Melissa was cast as Sookie St. James on
Gilmore Girls after
Alex Borstein, who was originally chosen for the role, couldn't get out of her
MADtv contract then. The pilot was actually shot with Borstein initially, so they had to film it again with Melissa. Series creator
Amy Sherman-Palladino remembers that once Borstein left, everyone was so disappointed and convinced that nobody could be as good as her, but then Melissa came in and blew everyone away by making the character completely her own.