Will "Girls" thrive without creator?

Our favorite Gilmore girl is gone. No, it's not Lorelai, whom we last saw hopping into bed with an ex-flame. Nor is it daughter Rory, who bid a tear-filled goodbye to her boyfriend as he went overseas to find himself — or, more accurately, his father's version of himself.

The departure we're mourning is that of Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of "Gilmore Girls," which starts its new season Tuesday without the woman who guided it for six years.

Sherman-Palladino, along with her husband, executive producer Dan Palladino, left the dramedy after the network refused to give them a two-year contract.

Her absence is glaring.

This week's premiere is the equivalent of Lorelai going without coffee. It is missing the rush of breathless dialogue, the jolt of unexpected zingers and the rich flow of pop-culture references that might make even Dennis Miller's mind reel.

Ask cast members about the loss, and they'll sing the praises of Sherman-Palladino. But they'll add that they are looking forward to this new adventure, one in which they will have more of a say in the show's direction.

Like Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip") and Shonda Rhimes ("Grey's Anatomy"), Sherman-Palladino has a reputation for micromanaging and a my-way-or-the-highway approach.

"If you write anything that makes me sound like I said something negative about Amy or Dan, I will be upset, because they gave me the best job I ever had," said Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai, one of the wittiest, most engaging characters in TV history. "But they liked to run things in a certain way that was specific to them, that was more hands-on. Some show-runners don't want anyone else's opinions, and some do. Some shows are good because of that, and some aren't. I think now it's going to be a more open-door policy."

Graham hasn't been shy in admitting that she's disagreed with some of the series' story lines, including a continuing fight with Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, and aspects of her relationship with diner owner Luke, in which she often did a mighty fine impression of a doormat. Now, with TV veteran Dave Rosenthal at the helm, the cast hopes to have more input.

'There should be some kind of collaborative back-and-forth at this point because we have creative ownership, too, of who these people are," Graham said.

Melissa McCarthy, who portrays Lorelai's business partner and best buddy, understood Sherman-Palladino's leadership style and believes that the show has been around long enough to build on that.

"Her thinking was, 'I can hire people to work with me, but no one will really know what should happen except me,' " McCarthy said. " ... The trick will be, did she set up a style that can carry itself out? I think she has. I think it's intrinsic enough now that it can be copied."

Keiko Agena, who plays Rory's confidante, Lane, said the cast is as eager as the audience to find out whether the show will still work. "It could be great, or everything could fall apart."