17 Reasons Why "Gilmore Girls" Is Legitimately The Best TV Show There's Ever BeenSkip To ContentHomepageSign InSearch BuzzFeedSearch BuzzFeedlol Badge Feedwin Badge Feedtrending Badge FeedCalifornia residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.Do Not Sell My Personal Information 2022 BuzzFeed, Inc PressRSSPrivacyConsent PreferencesUser TermsAd ChoicesHelpContactSitemapUpdated on 13 Aug 2022 17 Reasons Why Gilmore Girls Is Legitimately The Best TV Show There s Ever Been Nothing else comes close, amiright? by Sam ClealBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestTwitterMailLink Hey people of the internet it s the 20th anniversary of the first time we ever got to meet the Gilmore girls and I m sorry but I just can t let you forget that glorious fact Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via Tumblr Gilmore Girls first landed on US screens on The WB on 5th October 2000 It pulled in 4 6 million viewers and became a sleeper hit with American audiences It didn t make it to the UK until 2003 when the first three seasons started showing on Nickelodeon for some reason The WB / Via amazon.co.uk It was soon picked up by the Hallmark Channel and then by E4, which showed all seven seasons on rotation until 2012 (it was during this run that I became deeply obsessed). It s easy to see why this show is such a cult phenomenon Fans will say Gilmore Girls is an institution with its quirky characters cosy New England setting and deeply individual sense of humour Honestly it s the best TV show of all time Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com Not convinced Well here are 17 reasons why Gilmore Girls stands head and shoulders above the rest 1 All of the amazing cultural references The WB / Via reddit.com Gilmore Girls was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who served as the main showrunner until the end of season six. The entire show is flooded with fascinating and often esoteric references to TV, film, theatre, literature, music, politics, and society. I've learned so much watching this show, from what happened to Ernest Hemingway's lost manuscripts, to what Hardbodies is, to who on earth Emily Post was! Watching Gilmore Girls is not only highly entertaining, it's an education in both high and low-brow culture... A valuable education I won't soon forget! 2 The fashion The WB / Via Buzzfeed You want a quick window into the best and most nostalgic trends of the early '00s? Well look no further than Gilmore Girls, in which we see Lorelai especially wearing everything from bandanas to slip dresses (a favourite of Lauren Graham's according to her autobiography, Talking As Fast As I Can), and leather coats to hair clips! And boy, did she pull them off! Oh, and who could forget Luke's plaid shirts or Jess's jackets – both borg and leather. What a serve! 3 All of the references to coffee and food Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com I don't think another show has ever put so much emphasis on its characters loving food like Gilmore Girls did. And they were WOMEN who loved food – how scandalous! Rory and Lorelai would regularly chow down on burgers, pop tarts, Chinese food, and pie (albeit remaining stick-thin, which is a little problematic). And then you had Gilmore matriarch Emily, who cared for the finer cuisine in life like marzipan and foie gras (not together, of course). And who could forget how much this show glorified coffee!? Is there truly anything better than a snack and an episode of Gilmore Girls? 4 The fast-paced dialogue Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com Inspired by the screwball comedies of the 1930s and '40s – like the oft-mentioned His Girl Friday – the swift way in which most of the Gilmore Girls cast interact with one another is at first, rather jarring. But here's the incredibly weird thing, I LITERALLY cannot hear it anymore. I distinctly remember watching the show for the first time and thinking – wow, they talk really fast. But years of bingeing the series have caused me to assimilate. I'd love to know if any Gilmore Girls virgins can pick up on this fun little element of the show? 5 The playlist The WB / Via Buzzfeed Just like the many references to culture and food, Gilmore Girls does an excellent job of integrating music into the show, and has introduced me to so many amazing musicians that I still stan today, including but not limited to Pixies, Patti Smith, The Shins, PJ Harvey, the Go-Go's, Sonic Youth, Neil Young, and Björk. It probably helped that I loved indie and punk music anyway, but I would say Gilmore Girls has definitely helped to shape my taste in music, and turned me onto artists I didn't know before. 6 The early 00s nostalgia The WB There's something time capsule-like about Gilmore Girls, and if you're a millennial who grew up on the cusp of the technological revolution like I did, it's super comforting to be reminded of a world in which you bought CDs, used a landline, or dare I say it – owned a pager. It's also a treasure trove of early noughties activities like using a phonebook or taping something on TV! 7 The New England setting Netflix Now granted, I don't know much about Connecticut or New Haven, but if it's anything like what's portrayed in Gilmore Girls, I'm sure I'd love it! Amy Sherman-Palladino has said she was inspired to create Stars Hollow as the main setting for the show after visiting the villages of Washington Depot, Connecticut, West Hartford, Connecticut, and the town of New Milford. Fans have described feeling attached to the setting because it somehow feels like "home". 