We're only a few days away from the 25th anniversary of Gilmore Girls, so it only feels fitting to celebrate with 25 facts about this one-of-a-kind show. Although I grew up watching Gilmore Girls from time to time on ABC Family, I didn't start my annual rewatch tradition until 2023! Now, I can't imagine fall without my favorite cozy comfort show. Now, Josie? Josie has been a Gilmore girlie forever. We even threw her a Gilmore Girls-themed baby shower in the summer of 2024! You can get a peek at that cuteness here.
Today, we released a NEW design inspired by a fast-talking, coffee loving, mother-daughter duo from a special town we all wish we could visit. Our Small Town Magic Pendant was such a fun piece to create and it's available for preorder now! Grab yours here.
Small Town Magic
$38.00
Every fall, we find ourselves cozying up on the couch, restarting our favorite comfort show to feel a little bit of SMALL TOWN MAGIC! This magical little Connecticut town that a beloved mom and daughter duo call home has made… read more
I know what you're thinking -- Oy with the poodles already! Let's get into some Gilmore Girls fun facts.
Gilmore Girls: 25 Fast-Talking Facts You Probably Didn't Know
Table of Contents
- Gilmore Girls: 25 Fast-Talking Facts You Probably Didn't Know
- 1. Melissa McCarthy was the original Sookie.
- 2. It was supposed to be Daisy's Diner.
- 3. Kirk had around 62 jobs throughout Gilmore Girls.
- 4. Gilmore Girls scripts were 20 pages longer than the average TV script.
- 5. The show's theme song is performed by a mother-daughter duo.
- 6. Alexis Bledel didn't have coffee in her cup.
- 7. The show was inspired by a real Connecticut town.
- 8. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel didn't meet until right before their first table read.
- 9. You can spot Star's Hollow in other shows and movies.
- 10. The role of Paris Gellar was created for Liza Weil.
- 11. Keiko Agena was 27 when she began filming Gilmore Girls.
- 12. The band name "Hep Alien" isn't as random as you'd think.
- 13. Gilmore Girls was Alexis Bledel's first big acting role.
- 14. Scott Patterson was the only actor to audition for Luke.
- 15. Warner Bros. was interested in a Jess spinoff.
- 16. Edward Herrmann's wife referred to Kelly Bishop as his "second wife."
- 17. There were more than 1000 yellow daisies in that famous proposal.
- 18. Lauren Graham was a producer for the seventh season of Gilmore Girls.
- 19. Dave "went to California" when he was cast in The O.C.
- 20. Gilmore Girls won only one Emmy.
- 21. Friday Night Dinners were Lauren Graham's favorite scenes to film.
- 22. Almost 340 books were referenced throughout the series.
- 23. The creator wrote the final four words of the show long before it ended.
- 24. You can visit Stars Hollow at Christmastime.
- 25. Lauren Graham received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame TODAY!
- Small Town Magic
1. Melissa McCarthy was the original Sookie.
While it's hard to imagine anyone else as Sookie now, it was actually Alex Borstein who was hired for the role originally. Since Borstein was already acting on MADtv at the time, she couldn't do both shows. She would instead guest star on the show as Drella the harpist and eventually Emily's stylist, Miss Celine.
You can see Alex Borstein as Sookie in the unaired pilot here!
2. It was supposed to be Daisy's Diner.
In 2016, Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino revealed that Luke was originally a female character named Daisy. According to Sherman-Palladino, after a note from the network that the show needed another male in the cast, the role was changed to a man named Luke! Their dynamic is iconic and brings so much to the show, so I'm glad that we get to experience Luke & Lorelai.
3. Kirk had around 62 jobs throughout Gilmore Girls.
Although we first met Kirk in Season 1 Episode 2 as "Mick," after a quick name change he was here to stay. Kirk appeared in 109 of the 153 Gilmore Girls episodes over seven seasons, and fans have tallied up the more than 60 jobs he's held. If you want a complete list of Kirk's jobs, you can find it here!
4. Gilmore Girls scripts were 20 pages longer than the average TV script.
The average one hour television show script is usually 40-50 pages, while a Gilmore Girls script was 75-80 pages. All of that fast talking really added up!
5. The show's theme song is performed by a mother-daughter duo.
That's right, the iconic theme song, "Where You Lead," was sung by Carole King and her daughter Louise Goffin. The song was originally written for King's 1971 album Tapestry, but was re-recorded as a duet in 2000 for Gilmore Girls!
6. Alexis Bledel didn't have coffee in her cup.
Instead she was usually drinking soda since that was her preference over coffee! Lauren Graham sometimes had water or cold coffee in her cup, but her cup was never empty like most fans assume.
7. The show was inspired by a real Connecticut town.
When Amy Sherman-Palladino stayed at the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut, she was inspired by its small-town charm. Apparently the Mayflower Inn & Spa was the direct inspiration for the Independence Inn in Gilmore Girls!
8. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel didn't meet until right before their first table read.
While some shows and movies have chemistry tests with their main characters prior to casting, this wasn't the case for Rory and Lorelai! The mother-daughter duo first met in the lobby of their hotel in Canada before heading the first table read for Gilmore Girls.
9. You can spot Star's Hollow in other shows and movies.
Avid Gilmore Girls fans may notice that their favorite small town set is featured in other shows and movies. For example, in Pretty Little Liars, Rosewood is the same town set on the Warner Bros. backlot. The permanent set on the Warner Bros. Studio Lot is known as Midwest Street! While originally built in 1946 for the film, Saratoga Trunk, almost 80 years later it's still utilized in some of your favorite shows and movies. You can also catch a glimpse of it if you take a Warner Bros. Studios Tour!
