Gilmore Girls

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Gilmore Girls is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. It stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as Lorelai Gilmore and Rory Gilmore, a mother–daughter pair living in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The series also stars an ensemble supporting cast, including Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Liza Weil, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, Sean Gunn, Chris Eigeman, and Matt Czuchry. The series premiered on The WB on October 5, 2000, and ran for seven seasons, concluding on The CW on May 15, 2007.

Set in the fictional small Connecticut town of Stars Hollow, populated by a close-knit community of eccentric residents, the series blends elements of family drama, romance, and comedy. The series follows the personal and professional lives of its central characters as they navigate relationships, ambitions, and generational differences. It is distinguished by its rapid dialogue, literary and pop-culture references, and portrayal of women’s relationships across multiple generations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The writing and performances received widespread critical acclaim, and the series has been recognised for its humour, emotional depth, and exploration of themes such as independence, education, and social class.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, its later seasons garnered more mixed reviews, particularly following Sherman-Palladino’s departure after season six.

Gilmore Girls achieved strong ratings throughout its original broadcast, peaking in its fifth season as one of The WB’s most popular series. Its audience and cultural influence have endured through syndication and streaming, particularly after becoming available on Netflix in 2014. The series has frequently been cited among the greatest television shows of all time by publications including Time and TV (The Book), and it is regarded as a cult classic of 2000s American television.<ref name="RS">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2016, Sherman-Palladino and the original cast reunited for the four-part Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Premise

Promotional portrait of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore
Promotional portrait of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore

Gilmore Girls follows the lives of single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her academically-minded teenage daughter, Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), who live in the quaint fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Lorelai dreams of owning her own inn, and Rory plans to attend Harvard University. Eventually, Rory chooses Yale University, her grandparents' alma mater, while Lorelai opens and operates the Dragonfly Inn.

The show's pilot introduces Lorelai's estranged, wealthy parents, Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Richard Gilmore (Edward Hermann), whom Lorelai must approach for assistance in paying Rory's tuition to attend the prestigious Chilton School. They agree to pay, on the condition that Lorelai and Rory have dinner with them every Friday, which sets up one of the show's primary conflicts, as the Gilmores are now forced to face their differences and complicated past, including Lorelai's giving birth to Rory at the age of 16, with her then-boyfriend Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe).

Rory's best friend, Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), must navigate through life concealing her "rebellious" interests from her authoritarian mother, Mrs. Kim (Emily Kuroda), a strict, religious, Korean immigrant, who runs a antique shop. She finds ways, often peculiar ways, to secretly date, listen to rock music, and express her love for pop culture, while Mrs. Kim repeatedly attempts to set up Lane with a Korean boy who will be a doctor. After many set ups, Lane falls in love with a member of her band, Dave Rygalski (Adam Brody). The character of Dave was written out in the following season to accommodate actor Adam Brody's exit. Lane then fell in love with another band member, Zach Van Gerbig, (Todd Lowe) and they have twin children.

Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy) is Lorelai's "best friend" and chef at the Independence Inn, which Lorelai runs. She has a bubbly personality and is accident-prone, but is known for her cooking skills. Later, she becomes romantically involved with the inn's vegetable supplier, Jackson Belleville (Jackson Douglas). They end up marrying and having children together.

Also central to Gilmore Girls is Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), owner of Luke's Diner, where Lorelai and Rory frequently dine. Present for many of Rory's milestones, he becomes a surrogate father figure to her. Later, Luke and Lorelai begin a romantic relationship. In A Year in the Life, Lorelai and Luke get married in the last episode.

The townspeople of Stars Hollow are also a constant presence—including the gossiping, flirtatious Miss Patty (Liz Torres) and quirky Kirk Gleason (Sean Gunn). Along with series-long and season-long arcs, Gilmore Girls is also episodic in nature, with mini-plots within each episode, such as town events, problems at Lorelai's inn, or school projects of Rory's.

