It’s officially autumn, the season when Gilmore Girls fans start their rewatches, but for those who want to branch out and watch another cozy show, there are plenty of great options. Recently, Gilmore Girls stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel reunited as presenters at the 77th Primetime Emmys, where they jokingly, and appropriately, made the claim that their show “took the season of fall hostage.”
Gilmore Girls’ fall vibes are a big reason why so many of us love the series, but its quaint small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, its quirky residents, and of course, the loving and close-knit relationship between Lorelai and Rory all contribute to making it a show we can’t watch just once. Luckily, these other series feature several of the elements that make Gilmore Girls so great.
Good Witch
2015-2017
With Lorelai and Rory’s ability to drink more coffee and eat more junk food than humanly possible, they certainly seem like supernatural beings, and if you don’t mind a bit of magic with your cozy TV, Good Witch is your next binge-watch. The Hallmark series centers around local enchantress Cassie Nightingale raising her teenage daughter, Grace, in the small town of Middleton.
That premise definitely hits some familiar Gilmore Girls beats, and the presence of light magic only adds to Good Witch’s coziness. Plus, although Cassie and Grace experience hardship and loss just like Lorelai and Rory, the show is also relaxingly low-stakes.
Grace And Frankie
2015-2022
It may not have the fall vibes that Gilmore Girls fans are looking for, but Grace and Frankie offers just as much charm and wit, and features two dynamic female leads in Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the titular protagonists. In the Netflix show, Fonda’s martini-swilling cosmetics mogul, Grace, and Tomlin’s free-spirited artist, Frankie, are polar opposites who become friends after their husbands leave them for each other.
Grace and Frankie’s oceanic San Diego setting is also its own kind of comforting, as the women’s beachhouse is a real estate dream, and we envy their long walks along the water wrapped in cozy sweaters. When Grace and Frankie finally admit that they’re best friends, they also develop a quirky, odd-couple dynamic not dissimilar to Lorelai and Rory’s.
Sweet Magnolias
2020-Present
Those who were instantly charmed by the name of Stars Hollow will feel a similar pull to Serenity, South Carolina in Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias. Based on the novels by Sherryl Woods, Sweet Magnolias centers around three lifelong female friends who all live very different romantic and professional lives, but always find time to dish about them over weekly margaritas.
This is very reminiscent of Lorelai and Rory’s frequent catch-ups over coffee or a meal at Luke’s Diner, and though Sweet Magnolias can be a little more serious than Gilmore Girls, you know that the main characters in both shows will be okay because of their central relationships. Plus, Sweet Magnolias season 5 is on the way, so it’s a perfect cozy show that’s still airing new episodes.
Derry Girls
2018-2022
At first blush, it may not seem that a series set amidst the Troubles conflict in Northern Ireland could be cozy, but Derry Girls is the ultimate comfort watch. The Netflix series follows a group of teens living in the titular city who deal with the relatable, everyday problems of growing up, all throughout that pivotal time in history.
If your favorite Gilmore Girls moments are Rory’s experiences at Chilton, you’ll find a lot to love with Derry Girls, as the antics of Erin and her friends often take place around their secondary school. Even though the Derry girls spend more time bemoaning the place they call home, as opposed to celebrating it like Rory does Stars Hollow, it’s clear there’s just as much love there.
Ginny & Georgia
2021-Present
By far the show that most gets compared to Gilmore Girls, Ginny & Georgia has plenty of similarities to the iconic 2000s series. The Netflix show centers around the titular single mom and teenage daughter who move to the sleepy town of Wellesbury, Massachusetts, to start a new life.
Ginny & Georgia is a much darker show than Gilmore Girls, as Georgia’s reasons for uprooting her family were quite serious. However, there’s no denying Ginny & Georgia’s crackling wit, heartfelt mother-daughter dynamic, and cozy small-town setting that will scratch an itch for those missing Stars Hollow.
Virgin River
2019-Present
Just like Lorelai fled her upper-crust Connecticut society roots for the homey charm of Stars Hollow, Virgin River’s Mel Monroe runs from her troubles in Los Angeles to the titular cozy Northern California town. A popular Netflix series, Virgin River fans are awaiting the seventh season, and the streaming platform has also greenlit an eighth.
While romance isn’t the core component of Gilmore Girls, the protagonists’ love lives are definitely a major factor in the series, with Luke and Lorelai’s relationship being a highlight. There’s a reason why small-town romances are so popular, and Mel finding love with local business owner Jack will make you give you the same warm and fuzzy feelings you felt for the Gilmore Girls couple.
All Creatures Great And Small
2020-Present
While Gilmore Girls is anchored by the great performances of Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, the show wouldn’t be nearly as special without Stars Hollow’s zany yet charming residents sprinkled into Lorelai and Rory’s lives. All Creatures Great and Small, which airs on Masterpiece on PBS in the US, centers on young vet James Herriot, who moves to the Yorkshire Dales and becomes entrenched in its community.
The 1930s English countryside may seem like the complete opposite of Gilmore Girls’ very 2000s world, but both series’ locations are brimming with gentle kindness that provides the most comforting distractions from the real world. Plus, due to the nature of James’s job, animal lovers will also find an extra dose of wholesomeness with All Creatures Great and Small.
Only Murders In The Building
2021-Present
Gilmore Girls may have taken the season of fall hostage, but Only Murders in the Building is also full of autumnal coziness. The Hulu comedy series, which has recently gone into its fifth season, sees the true crime podcasting trio of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel solving murders that are committed in their New York apartment building, the Arconia.
A show about murder may seem like the last thing a Gilmore Girls fan would call cozy, but gritty the show is not. Light on graphic violence and heavy on laughs, the close-knit dynamic between the central trio is full of banter and warm affection, just like Lorelai and Rory have with each other. Plus, it’s worth watching for Mabel’s fall coats alone.
Sullivan’s Crossing
2023-Present
The Gilmore Girls cast is incredibly talented and went on to do great things after the show ended, from Lauren Graham’s great performance in Parenthood to Alexis Bledel’s Emmy-winning turn in The Handmaid’s Tale. But Luke Danes actor Scott Patterson stuck with the cozy vibes when he joined the cast of Sullivan’s Crossing.
The Canadian romantic drama series sees Patterson as the grizzled patriarch of the titular campground in his small Nova Scotia town, who’s trying to repair his relationship with his daughter, protagonist Maggie. For those who love family drama shows that take place in an idyllic setting, you can’t beat Sullivan’s Crossing.
Schitt’s Creek
2015-2020
Stars Hollow sounds like a dream destination for many Gilmore Girls fans, while Schitt’s Creek is the last place on Earth where the Rose family wants to be in the series of the same name. The Canadian sitcom centers on the formerly affluent Johnny Rose, his wife Moira, and his children David and Alexis, who lose their fortune and are forced to start fresh.
While Gilmore Girls hooks you in the first 10 minutes, it took a while for Schitt’s Creek to find its feet. But beyond its broad premise is the ultimate cozy show about love and acceptance. Whether watching Alexis grow from a vapid party girl to a driven entrepreneur or grabbing your tissues to happy-cry over David and Patrick’s heartwarming romance, there’s no TV series more comforting than Schitt’s Creek.