93-page scripts, 10-page single takes and not one contraction you could change: Melissa McCarthy on Gilmore Girls

I always thought Gilmore Girls looked like a comfy gig—the sort of show you could breeze through, trading snappy lines over a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes. Turns out, if you were on the inside, you’d have been a bit more frazzled than you’d expect—just ask Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie St. James back in the show’s heyday.

Scripts That Refused to Quit

McCarthy recently sat down with Variety and did a bit of reminiscing about those early days. According to her, the job was nothing like your average telly drama. For her first proper series, she got chucked headfirst into marathon dialogue sessions—no improvising, no shortcuts, and absolutely no changing the words.

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Here’s how McCarthy herself described it in the interview:

'It was hard! It was really hard. But to me, that was normal, because it was my first show. Our scripts are 93 pages, and you can’t change a contraction, even if you get them that morning and it’s a 10-page oner.'

If you’re wondering why everyone sounds like they’re mainlining espresso and rattling off lines at lightning speed, this is why. Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator, ran a tight ship—she was absolutely rigid about not just the lines, but every single contraction and pause. A 93-page script would turn up, and you just had to crack on, even if the words were hot off the press.

'Gilmore Girls' scripts ran to 93 pages, pushing cast members through dialogue marathons.

Amy Sherman-Palladino, No-Nonsense Trailblazer

McCarthy had genuine praise for Sherman-Palladino and her approach. She reckons those strict standards weren’t just about being fussy—back in the early 2000s, a woman running her own show needed to keep her creative vision intact, otherwise the whole thing could get watered down in a heartbeat. The 'my way or the highway' attitude was more survival tactic than diva behaviour.

She even said it outright—she was glad Sherman-Palladino stuck to her guns, because it’s what made Gilmore Girls a proper classic. Decades on, it’s still got a hold on new viewers, with Gen Z now getting just as obsessed as those who grew up with the original.

McCarthy summed it all up, saying the show’s fanbase 'really take ownership of that show'. Given how the series just will not die—internet memes, endless rewatches, that Netflix revival—it’s hard to argue with her.

Where’s McCarthy Now?

Of course, McCarthy’s no longer sweating through 10-page monologues about baked goods and town meetings. Since her Sookie days, she broke out in Bridesmaids back in 2011, picked up two Oscar nominations, and these days she’s stepping up as both star and executive producer on Netflix’s The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, hitting the service on 10 December. Some version of Sookie is probably quite chuffed for her.

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