Episodes

Template:See also List of Gilmore Girls episodes

Cast and characters

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Main

Recurring

  • Liz Torres as Patricia "Miss Patty" LaCosta, the friendly and kind-hearted town dance teacher and gossip
  • Emily Kuroda as Mrs. Kim, Lane's strict Seventh-day Adventist mother who has a strained relationship with her daughter
  • Sally Struthers as Babette Dell, Lorelai's eccentric but friendly neighbor and town gossip - she is close friends with Patty
  • Jackson Douglas as Jackson Belleville, Sookie's husband and a local farmer.Template:Efn He and Sookie share two children, David and Martha, throughout the show
  • Michael Winters as Taylor Doose, the uptight town Selectman who often irrates Luke with his requests and rules
  • David Sutcliffe as Christopher Hayden, Rory's father and Lorelai's on-off love interest (seasons 1–3; 5–7)
  • Shelly Cole as Madeline Lynn, Paris and Rory's high school friend (seasons 1–4)
  • Teal Redmann as Louise Grant, Paris and Rory's high school friend (seasons 1–4)
  • Scott Cohen as Max Medina, Lorelai's season one boyfriend and brief fiancé, and Rory's English teacher at Chilton (seasons 1–3)
  • Chad Michael Murray as Tristin Dugray, a wealthy Chilton student who has a crush on Rory who is later transferred due to his bad behavior (season 1; guest season 2)
  • Dakin Matthews as Hanlin Charleston, Headmaster of Chilton and friend of Richard and Emily (seasons 1–3, guest seasons 5 & 7)
  • Marion Ross as Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore, Richard's mean mother (seasons 1; 3–4)
  • Lisa Ann Hadley as Rachel, Luke's photographer and traveler ex-girlfriend (season 1)
  • Alex Borstein as Drella, the Independence Inn harpist (season 1), and "Miss Celine", Emily Gilmore's seamstress (season 5)
  • Rose Abdoo as Gypsy, the town mechanicTemplate:Efn (seasons 2–7)
  • Carole King as Sophie Bloom, owner of Sophie's Music shop which Lane frequents (seasons 2, 5–6)
  • Biff Yeager as Tom, a Stars Hollow contractor (seasons 2–4; 6)
  • Emily Bergl as Francie Jarvis, a student at Chilton (seasons 2–3)
  • Todd Lowe as Zach Van Gerbig, Lane's bandmate and eventual husband and father to their twin sons Steve and Kwan (seasons 3–7)
  • John Cabrera as Brian Fuller, Lane's bandmate (seasons 3–7)
  • Tricia O'Kelley as Nicole Leahy, Luke's season 3–4 lawyer girlfriend and short-term wife (seasons 3–4)
  • Arielle Kebbel as Lindsay Lister, Dean's girlfriend and wife - they divorce later on when he cheats on her with Rory (seasons 3–5)
  • Adam Brody as Dave Rygalski, Lane's bandmate and season 3 boyfriend - they break up later on when Dave moves to college (season 3) (Dave was written out due to Brody's commitments to The O.C.)
  • Sebastian Bach as Gil, Lane's older bandmate (seasons 4–7)
  • Danny Strong as Doyle McMaster, Paris's boyfriend and one-time editor of the Yale Daily News (seasons 4–7)
  • Kathleen Wilhoite as Liz Danes, Luke's flighty and irresponsible sister and Jess's mother (seasons 4–7)
  • Michael DeLuise as TJ, Luke's dopey but kind-hearted brother-in-law (seasons 4–7)
  • Wayne Wilcox as Marty, Rory's friend at Yale who has unrequited feelings for her (seasons 4–5; 7)
  • Rini Bell as Lulu Kuschner, Kirk's girlfriend (seasons 4–7)
  • Alan Loayza as Colin McCrae, Logan's wealthy friend (seasons 5–6)
  • Tanc Sade as Finn, Logan's wealthy friend (seasons 5–6)
  • Gregg Henry as Mitchum Huntzberger, Logan's father and a newspaper mogul (seasons 5–7)
  • Vanessa Marano as April Nardini, Luke's "long lost" pre-teen daughter whom he finds out about in season 6 (seasons 6–7)
  • Sherilyn Fenn as Anna Nardini, April's mother and Luke's ex-girlfriendTemplate:Efn (seasons 6–7)
  • Krysten Ritter as Lucy, Rory's friend (season 7)
  • Michelle Ongkingco as Olivia Marquont, Rory's friend (season 7)

Production

Background

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Amy Sherman-Palladino, who came from a background of writing for half-hour sitcoms, had Gilmore Girls approved by The WB after several of her previous pitches were turned down. On a whim, she suggested a show about a mother and daughter but had put little thought into the idea.<ref name=vulture/> Having to create a pilot, she drew inspiration for the show's setting of "Stars Hollow, Connecticut", after making a trip to Washington, Connecticut, where she stayed at the Mayflower Inn. She explained: "If I can make people feel this much of what I felt walking around this fairy town, I thought that would be wonderful ... At the time I was there, it was beautiful, it was magical, and it was a feeling of warmth and small-town camaraderie ... There was a longing for that in my own life, and I thought—that's something that I would really love to put out there."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stars Hollow was inspired by and is loosely based on the actual villages of Washington Depot, Connecticut; West Hartford, Connecticut, and the town of New Milford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Once the setting was established, Gilmore Girls developed as a mixture of sitcom and family drama.<ref name=wired/> Sherman-Palladino's aim was to create "A family show that doesn't make parents want to stick something sharp in their eyes while they're watching it and doesn't talk down to kids."<ref name=nyt/> She wanted the family dynamic to be important because "It's a constant evolution ... You never run out of conflict."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The show's pace, dialogue, and focus on class divisions was heavily inspired by the screwball comedies of the 1930s and Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy films.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=la>Template:Cite news</ref> Sherman-Palladino was also influenced by the "acerbic wit" of Dorothy Parker.<ref name=la/>

The pilot episode of Gilmore Girls received financial support from the script development fund of the Family Friendly Programming Forum, which includes some of the nation's leading advertisers, making it one of the first networks shows to reach the air with such funding.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The show was green-lit by The WB, and Sherman-Palladino proceeded to exercise control over all aspects of its production.<ref name=rs/> Her husband Daniel Palladino was a consultant and occasional writer for the first season, then agreed to quit his producer position on Family Guy to commit to Gilmore Girls; he became an executive producer with the second season, and also played a major role.<ref name=npr/> The show's third executive producer was Gavin Polone.

Casting

Alexis Bledel's first acting job was playing Rory Gilmore.