8 The local colour The WB / Via Buzzfeed Stars Hollow really is one of the best things about the show! The local community events, the stores and eateries, and most of all the characters paint a wholesome picture of the America that many fans saw growing up on TV. In one episode, Lorelai refers to these things as the "local colour of the place", when talking to a guest at her Dragonfly Inn. She's standing next to Kirk, who immediately springs to mind when you say Stars Hollow, but who could forget Luke, Miss Patty, Babette, Jackson, Sookie, Lane, Mrs Kim, and Taylor too! 9 Its amazing guest stars The WB / Via Buzzfeed From Carole King to Christiane Amanpour, Gilmore Girls has seen its fair share of pretty amazing guest stars, often people that tie in with the show's focus on music, film, TV, and literature. There are some more subtle cameos – like Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, who appeared in "Partings" in season six. And some are more of a spectacle, like when Norman Mailer invaded Sookie's resturant at the inn in "Norman Mailer, I'm Pregnant!" in season five. 10 The iconic theme song Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com The theme is taken from Carole King's 1971 hit "Where You Lead", which she re-recorded especially for the show with her daughter Louise Goffin – you see what they did there!? It's become as integral to the show as the characters themselves, and is always mentioned in roundups of the most iconic TV theme tunes of all time! Other background music – the stuff with all the "la la las" in it – was composed by Sam Phillips, who appears in the season six finale, performing her song "Taking Pictures" in the town square. 11 The cute guys The WB / Via Buzzfeed Let's have it right, Riverdale has nothing on Gilmore Girls when it comes to hot men. Whether you spent your days dreaming about Dean, or wished you could lock lips with Logan, this show was abundant with gorgeous guys! Even Rory's dad Christopher is a bonafide hottie! My personal favourite, however, has to be Jess – who's with me!? 12 The autumnal aesthetic Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com Everyone loves a bit of a fall colour palette, and nothing screams fall more than good ol' Gilmore Girls. The show is always throwing out autumnal motifs – from pie, to coffee, to all of the amazing fall fashion everyone wears. Stars Hollow alone is enough to make anyone crave a pumpkin spice latte! And let's be honest, some of the best episodes are set during autumn – "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving", "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?", "Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out", and of course, "You Jump, I Jump, Jack". 13 It s a female-led series Robert Voets/Netflix From the off, Gilmore Girls has been a series about women, which we LOVE to see. We not only follow the lives of two ladies, we are constantly reminded of the power and the achievements of women. I consulted a few friends for this post and one had this to say – "what a dream for a teenage girl to see three generations of bad-ass women at the heart of a TV series!" 14 The relatable nerdy heroine Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com The younger of our two main gals, Rory, was the nerdy valedictorian we all wanted to be. She was a keen reader who took school super seriously, she was obsessed with Christiane Amanpour, and she had ambitious career goals. Rory showed legions of young people it was okay to give a crap about school. Other people I spoke to about this post said "I loved seeing a hardworking heroine on screen; she was bookish and smart, maybe a nerd by other TV show's standards, but within the context of Gilmore Girls, she was just normal." 15 The incredible main cast The WB / Via Buzzfeed Lisa Weil, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Melissa McCarthy, Lauren Graham, Milo Ventimiglia, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson, Alexis Bledel – every single one of these people (and a whole host of others) made Gilmore Girls SO GOOD, and contributed to it becoming one of the most eminently watchable series there ever has been! Who didn't love to watch Paris fly off the handle, or Emily chastise just about everyone, or Lorelai make jokes until she was blue in the face? 16 The sheer bingeability of ~every~ season Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com This show is incredibly addictive! I think one of the reasons Gilmore Girls is still so relevant is that it works within the context in which we all watch TV now – we binge it. I can easily watch about ten episodes in a day (and I do), then come back for more the next day. Maybe it's just me and I have a problem – I'm open to discussing that possibility. 17 And of course the central mother-daughter relationship Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF The WB / Via tumblr.com For real though, who didn't love seeing how close Rory and Lorelai were? It was so enjoyable to see them interact with one another, and for those who came from single-parent families, it was comforting to see such individuals reflected in a positive light. Another one of my "consultants" for this article said of Rory and Lorelai's particular relationship: "I think maybe because my parents were divorced, and I am super close with my mum, that's why this show really resonated with me." I really could go on but for now I ll just say happy anniversary Gilmore Girls – see you in another 20 years Sam Cleal @sam_cleal HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY, @GilmoreGirls ? I'll never stop rewatching this show as long as I live and breathe #GilmoreGirls 09:03 AM - 05 Oct 2020 Reply Retweet Favorite Did I miss anything out Comment the reasons you LOVE Gilmore Girls below Share This ArticleFacebook PinterestTwitterMailLink TV and MoviesGet all the best moments in pop culture & entertainment delivered to your inbox.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.