Stars Hollow Comes Alive Again at the Emmys
- Sep 14
- 3 min read
14 September 2025
At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2025 Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel reunited on stage in a moment that had fans feeling both nostalgic and joyous. Together they presented the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. What made the moment special was not just the award itself but the setting. The two walked out onto a stage built to look like the front porch of Stars Hollow the iconic home setting from Gilmore Girls. The show, which premiered in 2002, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Graham, who played Lorelai Gilmore, opened their presentation by noting how fall seems to have been forever claimed by Gilmore Girls. She said that the show “apparently took the season of fall hostage.” Bledel, Rory Gilmore on the show, chimed in with a laugh that despite their dominance in autumn themed shots their production was modest. They joked about snow episodes, about borrowing leftover sheet cakes from neighboring sets and how budget constraints shaped what fans came to love about the show.
The reunion was part of more than just nostalgia. It was a celebration of storytelling, of dialogue so sharp it became signature. Both actresses praised the scripts, acknowledging how “big,” “great,” and sometimes “terrifyingly lengthy” they were. Their remarks reminded viewers of the show’s strong foundation in earnest conversations and fast-paced speeches. The Studio took home the Emmy in that writing category, but the crowd’s energy during Graham and Bledel’s reunion felt like a win in itself.
Ahead of taking the stage the two also made their red carpet appearance together, stepping out in gowns that felt both glamorous and perfectly coordinated. Bledel wore a silver beaded strapless gown by Marmar Halim. Graham opted for a black floral cutout evening dress by Akris that balanced classic style with dramatized elegance. It was a rare red carpet together for both. For Bledel it was her first Emmys appearance since 2018 and for Graham it had been even longer since 2010.
Seeing them side by side, so many years after Gilmore Girls first aired, stirred memories of Stars Hollow’s charm. Fans were transported back to that small town in Connecticut, with its quirky townsfolk, rhythmic dialogue, and Lorelai’s espresso. Seeing those memories brought to life on the Emmys stage underscored the show’s enduring place in television. It also showed how strong the bond between Graham and Bledel has remained. In many past interviews Graham has spoken about how their relationship on set felt more like friendship than just co-starring in a series.
The laughter about budget constraints, about snow scenes, about cake borrowed from next door it was self-aware humor used to acknowledge how humble parts of Gilmore Girls were, even as its impact became large. Fans appreciated that the reunion did not feel like just fan service. It felt genuine. It felt like an acknowledgment of how the show shaped its creators and its fans alike.
Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel have both taken different paths since Gilmore Girls and its 2016 revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. But their return to this shared stage was about more than just celebrating the past. It was about honoring the way Gilmore Girls told stories about family, friendship, identity, and the strains and warmth of small-town life. For many viewers this was a reminder that television can do more than entertain. It can comfort. It can connect. It can build community.
The segment carried an emotional pull. It showed how a show that was once small in scale could become large in meaning. It showed how two actors who used to deliver lines in fictional lore could resonate years later in real life. Audiences saw not only Lorelai and Rory but Graham and Bledel returning together, in collaboration, in friendship, and in gratitude. It was a moment of affirmation for everyone who had ever said Gilmore Girls was more than a show. It was something people carried with them.
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