Alexis Bledel was cast in the key role of Rory despite having no previous acting experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sherman-Palladino was drawn to her shyness and innocence, which she said was essential for the character, and felt she photographed well.<ref name="book">Template:Cite book</ref> Lauren Graham was pursued by the casting directors from the start of the process, but she was committed to another show on NBC. A week before the shooting, they had still failed to cast Lorelai, so they asked Graham to audition anyway. Sherman-Palladino cast her that day, on the hope that Graham's other show (M.Y.O.B., which was burned off as a summer replacement series several months before the premiere of Gilmore Girls) would be canceled, which it soon was.<ref name=atx>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=casting>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She later explained how Graham met all the criteria she had been looking for: "Lorelai's a hard fucking part. You've got to be funny, you've got to talk really fucking fast, you've got to be able to act, you've got to be sexy, but not scary sexy. You've got to be strong, but not like 'I hate menTemplate:'".<ref name=moveable>Template:Cite web</ref> Graham and Bledel only met the night before they started filming the pilot.<ref name="vulture"/>

In casting the grandparents, Sherman-Palladino had veteran actor Edward Herrmann in mind for Richard and was delighted when he agreed. Kelly Bishop, a fellow New York stage actress, was cast straight after her audition; Sherman-Palladino recalled knowing immediately "and there's Emily".<ref name=atx/> Herrmann and Bishop had previously shared a common familiarity with each other as both were Tony Award recipients in 1976.<ref>Chambers, Julia. "Gilmore Girls Power Couple Richard and Emily Gilmore Lunched on Broadway Before They Dined on Screen," Playbill (magazine), Tuesday 10 October 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2025.</ref> The role of the Stars Hollow diner owner was originally a woman, but the network reported that they needed more men and Scott Patterson was cast as Luke. It was advertised as a guest role, but Patterson said he treated the pilot as "a chemistry test" and he was promptly promoted to series regular.<ref>Gilmore Gabs – Scott Patterson Template:Webarchive. Gilmore Guys.</ref>

In the pilot, Sookie was played by Alex Borstein, but she could not be released from her Mad TV contract. She was therefore replaced by Melissa McCarthy, who re-filmed Sookie's scenes. The role of Dean also changed after the pilot, with the original actor replaced by a newcomer Jared Padalecki. The character Lane was based on Sherman-Palladino's friend and fellow producer Helen Pai; Japanese-American actress Keiko Agena was cast in the role when they could not find an appropriate Korean-American actress. Liza Weil auditioned to play Rory, and while she was considered wrong for the part Sherman-Palladino liked her so much that she wrote the role of Paris especially for her.<ref name=atx/><ref name="casting"/>

Writing

Headed by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino from seasons 1 to 6, Gilmore Girls had a small writing staff that changed regularly throughout the series. The Palladinos wrote a high percentage of episodes and would review and rework the dialogue in episodes allocated to others. As such, the show is considered to have a distinctive "voice". Sherman-Palladino said "every draft either I write, or it passes through my hands ... so that there is a consistency of tone. It's very important that it feels like the same show every week because it is so verbal."<ref name=asp>Amy Sherman-Palladino interview Template:Webarchive. The A.V. Club. 2005.</ref> The main job of the writers' room was to help develop storylines and create detailed episode outlines.<ref name=asp/><ref>Gilmore Gabs: Sheila Lawrence Template:Webarchive. Gilmore Guys podcast.
Gilmore Gabs: Jane Espenson Template:Webarchive. Gilmore Guys podcast.</ref> Notable writers who worked on the show at some point include Jenji Kohan, Bill Prady, Jane Espenson, Rebecca Rand Kirshner, and Janet Leahy.

Gilmore Girls creator and showrunner, Amy Sherman-Palladino

As signaled by its tagline "Life's short. Talk fast", Gilmore Girls is known for its fast-paced dialogue and "witty repartee".<ref name=moveable/><ref name=vox>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sherman-Palladino wanted a snappy delivery from the characters because she believes that "comedy dies slow",<ref name=npr>The Mind Behind the 'Gilmore Girls' Template:Webarchive. NPR.</ref> which required large volumes of dialogue to fill the hour-long time slot.<ref name=nobody/> Scripts averaged 80 pages per episode, compared to an "hour-long" average of 55–60 pages, with one page translating to 20–25 seconds of screen time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Scott Patterson later said that the pace of the dialogue led to both him and Lauren Graham quitting smoking—"She needed her wind, and I needed my wind."<ref name=nytimesendures>Template:Cite news</ref>

Much of the dialogue is peppered with references to film, television shows, music, literature, and celebrity culture. The range of references is broad, summarized by critic Ken Tucker as "some cross between Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Ulysses".<ref name=tucker/> Sherman-Palladino wanted the characters to speak this way as an indicator of their worldliness and intelligence, and to cater to a broad audience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the start, she argued with the network about the frequently old-fashioned references; when she refused to remove a comment about Oscar Levant, she felt the executives adopted an attitude of "Let the crazy woman dig her own grave."<ref name=moveable/> The relative obscurity of some of the allusions resulted in explanatory "Gilmore-isms" booklets being included in the DVD sets of the first four seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web
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In contrast to the rapid-fire dialogue, storylines on Gilmore Girls move slowly. Sherman-Palladino's motto was "make the small big, make the big small", which she learned from her days writing for Roseanne. She chose to be "very stingy with events", and the drama is low-key because "sometimes the average everyday things are more impactful".<ref>Gilmore Girls reunion panel live blog. Entertainment Weekly Template:Webarchive.</ref> Key incidents often take place off-screen and are only revealed through character conversations, which journalist Constance Grady says is because "On Gilmore Girls, the explosion is never what matters: It's the fallout."<ref name=vox/> The show similarly uses subtext rather than exposition, "where people will talk a great deal in order to obscure what they really mean to say".<ref name=vox/> The writers did not like moments to be overly sentimental, preferring characters to show love through actions and behavior.<ref name=atx/><ref name=vox/> Sherman-Palladino stated that the network did not interfere or request changes,<ref name=asp/><ref name=nobody>Template:Cite magazine</ref> though there is speculation that she delivered scripts at the last minute to avoid their input.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn

