The economics of network television is a Byzantine, labyrinthine world with rules that make Einsteinian physics seem normal. DVD releases are held up over song rights; shows with decent ratings are cancelled because syndication possibilities are limited; a show with a solid track record and an established fan base is cancelled and replaced with a new show that is cancelled within a month.

The public squabble between the creator of Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino (and husband Dan Palladino, a frequent writer/director and executive producer of the show) and the network has resulted in the announcement that the seventh and presumably final season of the series will proceed without the involvement of the Palladinos. The main sticking point seems to be that the Palladinos demanded a two-year contract, but since Gilmore Girls will probably last only one more season (as the contracts for stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel end after season seven), the network declined.

How big is this news? At this point it is hard to say, but during its run Gilmore Girls has generally been seen as the unique by-product of its creators. The Palladinos have written about two-thirds of the episodes this season, and an episode of Gilmore Girls is unlike an episode of any other show on TV. It is a well-known piece of TV lore that Gilmore Girls scripts run about thirty pages longer than normal scripts because of the rapidly paced banter that is the show’s trademark.

The show is also “quirky,” filled with “quirky” characters that do “quirky” things. It isn’t easy to imitate “quirky.” Given the distinctive dialogue and emphasis on offbeat characters, it would be difficult for even someone intimately associated with the show to carry on in the Palladino tradition.

When Gene Roddenberry was replaced as line producer for the third season of the original Star Trek, the quality of the show dropped precipitously. When Joss Whedon turned over the reins of Buffy the Vampire Slayer after season five in order to work on other projects, the result was two seasons where the show was less than a ghost of its former self. The West Wing suffered a significant decline in quality when the network pushed out Aaron Sorkin, and this season Commander in Chief has floundered despite a fast start, after the network decided to dispatch the show’s creator, Rob Lurie.

Of course in each case there were other forces at work, but never underestimate the influence of one extremely creative individual in any artistic process.

Gilmore Girls has had a rough sixth season. Fans were angered over the long rift between mom Lorelai and daughter Rory, especially since their friendship was the basis for the series. Fans complained about Rory’s decision to temporarily drop out of Yale, and they have not been kind to her boyfriend, the uber-wealthy Logan Huntzburger (who defends his sleeping with half the women in Connecticut after a spat with Rory by repeating Ross Geller’s lament from Friends, “But we were on a break!”).

Making matters worse, the long-awaited hooking up of Luke and Lorelai has produced absolutely no sparks whatsoever. Forget public displays of affection; these two characters barely kiss when they say goodnight while sharing a bed. Never in the history of television have two characters who were romantically involved had less chemistry (okay, maybe Vaughn and Lauren on Alias; wait, no, Luke and Lorelai are worse). The creation of Luke’s previously unknown 12-year-old daughter as a stumbling block to the relationship has also been greeted with disdain in fandom.

But it isn’t all bad news. The wedding of Lane Kim was a comedic and emotional high point for the series (even if the absence of Lane’s long-missing father remained inexplicably unexplained), and the Friday night dinner scene with Lorelai’s parents featured in the episode “Friday Night’s Alright For Fighting” (filmed in the style of Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives) was pure genius.

Will the show be worth watching next season without the Palladinos? I managed to stomach watching the last two seasons of Buffy, but I didn’t feel good about it. Reportedly one reason the Palladinos wanted a two-year contract was because of the commitment they had shown in working seven days a week on Gilmore Girls. It is hard to imagine that any individual could replace the quantity or the quality of work they produced.

On the other hand, Lauren Graham is still one of the most talented, luminous actresses on television. The rest of the cast (especially Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, and Edward Herrmann) have been rooked out of Emmy nominations for years, and this year a change in the nomination format might open the door for some of them.

It may be possible that the show can maintain its quality for one final season through sheer inertia. We’ll see. During Buffy’s final season, after every episode I would mutter, “Well, it can’t get any worse than that.” Then I’d watch the next week’s show and say the same thing. But I kept watching. Hope springs eternal in the hearts of fans.