10 TV Shows To Watch If You Love A Gilmore Girls Fall Rewatch

In 2025, Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham took to the stage of the Primetime Emmy Awards to honor one of the most beloved teen dramas of all time. The two, of course, led the cast of "Gilmore Girls," a beautiful series about a mother-daughter relationship and the various dynamics they share with the people in their lives. At the Emmys, Graham introduced the tribute by saying, "25 years ago, a show called 'Gilmore Girls' premiered, and apparently took the season of fall hostage," referencing fans' obsession with rewatching the series once there's a slight chill in the air and pumpkin spice lattes are available for purchase. Of course, "Gilmore Girls" isn't the only show that's worth bingeing in the fall.

What makes fans return to the heartwarming family drama every year? Well, "Gilmore Girls" is known for its excellent writing, heartfelt storylines, quirky supporting characters, and iconic setting. Although the show takes place throughout the calendar year, some of its most famous episodes happen during the fall, including the pilot episode. Its nostalgic title cards and general tone also read cozy and autumnal, making it perfect for a September or October binge. That said, there are plenty of other series, teen dramas and otherwise, that feel just as good with a bowl of soup in hand and the sight of leaves falling from the trees. Here are 10 TV shows to watch if you love a "Gilmore Girls" fall rewatch.

After finishing a "Gilmore Girls" fall rewatch, the immediate next step should be to turn on "Gossip Girl," and not just because it's also got an alliterative name. "Gossip Girl" was released about the time that "Gilmore Girls" was finishing its original run, and it made an instant impact on viewers. Set in the glamorous and infamous Upper East Side of Manhattan, "Gossip Girl" follows a group of teenagers navigating high school, college, and beyond with zero boundaries and extraordinary wealth, while the parents act just as irresponsibly as their progeny. And all this happens while under the watchful eye of an anonymous blogger.

And based on that description, it probably doesn't sound too much like "Gilmore Girls." But it's got plenty of similarities. For starters, it's, unsurprisingly, quite dramatic, and the plot lines are completely unpredictable. Fans of "Gilmore Girls" get just as much drama from Rory and Lorelai Gilmore as they do from the "Gossip Girl" posse, including Serena van Der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, Chuck Bass, Nate Archibald, and Dan Humphrey, not to mention their parents. And anyone who's invested in the "Gilmore Girls" love triangles will be equally invested in those featured in "Gossip Girl." Between Serena, Nate, and Blair; Chuck, Blair, and Nate; Dan, Serena, and whomever Serena is dating at the time; there's plenty of triangular love to be entertained by. Heck, there's even a love triangle between Rufus, Lily, and Bart. As an additional selling point, the cast of "Gossip Girl" famously stars actors Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick, Penn Badgley, and Chace Crawford.

Another great teen drama of its era, "The Vampire Diaries" still hasn't left the zeitgeist. Released when vampirism was as popular as it's ever been in American culture (thanks in no small part to "Twilight," both the books and the screen adaptations, as well as "True Blood"), "The Vampire Diaries" capitalized on teenage obsession with the supernatural. Anchored by Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), the show played into loads of classic teen drama tropes, such as high school angst, life-and-death stakes, and high school hierarchy, all with the added layer of half the cast being vampires. And as if it couldn't be any more intriguing, vampires Stefan and Damon are brothers, and they're entangled in a love triangle with Elena. It's juicy stuff.

Further making it a great fall binge, "The Vampire Diaries," like "Gilmore Girls," is set in a quintessentially autumnal town. While Stars Hollow is much kitschier, Mystic Falls has an old-timey feel to it that has audiences yearning to bob for apples and walk through a corn maze ... and maybe fall in love with a sexy vampire, too. What's more, "The Vampire Diaries" was filmed in a real town — Covington, Georgia — just outside of Atlanta, so fans can add a trip to their fall itinerary after finishing their favorite vampire show.

"Best Medicine" only has one complete season under its belt, but it's already worth recommending to "Gilmore Girls" fans. "Best Medicine," starring Josh Charles and Abigail Spencer, is an adaptation of "Doc Martin," a British medical dramedy. In the American version, Dr. Martin Best moves to a small town on the coast of Maine where he spent his summers growing up. Formerly a renowned surgeon in the Boston area, Best trades his medical career in the city for a small practice as the general practitioner in Port Wenn. Each episode follows the doctor as he looks to solve a mysterious ailment in one or more of the townsfolk.

