What’s worth watching? (besides Gilmore Girls re-runs)
Was there ever anything like Gilmore Girls?
I’ve never watched Veronica Mars and from the comments in the KickStarter post making it sound like Buffy meets The Rockford Files, I’m set to wondering: Was there ever anything like Gilmore Girls?
I remember looking forward to the early episodes of Dawson’s Creek, 24 and Heroes. I was absorbed by The Wire and got to the Firefly party late, as I did with Sports Night and Gilmore Girls, only catching them after all episodes were in the can. But it was only Gilmore Girls and one other show that, for me, ever stood up to re-watching. What’s the other show? The screenshot above is a deep cut clue.
That’s Maisy Fortner. Co-owner of Sniffy’s Tavern - Luke’s special place where he takes Lorelai for their first date.
Lorelai Luke has a Luke’s!
Maisy is memorably played by Kathryn Joosten, better known to many as Mrs Landingham, the personal assistant to Jed Bartlet in The West Wing.
For anyone who enjoys Gilmore Girls, my top recommendation would be The West Wing. It has the same rapid delivery rate of conversation, engaging characters and laugh out loud moments. For the uninitiated, it’s a show about smart people trying to do good, a family of sorts e.g. the grumpy uncle who’s funny because he’s so grumpy; and the initially clutzy father figure (he rides into a tree) who also happens to be the President. Although it’s set in the White House, it’s less about serious politics and watching legislation dry – it’s about how these people react to situations, their personal stories and strength and their humour.
Admittedly, their dramas are often on a larger scale, so whereas a Stars Hollow disaster might have a bad smell pervading the town, The West Wing might see an assassination attempt… but it might also see the President calling the Butterball hotline to catch them out on how to cook a turkey; or the staffers dealing with ‘Big Block of Cheese’ day where CJ learns that all the maps in the world are wrong; or where the top staffers smoke out the Mural Room trying to start a fire in a fireplace that doesn’t work.
The character’s repartee is similar, as is the optimistic attitude to television as a medium that can deliver some hope along with the entertainment. I stumbled across the YouTube video ‘Star! Inside Gilmore Girls Special’ recently, it’s a special feature where the cast talks about Stars Hollow. Lauren Graham (GG’s Lorelai Gilmore) mentions that:
Lauren It’s what TV can do… life a little better.
The West Wing was frequently and unapologetically sentimental, made more stark by its setting. Like Gilmore Girls creator and writer Amy Sherman-Palladino, her West Wing counterpart Aaron Sorkin can write. He writes art, at once moving and beautiful and I’ve been about to cry when he makes me laugh and I end up covered in two kinds of snot. He’s now back to writing movies – Moneyball and The Social Network were good, but the dialogue in The West Wing was better because you can get away with talking a-mile-a-minute on TV, whereas you can’t on the big screen. He’s also writing The Newsroom but like Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Bunheads, it kind of leaves you wanting the original.
In the same TV special, Yanic Truesdale (GG’s Michel Gerard) shares a similar perspective:
Yanic It’s like life – you can have a dramatic moment or it can be funny but you don’t dwell on it, it’s not like you’re making a 10 minute scene out of what could be a 2 minute scene.
Again, the same could be said of The West Wing. After the drama or the funny plays out, the President asks: “What’s next?”
What The West Wing didn’t have was a Lorelai. A single central character we couldn’t take our eyes off. The West Wing was an ensemble piece and President Bartlet was not even initially intended to be a main character. In the same way Luke was meant to be a woman, I like how some of the best bits seem to grow organically – because you can’t plan for lightning in a bottle.
Both shows ran for seven series and both make use of the walk-and-talk to help pack in all that dialogue. Both shows’ creators departed prior to the series ending, with a telling degradation in quality – Amy Sherman-Palladino wasn’t there for the final year and Aaron Sorkin wasn’t there for the last three.
Tying this up, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was my introduction to Aaron Sorkin. This was his follow-up show to The West Wing and was cancelled as it neared the end of its first season. I felt like it suffered from some heavy handed intervention from the powers that be, steering it in odd directions trying to raise viewing figures when it would have done better just left with the one man to steer it. Nevertheless, it had an amusing cameo from Lauren Graham, riffing between head writer Matt Albie (her real life pal Matthew Perry) and producer Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford).
Matt You were in a number of wonderful sketches tonight including a hilarious send up of your character on Calico Gals. Lauren Gilmore Girls. Danny I wrote it down for you… Matt This is my number if you ever feel like coffee or a basketball game or something. And would you give a copy of this to the girl who plays your kid on the show?
[He’s joking]
[Lauren raises an eyebrow at Matt and his piece of paper, walking past him to the door… then turns back and snatches the paper out of his hand] Lauren This is humiliating. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip S01E06 The Wrap Party
For you, has anything been comparable to Gilmore Girls?
What else have you enjoyed? Heck, what else is on?