Amy Sherman-Palladino Creating HBO Series

Amy Sherman-Palladino, the genius behind Gilmore Girls, has signed on to write and executive-produce a dramatic comedy on HBO and I’m really excited for her. So many of the shows on that network are top-notch and I am hoping that she will get the chance to create another series that will not only entertain audiences but will also gain her the recognition she deserves.

The show will follow the lives of three adult sisters who, according to the Hollywood Reporter, are “all writers sharing the same upper east side apartment building, and their mother, a domineering literary lioness who reserves most of her affections for their ne’er-do-well brother.”

That could really set the tone for some intricate relationship dynamics between the characters! “It’s a story of love, hate, family — and finding the perfect opening line,” Sherman-Palladino said.

This is the first time Sherman-Palladino will be working on a show for a cable network but it already sounds like she’s off to a good start!

Let’s hope it’s better than her short-lived FOX comedy The Return of Jezebel James… though I think casting – not writing – was at fault for that failure.

image: Zuma Press

Mac

I’m still mad at ASP for quitting like she did at the end of season 6.
Maybe that’s stupid, but I’ve decided to boycott anything she does now. Why get attached to a show she’ll maybe turn her back to overnight just because she didn’t get the money deal she asked for, completely forgetting about the fans…

The funny thing about this news is that Gilmore Girls is not really known in France because of crappy broadcast. But there are some hard-core fans who mostly watched the show on DVDs. So imagine my suprise when I read about the news on a big media website here! I give you the link, just for fun: http://www.jeanmarcmorandini.com/article-31753-usa-hbo-la-creatrice-de-gilmore-girls-sur-un-nouveau-projet.html
Rayc

You, Mac, are an idiot.
It’s not Amy’s fault that The WB is cheap and wouldn’t hire more writers to aid Amy with her gigantic work load. She still gave that show six years… and breathed life into awesome characters and she’s the best television script writer out there (in my opinion).
Get your head out of your ass and support the woman who created such a wonderful world for us.

Can’t wait for the show! So glad it’s not a sitcom (wasn’t pleased with that when I heard it last year… still watched it, but the acting was PAINFUL).
regis

(What’s with the name calling – good grief!)

The premise sounds good. The writing should be great. The key 3rd leg is casting. Hope for the best!

I too am still disappointed in ASP for abandoning her baby before finishing the story. All she needed was one more season (7) to bring the story to a graceful conclusion. In my opinion, she had an unrealistic view of the life expectancy of the series – the 2 leads were weary and ready to move on.

I will never fault AB nor LG for deciding to move on after season 7. It was ASP’s responsibility to end this story gracefully – she missed that opportunity.
Marie

If it means Kelly Bishop is back on TV full time, I will be very happy.

I had the great privilege of seeing her play the mother of Emily Bergl (Francine) in BECKY SHAW earlier this year in New York and they were amazing together and very believable as mother and daughter.

Kelly is definitely lioness material!
Tina

I agree with you guys to a certain extent, but I’m grateful for the truly wonderful earlier seasons. Those episodes are simply amazing!!

I was bitterly disappointed that ASP did not stick with Gilmore Girls for the remaining season, but it all happened 2 years ago. I think it’s time to move on and forget about the dreadful season 7. However, I won’t abandon hope of a Gilmore Girls movie (if only to hear those final four words!) Right now I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with.
Mac

Rayc, I’m sure you can express your opinion with some kind of respect. Thank you.

All I was saying is that ASP always talked about GG as her baby, that she treasured it and that’s a shame she gave up for money reasons. It makes her look just as greedy as many other shows writers and I made the mistake to think she was different.
Sometimes, when you are dedicated to a show and to your character you leave money deals aside and keep in mind that you’re working for the fans.

Plus, you can find it everywhere: many people blame her for ruining season 6 (and thus leaving a mess for season 7) on purpose because she didn’t get what she wanted.

I agree we have to move on. I’ll be watching LG on Parenthood, Scott Patterson on The Frankenstein brothers and any other member of the cast as long as I’m interested in what they do (I’m watching Matt on The Good Wife) but I still feel bitter about ASP and I don’t feel like watching what she does. I didn’t say I wouldn’t change my mind.
Marie

To Mac and others:

I think you absolutely have a right not to watch. I remember reading Amy’s comments about her plan with Jezebel James was to “do everything” and “stay there” so no one else “screws it up” (to put it mildly) and found that odd – if it was the plan, as Ausiello asked her, why not stay there and finish it – but she also told people the show was in good hands and she hired Rosenthal and Rand-Kirshner and others.

HOWEVER, if we go back to the posting here of the NY Times article (March 2008) about Amy, it’s clear her reputation took a hit from the way she left the show, and probably also the disaster of Jezebel James, but HBO, for some reason, believed the proposal. HBO produces many good works, and there must have been something good about the proposal or the script to make them give her a chance.

It also seems very unfair to me to continue these arguments by fans on the Internet that she sabotaged the show out of anger. They had clearly started the Christopher storyline and April storyline before they began renegotiations with the WB and certainly before they concluded. In fact, it may be that dissatisfaction with their work that season is part of what caused the WB not to trust them running the show anymore, not in reverse.

It seems to me more likely that Amy’s persona is like the Lorelai of Season 6. As many commentators have said, they are clearly alike, and we saw Amy talk about grudges against the WB, walking away from something she loved in action, much like Lorelai on the show.

Like it or not, that was always the show, in my opinion. She ran out on Emily and Richard who did more than many parents would have done in her situation to accept her and support her. She ran from Christopher, from Max, from Luke and even from Rory.

We like Lorelai and had fun in many ways, but what people did not like about Lorelai and Amy was not seeing what the show and the character was about. Amy defended Lorelai’s behavior toward Rory in Season 6 and thought it was good drama, as she did for strife between Luke and Lorelai — all long before the ngeotiations began.

This may be a bigger reason not to like the show, because these are the kind of people Amy is writing about, people like her.

Read the description of the new show!

But Amy’s characters are as complex as she is. Funny and entertaining, but with a very spiteful and bad side. To expect more is to expect a show from another creator.
mcityrk

I think since ASP was a writer and saw most of the power struggles associated with the production of the Rosanne show, that in any future endeavors she always expected and maybe even looked forward to the long-running fight between the idea makers and the suits with the checkbook [as well as critics, bloggers, etc]. A contentious self-fulfilling prophecy if you wish, so in a lot of ways there was no chance of any genial parting of the ways when she did not get the autonomy [and enhanced contract] she wanted to finish up GG.

However as much as I [we] may not have liked significant parts of season 7, I do not believe based on season 6 that ASP was better than a coin flip to do a better job in finishing GG than the writers who completed the show. That said, if she can catch fire with the new effort, more power to her. At least on HBO she gets to fully unleash her satire [and even venom] and find out where it leads and how well it plays.
adrybaba

I dont really know why should a GG end if it has always been successful WORLDWIDE (!), in the US and in Europe as well. Most of the well-known american series dont even come to europe. GG we (hungary-central europe) still have on TV, DVD!! These kind of series should be broadcasted instead of agressive, harmful ones.
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