Sherman-Palladino treated Lorelai as a reflection of herself. Her husband commented: "Amy writing for Lorelai Gilmore has always been really special. No surprise, they're kind of doppelgängers ... Amy and Lorelai are very, very similar. That character is a great cipher for a lot of what Amy is and has been, from the very beginning."<ref name=collider/>

Filming

Exterior of Lorelai and Rory's house, on the Warner Bros. backlot

The pilot episode was shot in the Toronto suburb of Unionville. The rest of the series was filmed at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California. Exterior scenes of Stars Hollow, along with those at Luke's Diner and Miss Patty's dance studio, were all filmed on the backlot — with dozens of background actors utilized to make it look like a functioning town. Production designers regularly had to decorate the town square with fake leaves or fake snow to make it look like a New England fall or winter. Interiors of Lorelai's house and inn, and all scenes at Yale and the Gilmore mansion, were filmed on a sound stage.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Very occasionally, the show was filmed on location. The exterior shots of Rory's preparatory school, Chilton, were filmed at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rory's visit to Harvard was filmed at UCLA, the first visit to Yale was filmed at Pomona College, and subsequent Yale shots were filmed at sound stages in Burbank, California, and USC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The shot of "Stars Hollow" seen in the first frame of the show's opening credits is actually a panoramic view of South Royalton, Vermont.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gilmore Girls relied on a master shot filming style, in which a scene is filmed to frame characters and their dialogue together within a long and uninterrupted single take; often illustrated through another method regularly employed on the show, the walk and talk.<ref name="deseret1">Template:Cite news</ref> Sherman-Palladino explained "There's an energy and style to our show that's very simple, in my mind ... [it] almost needs to be shot like a play. That's how we get our pace, our energy, and our flow ... I don't think it could work any other way."<ref name=asp/>

It took eight working days to shoot an episode,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and days were regularly 14–20 hours long.<ref name=iw>Template:Cite web</ref> Lauren Graham said: "We filmed alongside The West Wing, and Aaron Sorkin shows are known for having the worst hours ever, they go on and on, but we were always there even after they had gone home, because you couldn't change a word of the script."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The cast were required to be word-perfect in all the scenes, while also reciting large amounts of dialogue at speed. Matt Czuchry, who had a main role for the final three seasons, commented, "The pace of the dialogue was what made that show incredibly unique, and also incredibly difficult as an actor. To be able to maintain that speed, tone, and at the same time, try to make layered choices was a great experience to have early in my career. It really challenged me."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The combination of the difficult dialogue and long takes meant each scene had to be shot many times; Graham said in 2015: "never before or since have I done as many takes of anything".<ref name=back>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Alexis Bledel recalled that one scene required 38 takes.<ref>'Gilmore Girls': Fans cheer Netflix return Template:Webarchive. Orlando Sentinel.</ref> Graham added, "That show — as fun and breezy and light as it is — is technically really challenging."<ref name=back/>

Music

Singer-songwriter Sam Phillips composed the Gilmore Girls musical score.

Gilmore GirlsTemplate:' non-diegetic score was composed by singer-songwriter Sam Phillips throughout its entire run. Sherman-Palladino, who served as the music supervisor of the series, was a big fan of the musician and secured her involvement.<ref name="billboard2002">Template:Cite magazine</ref> For the score's instrumental arrangement, Phillips primarily used her voice and an acoustic guitar, and on occasion included piano, violin, and drums. Many of the musical cues are accompanied by melodic "la-la"s and "ahh"s, which developed because Sherman-Palladino wanted the score to sound connected to the girls themselves, almost like "an extension of their thoughts ... if they had music going in their head during a certain emotional thing in their life." Sherman-Palladino felt that the score elevated the series "because it wasn't a wasted element in the show. Everything was trying to say a little something, add a little something to it."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several of Phillips' album tracks are also played in the show, and she made an appearance in the season six finale "Partings", performing part of "Taking Pictures".<ref name="asiaarts" />

The theme song is a version of Carole King's 1971 song "Where You Lead".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> King made a new recording specially for Gilmore Girls: a duet with her daughter Louise Goffin. She was happy that it gave the song "a deeper meaning of love between a mother and her child".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> King appeared in several episodes as Sophie, the town music shop owner, and performed a brief portion of her song "I Feel the Earth Move" in the revival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Music also plays a large part in the show as a frequent topic of conversation between characters and in live performances within scenes and at the end of episodes.<ref name="asiaarts">Template:Cite web</ref> Musical acts who made appearances include The Bangles, Sonic Youth, Sparks, and the Shins. Grant-Lee Phillips appears in at least one episode per season as the town's troubadour, singing his own songs and covers.<ref name="asiaarts" /> In 2002, a soundtrack to Gilmore Girls was released by Rhino Records, entitled Our Little Corner of the World: Music from Gilmore Girls. The CD booklet features anecdotes from show producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino about the large part music has played in their lives.