10. The role of Paris Gellar was created for Liza Weil.
Weil originally auditioned for Rory, but wasn't cast in the role. The show's creator was so impressed with her that when the show was green lit, she created the role of Paris Gellar just for her!
11. Keiko Agena was 27 when she began filming Gilmore Girls.
Both Alexis Bledel and Keiko Agena were older than their 16-year-old characters, Rory and Lane! When the show began filming, Bledel was 19 and Agena was 27. Since timing restraints for filming open up significantly at age 18, it makes sense that these high school characters were actually adults.
12. The band name "Hep Alien" isn't as random as you'd think.
Lane's band's name, Hep Alien, is actually an anagram of Helen Pai. Pai was a producer on the show and a childhood friend of the show's creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino. The character of Lane Kim is also based on Helen Pai!
13. Gilmore Girls was Alexis Bledel's first big acting role.
The show that made her a household name was also her first credited role! She had a small, uncredited role as an extra in a 1998 film, but landing Gilmore Girls would put her on the map.
14. Scott Patterson was the only actor to audition for Luke.
When Daisy's role became Luke, creator Amy Sheman-Palladino didn't need to see anyone else after Scott Patterson's audition. Today, Patterson hosts a Gilmore Girls rewatch podcast, "I Am All in with Scott Patterson." He also has his own coffee company, Scotty P's Big Mug Coffee!
15. Warner Bros. was interested in a Jess spinoff.
The season three episode "Here Comes the Son," served as a backdoor pilot for the new series. The series was to be called Windward Circle and was going to focus on Jess living in Venice Beach, California and reconnecting with his father. Windward Circle was never picked up, but we'll always have the backdoor pilot to look back on!
16. Edward Herrmann's wife referred to Kelly Bishop as his "second wife."
Your favorite Gilmore grandparents, Richard and Emily, became quite close in real life. Edward Herrmann's wife, Star Herrmann, invited Bishop to visit with Herrmann in the weeks just before he passed away in 2014 after his battle with brain cancer. Star Herrmann shared that Kelly Bishop was the only person they had come to visit him at that time.
17. There were more than 1000 yellow daisies in that famous proposal.
Max Medina proposed to Lorelai with 1000 yellow daisies, but in reality it took way more than 1000 to fill the room on set. The crew was actually sent out several times to grab more yellow daisies and ultimately the set added mirrors to make the display look that much more abundant.
18. Lauren Graham was a producer for the seventh season of Gilmore Girls.
The original showrunners Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino left the show after its six season. With these voices missing in the process for what ended up being the show's final season, Lauren Graham stepped up as a producer for the show. She felt that it was important to have a more active role as someone who was there from the start of the show.
19. Dave "went to California" when he was cast in The O.C.
Lane's boyfriend Dave's story was cut short when he went on to star in the new California-based series, The O.C. So now you know what Dave Rygalski was really up to when he left Stars Hollow for college in California!
20. Gilmore Girls won only one Emmy.
The only Emmy that the show ever won was for Outstanding Make-Up for a Series. You probably already guessed the episode, but if you didn't -- it was for "The Festival of Living Art" in Season Four!
21. Friday Night Dinners were Lauren Graham's favorite scenes to film.
While Lorelai may have hated them, Graham loved filming them most! These scenes were particularly long to shoot and required several angles and perspectives.
22. Almost 340 books were referenced throughout the series.
It's no secret that Rory Gilmore loves to read! In over 150 episodes, 339 books were referenced. You can find the complete list here!
23. The creator wrote the final four words of the show long before it ended.
Although we didn't get to hear them in Season Seven, we would eventually hear them at the end of the 2016 Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Those four final words? "Mom?" "Yeah?" "I'm pregnant."
24. You can visit Stars Hollow at Christmastime.
Thanks to the special Holidays Made Here experience at Warner Bros. Studio Tour, you can step right into the winter season in Stars Hollow. Visitors can stroll through Stars Hollow, stop in to Luke's Diner, depending on which dining package you choose, you can even try Friday Night Dinner or Tea at the Dragonfly Inn. Josie and I hope to experience this soon -- maybe next year!
To buy tickets to this Gilmore Girls fan must-do, click here!
25. Lauren Graham received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame TODAY!
Just days before the show's 25th anniversary, Lauren Graham received her star on October 3, 2025 at 11:30 AM PST. The guest speaker at her ceremony was Gilmore Girls creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino! Graham received the 2,823rd star on the Walk of Fame, and if you want to pay it a visit it can be found at 6284 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the W Hollywood Hotel.
Small Town Magic
If you love this special show as much as we do, we think our Small Town Magic Pendant is a perfect piece for your jewelry collection. Inspired by the magic of a small town we love revisit each year, this dual-sided design features to icons from the show -- a gazebo and a dragonfly.
We created this piece in gold and silver so it can be styled with any outfit. Whether you're taking a Warner Bros. Studio Tour or just looking to add some Stars Hollow magic to your outfit, this piece is subtle and stylish for any look. It's also made with hypoallergenic, stainless steel which means it won't tarnish and will hold up for plenty of decades of Gilmore Girls rewatch sessions!
It's currently available for preorder on our site, so if you decide to shop be sure to use code "SPINNING10" to save at checkout. Grab yours now!
