As a dedicated Gilmore Girls fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the behind-the-scenes secrets of this beloved show. The fact that the idyllic small town of Stars Hollow was actually filmed on a backlot at Warner Bros Studios in California is nothing short of mind-boggling! It’s like discovering that Hogwarts is just a well-decorated set in London.
The beloved series, “Gilmore Girls,” continues to captivate viewers year after year, particularly during fall seasons when it’s perfect for snuggling up with characters like Lorelai (Lauren Graham), Rory (Alexis Bledel), Luke (Scott Patterson), and the rest of the Stars Hollow crew. Although the show beautifully encapsulates the autumnal charm of the East Coast, a fact that many “Gilmore Girls” enthusiasts might not be aware of is that the entire series was filmed in California, not in an actual town.
Except for scenes featuring the pilot, which were filmed in Toronto, Canada, the primary locations in the fictional town of Stars Hollow (including the famous gazebo, high school, and Luke’s Diner) were actually constructed on a street called “Any Street USA” at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. This extensive set, established in 1939, was designed to resemble a typical midwestern main street. The decorations on the set change depending on the show or movie being filmed there. For “Gilmore Girls,” production designers had to give the street a New England feel, adding autumn leaves or fake snow as needed.
The flexibility of this backlot set allows numerous well-known series such as “Hart of Dixie,” “Pretty Little Liars,” and “Abbot Elementary” to utilize its impressive multi-purpose street. However, despite this, the buildings behind the doors remain vacant, meaning all indoor scenes were filmed within a soundstage. Moreover, both interior and exterior scenes for the iconic Gilmore Mansion in Hartford, Connecticut, featured in some of the most memorable “Gilmore Girls” episodes, as well as many of Rory’s Yale scenes, were also shot in the studio setting.
Gilmore Girls was occasionally filmed outside the WB studioGilmore Girls was occasionally filmed outside the WB studio
In the television series “Gilmore Girls,” most episodes were produced at Warner Bros. studios, but certain scenes were captured on location. For instance, in Season 2, Episode 4, Lorelai and Rory embark on a road trip to Harvard, a place that Warner Bros. doesn’t have an exact replica of. Therefore, the show had to film at a real location. However, the actual Harvard was not used; instead, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) stood in for Harvard, and Rory’s first visit to Yale was filmed at Pomona College. Exterior shots of Yale were captured at the University of Southern California, but like the Gilmore Mansion, sets were constructed on a soundstage for Rory’s college scenes. This way, not every scene inside her dorm room or lecture hall needed to be shot on location.
In the initial episode of “Gilmore Girls,” we’re introduced to another significant location: Chilton Preparatory School. Similar to prestigious institutions like Harvard and Yale, Chilton’s grand stone structures couldn’t be replicated in a studio setting. As a result, while all classroom scenes were shot within the Burbank studios, exterior shots were taken at Greystone Mansion, situated at 905 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills.
How the Gilmore Girls creator came up with Star Hollow
Stars Hollow, the charming and iconic town from “Gilmore Girls,” is a fictional place that everyone wishes they could visit. The creator of the show, Amy Sherman-Palladino, first came up with the idea for Lorelai and Rory’s hometown while on vacation with her husband, Dan Palladino. At the time, she had planned for the Gilmore girls to live in the city, but a trip to Connecticut changed everything. She was captivated by a quaint inn in a small town, where everyone seemed to know each other and there were pumpkin patches and community diners. Sherman-Palladino was struck by the laid-back atmosphere and decided it would be the perfect setting for her characters.
Washington, Connecticut serves as the actual model for the fictional town of Stars Hollow, as depicted in the series. The show revolves not only around the lives of popular characters Lorelai and Rory, but also encompasses the diverse array of quirky residents who call this small town home. Interestingly, while Richard and Emily reside in a city, their contrasting urban lifestyle serves as a stark backdrop to the peculiar charm of Stars Hollow. Sherman Palladino, explaining her choice, stated that since the characters lived in a small Connecticut town, it made sense for their parents to hail from a larger city, with Hartford being the largest in the state.
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2024-10-06 17:00