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It’s been four years since Netflix took Gilmore Girls fans on a new trip to Stars Hollow with Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and it’s getting less and less likely that we’ll ever find out what happened to Lorelai (Lauren Graham), Rory (Alexis Bledel), and Emily (Kelly Bishop) after those final four words came through in the follow-up series.
But just because you won’t get to enjoy another vicarious cup of coffee at Luke’s Diner or witness Lorelai randomly turn into a weather woman whenever she smells snow doesn’t mean there isn’t still something worth watching next. Here are a few ideas for what to watch next if you loved Gilmore Girls.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Watch it on: Amazon
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Gilmore Girls creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino put their fast-talking style back into action in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The Amazon comedy stars Golden Globe-winner Rachel Brosnahan as Midge, a New York woman who defies societal expectations in the late 1950s and early 1960s by pursuing a career in stand-up comedy. Although Maisel is a period show — imagine Rory in her Donna Reed gear, except it’s everybody and all the time — Gilmore Girls fans will undoubtedly appreciate the witty banter and complicated relationship dramas of this series, along with the fact that its title heroine is willing to walk away from an upscale life to follow her dreams.
Bunheads
Watch it on: Hulu
Bunheads
If it’s more of that Palladino-specific blend of humor and heart you’re looking for, Bunheads, Amy Sherman-Palladino’s second show after Gilmore Girls, is tailor-made for you. The canceled-too-soon comedy starred Sutton Foster as a former ballerina who’s stuck at a dead end in her life and career when she finds herself teaching dance to a group of eccentric teens alongside her mother-in-law (Emily Gilmore herself, the great Kelly Bishop). It was a weird little comedy that full of extremely Gilmore DNA (Foster’s Michelle speaks at the same blink-and-you’ll-miss-the-joke pace the series became famous for), a whole lot of charm, and some beautifully executed character arcs. –Allison Picurro
Parenthood
Watch it on: Hulu
Parenthood” width=”2070″ height=”1380″ title=”Parenthood” data-amp-src=”https://tvguide1.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2019/08/21/ff3d1fcc-20cf-44f2-bad0-30f4482e65a5/watermark/9e4a7ba4c33f9ba5b5830a84b2bc9664/parenthood-reg.jpg”>Erika Christensen, Peter Krause, Bonnie Bedelia, Craig T. Nelson, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Parenthood
Lauren Graham once again takes up the teenagers’ mom mantle in this beloved NBC show, which centers on the Braverman family as they grapple with the many curveballs life throws at them. Like Gilmore Girls, Parenthood – which ran for six critically acclaimed seasons from 2010 to 2015 — has a lot of heart and quite a few laughs, and explores some of the most touching and tumultuous elements of the family’s lives.
Jane the Virgin
Watch it on: Netflix
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While Jane the Virgin has a much stronger penchant for high drama and telenovela antics than Gilmore Girls ever did, it’s the intergenerational relationship between a daughter (Gina Rodriguez), her mother (Andrea Navedo), and her grandmother (Ivonne Coll) that will instantly hook any fan wishing for a classic Friday night dinner bicker-off between Rory, Lorelai, and Emily. The fierce, undying love between the three of them is what will feel most familiar, and the way that love can still be felt even when things are at their most contentious will pull you in. Fair warning, though: Expect plot lines involving international drug rings, murder, and secret twin sisters. –Allison Picurro
Hart of Dixie
Watch it on: Netflix
Wilson Bethel and Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson leads this romantic dramedy series about a New York physician who heads to the deep south to take over a practice. Hart of Dixie might be a more obvious fit for a recommendation list for Doc Hollywood fans, but there’s still something about her fish-out-of-water experience that will feel familiar to those who loved Lorelai’s story of finding her true self thanks to a change of scenery from the big city to a cozier atmosphere.
Insecure
Watch it on: HBO
Yvonne Orji and Issa Rae, Insecure
Issa Rae‘s celebrated HBO dramedy series features her as a young Black woman experiencing the trials and travails of modern life in America through her own lens, and, like Gilmore Girls, the show manages to perfectly blend moments of comedy with a sincere ebbing and flowing of friendships. The show’s balance of funny and poignant moments is reminiscent of what made Gilmore Girls such a treat week to week. Just be prepared for a whole lot more skin than anything you saw in Stars Hollow as Insecure isn’t afraid to get graphic with intimacy.
Never Have I Ever
Watch it on: Netflix
NEVER HAVE I EVER
Maybe what you’re really yearning for are those first few seasons of Gilmore Girls, where Rory and Lorelai were simply trying to navigate Rory’s high school years. Never Have I Ever is all about the toughest parts of high school, but it’s also about a complicated mother-daughter pairing. After the abrupt and tragic death of her dad, Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her mom Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) are left alone to deal with their already strained relationship. Devi just wants to be a “normal” teenager and feels her mom won’t give her enough freedom; Nalini is underwater as a suddenly single parent. Like Gilmore Girls, Never Have I Ever shows us how singular the bond between a mother and daughter can be, especially when you’re young. –Allison Picurro
Schitt’s Creek
Schitt’s Creek” width=”2070″ height=”1380″ title=”Noah Reid, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Schitt’s Creek” data-amp-src=”https://tvguide1.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2020/04/08/16f2ae49-d92a-45ce-8b08-7ee6d07ec607/watermark/f2310c04cc80a529d0b7e063e0a19719/schitts-creek-finale-goodbye-news.jpg”>Noah Reid, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Schitt’s Creek
If you’re in the market for a show with the same zany small-town atmosphere as Stars Hollow, Schitt’s Creek is a must-see. The eponymous locale is brimming with unique characters who help ease a formerly wealthy family into their new digs but also keep them on their toes. Plus, the conversational styles of the central family will at once entertain you and have you reaching for the dictionary, much like Rory and Lorelai’s best late-night chats. Though the series is a Pop original, its availability on Netflix has made it immensely popular in recent years. About time!