Yes, "Best Medicine" has a totally different premise than "Gilmore Girls," but anyone who chooses their shows simply off vibes will find similarities between the two. Like Stars Hollow, the quirky home of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, the fictional Port Wenn is quite picturesque. Scenes in "Best Medicine" often start with a pan over the coast, making viewers yearn for small town life. And the side characters play an important role in "Best Medicine," too. The townspeople are overly involved in each other's lives, acting more like family than neighbors. They also host all sorts of town events, with unique traditions like their monthly baked bean suppers and annual Blaze Day. "Best Medicine" is a great option for viewers who love the community aspect of "Gilmore Girls."

Just a few years before "Gilmore Girls" premiered, another fall favorite was on the air, "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Based on the Archie Comics character of the same name, 16-year-old Sabrina Spellman learns she has magical powers and tries to navigate being a teenager (and later a young adult) while also figuring out how to manage her gift and hide it from the rest of the world. The show is set in a small Massachusetts town, and that coupled with the spookiness and splendor of a little magic lends itself to a very autumnal feel throughout the entire series, not unlike "Gilmore Girls."

Also like "Gilmore Girls," Sabrina (played by Melissa Joan Hart), has a very special bond with the adult women in her life. In the series, she lives with her 600-year-old aunts, Hilda (Caroline Rhea) and Zelda (Beth Broderick) Spellman, who are, unsurprisingly, also magical. Hilda and Zelda guide Sabrina through life, counseling her on tough decisions and listening to her when she needs it, just as Lorelai does for Rory throughout most of "Gilmore Girls," without the magic, of course. The truth about "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Gilmore Girls" is that they are both loaded with pop culture references and also feature a prominent pet. Salem, however, is a little more active in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" than Paul Anka is in "Gilmore Girls," as Salem is a witch stuck in a cat's body. Oh, and Salem can talk.

"Only Murders in the Building" has been heralded as one of the best shows of the decade. It's still airing, as of 2026, so a full rewatch a la "Gilmore Girls" isn't yet possible, but the prospect of new seasons is all the more reason to catch up. The show follows Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora — played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, respectively — as they team up to solve the murders of people inside their New York apartment building while hosting a podcast about their investigations. The cast alone should be all the convincing anyone needs to watch this show, with stars such as Meryl Streep, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Jane Lynch, and Nathan Lane among the supporting cast. The series is well written and witty, just like "Gilmore Girls," and its side characters are just as quirky and entertaining as those who live in Stars Hollow.

Another reason "Gilmore Girls" fans might like "Only Murders in the Building" is because of the sweet bonds between the three main characters. Martin and Short met Gomez through the show, but as they've worked together since the beginning of the decade, Martin and Short (who've famously been friends for decades) have formed a grandparental-like bond with Gomez, and that real-life bond is echoed in the show. It's always endearing and at times hilarious, and it's similar to the bond that Rory has with her grandparents, particularly her grandfather, in "Gilmore Girls."

There are lots of fans who will readily crown "One Tree Hill" as the greatest teen drama of all time, and they'd certainly have an argument. Like "Gilmore Girls," "One Tree Hill" is also set on the east coast. Although much of the show centers around basketball, "One Tree Hill" produces just as much drama as "Gilmore Girls," and the romantic storylines are no less juicy. There's Nathan Scott and Haley James, Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer, Brook Davis and Julian Baker, Brook and Lucas, Brooke and Chase Adams, and dozens of other couples that'll keep any audience hooked. The romance was so intense on set that it led to a famous off-screen romance between stars Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush. And speaking of Murray, any "Gilmore Girl" fans who rooted for Tristan, played by Murray, can shift their allegiance to his character in "One Tree Hill," Lucas.

Another important similarity to point out between the two shows relates to their respective theme songs. One of the best parts of a "Gilmore Girls" rewatch is singing along to "Where You Lead" by Carole King. It's an absolute banger of an opening theme that perfectly sets the tone for the show, making viewers forget that the "skip intro" button even exists. "One Tree Hill" also features an incredible theme song, "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Unfortunately, due to disputes during the show's original run, the theme song isn't included ahead of every episode, but it still adds to the value of a binge.

