8 comfort shows like Gilmore Girls to watch right now
By Bryce Olin
Gilmore Girls is the perfect comfort show. Take a spin online and you’ll find fans who have been watching Gilmore Girls over and over for years. Others binge-watch the series every fall for its vibes. It doesn’t get much better than Amy Sherman-Palladino’s hit series starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel.
Now, I would never ask someone to stop watching their favorite show, break tradition, or anything like that. But, if you are interested in finding another good TV show, we do have some solid picks for you!
We shared eight good TV shows to watch if you like Gilmore Girls, starting with New Girl!
New Girl
Despite sharing the word “girl” in their titles, Gilmore Girls and New Girl don’t have much in common in terms of story, themes, or premise. New Girl relies much more on silly jokes, too, but I do think fans of Gilmore Girls will also enjoy New Girl for similar reasons.
New Girl stars Zooey Deschanel as Jess, who has just found out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. In need of a new place to live, Jess moves in with three dudes – Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Nick (Jake Johnson), and Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) – who are dealing with issues of their own. Early in the series, Coach moves out and is replaced by Winston (Lamorne Morris).
Like Gilmore Girls, New Girl also ran for seven seasons. It’s the perfect comedy series to watch right now. You can watch the entire series on Hulu and Disney+ right now.
Virgin River
Virgin River is another incredible comfort TV show! It’s not a comedy, but this show is hilarious if you can laugh at others' misfortune. I happen to be an expert in that field. Throw a laugh track on Virgin River, and it’s the funniest show on TV; I promise.
The series tells the story of the folk living in the small town of Virgin River. It’s not so different from Stars Hollow, although Virgin River is a bit more rural. Alexandra Breckenridge stars in the soapy drama as Mel Monroe, a medical professional who moves to the small town to start over. And so begins her love story with the town’s most eligible bachelor, Jack Sheridan, played by Martin Henderson.
There are five seasons of Virgin River now streaming on Netflix. Virgin River season 6 is coming to Netflix sometime in 2024, according to our friends at Netflix Life. We’d heard the new season was coming in 2025, but it looks like we’re getting the new season sometime later this year.
The Office
The Office is an obvious pick! It’s my favorite show of all time. Like Gilmore Girls, The Office is another top-tier comfort show for fans all over the world. I used to watch episodes of The Office, like, every day. I’ve seen comments online that people use the show to go to sleep every night. What’s more comfort TV than that?
The Office premiered on NBC in 2005 and ran for nine seasons on the network. It tells the story of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and the interesting people working at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a regional paper supply company.
Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Mindy Kaling, BJ Novak, and many more star in the hit series from Greg Daniels. It’s one of the most iconic modern comedies, and you can’t go wrong with it. Once you learn to love these characters, it’s truly amazing!
You can watch all nine seasons of The Office on Peacock right now.
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is another comfort show that, I think, works well for fans of Gilmore Girls. It’s obviously less comedy and A LOT more drama, but it’s good, addicting drama.
Gossip Girl premiered on The CW in 2007 and ran for six seasons on the network. It was on around the same time as Gilmore Girls, so it might feel the same being from that time period.
The series has an incredible cast led by Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Chase Crawford, Penn Badgley, Taylor Momsen, and more! It tells the story of the teens from wealthy families on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and all the drama that comes along with them. Oh, and there’s a stalker who is watching their every move and sharing it with their peers online. Whoever could it be?
Gossip Girl is available to stream on MAX right now.
Ted Lasso
There is no show, maybe in TV history, more pure and wholesome than Ted Lasso. The series was created by Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Bill Lawrence, and Joe Kelly. Sudeikis and Hunt star in the Apple TV+ series as Ted Lasso, the new head coach of AFC Richmond, and his assistant, Coach Beard.
The series follows Ted, who was hired to fail at AFC Richmond, as he tries to win the hearts of his team, fans, and those at the club despite knowing very little about football. You see, he was an American football coach. He might not know the game, but he knows people, and he uses it to his advantage to bring the best out of his team.
Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, and Nick Mohammed star in the comedy series.
For a time, it looked like Ted Lasso was going to end after season 3. Now, the full cast and creative team is in talks to return for season 4.
Abbott Elementary
If you like The Office, you’re going to love Abbott Elementary, a mockumentary sitcom from and starring Quinta Brunson. The series tells the story of the teachers and staff at Abbott Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The series also has an incredible cast, including Jenna James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and more.
Abbott Elementary is the funniest and best comedy on TV right now. I don’t think it’s particularly close even.
There are three seasons of Abbot Elementary streaming on Hulu and Disney+ right now. Abbott Elementary season 4 premieres on Oct. 9, 2024. You still have time to watch up before the season premieres!
Sweet Magnolias
Sweet Magnolias definitely gets a spot on the comfort TV list for Gilmore Girls fans. It’s not as funny as Gilmore Girls or as dramatic as Virgin River, but it’s still a show about women living, loving, and learning in a small town.
The series stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend, who is trying to raise her family in the small town of Serenity with her two best friends, Dane Sue (Brooke Elliott) and Helen (Heather Headley).
The series is based on the book series of the same name by Sherryl Woods.
There are three seasons of Sweet Magnolias on Netflix right now. The fourth season of the Netflix original series should be released on Netflix soon!
Emily in Paris
Last but not least, Emily in Paris is the perfect comfort TV show for fans of Gilmore Girls! Emily in Paris is one of the best shows on Netflix and has been since it premiered in 2021.
Lily Collins stars as Emily, who moves to Paris to work in marketing. The big move opens Emily up to new people, a new culture, and new love. Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Lucien Laviscount, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, and more star in the hit comedy from Darren Star.
The show is currently in the middle of its fourth season. The first half of the season was released in August 2024. The second half of the season arrives on Sept. 12, so you have a few weeks to catch up! The first three seasons are also streaming on Netflix.
That’s the list of comfort shows to watch if you love Gilmore Girls! We hope the list helped you find something new to watch.
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