1.
First, in the Gilmore Girls Season 3 finale, “Those Are Strings, Pinocchio,” there was originally a scene where Lorelai and Rory visit a now empty Independence Inn. As present-day Lorelai and Rory walk around, there were flashes to past Lorelai and Rory doing the same.
2.
Luke didn’t exist in the original concept for the show. There was supposed to be a female character named Daisy, but the network told creator Amy Sherman-Palladino that the series needed “another guy.” What they didn’t realize was Amy didn’t change the character at all or her dialogue, she just changed her name from Daisy to Luke.
3.
In the Season 2 episode “There’s the Rub,” when Paris unexpectedly shows up at Rory’s house and ends up hanging out with her and Jess, there was almost a scene where Paris tells Rory she thinks Jess likes her, and she thinks Rory likes him back.
4.
According to Chad Michael Murray, he was offered a long-term contract for Gilmore Girls so that Tristan could become a series regular, but he turned it down to pursue other acting opportunities, like One Tree Hill.
5.
Similarly, Amy reportedly wanted to keep Adam Brody as Dave Rygalski around much longer and asked Warner Bros. to keep him on contract with the show, but it fell through, and he ended up departing the series for The O.C.
6.
There was nearly a moment when Emily and Richard throw a movie night for Rory at their house, and it included a popcorn maker, someone taking tickets, and a screening of Crossroads, Glitter, and Billy Jack. They were all movies Emily and Richard had heard Rory talk about before.
7.
The Season 2 premiere, “Sadie, Sadie,” almost opened with Lorelai and Rory giving out bunches of daisies to Stars Hollow residents after Max surprised Lorelai with the yellow daisies in the Season 1 finale. Instead, the final cut shows Rory and Lorelai walking through town, and you can spot daisies everywhere.
8.
For Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Amy said she tried to figure out how to get Max to appear in the revival and wanted to give him a little moment, but it just didn’t work out.
9.
Mädchen Amick auditioned for the role of Lorelai Gilmore before she ended up playing Sherry on the series. Mädchen said she got “really far in the testing process,” but the network felt like she didn’t look “old enough to be a mother.”
10.
Liza Weil originally auditioned for Rory. Even though she wasn’t right for the part of Rory, the casting directors and Amy loved Liza so much, they created the role of Paris just for her.
11.
Teddy Dunn, who played Graham, the guy at Yale who Emily introduces to Rory and they go on one date, was reportedly supposed to be a bigger love interest for Rory. Teddy ended up not returning because he booked Veronica Mars.
12.
Gilmore Girls almost had a spinoff called Windward Circle, which would’ve focused on Jess living in California and reconnecting with his dad. The Season 3 episode “Here Comes the Son” served as the possible show’s backdoor pilot.
13.
Similarly, Lauren Graham revealed there was reportedly a possibility for Rory to get a spinoff after Season 7 if Alexis Bledel wanted to continue with the show. At the time, Lauren said she didn’t want to return, but if a spinoff were to happen, she would’ve been happy to be a producer.
14.
Prior to the Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix in 2016, there was reportedly a lot of interest to do a reunion movie, so much so that Amy actively tried to sell the rights to a movie, but Lauren said she was often told the show didn’t have a “broad, wide enough” audience for a feature film.
15.
And finally, the original Gilmore Girls series ended differently than Amy originally envisioned. Due to Amy and Dan Palladino departing the OG show prior to Season 7, the last four words they wanted didn’t happen. However, when Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premiered, the limited series gave us the original ending.