A selection of Sam Phillips' score for the series was released on the Mutant label, in association with Warner Bros' WaterTower Music, in November 2025 on vinyl, cassette, CD and streaming platforms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Track Listing

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Developments

Change of showrunner

In 2006, the WB merged with UPN to form a new network, The CW.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gilmore Girls survived the merger, being selected as one of seven WB shows to be transferred for a new season, but it resulted in a significant change. In April that year, it was announced that Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino could not come to an agreement with The CW and would be leaving the show when their contracts expired that summer.<ref name=goodbye>Template:Cite web</ref> Journalist Michael Ausiello said of the decision: "The thought of Gilmore Girls heading into what is likely to be its final season (and its first on a brand-new network) without its mama or her right-hand man is unfathomable."<ref name=goodbye/> Discussing the departure later, Sherman-Palladino reflected on the contract dispute in an interview with Vulture, saying:

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David S. Rosenthal, who worked on the show as a writer and producer for season 6, was selected by Sherman-Palladino to replace her as showrunner.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Commenting on this change, an article in Wired says: "the Palladinos had written the majority of the episodes up to that point, and their distinctive rhythms and obsessions were what defined Gilmore Girls. What remains after their departure is something that seems like Gilmore Girls Adjacent more than anything."<ref name=wired>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Cancellation

There was speculation during the seventh season that it would be the show's final year, as Graham and Bledel's contracts were both coming to an end. As negotiations continued between the actresses and the network, Rosenthal planned a finale that "could serve as an ending or a beginning of a new chapter and a new season".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Graham later said that by the end of the filming schedule "there was a 50/50 chance we'd be returning", and she requested that the finale provide "an opportunity to say goodbye" to the characters, in case of cancellation.<ref name=lg>Template:Cite web</ref> Due to the uncertainty, the cast and crew did not have a final wrap party or an opportunity to say farewells.<ref name=iw/><ref>Gilmore Gabs: Keiko Agena Template:Webarchive. Gilmore Guys.</ref>

The CW initially considered bringing the show back for a shortened, 13-episode season but then decided against the idea.<ref name=lg/> On May 3, 2007, shortly before the final episode aired, the network announced that the series would not be renewed.<ref name="Broadcasting & Cable">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Zap2it">Template:Cite web</ref> Graham explained that the possibility of returning fell through because "We were trying to find a way we [she and Bledel] could have a slightly easier schedule, and there was really no way to do that and still have it be Gilmore Girls."<ref name=lg/>

Revival

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File:Gilmore Girls Netflix.jpg
Official Netflix title announcement for the 2016 revival miniseries

Because the final season was not written by the series creator, and the new writers had not known that the finale was definitely the last episode, Lauren Graham noted that a lot of fans "were disappointed with how it [the series] ended".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2009, Amy Sherman-Palladino expressed an interest in pursuing a Gilmore Girls film, to finish the series as she originally intended.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Over the following years, fans and journalists continued to ask regularly if the show would return. Privately, Sherman-Palladino stayed in contact with Graham, Bledel, Patterson, and Bishop to discuss the possibility, but nothing came to fruition.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In June 2015, for the 15th anniversary of the show, the cast and showrunners reunited for a special panel at the ATX Television Festival. When asked about a possible revival, Sherman-Palladino told the audience "I'm sorry, there's nothing in the works at the moment."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The hype generated by the reunion, however, empowered Sherman-Palladino to pitch new episodes and encouraged Netflix to produce them.<ref name="rs">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In October 2015 – eight years after the show had ended – TVLine reported that the streaming channel struck a deal with Warner Bros to revive the series in a limited run, consisting of four 90-minute episodes, written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino.<ref name="revival">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Palladinos explained that it felt like the right time creatively to continue the story, and that the freedom provided by Netflix made it possible.<ref name="collider">Template:Cite web</ref>

The revival miniseries, titled Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, was filmed from February to May 2016. Aside from Edward Herrmann, who died two years prior, every cast member who received a main credit on the show returned for at least a scene, while many supporting characters also made an appearance. The sets all had to be rebuilt from scratch, using nothing but photos and footage from the original series.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The revival was released on Netflix on November 25, 2016, to positive reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is speculation regarding a possible second revival, with Netflix reportedly keen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Broadcast history

Gilmore GirlsTemplate:' first season commenced on The WB in the Thursday 8pm/7pm Central time slot, as a lead-in for Charmed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Renewed for a second season, the show was relocated on Tuesdays 8pm/7pm, the time slot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which transferred to UPN, and served as a lead-in for Smallville, which became an instant hit and always beat Gilmore Girls in the ratings. During seasons 4 and 5, it led into One Tree Hill, which slowly became a hit. In season 6, it led into Supernatural, which became another hit for The WB and continued on until 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Both series were led by former Gilmore Girls actors, with One Tree Hill starring Chad Michael Murray, and Jared Padalecki as a co-star in Supernatural.

First-season reruns aired on Monday nights from March 5 until April 9, 2001, during a mid-season hiatus of Roswell, to build audience awareness of the series. An additional run of the first season aired in 2002 on Sunday nights under the title Gilmore Girls Beginnings (which featured a modified opening sequence voiced with a monologue detailing the premise from Graham), and was one of two shows on The WB to have "Beginnings" in its title for reruns, along with 7th Heaven.<ref name=moveable/>

Syndication

In the US, the show began its syndicated release on ABC Family in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The network continued to air the show daily under its new name Freeform until the fall of 2018, when those rights moved to Pop. In October 2015, Gilmore Girls began running on Up TV, which continues to air it to this day. Josef Adalian of Vulture commented on the rarity of Freeform and Up TV carrying a series of its type in syndication: "not that many non-procedural, hour-long shows from the early part of the century—particularly those from a small network such as WB—are still even airing regularly on one cable network, let alone two."<ref name=ratings/> Up TV showed Gilmore Girls 1,100 times in its first year; Freeform aired it 400 times in the same period.<ref name=ratings/>

