First Trailer for Alexis Bledel’s new show: Us and Them

us staceyAlexis Bledel (who you may recognise as Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls) and Jason Ritter (recently seen as Lauren Graham’s romantic interest in Parenthood) have a new trailer for Fox’s new mid-season show, Us and Them.

Based on the cult BBC show Gavin and Stacey, the trailer looks promising and gives a good glimpse of Alexis with a new ‘do, starring as the sweet Stacey who travels from Pennsylvania to New York for a first in-person date with down-to-earth co-worker Gavin.

The supporting cast of friends and family is gagging with comedic talent and the series has solid roots.  Could be good; could be great.  What do you think?

Click for YouTube trailer: Us and Them

Pic ℅ David Johnson / Fox

How big a Gilmore Girls Geek are you?

yes that's meI own a Stars Hollow t-shirt and once wore it in a Facebook profile pic.  This was before I’d come out of the Gilmore closet and a friend of a friend – what we used to call a complete stranger – spotted it and outted me.  At first I was bashful but then I couldn’t help myself. All the pent-up geek came out. We started chatting on my friend’s wall about Stars Hollow and meeting up in Luke’s for coffee while our mutual friend watched with confusion.

In my book, a geek is anyone who cares for something a bit more than they think they ought to.  It might be a TV show, it might be Marmite.  It could be Mycenaen tombs or snowy owls, wine or dubstep, nose flutes or the works of Matt Damon.  It’s probably not sport.  Whatever it is, it’s about being passionate.

So here’s a confession.  I have recorded every single episode of Gilmore Girls on my Digital Video Recorder (DVR).  That’s not so bad, I hear you cry.  I’m on my third re-watching – that’s watching all seven seasons once, then three times more.  That’s a little concerning, I hear you say.  My DVR remote control uses the four coloured buttons to skip ahead a different number of seconds and I’ve set the green one to skip the length of the opening credits.  OK, that’s a little concerning, I hear you murmur as you back slowly away.

Gilmore Girls finished its original run six years ago in May 2007 but has shown, like the girls themselves, to have terrific legs.  Through international syndication, re-runs and an astonishing level of re-watchability, the series continues to pick up fans and turn everyday people into fully fledged Gilmore Geeks.  Like me.

I read (and loved) both the books Rory and Jess recommended to each other – The Fountainhead and a Hemingway – The Old Man and the Sea (which made me ponder that Logan seemed to spend more time sleeping than reading and I wondered how that would have affected his relationship with Rory the bookworm.  But I digress…)

I’ve shown you mine – your turn.  Do you stand up in the cinema and point at the screen when a Gilmore Girls actor shows up?  Do you own Stars Hollow merchandise?  Do you write GG fan fiction, or ever think to yourself WWLGD?

Just how big a Gilmore Geek are you?

Bunheads oppa Gilmore style

I love a bit of Gilmore with my Bunheads and it looks like I’m not the only one.

honey-glazed bunheads

Self-confessed Gilmore and Bunheads lover ‘ByCamz’ joined the Sherman-Palladino party late but has made up for it with a very respectful melding of the Gilmore Girls intro theme ‘Where You Lead’ with well-chosen and amber-fogged clips from Bunheads.  It’s really well done.

How much do you want Bunheads Season 2?  I am keeping all fingers and legs crossed.

ByCamz, we salute you.  Click Sutton’s gleeful face or here for the YouTube vid.

With a thankful nod to bazinga for the tip-off.

Gilmore Girls in the Movies

When was the last time your started lollygagging at the TV, pointing and gibbering at the screen because one of the Gilmore Girls alumni turned up where they shouldn’t? What, just me? Come on, ‘fess up.

lorelai and arlen

Sean Gunn (GG’s Kirk) turning up in Glee was a nice surprise, although he was criminally underused. And I always have a moment of re-acclimatisation seeing Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) as the mother in Dirty Dancing. Uh, not that I watch Dirty Dancing over and over or anything.

They’ve had a fair run at the movies too, stand-outs being Milo Ventimiglia (Jess) in Rocky Balboa and Melissa McCarthy (Sookie) in Bridesmaids. Keiko Agena (Lane) recently won Best Supporting Actress for the short Lil Tokyo Reporter at the AoF Awards.

Prior to her blossoming career in publishing, Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) had a few good features under her belt. She was a Lorelai-a-like in the charming comedy The Answer Man (aka Arlen Faber), had a small part in the great Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, was underwritten in Evan Almighty and successfully played against type in Bad Santa.

Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore) carried on her Rory story in Post Grad, vacationed with her buddies in the enjoyable Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and made the most of her baby blues in Sin City.

