By now, many of us are deep into our annual fall Gilmore Girls rewatch. But as you count down to the last episode of season seven and pan away from that final shot of Luke’s Diner, dread creeps in. What will you watch next? It’s hard to think of anything that’ll fill the Gilmore-shaped hole in your heart. But instead of hitting rewind yet again (or God forbid, subjecting yourself to the 2016 revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life), I have some suggestions.
These 14 shows and movies are witty, charming, and may even touch on some of the same direct themes as Gilmore Girls. Better yet, they’re instantly comforting, the kind of fictional worlds you can sink into like a soft, cushioned couch. So, if you’re craving more shows and movies like Gilmore Girls, here’s what to watch next.
Movies to watch if you love Gilmore Girls:
1. Juno
“Can you just hold on for a second? I’m on my hamburger phone.” An offbeat teenager gets pregnant by her best friend and has to figure out what to do next. Sound familiar? No film is quite like Juno, with its quotable dialogue, 2000s twee soundtrack, and standout performances by Elliot Page, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, and Allison Janey.
2. Petite Maman
The French film Petite Maman takes the mother-daughter best-friend duo concept in an entirely different direction. While helping her parents pack up her late grandmother’s house, a little girl goes into the leaf-filled woods. There, she encounters another little girl who looks just like her: it’s her mother as a child. Don’t expect any answers about the laws of time travel in this film—I would hardly classify it in that genre. Instead, expect a quiet masterpiece about childhood and how much we relate to our parents.
3. Junebug
If you love Stars Hollow’s oddball townies, you’ll love the characters in Junebug. The 2005 comedy follows a British art dealer, Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), meeting her husband’s unusual family in North Carolina for the first time. The film was Amy Adams’ breakout role, and it’s no wonder why. She steals every scene as Madeleine’s heavily pregnant sister-in-law, desperate to be her friend.
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a delightful coming-of-age about a group of friends who find a pair of jeans they all somehow fit into, despite their different body shapes. They mail the pants back and forth throughout the summer, believing they bring good luck. The four friends are played by faces you may know—most notably, Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore herself), as well as America Ferrera, Blake Lively, and Amber Tamblyn.
5. Matilda
There are over 500 books referenced in Gilmore Girls, most coming from Rory, who was a voracious reader even to a fault. But any reader will understand when she said in her Chilton graduation speech, “I live in two worlds. One is a world of books.” If you’re looking for a character who speaks to your reader’s heart, it’s time to rewatch the whimsical world of Matilda. The film follows a little girl with secret magic powers and a love of books, born into a family that doesn’t understand her. Also, plot twist—it’s directed by Danny DeVito, who plays Matilda’s father. Just make sure you read Roald Dahl’s original novel before pressing play!
6. Julie & Julia
Sookie St. James would certainly approve of this Nancy Meyers flick. The film has two concurrent plots: one about Julia Child’s life in Paris in the 1950s and how she came to write Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the groundbreaking cookbook that introduced French cuisine to Americans. The second is about Julie Powell’s life in post-9/11 New York, as she writes the popular Julie & Julia blog, where she vows to make every recipe in Mastering the Art in just a year. As Julie soon discovers, she’s not nearly as perfect as the idealized version of Child she has in her head. I turn to the film whenever I need a comfort watch.
TV shows to watch if you love Gilmore Girls:
1. Frasier
A radio-show psychiatrist begrudgingly lets his retired-detective father (and his dog, and his hideous reclining chair) move into his glamorous Seattle apartment. It’s the most hilariously intelligent sitcom I’ve ever seen, and it deserves a resurgence as much as other ‘90s shows have. Like in Gilmore Girls, much of the conflict centers around social class and personality differences between a parent and adult child. In Fraiser, though, that conflict is between a pretentious, urbane son and a working-class, down-to-Earth father. Despite the drama, though, this series has so much heart it’ll almost bring you to tears.
2. The Good Wife
If Rory Gilmore were real, I bet she’d watch The Good Wife. Here’s the deal: a stay-at-home mom finds herself unexpectedly back working as a lawyer after her politician husband goes to prison following a sex scandal. Yes, the whole thing feels Clinton-coded. Alan Cumming is hilarious in the supporting cast, and you’ll also recognize Matt Czuchery (Logan Huntzburger) as Cary Agos, the protagonist’s competitive co-worker.
3. The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer I Turned Pretty is good, mindless TV if there ever was any. Sit back for three drama-filled seasons as Belly Conklin finds herself in a love triangle with two brothers: the older, elusive Conrad Fisher (a cross between Logan and Jess) and the younger, carefree Jeremiah Fisher (a cross between Logan and Dean) in the fictitious beach town of Cousins, Massachusetts.
4. Parenthood
Loosely based on the film of the same name, this NBC dramedy follows four adult siblings and their growing families. One of them, Sarah Braverman, is played by none other than Lauren Graham. On the surface, her character is laughably similar to Lorelai: a witty single mother who dates her daughter’s teacher (yikes). However, Sarah isn’t Lorelai 2.0, facing some of the less glamorous sides of single parenthood. At the same time, she has the advantage of two (mostly) supportive parents and three siblings.
5. Sex and the City
If you love pulling apart Rory Gilmore’s decisions, you’ll love scrutinizing Carrie Bradshaw’s equally horrifying life choices. This cult classic HBO series follows a sex columnist in New York as she navigates the perils of modern relationships with her three dynamic friends, together making the most well-known TV friend group of all time. I swear, there’s a Sex and the City storyline for almost every situation. Once you watch it, you’ll find it hard not to reference it constantly.
6. Virgin River
The small-town charm of Virgin River, California (shockingly, not a real place), has made it Netflix’s longest-running original series. Brace yourself for seven soapy seasons full of mysterious backstories, paternity scandals, and, funnily enough, a drug cartel. Don’t worry—nothing is ever too serious.
7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Humor-wise, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is about as close to Gilmore Girls as you’re going to get, made by the same creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino. Plus, its vision of 1950s New York is just irresistible: the hair! The costumes! The sets! Alex Borstein plays the Emmy-winning role of Susie Myerson, who was originally cast as Sookie in Gilmore’s unaired pilot, and went on to play a few small parts, like as Emily’s stylist, Miss Celine. You can also spot Gilmore guest stars like Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, and Milo Ventimiglia throughout Maisel’s five-season run.
8. Grey’s Anatomy
After Gilmore Girls, no show is better to binge than Grey’s Anatomy. While the medical drama has now spiraled into a full-on soap opera, its first decade was pure TV gold. It’s the type of show you could easily be turned off from ever watching just because of how popular it is, but I’m here to tell you: it’s worth it. While yes, some crazy events happen occasionally happen (bombings, shootings… you know, the usual), the majority of the episodes are actually pretty hilarious. Creator Shonda Rhimes is also reportedly a fan of Gilmore Girls, so you’ll spot a few familiar faces guest-starring as patients.
Adriana Chavez, Contributing Writer
Adriana is a freelance culture and lifestyle writer. In addition to The Everygirl, her writing has appeared in BuzzFeed, Food Network, HGTV, Allrecipes, EatingWell, and more.
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