From 2009 to 2013, Gilmore Girls also aired in weekend timeslots on SOAPnet. The series began running on Logo TV in August 2020. Since 2016, UP TV has aired a weeklong marathon of all episodes of Gilmore Girls around the Thanksgiving holiday. As the network maintains a family-friendly focus and programming schedule, some minor dialogue edits are made in a number of episodes, mainly when "hell" and "damn" are said, though all episodes are carried. Start TV began airing Gilmore Girls on May 13, 2025 as part of Warner Bros.' commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hallmark Channel began airing Gilmore Girls on August 25, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the UK, the series premiered on Nickelodeon in 2003. Only the first three seasons were shown, with episodes edited for content, and some, like "The Big One", dropped entirely. The series was subsequently picked up by the Hallmark Channel, which gave UK premieres to seasons four and five. It was rerun in its entirety on E4 until January 2012. The show moved to 5Star, then in 2018 changed to daily screenings on the Paramount Network.

In Ireland, the series aired its entire run on RTÉ One on Sundays, before moving to TG4. In Australia, on the Nine Network it premiered on 12 December 2001 at 7.30pm and from 16 March 2015, Gilmore Girls began airing again at 5.30pm weeknights on digital terrestrial network GEM. In 2025, it streamed on 7plus and Disney+.

Home media and online

Warner Home Video released all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls on DVD, in regions 1, 2 and 4, mainly in full-screen 4:3 ratio due to Amy Sherman-Palladino's preference at the time of original release. The full series DVD boxset was released in 2007. Special features include deleted scenes, three behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast interviews, montages, and one episode commentary (for "You Jump, I Jump, Jack").<ref>GILMORE GIRLS™: The Complete Series Collection (Repackage/DVD) Template:Webarchive. Warner Bros. Shop.</ref>

On October 1, 2014, all seven seasons of the series began streaming on Netflix's "Watch Instantly" service in the United States; all episodes, including the three seasons before The WB transitioned the series to 16:9 HD broadcast from season four on, are in that format. On July 1, 2016, Gilmore Girls became available on Netflix worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an unprecedented move, Gilmore Girls became available to stream on Disney+ in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and other regions via the Star hub from the start of early 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All seasons of Gilmore Girls are also streaming on Hulu, Disney+ and available for digital download on the iTunes Store, Amazon.com and other digital sales websites, with all digital sites offering all episodes in HD.

Merchandising

The merchandising and Tie-ins that came from the show have ranged through several official merchandise and fan driven merch. With the more recent rise of popularity of the show from it being added to streaming platform, we have been seeing more and more cutesy merchandise that is linked to the show, such as mugs, clothing, themed coffee with ties to Luke's Diner. With in recent year we saw some of the cast reunite for a Walmart advert, where they also carried certain items of merch. Through this advert who played Lorelai Gilmore, Luke Danes and Kirk Gleason, respectively, reunited for a new Walmart holiday advert. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Critical response

Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai Gilmore, received critical acclaim for her performance.

Gilmore Girls premiered to critical acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon debut, Gilmore Girls was lauded for the distinct, dialogue-infused style created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the strength of the dynamic familial themes, and the performances of its cast, particularly leading star Lauren Graham. On Metacritic, the first season has an average rating of 81 out of 100 from 26 reviews, indicating "universal praise".<ref name=metacritic>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the San Francisco Chronicle, John Carman wrote "It's cross-generational, warm-the-cockles viewing, and it's a terrific show. Can this really be the WB, niche broadcaster to horny mall rats?"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Caryn James of The New York Times called it a "witty, charming show" that "is redefining family in a realistic, entertaining way for today's audience, all the while avoiding the sappiness that makes sophisticated viewers run from anything labeled a 'family show.Template:'"<ref name=nyt>Template:Cite web</ref> Ray Richmond of The Hollywood Reporter declared it "a genuine gem in the making, a family-friendly hour unburdened by trite cliche or precocious pablum,"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Jonathan Storm of The Philadelphia Inquirer dubbed it "a touching, funny, lively show that really does appeal to all ages". David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun called Gilmore Girls "One of the most pleasant surprises of the new season".<ref name=metacritic/>

For the second-season premiere, Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel praised the show as "one of television's great, unsung pleasures", and said "Series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino writes clever dialogue and ingratiating comedy, but she also knows how to do bittersweet drama."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Emily Yahr of The Washington Post retrospectively called the second installment "Pretty much a perfect season of television".<ref name=yahr>Template:Cite news</ref> Viewers were concerned that the show would suffer when Rory left for college after season 3,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Yahr commented that the show was not "the same" from this point but gave seasons four and five a positive 7/10.<ref name=yahr/>

The last two seasons were less positively received. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune described the sixth season as "uneven at best", explaining, "the protracted fight between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore left the writers scrambling to cram the show with filler plots that stretched many fans' patience to the limit."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The introduction of Luke's daughter has been described as "pretty much the most hated plot device in Gilmore Girls history".<ref name=yahr/> Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly rated the seventh season "C", describing it as "a death-blow season [which] was more accurately Gilmore Ghosts, as the exhausted actors bumped into the furniture searching for their departed souls and smart punchlines". But he concluded that before this came "six seasons of magnificent mixed emotions" among a "perfect television idyll". Giving the show an overall rating of "A−", he added, "industry ignorance of the writing and of Graham's performance in particular will remain an eternal scandal".<ref name=tucker>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

File:Kelly Bishop.jpg
Kelly Bishop portrayed Emily Gilmore.

