Nine years ago, Gilmore Girls fans around the world wept into cradled coffee cups when news hit that the beloved dramedy series had been unceremoniously cancelled after seven sensational seasons. Though the final season was the first without creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, one shaky year did not mean we were ready to say goodbye. Sherman-Palladino floated the idea of a spinoff movie to tie up loose ends and give the residents of Stars Hollow a proper sendoff, but nothing ever came of it. Ever since a fierce but friendly fandom has been waiting, craving more rapid-fire banter and enviable mother-daughter bonding.
After garnering an even bigger fanbase who discovere the show through streaming, this Thanksgiving, Netflix will give subscribers something to be thankful for with the triumphant return of Lorelai and Rory in Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life.
A mini-series made up of a quartet of one-and-a-half hour episodes, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life reunites Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, Scott Patterson, Keiko Agena, Melissa McCarthy, and much of the rest of the original cast to spin seasonal chapters sure to have fans cheering and tearing up in turn. In anticipation for the show’s holiday debut, we sat down with Bishop, who memorably portrayed Emily Gilmore, oft-judgemental but always well-meaning mom of Lorelai and grandma of Rory.
The new Netflix trailer revealed some major shake-ups for the Gilmores. Most tragically, Emily’s husband Richard has died, leaving her a widow in search of joy. In our interview, Bishop shared how important it was to the cast and creators to explore the grief plotline as a means of paying tribute to the affable actor who’d brought Richard to life, the late Edward Herrmann, who passed away at the end of 2014. Yet true to Gilmore Girls form, we also found time for some levity, and at a speed Bishop commended me on after, calling it “nearly Gilmore Girls” fast.
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life premieres November 25, 2016, on Netflix.
What’s your favorite Gilmore Girls‘ moment?
Image: Netflix