What’s your favourite non-Gilmore role from a Gilmore Girls actor? Extra points for anything really obscure.

Lauren Graham’s Book Countdown! Are you a True Graham Cracker?

Lauren Graham’s debut novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe is officially released one week from today, on April 30th.  On May 3rd, she’ll be in New York at the Random House Open House in the morning, then at Union Square Barnes & Noble in the evening.

the author-to-be, Lorelai Gilmore - I mean - Lauren Graham

I don’t know what they’ve done to her eyes in that picture but anyway, looks like tickets are still available for the Open House and if you need it in print, Nookbook, Kindle, or audiobook, there’s this thing called the internet.  Or better still, support your friendly neighbourhood bookstore, if you still have one.

How hardcore a Graham Cracker are you?  Have you pre-ordered the hardcover version AND the audiobook (unabridged and read by Lauren herself)?  Have you booked your vacation around both Barnes & Noble appearances, in NY and LA?  Can you spell ‘restraining order’?

I’m plumping for the audio version because a) at the speed she talks, it’ll be quicker than reading it myself and b) it’ll be like she’s reading me to sleep every night.  Night night, crazy Lorelai lady.  How about a trilogy next?

(Bonus! Through the magic of The Facebook, pre-ordering can bag you an autographed bookplate and an invitation to a video chat with Lauren on SSM Eve, April 29th.)

Thanks to the Sophie Kinsella for the RH heads up.  With friends like those…

Keiko Agena scores a guest spot… so what do you think Lane Kim would be doing now?

So whatever happened to Rory’s best bud, Lane Kim?  In the wild and wacky world of TV-land – where Jason Ritter dates Lorelai Gilmore, then her daughter Rory – Lane has become a high school grief counsellor.

Mrs Kim would be proud!  Maybe.

We’re sending some Gilmore-love and bestest wishes to Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls’ long-suffering, hair-tousling, twin-toting bad-ass-drummer Lane Kim) who will guest spot in the upcoming ABC Family ‘mystery’ show, Twisted.  The show centres on a charismatic sixteen year guy just out from five years in juvenile detention, re-connecting with his two female best friends from childhood.  Sounds like he had a mum like Mrs Kim.

Might Lane have actually become a counsellor?  I can see her and Zack raising the twins to play rhythm guitar and keyboard and they play fusion country rock at family-friendly festivals with their loving, nutty uncles, Brian and Gil.  Freebird!

can't get hepper than this

Man, Lane and Zack’s twins, Steve and Kwan, would have just turned six years old.  But Keiko will always look 17.  We’ll have some of what she’s having, thankyouverymuch.

What was your favourite Lane Kim moment?  What do you think she’s up to now?

Pics c/o Chris Keiko Agena and hepalien

A Gilmore Girls Guide to Dating: What Makes a Good First Date?

A Gilmore Guide to Dating: The First Date

Good news first: In the Gilmore world, dating can be fun and inventive and you can enjoy the hell out of it. Especially if it’s snowing.

Lorelai’s official first date with Rory’s English teacher Max Medina is brought on by snow, Lorelai’s magical snow. His car chooses to break down in Stars Hollow while Rory is stranded at Richard and Emily’s, giving them a chance to get to know each other a little better, mooching around town and dicing with spicy Fiesta burgers which they take to the Black & White & Read movie night. They chat, smooch a little and he cajoles himself into the house, where unfortunately (for the grown-ups), Lane interrupts, waiting for Rory.

max coffee coffee

Dates are stressful on a number of levels. You’re with a stranger, often doing some activity to keep your mind off having to talk – when really the whole date is about getting more familiar and having to, y’know… talk. Lorelai and Max had a good time because they have a little banter, they’re a good match and it’s all the more charming because it was unexpected and natural. But Lorelai’s realistic about it:

Rory: Do you love him?
Lorelai: I uh… We had one date. It was a great date, World Series level… but it was just a date.
(s01e08 Love and War and Snow)

Lorelai’s first date with Jason ‘Digger’ Stiles is a good demonstration of the importance of finding the right activity. Do something you’re both comfortable with. A private room at a posh restaurant sounds nice, but isn’t fun enough for her tastes; the Taco Barn drive-thru is too exotic for him. Find common ground and if you’re confident enough, pare it right back, say, to plastic furniture outside a grocery store with a small can of Pringles and Sno Balls (ah, Sno Balls, you’ll be missed). The more quirky the activity, the better the stories you’ll be able to tell the grandkids (hey, I’m an optimist).

