Palladinos Say Passing Off Gilmore Girls is "horrifying"

As previously reported, Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman Palladino, and her writer/director husband, Daniel, will not be returning to the show next season, due to stalled contract negotiations. A recent interview with TV Guide reveals that a number of factors played into this, notably the fact that the Palladinos have been dealing with a series of one-year contracts. Dan says, "We wanted to play a significant role on Gilmore Girls for at least two more years, because ... it can weave and bob and change and mutate and keep going, because it's about family, it's about relationships, and it could keep going for two, three, who knows how many years."

Amy adds, "It would allow us to plan for one year, it would allow us to plan for two years. You know, a big part of making new deals with the actors would be telling them what that second year would be."

As for my thoughts on this - despite my own love/hate relationship this season, Gilmore Girls is still one of my favorite shows, and the framework Amy has created makes it one of the most interesting programs ever. I could go at length about how the show is subtly avant garde and I've written at length about the show's lack of pretension when it comes to music. Moreso in its early seasons, but still a bit now, episodes flow like a novel, filled with anecdotes not related to some overriding plot connected to a self-contained story. I can't think of any show that does this - except maybe The Wire. The quirky characters, little details, and funny anecdotes make this show what it is. I think this will be lost on a new creative team.

It shouldn't be a surprise, though - the WB has a long history of treating their best received shows poorly. Buffy was forced to live its final two seasons on UPN due to failed contract negotiations with creator Joss Whedon. Despite the fact that Buffy was the network's first critically-acclaimed program and created a template for several other teen shows that followed on the network (Dawson's Creek, Smallville, Charmed), the network did not want to invest in the show. Years later, they abruptly canceled Buffy spinoff Angel after its fifth season. Not only was Angel at its creative peak at the time of its cancellation - its ratings were also on the rise. Hopefully, the fact that the WB and UPN are joining forces will lead to better treatment of creative teams ... I'm feeling a bit more like they'll fuck up the good thing they have in Veronica Mars.

Why does this happen to the best shows - Twin Peaks, Arrested Development ... where does it end?