A Tribute to Great Television: Gilmore Girls

About a week ago I started re-watching Gilmore Girls for probably the seventh or eighth time, and continued my love affair with Lorelai and Rory.  After watching Amy Sherman-Palladino's (the creator/writer/director) latest creation Bunheads, I decided I needed to head back to Stars Hallow.  This small town had all the charm and wit, and fast talking of an old school movie.  One of my other favorite parts of this show is the massive amounts of pop culture references ranging from obscure films like Pippi Longstocking to political references like effectiveness of Jimmy Carter's presidency.  While I did not watch this show from the start the end surely made me incredibly emotional.

The show started in 2000 on the fledgling WB network and was the first show funded completely by Family Friendly Programming Fund, which involves most of the countries leading advertisers.  The reason I never started watching the show during the first season was because it was on opposite my favorite show at the time Friends, in the Thursday at 8 pm time slot.  In the second season the show moved to Tuesday at 8pm replacing Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Buffy moved to UPN.  I started to fall in love with the series when ABC Family started to rerun the show.

Throughout the years creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino ran the show with quick witted dialogue, until they left after the fifth season.  The show launched the careers of Lauren Graham (Lorelai) and Alexis Bledel (Rory).  Lorelai had Rory at 16 and the premise relates to the concept of this great mother daughter relationship, where their relationship is more like friendship.  The show highlights a different relationship with Lorelai and her parents specifically her mother Emily played by the amazing Kelly Bishop.  Throughout the show tenure I always felt as though the Palladino's not only understand unique family dynamics, but the could tackle so many humourous, and and dramatic moments beautifully.  

Although the show lost some of its spark within the last two years with new show runner Phillip Rosenthal the Gilmore Girls remained a steadfast treat.  Watching Lorelai stumble through her love life, the way I often feel as though I stumble through mine.  Although I wish there were a guy like Luke (who owned a diner) pining after me.  The show had heart, and has many similar characteristics to Aaron Sorkin, which is another reason for my obsession.  The show's quick dialogue mixed with the style of shooting that allows the viewer to follow the characters as they walk shows that "walk and talk" style.  This style is fairly unique to a small number of shows, but highlights some of the great elements within the Gilmore world.

One of the the other truly Gilmore elements is the use of "la-la" music transition, and the music within the show.  Sam Phillips composed the music throughout the entire run of the shows seven seasons using her own voice to create the transitional music for the show.  Music was an important of this show, and Sherman-Palladino using Sam Phillips as her musical guide was a telling venture the musical world of Stars Hallow.  Phillips had several of her own songs play throughout the the shows history, and in fact played over some of the most emotional moments of the shows history.  One of my favorite moments was the use of Phillip's "Reflecting Light" when Luke and Lorelai first dance, simply beautiful.

I can't forget one of the other great musical connections with singer/songwriter Carole King who wrote the original theme song.  An interesting fact about this song is that King stopped playing this song because she got a lot of flack during its release because of it's "anti-feminist tones" the song came back for this show when King sang with her daughter and focuses the "following" to the connection between the mother daughter relationship.  I love this story and it shows just how much of an impact this show had on popular culture, and how much popular culture affected this show.

While I am not a daughter this show speaks to me on so many levels, and as I watch Lauren Graham I see myself in Lorelai, her humor and realistic sarcasm makes me smile.  The show was never an Emmy magnet, but is a true classic.  The Palladino's created a great world with amazing characters.  I want to take a journey to the fake Stars Hallow drink coffee at Luke's and have fun teasing Kirk.

Amy Sherman (she dropped Palladino) Rocks the Quick Wit with Bunheads

One of my favorite television writers is back at it with a new television show on ABC Family entitled Bunheads.  Amy Sherman-Palladino (or just Amy Sherman as she is cited on imdb now) wrote, directed, and produced the television series Gilmore Girls.  Gilmore Girls was one of the most underrated shows on the air, and while I hear fans talk about the show fondly, the show never got any serious awards recognition, except a Golden Globe nod for Lauren Graham once, and some attention from critics groups.  Sherman has re-tooled the original concept for this new series now entitled Bunheads about a Las Vegas showgirl who is swept off her feet, gets married to a man, and moves to a small town in California.