Likewise, Alex identifies a common interest, inviting her along for a coffee tasting recce. Less stressful than a formal dinner and very conducive for chatting, between sharing opinions on the brews, they’re people watching, getting a caffeine buzz and in all probability, mercilessly mocking the other clientele. Fishing as a second date though, not so hot.

If you’re courageous, make it personal. Take your date somewhere that means something special to you. Say, Sniffy’s Tavern with Luke and his wallet full of horoscope. As a couple, Luke and Lorelai had been building for a while before their official first date, so he was able to expose his sensitive side straight away:

[Luke tells the story of the first time they met, when Lorelai wrote over his horoscope and told him to hold onto it, to keep it in his wallet. That it would bring him luck.]
Lorelai: Uhm I can’t believe you kept this.. You kept this in your wallet? You kept this in your wallet.
Luke: Eight years.
Lorelai: Eight years.
Luke: Lorelai. This thing we’re doing here, me – you. I just want you to know I’m in. I am all in. Does that uh – are you… scared?
[Lorelai shies away, then glances up at him, smiling. She doesn’t look scared.]
(s05e03 Written In The Stars)

There’s some anti-April sentiment (Luke’s daughter he never knew he had, not the month) on the discussion boards, which I think is largely a reaction to this moment. When things between Luke and Lorelai become muddy and Luke becomes confused about his paternal priorities, he effectively takes back the touching moment at Sniffy’s. But it’s not April’s fault.

Rory has her fair share of first dates too, especially after she starts college. Although it’s not all good:

Rory: I feel like I was locked in to a pointless societal ritual. There has to be another way.
Lorelai: Luke and I were debating that. Luke thinks it’s all about gut instinct. You know instantly if a person’s right for you. I think you have to go through a lot to find a contender. You’ve been very lucky with boys before, they were just sort of there. But, I think for the most part a girl’s gotta hunt a little.
Rory: And go through a lot of non-contenders.
Lorelai: Yes but then your non-contenders become your fun bad date anecdotes.
(s04e05 The Fundamental Things Apply)

Which leads me onto… Bad Dates in the Gilmore Girls (A Necessary Evil)

Halfway through a disastrous first date at Yale, Rory calls home for advice while Clark-Kent-a-like Trevor is in the bathroom. Luke’s there too, Lorelai’s captive Casablanca guinea pig:

Rory: I’ve already forgotten everything he said to me, the name of his brother and sister and best friend and we’re sitting on the same side of the table, we keep bumping menus and my neck already hurts from trying to turn and look at him when he talks. Can I tell him to sit on the other side?
Lorelai: Honey, you just have to relax. ‘Cos it’s just a date and sometimes dates don’t go well.
Luke: Dating’s the worst.
Lorelai: Don’t worry about the conversation. Just talk and if the talk doesn’t flow, it doesn’t. And stay away from urine-related topics.

But Lorelai has the experience to know that bad dates can have good sides. And she should know…

rune

Sookie and Jackson are on their first date, Lorelai is helping out by double-dating Jackson’s flat-cap-toting cousin, Rune – an unintentionally funny little man, disgusted by Lorelai’s height and size 9 feet. They leave the stuffy French restaurant in favour of Luke’s and after Jackson and Sookie start to relax and get rid of Rune (“Bye Loon!”), they can properly talk – leaving Lorelai and Luke to play a little poker over the counter where Luke first raises the suggestion of Lorelai going out sometime.

Lorelai: God that’s nice. The whole first date beginning of the relationship glow, everything’s new and exciting.
Luke: Every joke is hilarious.
Lorelai: Every little touch is incredible. That is a good feeling.
Luke: It is at that.
(s01e12 Double Date)

In the same episode, Rory and Dean are double-dating for Lane Kim and airhead Todd, which comes to a head when ultra-strict Mrs Kim finds out. The confession by Rory about how she lied to Lorelai to prevent Lorelai having to lie to Mrs Kim throws out one of my favourite lines:

Lorelai: I have to know where you are at all times, especially when you have my shoes on.

Some final pearls from Luke and Lorelai:

Luke: I mean dating, it’s a horror.
Lorelai: It’s the only cure for the singleness thing barring ordering a spouse off the internet.

Lorelai: But dating is how you get to know your potential partner. It’s the only way.
Luke: There’s the gut. I can tell if I’m comfortable with someone within seconds of meeting them.

Which camp are you in, Luke or Lorelai’s? Ever had Luke’s gut feeling? Or is dating the only way?
What’s your worst date ever?
Which is your favourite Gilmore first date?

Pics c/o the WB