10 Gilmore Girls-style shows to binge this October

The season is here for cozy nights with blankets, pumpkin spice in the air, and a Gilmore Girls–style show to watch. A show with coffee, fast talking, and emotional moments is exactly what you need. It has everything that makes a series cozy and fun to watch. There is something about fall that makes small-town life feel friendly and comforting. The season makes you want to stay inside, relax, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, just like the people in these shows.

Maybe it is Lorelai's bond with Rory, or the quick banter between the characters. Something about Gilmore Girls touches the heart in ways few shows can. And since it is October, the feeling of nostalgia hits even stronger. It is the perfect season to settle in with a hot cup of cocoa and binge-watch TV shows.

You can never get tired of Gilmore Girls, but there are other shows that deserve your attention too. They give off the same energy as Lorelai and Rory's story. These shows can bring laughter, tears, and the same cozy charm. They are excellent replacements when you want that familiar vibe.

---

10 Gilmore Girls-style shows to binge this October

Whether you are craving to watch the strongest mother-daughter connection or fast-talkers, there is a show out there that will match the Gilmore Girls energy. If you are missing seeing people drinking coffee in every frame, these shows will make your day. So, here are 10 shows that will make you laugh out loud, cry your heart out, and call your mom (or therapist) after watching.

1) Hart of Dixie (2011-2015)

Dr. Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) is a doctor from New York City with a closet full of heels. She inherits a medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama. With no experience in small towns, she moves to a place full of residents, charm, and plenty of romantic drama.

Zoe's energy is like Lorelai's optimism from Gilmore Girls. Bluebell feels like a southern version of Stars Hollow. One of the town's quirks is that there is a parade happening almost every day. It adds to the fun and unpredictable nature of small-town life.

2) Parenthood (2010-2015)

Before you scroll past thinking it's going to be a boring family drama, just wait one second to hear this, it is the mother of all family dramas. The story follows the Braverman family and their quest to navigate relationships, careers, heartbreak, and parenthood.

Get ready to hear the exciting part! Lauren Graham, aka Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls, plays a chaotic single mom with even more tears and a lot less coffee and pop culture references. The show is an emotional story with witty dialogue and portrays a real image of family dynamics. It might make you call your siblings after episode four.

3) One Tree Hill (2003-2012)

If you like shows that end with cliffhangers, then you're gonna love One Tree Hill. It is a high school drama with a soap opera energy. Set in Tree Hill, North Carolina, a town where basketball is everything, the story follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott.

The story starts with how they compete for everything on and off the court. It soon transforms into both brothers and their friends experiencing love, heartbreak, and other tragedies of growing up. Watching the show will give you nostalgia for Gilmore Girls.

4) Virgin River (2019-present)

Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner and midwife from Los Angeles, moves to Virgin River, California, for a fresh start after going through personal tragedy. All Mel wants is to remain anonymous, but it proves to be a little difficult in a town where everyone knows everyone.

She soon gels with the lovable locals and finds enough small-town drama to cancel all her OTT subscriptions. She even gets entangled in some romantic tensions that will make Rory and Lorelai very proud. In a nutshell, Virgin River is about restarting your life, hope, and healing, and drinking coffee in aesthetic cabins instead of Luke,s Diner.

5) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes from Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls. And since it's from the same creator, you will see a lot of Gilmore vibes in this one. For example, there's a lot of fast-talking and emotional gut punches, and the lead characters do spend an awful lot of time at diners.

Set in 1950s New York, the show follows the life of Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), who, after being dumped by her husband, discovers her knack for comedy. Armed with resilience, wit, incredible outfits, and an extremely loyal manager/best friend, Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), she sets out to take on the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy. The show will make you realize that Midge and Lorelai would have been friends.

6) Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)

As the name suggests, with Jane the Virgin, the 21st century gets its bizarre take on the Virgin Mary. Jane Villanueva is a devout young woman whose life turns upside down when she finds out that she has been artificially inseminated and is pregnant. What makes it weirder is that the donor is her boss and former crush, Rafael Solano.

It's a very heartwarming show with a touch of melodrama, and the telenovela style makes it addictive to watch. The crazy bond between Jane, her mom, and her abuela will remind you of Lorelai, Rory, and Emily.

7) Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)

The wealthy Rose family consists of the patriarch Johnny, the matriarch Moira, and their kids David and Alexis. After being swindled by their business manager, they lose all their fortune and are left with nowhere to go. They are forced to live in a town they once bought as a joke.

What follows next is six seasons of pure awkwardness, comedy gold, and eventual growth. Just like Gilmore Girls, the show is about needing family when you're stuck in unexpected places. The characters evolve from self-absorbed caricatures to lovable humans.

8) Ginny & Georgia (2021-present)

If you missed watching Lorelai and Rory's fun banter on Gilmore Girls, then here's a show about a mother-daughter bond that will melt your heart and have your mouth open in shock. Ginny & Georgia follows a thirty-something Georgia trying hard to give her teenage daughter, Ginny, the life she never had.

Ginny & Georgia is a fun cocktail of dark humor, mystery, and small-town drama. It may start out chaotic, but it will eventually surprise you with its emotional depth. Watching both mother and daughter deal with Georgia's crazy past and Ginny's coming-of-age journey will make you miss Lorelai and Rory.

9) Derry Girls (2018-2022)

Derry Girls is set in 1990s Northern Ireland during The Troubles and follows a group of teenage girls studying in a Catholic school. The show is about how they navigate the troubles of an average teenager, including school, crushes, and chaos.

Given that the show's backdrop is during The Troubles, one might think the story is political, but rest assured, that's just for show. It's a laugh-out-loud comedy filled with crazy banter and heartfelt emotion.

10) Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)

Friday Night Lights is a high school drama about the town of Dillon, Texas, where everyone eats, sleeps, and breathes football. Naturally, the story revolves around football players, their families, and the cutest couple in town, Coach and Mrs. Taylor.

It is a heartwarming, character-driven show with a 'community against chaos' energy, just like Gilmore Girls. The complicated family dynamics and emotional speeches in this show will give any telenovela a run for its money.

---

If you are one of those people who don't like rewatching shows but are still craving the essence Gilmore Girls left behind, then be sure to check out these shows. They are as sweet, spicy, and comforting as Gilmore Girls. Who knows, one of them might become your newest obsession.