Sherman is back to her old form; she knows how to create that small town charm, and like within Gilmore Girls she knows how to talk about dance ala Miss. Patty.  Throughout the the first episode Sherman's dialgoue ran at a rapid pace, and the quick wit is there.  Sherman's writing elevates this beyond more than the typical ABC Family fare, and the network has a truly quality show on their hands.

Leading the charge within the cast is the Broadway baby Sutton Foster.  Foster is a two time Tony winner for the shows Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes; she was also Tony nominated for her roles in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Shrek the Musical.  This girl has talent to boot, and boy can handle the dialogue with great ease.  Returning to the world of Amy Sherman is Kelly Bishop who like Foster started out in Boradway; she won a Tony for her performance in A Chorus Line.  Bishop is most known for her role in the Gilmore Girls where she played stuffy socialite Emily Gilmore.  Bishop's character is somewhat similar, but in the end it does not mater because she is a great actress, and the material helps transform her into this incredibly fun dance instructor.  The younger cast of the show seem like they will provide a good amount of entertainment, and bring about a wonderful balance.  While they all seem to play archetypes I know Amy Sherman will help flesh out their characters well.

I am excited to return to a world created by Amy Sherman with the quick wit, the great pop culture references, and a small town where everyone is in everyone's business.  Welcome back Amy Sherman!

My Favorite Thanksgiving Episodes

Thanksgiving is that time of year when everyone goes home to spend time with their families or avoids their families like the plague an attempts to make on their own with their friends. This is one of the best times of the year where there are numerous holiday episodes.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday with the great food, and its also because it is close to my birthday.  Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving episodes.

1-Friends-This is the show that had a special Thanksgiving episode almost every season.  This show did Thanksgiving episodes best.  In the shows first season the thanksgiving episode "TOW Underdog Got Away" the six characters all made plans separately but Rachel could not get away and others plans got ruined so they all ended up spending their first Thanksgiving together.  The second season there was no Thanksgiving episode, but then in the third season they competed for the Gellar cup, and in the fourth season had Chandler sitting in a box because he betrayed Joey.  The best Thanksgiving episode ever is in the fifth season of Friends in an episode entitled "TOW All the Thanksgiving Flashbacks" is where we get to see fat Monica again, Chandler losing a toe, Phoebe's past lives, and Joey putting a turkey on his head.  The Thanksgiving episodes continued, but this one was the best.

2-The West Wing had two wonderful Thanksgiving episodes "Shibboleth" and "Indians in the Lobbey."  The better of the two is seasons two's "Shibboleth" and the best story was watching CJ (Allison Janney) having to help pick a turkey for the President to pardon.  Every year at Thanksgiving time the President pardons a turkey.  I love this episode!

3-Will & Grace also had two great Thanksgiving episodes "Homo for the Holidays" and "Moveable Feast."  The best episode among the two is "Homo for Holidays" where Grace and Will talk to Jack's mom and find out that Jack has not only never come out to her, but he has told her that he has dated both Karen and Grace.  This episode has one of my favorite lines in the entire history of the show, which came Karen.

GRACE: Hmmm. Well, you've come on a good night. Jack's mother is going to be joining us, and she doesn't know Jack's gay.
KAREN: How could she not know? What is she, headless?


4-Gilmore Girls-If anyone can eat four Thanksgiving dinners its Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.  In "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving" Lorelai and Rory start their day at Sookie's and get to see Jackson deep fry a turkey, then they head to the Kim's for tofurkey, then onto Luke's diner for their almost double date Thanksgiving, and they end their night at the Gilmore's mansion.  There is nothing better than a smart witty Thanksgiving.

5-How I Met Your Mother-This show like Friends did a good job of navigating the world of celebrating Thanksgiving with Friends.  In season one we get to watch Barney work at a soup kitchen, and find out he is only doing it because he was court mandated.  Then after each season we get into the world of the Slap Bet.  The Slap Bet Episodes are great!  they focus around Thanksgiving but also on a bet that Marshall has made with Barney, and Marshall gets to slap him for losing the bet.  


