Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham on the Late Edward Herrmann Missing Out on the New Series: 'He Would Have Loved This'

A lot can change in nine years, but there was definitely a feeling of familiarity when Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel stepped back on set to film the show’s Netflix revival of their fan-favorite series Gilmore Girls.

“Walking back into the Gilmore house made me feel like, ‘I’m at home. I have to behave. Sit up straight!’ ” Graham, 49, says in the current issue of PEOPLE.

“I was excited to do all the scenes that included Kelly Bishop [as Grandma Gilmore],” adds Bledel, 34. “She puts our characters on edge.”

But as much as Grandma Gilmore makes things interesting for the banter-loving mother-daughter duo, Graham says the death of Grandpa Gilmore – who was played in the original series by the late Edward Herrmann – will have a big impact on the new series.

“He would have loved this [new series],” Graham says of Herrmann. “His death was just a loss for us personally. It’s given the show a new complexity and depth. It’s a nice tribute to him.”

“He was wonderful to work with,” echoes Bledel. “Very generous and such a great presence to have on-set always.”

But suffering a loss is not the only thing that has changed Graham and Bledel’s characters since the last time fans saw them walking the streets of Stars Hollow.

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“The characters are older now and really are just supporting each other, which I think is a natural progression for a mother and daughter,” says Graham.

Adds Bledel: “Their dynamic is so unique. There’s nothing else like it.”

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life debuts Nov. 25 on Netflix.