David Kronke: Lauren Graham's jaw goes off amphetamines

Tragedy – well, disappointment – struck today when TVGuide.com reported that “Gilmore Girls� series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Dan will not be returning for the series’ seventh season, and first on the new hybrid network The CW. Sherman-Palladino, of course, is responsible for the show’s motor-mouthed quippery, clever pop-culture references and distinctively quirky sensibility.

The closest parallel is to “The West Wing,� which also boasted brisk, bristling, non-stop dialogue, at least until series creator Aaron Sorkin was kicked overboard and even NBC’s executives admitted the banter would be slowed to mere-mortal velocity. But at that point, viewer interest had already begun to wane, and it deteriorated further after Sorkin left (though, to be fair, the show’s had its moments this year, thanks in large part to Alan Alda’s presence).

Ratings for “Gilmore Girls� have been pretty consistent for the past few seasons, even though some viewers have been grousing about the show’s storylines from time to time, but I sense open viewer revolt next year if Lauren Graham ceases chattering away at warp speed.