I love the more modern Thanksgiving shows.  They do not focus as much on dealing with family, but are more about making Thanksgiving a time where you can spend this holiday with people you love who you want to be around.

The Worst TV Seasons! (Comedy Edition)

I have been re-watching my favorite one of my favorite television shows of all time, Gilmore Girls, for the seventh time (or more).  I am an avid TV watcher and I have a lot of TV seasons on DVD.  When I go to watch certain shows there are always seasons I dread getting through.    With my favorite shows I can easily pick out the worst seasons.  I can pick out the worst with other shows I watch too, but I think being a popular culture fanatic its better when you can recognize the worst in your favorite.

I am in the middle of my least favorite season of the Gilmore Girls, the sixth season.  At the beginning of the sixth season the famed mother daughter team Lorelai and Rory have stopped speaking.  Rory was told my by her boyfriend Logan's father that she doesn't have "it" to be a journalist and she steals a boat with Logan in the fifth season.  Rory decides to leave Yale and then the mother and daughter stop speaking.  Throughout the first eight episodes Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel rarely share the screen and thus the loses its charm.  When Lorelai and Rory finally reunite in episode nine their freakish mother daughter connection is strained for a while.  I understand why the creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino went down this road, but the show lost a lot throughout this entire season.  The sixth season also brought the worst character this show ever saw, April.  April was Luke's daughter.  Luke was never told April was his and when he finds out he keeps it a secret from Lorelai.  Luke also pushes Lorelai aside as he tries to get to know April on his own terms.  April was a terrible plot device that eventually broke up Luke and Lorelai, and forced a stupid and pointless break up.  I love this show but I this is one of my least favorite seasons.  The Gilmore Girls ended in season seven but the show rebounded and had a better season to close out the show.
Friends ran for ten seasons and there were some seasons that were amazing, some that were uneven, and some that were just plain not that good.  In season eight Friends rebounded and had one of its best seasons ever!  The show was on top of its game it won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series for Jennifer Anniston.  The show added new depth to Joey and Rachel's pregnancy was hilarious.  The show was coming off an uneven season seven, and the six were considering walking away from the show, then season eight happened and they reconsidered.  I often wonder, should they have ended at season eight?  The true fan boy in me says "Hell NO!" and the critic in me says "Tough Call."  The season after season eight is there worst season.  In season eight Joey liked Rachel, but she rebuffed him.  Season nine rolls around and all of sudden Rachel ends up liking him.  They Joey and Rachel story was a stupid sideline, and season nine did nothing to make any Ross, Rachel, or Joey grow and they were at the forefront of a lot.  Monica and Chandler working to have a child was good, and Phoebe finally finding a steady man in Mike (Paul Rudd) was the best part.  This season was filler to get to the end and I hate to say it added nothing to this show.  Friends ended in season 10 with story lines that did not to be spread out amongst two seasons, but I still love the heartfelt last episode.

Will & Grace had a lot of uneven seasons toward the end but non worse than season six.  Apparently when a show hits season six the show starts to lose steam.  In season five Will & Grace added Grace's boyfriend and soon to be husband Leo played by Harry Connick Jr..  When shows add to their core cast the addition can either bring some fun new dynamic like with Lilith in Cheers or take away like Leo did in Will & Grace.  Leo's character was boring and bland, sure the actor is hot, but I do not get the appeal in the show.  In the sixth season the was one episode that was brilliant "Last Ex to Brooklyn" which is about Leo's ex coming to a dinner party, and she happens to be the only girl Will had ever slept with.  That was episode two of the season, and the season went down hill after that.  The show tried to save things with guest stars and gimmicks and that failed.  The season finale centered around Karen's wedding in Las Vegas was just painful.  One of the other flaws within this season was that Debra Messing was pregnant and was not featured in a lot of the episodes.  The show needed Grace to balance out the foursome, but she was sadly not in many episodes.  The show started to rebound and find its center in seasons seven and eight but it never got back to the greatness of the beginning.