Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel Reflect on 'Gilmore Girls' More Than Two Decades Later

Decades after "Gilmore Girls" first premiered, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel are still looking back on what made the show unforgettable, and what fans didn't love.

More than two decades after "Gilmore Girls" first premiered on The WB in October 2000, lead stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel open up about what made the show so beloved, and what fans didn’t love about it.

Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham in the series "Gilmore Girls," 2000 | Source: Getty Images

Graham, who played Lorelai Gilmore for all seven seasons, recently told People how much she loved the show’s scripts and didn’t feel the need to change anything. "I don't think I thought I would've had the influence, and I was always so amazed by the scripts,” she said.

But there was one storyline, according to Graham, that didn’t resonate well with fans. Towards the end of season five, Lorelai and her daughter Rory, played by Bledel, got into a fight, which prompted Rory to move in with her grandparents.

Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham at the premiere of Netflix's "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" on November 18, 2016 in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images

The fight, which stemmed from Rory dropping out of Yale, extended until the first half of season 6, and Graham said fans weren’t happy about that. “I would hear from people, 'We don't like that. It's going on for so long,'" Graham recalled. "But when you do a long-running TV show, you have to have conflict. It can't all be walking around the gazebo. We got to have some drama."

On playing opposite Bledel, Graham only has nice things to say. "To me, the mark of a wonderful actor is like you can't imagine anybody else in the part, and I can't imagine anybody else," she said. "I can't imagine anybody else as my partner for all those years."

Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham in a celebration marking the 100th episode of "Gilmore Girls" in January 2005 | Source: Getty Images

“Gilmore Girls” was recently named in The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century. Following the announcement, Bledel, who was one of more than 500 voters in the poll, spoke with the Times about the show’s legacy in an Instagram video for the publication.

"I started working on Gilmore Girls when I was 18, so I'm very grateful for it," she said. "I appreciate fans sticking with us as we evolved and grew within our roles."

Bledel highlighted the timelessness of the show. "There are so many timeless elements to this show as well," she said. "The fast-paced dialogue, which is reminiscent of '30s and '40s classic films. Teen angst is also timeless. Single mom life, romantic scenes, multigenerational family drama. I think that's what keeps people coming back."

In August, it was announced that a documentary about “Gilmore Girls” is currently in production for HBO Max. The film, which has no title yet, will be told from the perspective of series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, executive producer Daniel Palladino, and will include Graham alongside other cast and crew members.

On Instagram, Graham reacted to the news, writing, "Oh hey, hi… we're making a documentary,” alongside images from the show.