The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to host a Gilmore Girls Reunion in Season 4
by Jaskiran Kaur | Mon, 14 Feb 2022 15:44:57 GMT
Image Source: 99images Logo, Prime Video

"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is coming back after a pandemic break, but it has been so long since the season aired previously that even the show producers can not remember where they left off the story. Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino talked about the coming back of the series as they began their re-introduction to the show, saying, “It’s been so long. We don’t remember what the season was about. I think they’re still Jewish,” Sherman-Palladino quips. “It’s been a long time, so long.”

Season four of the show first began airing two years ago and will now once again make a comeback on February 18 this year on Amazon Prime Video after a break. The producers of the series recently talked with Variety, explaining how hard a job it was to shoot the show during a pandemic, along with the latest airing schedule of the show. 

The series was just about to begin its -pre-production process back in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Hence, "Maisel" was brought to a standstill for a while, which affected the series but not much. “So we were fortunate enough that we had not written a lot of stuff that we had to throw out,” Palladino said. Yet, the production could not carry out as all out-bound travel was curbed during the pandemic. And because the show creators had wanted to shoot the series in London or Los Angeles, they could not do much with their New York set-up. However, as the pandemic did not relent, they had to make do with New York itself. 

“The one thing we thought was foolish was let’s not to get on a plane and travel to a different city different country,” Palladino shared. “So we shot all over our beloved New York City where we live. It was a fantastic experience. We were able to go on location in places that really needed us. There were art venues that were just so excited to be getting some income. We were excited to be able to support them during the time when they had to shut their doors to the audience for a year and a half.”

Though they managed to do with whatever they had, shooting during a global pandemic was not the cheapest job. Additionally, because the producers did not want any expenses spared when it came to the design and visuals, the budget needed to be made a little more expendable. 

“One of the things that happens when you don’t travel is you have to build more sets,” Sherman-Palladino explained. “And we already were a show with a lot of big standing sets. Since we especially weren’t quite sure how flexible the city was going to be, we had to build quite a few monumental sets this year. I think people are going to be very surprised and impressed and kind of blown away with what he did this year. It’s pretty spectacular."

She also appreciated their host site, Amazon, for letting them use more resources though they were not very happy with it. "Amazon, I think that all they did was get up in the morning and cry for an hour, and then go about their business and cry at lunch and then cry at the end of the night. But they didn’t stop us."

“Everything was harder,” she said, referring to the pandemic shoots. “And then you put into the whole mix the idea of being socially distanced, so the crew can’t just be on top of each other while they’re working. Your choices were to not shoot until the zombie apocalypse was over, or you had to head into it, eyes wide open. We did not want people to watch the show and then say, ‘well, you know, it was COVID, give them a pass.’ People had to watch the show and still feel like it was the show. And if that was not possible to pull off, then then we should wait.”

Therefore, once the situation was a bit forgiving, they took on to test hundreds of teammates who would help create the show what it was, along with also testing the actors almost every day. Though expensive and hectic, the technique helped safeguard everyone and prevented the show from shutting down to any COVID-related nuisance. 

The show will also undergo a changed airing schedule. Amazon will be shifting its premiering model from a binge-watch setup, where you watch the entire season in a single sitting, to releasing two episodes each Friday over a month. The producers have received the idea with grace. 

“Our shows are dense. A lot happens,” she admitted. “It’s not a show I would ever recommend, like, sit down and watch all the shows in one sitting. I just don’t think you’re also going to have the best experience. I think that you’re going to miss stuff.”

The show left off on a crucial moment for Midge, played by Rachel Brosnahan, who has a lot happening in her career.

“It was time for her to learn about the true driving force in the creative process, which is anger and revenge,” said Sherman-Palladino explaining where they left off things previously. “After thinking that she was doing really great, and on tour with Shy Baldwin and that they were really close friends, and they’re pals. And then she screwed up at the Apollo and got nervous, and her mouth said things that her brain should have censored first, but they didn’t. And it got her into trouble. And she feels a little betrayed now.”

You will also get to witness a "Gilmore Girls" reunion on the fourth season of Maisel as the producers, the Palladinos and Kelly Bishop and Milo Ventimiglia, along with John Waters and Jason Alexander, come to guest star on the show. 

“There is a Milo effect when you have Milo on the set,” Sherman-Palladino said. “Everything just seems a little more livelier and more colorful, and everyone seems a little happier and birds will help you get dressed in the morning, and he’s just a lovely, darling guy, and we just enjoy having him around. And Kelly is my girl.”

Catch the show on Amazon this coming February 18. 

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