Photo Source: TVLine
I was a teenager in the 2000’s, so a lot of my peers watched Gilmore Girls religiously. I didn’t actually watch the show until recently, when several of my friends demanded I watch it. Although I’m not an avid fan of the show like other die-hard girls, I’ve grown to appreciate the unique writing of the series.
Although Gilmore Girls is a series meant for teens and young adults, it seems more sophisticated like its counterparts. It’s a dramedy, which is a rarity in teen television, and in television in general. I can only think of two recent dramedies: Buffy and The O.C. However, even these two series are more drama than comedy. Gilmore Girls seems to balance drama and comedy better than any show I’ve seen before. It occasionally gets very serious, but isn’t overly dramatic like other soap operas, such as Dawson’s Creek. It’s not a sitcom, either, but it’s very quirky and almost Seinfeld-esque in the way that it makes fun of people and life in general.
The series also features two of the strongest and most relatable female leads on television in Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. Rory is the shy, smart, slightly awkward girl that teens growing up can relate to; she lives a relatively normal, sometimes dramatic life, which is representative of many girls. Lorelai is likewise a relatable thirty-year old woman who wants to get her life together and cares about her daughter more than anyone else in the world. It’s not always easy to find television series that have female leads that viewers can relate to and see themselves through, but also can admire.
Another characteristic of Gilmore Girls that sets it apart from other series on television is its pacing. Much has been said about the fast dialogue and 70-page scripts of each show, but the series moves in a pace like none other on television. Other teen series like Pretty Little Liars move through storylines and relationships within a span of four to five episodes, but Gilmore Girls extends these stories for half-seasons and sometimes seasons. There are no crazy cliffhangers each episode. The series takes its time with developing stories and characters, which is more reflective of real life.
Overall, the series proves that television can mirror real life and still be entertaining.
Screenwriting Thoughts 