‘Gilmore Girls‘ Star Kelly Bishop to Release First Novel

Gilmore Girls star Kelly Bishop is making her literary debut.

The actress will make her fiction debut to be published by William Morrow in Fall 2027 written with New York Times bestselling author Ali Rosen, it was announced Thursday.

The actress, also known for her acclaimed roles in Dirty Dancing, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and originating the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line (for which she won a Tony), will write a novel that “blends the friendship and humor of The Golden Girls with the banter of Sex and the City.“

The novel, titled Broad Appeal, will center on four women in their 70s who unexpectedly become roommates in a Manhattan apartment and discover that life’s greatest adventures can happen long after retirement.

At the center of the novel is “Roz, a 78-year-old retired divorcée whose comfortable Upper West Side life is upended when rising housing costs threaten her ability to keep the apartment she loves. Forced to take on roommates, she finds herself sharing her home with an eccentric entomologist sister-in-law, a former trophy wife rebuilding after financial disaster and a spirited dance teacher she met while protesting gentrification in Spanish Harlem. What begins as a practical arrangement soon becomes an unexpected family, until long-buried secrets, financial pressures and unresolved heartbreaks test the bonds they’ve built.“

“Filled with sharp wit, unforgettable characters and keen insights into the complexities of human relationships, the novel marks an exciting new chapter in Bishop’s celebrated storytelling career,“ William Morrow said of Bishop‘s novel.

“I’m so excited to share Broad Appeal with readers,” Bishop said in a statement. “This story is about friendship, resilience, second chances and the surprising ways our lives can change when we least expect it. I’ve always believed that growing older doesn’t mean growing smaller. If anything, it means there are still stories worth telling and lives worth reinventing. I’ve had so much fun with Ali Rosen bringing this novel to life.”

“With this novel, Kelly Bishop has created a cast of characters readers will immediately invest in, delivering a story that is both entertaining and deeply resonant,” Jennifer Hart, senior vp and deputy publisher, William Morrow, said in a statement. “As a devoted Gilmore Girls fan, I know firsthand the power of Kelly’s storytelling, and this novel showcases that gift in an entirely new way.”

William Morrow vice president and executive editor Liz Stein added, “Kelly has charmed audiences for decades with her intelligence, warmth and unmistakable voice. Those qualities shine brilliantly on the page in Broad Appeal. It’s funny, wise and deeply moving, with unforgettable characters readers will want to spend time with long after the final page.”

Bishop released her New York Times bestselling memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl, in 2024.