Gilmore Girls was listed as one of Time magazine's "All-Time 100 TV Shows".<ref name="The Making of The Gilmore Girls">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and was ranked the 87th greatest American television series in TV (The Book), authored by critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz in 2016.<ref name=tvbook>Template:Cite book</ref> Entertainment Weekly placed Gilmore Girls 32nd on its "New TV Classics" list,<ref name="EW">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and included the show on its end-of-the-2000s "best-of" list,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and The A.V. Club named "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" as one of the best TV episodes of the decade.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alan Sepinwall included the show in his "Best of the 00s in Comedies" list, saying: "Gilmore offered up an unconventional but enormously appealing family ... As the quippy, pop culture-quoting younger Gilmores were forced to reconnect with their repressed elders, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino got plenty of laughs and tears out of the generational divide, and out of showing the family Lorelai created for herself and her daughter in the idealized, Norman Rockwell-esque town of Stars Hollow. At its best, Gilmore Girls was pure, concentrated happiness."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2016, Amy Plitt of Rolling Stone reflected on the enduring appeal of Gilmore Girls, and noted that it stood out from other family shows like 7th Heaven, The O.C. and Everwood by being "far richer, deeper ... The characters were funny and relatable, the banter was zinger-heavy, the familial drama was poignant and the romantic chemistry ... was off the charts."<ref name=rs/>

Television ratings

Viewer ratings for Gilmore Girls were not relatively large, but the numbers were a success for the smaller WB network and it became one of their flagship series.<ref name=ratings/><ref name=hist>Gilmore Girls: An Oral History Template:Webarchive. Entertainment Weekly.</ref><ref>Calvin, Rich. Gilmore Girls and the Politics of Identity (2008), p. 127.</ref> For its first season the show aired in the tough Thursday 8pm/7pm Central time slot dominated by Friends on NBC and Survivor on CBS.<ref name=hist/> Critical acclaim encouraged the network to move it to Tuesday evenings, as part of a push to promote the series and due to the move of Tuesday stalwart Buffy the Vampire Slayer to UPN in the same timeslot.<ref>The WB Playing For Laughter Template:Webarchive. Ad Week.</ref> During season 2, ratings for Gilmore Girls surpassed Buffy<ref name="Gilmore Girls Site">Template:Cite web</ref> and it became The WB's third-highest-rated show,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> with viewer numbers that grew by double digits in all major demographics.<ref name="Gilmore Girls Site"/> For seasons 4–7, Gilmore Girls was up against the US's top-rated show American Idol, which led to a drop in viewers,<ref name=ratings>Template:Cite web</ref> but with Season 5 it became The WB's second-most-watched prime time show.<ref name="HPwrap04-05"/> The series was often in the top 3 most-viewed shows in its timeslot for women under 35.<ref name=ratings/>

Template:Television season ratings

In its 2016 syndicated release, Gilmore Girls averaged 100,000–120,000 viewers per episode, for an annual viewership of 11 million on each of its networks.<ref name=ratings/> The same year, the chief content officer for Netflix, Ted Sarandos, cited Gilmore Girls as one of the streaming channel's most watched shows worldwide.<ref>Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Talks Ratings, New Original Programming Spending Increase & 'Stranger Things' Renewal Template:Webarchive. Deadline.</ref>

Awards and nominations

Template:Main

Gilmore Girls earned several accolades, but did not receive much attention from the major awarding bodies.<ref name="awards">Template:Cite web</ref> Its only Emmy nomination was for Outstanding Makeup for a Series, for the episode "The Festival of Living Art", which it won at the 56th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Ausiello has attributed this to "a notorious bias against the WB".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Recognition did come from the American Film Institute, who named Gilmore Girls one of the ten best shows at the American Film Institute Awards of 2002,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Television Critics Association (TCA) who named it Outstanding New Program of the Year at the 17th TCA Awards in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The TCA Awards also nominated the show for Outstanding Drama in 2001 and at the 18th TCA Awards in 2002, and Outstanding Comedy at the 21st TCA Awards in 2005. The Satellite Awards nominated it for Best Series – Musical or Comedy at the 7th Golden Satellite Awards in 2002 and the 9th Golden Satellite Awards in 2004, while it was nominated for Favorite Television Drama at the 31st People's Choice Awards in 2005.<ref name="awards"/> The show was honored by the Viewers for Quality Television with a "seal of quality" in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The series also achieved considerable attention from the Teen Choice Awards, where it received multiple nominations and wins including the award for Choice Comedy Series at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards.<ref name=awards/>

Lauren Graham was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama at the 59th Golden Globe Awards and twice for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work on the first and second seasons, and received five successive nominations for the Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.<ref name=awards/> The TCAs nominated her for Individual Achievement in Drama in 2002, then for Comedy at the 22nd TCA Awards in 2006. She also received a Family Television Award,<ref name="journaltimes">Template:Cite web</ref> and she won the Teen Choice Award for Parental Unit three times.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alexis Bledel won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Leading Young Actress at the 22nd Young Artist Awards,<ref name="22ndyaa">Template:Cite web</ref> two Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Actress Comedy,Template:Citation needed and a Family Television Award.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> She was also nominated by the Satellite Awards in 2002. Kelly Bishop was twice nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television Series in 2002 and 2004.<ref name=awards/>

Fandom and cultural impact

File:Scott Patterson.jpg
Scott Patterson, who played Luke Danes, at the Gilmore Girls 15th anniversary reunion

