I might be sounding like a bit of a broken record at the moment regarding Amy Sherman-Palladino's new comedy pilot The Return of Jezebel James, but I just can't get Lauren Graham out of my head.Mainly because Graham would just be so insanely perfect for the lead role of Sarah Thompkins in ASP's latest project and I'd love to see Graham and Sherman-Palladino reunite on a different project, one that didn't involve a certain formerly beloved mother-daughter relationship going ever so unsubtly off the rails in recent years.
Indispensable industry resource TV Tracker today released the first installment of their patented Track Vision (a boon during pilot season for overworked and overwrought buyers like yours truly) and listed Gilmore Girls as an "expected cancellation."
Rumors have been swirling for months about the fate of this WB/CW dramedy staple, but after seven seasons and increasingly mounting production costs, it seems like this May will be the end of those girls from Stars Hollow. (And, sadly, it's coming a little too late for this former GG addict.)
Which would mean that Graham needs to get out there and sign up to do a pilot for next season. If only to do something television-based that pushes her a little bit away from Lorelai Gilmore. Sure, Graham is developing a few projects with her Warners-based production shingle, but I don't believe that any of them have been picked up to pilot.
Plus, who better to write breakneck, witty, sassy banter for our gal Graham than the writer who infused Lorelai and Rory's conversations with such brilliant pop culture-infused repartee?
The script for Jezebel James describes Sarah as "a young adult book editor. She is mid to late thirties, bright, sunny, an eternal optimist and the most determined lady you could meet."
If that's not Graham, I don't know what is.
Graham needs a vehicle that would allow her to shine and still give her whip-smart dialogue, a three-dimensional character, and a unique on-screen relationship to explore. And Jezebel James would offer her a bit of variety in the fact that, unlike Gilmore Girls, it's a half-hour comedy on a network that has a bit more cache (and cash) than newbie netlet the CW.
Plus, how great would it be to see Graham reunite with her former on-screen flame Scott Cohen, who has already been cast as Marcus in the FOX comedy?
Meanwhile, I was discussing the character of Coco, Sarah's rambunctious, alternative, and aggressively estranged sister, with my friend Di, who writes industry newsletter The Surf Report, and both of us immediately wanted to cast Mean Girls' Lizzy Caplan. (I mean, come on, it would be an absolute miracle if CBS renewed The Class at this point.)
Lauren Graham. Scott Cohen. Lizzy Caplan. Amy Sherman-Palladino. The Return of Jezebel James.
Think about it.
As for those rumors of bad blood between Amy Sherman-Palladino and Lauren Graham during the last days together on the Gilmore Girls set, what better way to bury the hatchet than to start anew?
P.S. If you're wondering about The Return of Jezebel James' title and who exactly that's referring to, wonder no more: the titular character is a fictional character in a series of young adult lit books that Sarah edits. It's also the name of Coco's childhood imaginary friend. Coincidence? I think not.
Comments
As for The Class, I'm not sure. It's not doing that badly in the ratings and they have done the little stunt with the table read and rehearsal lately.
I'm kinda sick of Lizzy Caplan already... but good luck with your hopes!
As for things between Lauren and Amy, didn't Lauren recently say that she and Amy still emailed one another? Things couldn't have been THAT bad that they stayed in touch.
Lizzy Caplan is annoying on THE CLASS but I think it's the material more than anything else.