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ABC Family has been a source for those wholesome family shows that so many families search for when sitting down at night in front of the tube. In recent years, shows like Pretty Little Liars, Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Switched at Birth have jumped head first into our line of vision and are now permanent fixtures on the DVR each week. This season, however, a new show was introduced called Bunheads and is created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who is none other than the brilliant creator of my beloved Gilmore Girls, and she seems to be having a bit of Stars Hollow nostalgia. Unfortunately, unlike the other shows on ABC Family, this show is 
falling a bit flat for me, and while I like it, I just don’t love it. Plus it seems to be taking a bit too much from its predecessor. I mean, there are familiar characters like the once strong and feisty Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop) who is now playing a strong and feisty Fanny Flowers and she consistently banters with her daughter-in-law, Michelle, (Sutton Foster) who delivers lines as if she is Lorelei’s gangly and awkward twin sister from another mother. Wait a minute, hasn’t this happened before? Of course it has! On Gilmore Girls! If the plot lines and scene music weren’t similar enough, there have also been other characters from GG popping up in this little town with an equally sweet name of Paradise, where, coincidentally, everyone knows everyone’s intimate business. For example, Gregg Henry, who played Mitchum Huntzberger, who any GG fan knows almost ruined Rory’s writing career with one wicked blow to her skills, was on one episode. Others to have graced the ballet show have been Chris Eigeman, Todd Lowe, Rose Abdoo, Michael DeLuise, Alex Borstein, Biff Yeager, and finally, one of the most 
well known characters from Stars Hollow, and he wasn’t even a key person on the show, Sean Gunn and he played Kirk, who was everywhere, all the time. He held every job imaginable in Stars Hollow, and was a very bizarre guy. So, of course, his one episode stint on Bunheads was equally bizarre. He played a coffee shop owner who took an eternity to create each customers frothy caffeinated creation based upon how he felt about them. The similarity here was the leading lady who could also be known as the odd Lorelei wannabe, was impatient for her coffee and ended up annoying everyone by yapping on her cellphone whilst on line. Hmm, this sounds like Lorelei in Luke’s diner, where cellphones were expressly prohibited and coffee was always waiting to squelch her crazy addiction, right? Finally, rounding out the Gimore Girls reunion this season is Liza Weil, who played the arrogant but lovable Paris Geller is said to be making her debut in Paradise as Truly’s sister, which should be a pretty interesting combination.
So, basically, in the case of Bunheads vs. Gilmore Girls, it is safe to say that it is more of a sequel than it’s very own, stand alone production…and like most sequels, it falls short of the original. I am hoping that someday Amy Sherman-Palladino creates something fresh and new, so that I can stop looking at her as a one trick pony, but for now, I will continue to live out my GG nostalgia through this program and enjoy watching the girls frolic about my screen each week. I will also give her credit for knowing her key demographic and playing to their interests, even though it’s been done before. The ballet aspect is intriguing too, especially in this day and age where dance shows are all the rage. So, kudos to her for that, as well…
but there will only ever be one Gilmore Girls!
Oh my dear darling daughter as I agree with most of what you said I enjoy BUNHEADS 100%. I like that it has familiarity, that is probably why I love it so. I love Fanny Flowers no matter what she does, and yes, she is typically playing the same person, but that is so okay with me. I love that it surrounds a dance studio, like you said anything with dancing has become an attraction. I love when a stray from Stars Hollow pops up on Bunheads. It’s like it’s the next town over and it’s just as quaint and delightful. Another want to be living place. I also like the scenes they have at the restaurant with Ethan (GH) and the other waiter who is also the manager. He is quite the goofball. I look forward to watching BUNHEADS every week. I crawl up on my couch and just delve into Paradise. You are right there will never ever be another GILMORE GIRLS…………where you lead, I will follow. That is our song.
If you’re out on the road
Feeling lonely, and so cold
All you have to do is call my name
And I’ll be there on the next train.
Where you lead, I will follow
Anywhere that you tell me to
If you need, you need me to be with you
I will follow where you lead.
Good for you, mom. LOL I said I like the show but I do not love it. It takes more than familiarity to stir such emotions in me. Now if we were to talk about Parenthood or Grey’s Anatomy or Private Practice, then I would use the word LOVE. Gilmore Girls was in the league of these other shows too. It had silly and fun but it also had serious moments, like 7th Heaven did. Even the other shows on ABC Family that I mentioned have more to offer than Bunheads does. It is essentially a silly show with silly people, an hour of free time for one’s brain, I suppose.
The song will definitely be ours, forever. So will our Lorelei/Rory bond!