotten to do some real mother-daughter stories." Think deeply about the characters, and the silence rings true, she said. Lorelai has spent her life trying to do everything differently from her own mother. And if it was Lorelai taking time off from Yale, her mother would have personally dragged her back to school. While things are better now between Lorelai and Rory, it's not so for Lorelai and Luke, her diner-owner beau. They're engaged after an agonizingly long courtship. But the sudden emergence of Luke's daughter from a previous relationship has thrown their marriage plans in doubt. It's never simple, is it? Driving wedges between seemingly well-suited characters is another risk to an audience's patience. The Palladinos like the idea of exploring the difficulties in bringing together two strong personalities very set in their ways. "It's very different if you get married at 29, than at 38," Sherman-Palladino said. "It's a very different world, and that's what we're trying to tap into." The future of "Gilmore Girls" is a convoluted plot itself. The Palladinos say they're genuinely undecided about whether they will continue with the series after this season — alarming news for fans of a series that, more than most, reflects the strong sensibilities of their creators. One factor that may have driven them away — a pilot for a new series, a romantic comedy, that would have been filmed in New York — is no longer in the picture. It was scrapped with the WB's dissolution. The Palladinos are making plans for a cliffhanger ending to this season (wedding? no wedding?) and for the show to run without them in the fall, just in case. Graham said the signs point to one more season after this one; the production company is making sure to add another year for people who had six-year contracts. Graham said that's when she'd like to move on, citing the show's workload. "Getting the language perfect requires a number of takes that you might not have on another show," she explained. "It's just a lot of work — 13, 14 hours door to door. I've missed weddings, I've missed babies being born. I'm not complaining, because of what it has brought me, but I would be ready for a different balance." She has a hard time imagining the Palladinos not involved, particularly if the series is coming to an end. Television economics may also play a part in the decision. The WB is canceling "7th Heaven" because, after a decade on the air, the network's most popular show was losing money because it was so expensive to make. "They've come to us before and asked point-blank how long we think the show can go," Sherman-Palladino said, "and we say it's a family show, it can go on forever. If `7th Heaven' could have gone on for 10 years, why couldn't this show go for 10 years? There's no reason. They're going to be hard-pressed to assemble a cast this good on television again." ___ On the Net: http://www2.warnerbros.com/gilmoregirls/ ___ EDITOR'S NOTE — David Bauder can be reached at dbauder"at"ap.org
	__________________ ♥♥♥

02-12-2006, 02:28 PM	#2
PrettyinPink55 Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 24,601	So it looks like this season finale will end in a cliffhanger! I can't imagine the show without ASP and DP!!!!!!

02-12-2006, 08:53 PM	#4
PrettyinPink55 Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 24,601	I agree with all your points. The rift between Lorelai and Rory was bound to happen sometime, and like Amy said, it did give the show a chance to evaluate the relationship and each of the characters and who they are. I actually enjoyed the storyline. But of course, our girls are best together! I really hope ASP and DP don't leave at the end of the season! What will become of GG then?

02-12-2006, 09:02 PM	#5
Wings#1ShowPeriod Boo Lois, Yay Beer. Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 03, 2005 Location: Inside the Big Brother House Posts: 797	I thought the rift was good, because it lead to a great reunion that was awesome. I do hope ASP comes back, because for the obvious reasons, they write the best episodes.

02-13-2006, 04:25 AM	#6
Superstar Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 63,316	I liked that rift, one of my fave storylines from the whole show. I can't imagine the show without Amy and Daniel. I hope they'll stay with the show.

02-15-2006, 01:01 PM	#7
MsOrange Bringin' Sexy Back Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 6,133	I liked the rory/lorelai rift... i haven't become a fan of this thing w/ Luke/April/Lor though...

02-15-2006, 04:04 PM	#8
MaydayMalonesGirl ACID! POLICEHHHH! Forum Star Join Date: Apr 24, 2003 Location: in a van down by the river. Posts: 18,393	Maybe I'm alone here, but I really disliked the whole "rift" storyline. When it was in play the show lacked something in my opinion to the point that I didn't even enjoy watching some of the episodes in the beginning of the sixth season.