Gilmore Girls is considered a cult classic, with an "avid following".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ii>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the run of the show this was mostly a small but dedicated group, predominantly of females, but its audience has grown steadily since it came off the air.<ref name=ratings/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=np>Template:Cite news</ref> The series experienced a resurgence when it became available on Netflix in October 2014, introducing it to a new generation of viewers.<ref name=guardian/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When the revival was announced in 2015, star Lauren Graham credited it to the campaigning and persistence of the fans.<ref name=bbc>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At this point, according to The Washington Post, the show became "a quirky pop culture obsession".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The enduring popularity of Gilmore Girls is considered to come from its comforting quality and cross-generational appeal.<ref name=ii/><ref name=bbc/><ref name=guardian>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=np/> It is particularly known as a show that mothers and daughters watch together.<ref name=guardian/>

The Gilmore Girls Fan Fest has become an annual event since its inauguration in 2016. The unofficial festival takes place in Connecticut over an October weekend, and includes panels with cast and crew, themed activities, and screenings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>The 'Gilmore Girls' Fan Fest Is Happening In 2018, Even If The Show May Not Make A Return Template:Webarchive. Bustle.</ref> For the 16th anniversary of the show, 200 coffee houses around the US and Canada were transformed into "Luke's Diners".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For two weeks in winter 2018–19, Warner Bros. added a special feature to their studio tour that recreated the Stars Hollow set and displayed props and costumes from the series.<ref>Calling All Gilmore Girls Fans! You Can Soon Eat Lunch at Lorelai's Actual House Template:Webarchive. People.</ref> The show has an active fandom, posting in internet forums and creating work such as fan fiction.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Special Gilmore Girls trivia nights have been held at venues in multiple different cities.<ref>Gilmore Girls Quizzo Template:Webarchive. Ticketfly.
Template:Cite news
*'Gilmore Girls' Creators Crash Show's Trivia Night in Brooklyn Template:Webarchive. DNA Info.
Gilmore Girls Quiz: Geeks Who Drink Template:Webarchive. Lakewood Patch.
There's a Gilmore Girls quiz night coming to Liverpool Template:Webarchive. Liverpool Echo.
Gilmore Girls Trivia Night Template:Webarchive. Visit Bend.
Geeks Who Drink: A Gilmore Girl Quiz Template:Webarchive. Do512.
Geeks Who Drink Presents Gilmore Girls Quiz Template:Webarchive. Joe Lane.</ref> Actor from the show, Scott Patterson, who played Luke started his coffee brand which features blends themed after the show. His brand, Scotty P's Big Mug Coffee, sells blends themed after places in the show, such as Luke's blend, named after Patterson's character's diner. These coffees can be found on the Warner Bros website and in person at the Warner Bros Studio Tours, allowing fans to feel like they're actually visiting Luke's during the tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Irish Independent has commented that "Even though it preceded social media, Gilmore Girls has been internet gold for the past few years. Thanks to its snappy one-liners, it's spawned thousands of memes that have introduced the BuzzFeed generation to its coffee-swilling, cheeseburger-loving, critically-thinking characters."<ref name=ii/> The show has been parodied on Mad TV<ref>11 'MadTV' Parodies To Get You Psyched For The CW Reboot Template:Webarchive. Bustle.</ref> and Family Guy,<ref>Gilmore Girls reference in Family Guy Template:Webarchive. YouTube.</ref> and featured in an episode of Six Feet Under.<ref>Mothers and Daughters Template:Webarchive. YouTube.</ref> A cocktail bar in Brooklyn devised a menu inspired by the show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Warner Bros. has produced a range of Gilmore Girls merchandise, including T-shirts, mugs, and dolls.<ref>Gilmore Girls Template:Webarchive. WB Shop.</ref>

Three collections of academic essays that analyze the show have been published: Gilmore Girls and the Politics of Identity (2008); Screwball Television: Critical Perspectives on Gilmore Girls (2010); and Gilmore Girls: A Cultural History (2019). In 2002, four young adult novels were published that adapted scripts from the first and second seasons into novel form, told from Rory's first-person point of view. There have also been several unofficial, fan-based guides to the series, including Coffee At Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gab Fest (2007), The Gilmore Girls Companion (2010), You've Been Gilmored!: The Unofficial Encyclopedia and Complete Guide to Gilmore Girls (2020),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and But I'm a Gilmore!: Stories and Experiences of Honorary Gilmore Girls: Cast, Crew, and Fans <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The program is also the source of a book club, in which followers aim to read all 339 books referenced on the show, and the inspiration for a cookbook called Eat Like a Gilmore.<ref name=ii/>

Gilmore Girls is the basis for the successful podcast Gilmore Guys (2014–2017), which was named by Time as one of the 50 best podcasts of 2017 – the only television-based inclusion.<ref name=time>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It follows the hosts, Kevin T. Porter and Demi Adejuyigbe, as they watch every episode of the series. Sadaf Ahsan of the National Post commented that it "helped reignite – and, for some, initiate – fan fervour" towards Gilmore Girls.<ref name=np/>

Online Fandom

The show has sparked new love from a new form of audience through the show becoming available via platforms like Netflix in 2014. This introduced the show to new type of younger audience who weren't there for the original release of the show.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

More example of how annual streaming has become a part of the new fandom, with articles highlighting how during autumn there's an increase in views of Gilmore Girls and related content online through posts and meme posted on social media platforms related to the show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Based on several years of streaming data, the show has gotten a significant boost in viewership every autumn since 2021, when Nielsen began issuing weekly top 10 lists of original and acquired streaming shows in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notes

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References

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Further reading

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