Gilmore Girls, at first glance, might not seem like an overly complex series to film. Much of the show was filmed on a Warner Bros. lot specifically designed for the series. That might have made things logistically simple, but some of the show’s most beloved scenes took the longest to film. It could take the cast and crew hours to film the beloved Stars Hollow Town Hall meeting scenes, despite them being pretty short by the time an episode made it to air. You might be surprised to find out just how long it took to film those scenes.
It took more than 12 hours to film a single Stars Hollow town meeting scene
While the Stars Hollow town hall meetings were a quintessential part of the show, they didn’t take up all that much screen time. When a town hall meeting was included in an episode, it rarely took up more than a minute or two of the episode. They weren’t quick to film, though. According to Teen Vogue, town meeting scenes often began filming at 7 am, and filming often didn’t wrap up until 10 pm. The cast and crew could spend as many as 15 hours filming the iconic scenes.
According to the publication, the number of characters included in those scenes often ensured they took forever to film. Taylor Doose and Miss Patty were often seen at the lectern while various townspeople were seated in the crowd. Depending on the meeting, anywhere from two to 10 characters could have lines. Despite how long they took to film, most cast members would agree they led to some truly iconic moments. The Stars Hollow town meetings were where Bootsy, Gypsy, and Andrew had some of their best lines.
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Scott Patterson found a bright spot in those tedious filming days
Sally Struthers didn’t mind filming the scenes too much. She found a fun way to pass the time by inventing a game. Still, only some actors found the process of filming Stars Hollow Town Hall meetings enjoyable. Scott Patterson lamented about the scenes in an interview for Starry Magazine in 2016. He told the publication that he dreaded any filming day that included a town hall meeting because he knew he’d be stuck in a room for hours.
Still, even Patterson, who spent seven seasons portraying the surly diner, Luke Danes, could find a silver lining to the Stars Hollow Town Hall meetings. Patterson told Starry Magazine that watching Michael Winters work was a bright spot in the often tedious process. Winters is the actor who portrayed Stars Hollow town selectman Taylor Doose.
Winters, mostly retired these days, recently caught up with Entertainment Tonight. He said he would absolutely jump at the opportunity to revisit the role of Taylor again. Considering Lauren Graham recently said she would be sitting down for a chat with Amy Sherman-Palladino, Patterson might get the chance to watch Winters work up close at least once more. After all, what would a second revival be without a Stars Hollow Town Hall meeting?