Admittedly, "Hart of Dixie" is more similar in premise to "Best Medicine" than "Gilmore Girls." In this CW dramedy, Dr. Zoe Hart moves to a small town in Alabama to become the town's general practitioner after her dream of becoming a heart surgeon fails to come to fruition. As previously covered, fans of "Gilmore Girls" will appreciate "Best Medicine," and fans will also appreciate "Hart of Dixie." Although the latter features a Southern setting rather than coastal, it's cozy and dramatic and funny and charming. Similar to "Gilmore Girls," "Hart of Dixie" also emphasizes family. There's a little more mystery behind "Hart of Dixie," but it adds to the entertainment factor.

While "Hart of Dixie" isn't a teen drama, it is anchored by one of the best teen drama stars of all time, Rachel Bilson. Bilson starred in "Hart of Dixie" just a few years after production wrapped on "The O.C." (another show that's absolutely worth checking out). And although Zoe Hart and Summer Roberts are quite different characters, Bilson is just as magnetic on screen in "Hart of Dixie" as she was in "The O.C." "Hart of Dixie" only lasted four seasons, so it's a relatively quick binge, and it's an especially feel-good show in the fall.

"Pretty Little Liars" is one of the wildest teen dramas to ever grace our television screens. The show premiered in the early 2010s to instant success. The nation was completely invested in the show's four leads — Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario), Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson), Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale), and Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell) — and their quest to uncover what happened to the fifth member of their group, Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse). The teens also work together to identify the person who's been harassing them with mysterious text messages. While it's completely different from "Gilmore Girls" in premise and tone, "Pretty Little Liars" still developed a major fanbase following the premiere, so there's clearly something about both shows that audiences love.

For starters, both shows are great teen dramas. Sure, there's plenty to criticize about "Pretty Little Liars" (fans notoriously hated the ending, and more than one relationship between an adult and a teenager crosses major boundaries), but it's dramatic as heck and the leads get up to all sorts of shenanigans that regular teens simply would not do – two hallmarks of a great teen drama. Also like "Gilmore Girls," "Pretty Little Liars" has plenty of characters that are easy to love and hate. "Gilmore Girls" fans get frustrated with Lorelai Gilmore, sometimes actively root against Rory Gilmore, and can't agree on which of Rory's boyfriends is her best match. Similarly, "Pretty Little Liars" fans see pretty much everyone in the show on a scale from annoying to completely problematic, but they can't help but remain invested in their arcs.

Another fall favorite for "Gilmore Girls" fans is "Wednesday." The Netflix original only has a few seasons under its belt, but they are already bingeable. "Wednesday" is quite a bit spookier than "Gilmore Girls" — it's a series set inside the world of "The Addams Family," which, per the theme song, is known for being "creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky ... altogether ooky." And while it follows the titular Wednesday Addams as she solves murders at her boarding school, the characters come across creatures far ookier than any of Wednesday's oddball relatives. Thing, the family's disembodied pet hand, is an afterthought compared to the monsters Wednesday encounters in the titular TV series.

Although a little grungier than "Gilmore Girls," "Wednesday" still offers excellent fall vibes (no one is better at curating a set and a vibe than series director Tim Burton). "Gilmore Girls" fans will also find similarities between Wednesday Addams and Rory Gilmore. Like Rory, Wednesday is quite precocious. Portrayed by the talented Jenna Ortega, Wednesday is a writer with lofty goals beyond the norm for someone her age, and she's unafraid to actively pursue what she wants. For anyone who needs more convincing, "Wednesday" is supported by a cast of great young actors, namely Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, and Joy Sunday, as well as industry stalwarts like Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones (who plays a fabulous Morticia Addams), Christina Ricci, Steve Buscemi, Gwendoline Christie, and Fred Armisen.

Nobody was making teen dramas in the late '90s and early '00s like The WB (aka The CW). Among many of the series in this list, the network also brought to life "Dawson's Creek," a drama following four teenagers as they navigate life in a coastal Massachusetts town. Like "Gilmore Girls," the cast of "Dawson's Creek" is iconic. The late James Van Der Beek played the titular Dawson Leery, Katie Holmes played his best friend Joey Potter, Michelle Williams brought to life Jen Lindley, and Joshua Jackson portrayed Pacey Witter. The ensemble worked so well together, and their chemistry led to a tangled web of romances that became one of the most famous in TV history. In many ways, "Dawson's Creek" became the blueprint for teen drama love triangles.

The show was also unafraid to address topics that many TV shows at the time wouldn't go near, much less teen dramas. In the way "Gilmore Girls" addressed family rifts, teen pregnancy, independence, social class, and elitism, "Dawson's Creek" addressed death, addiction, abortion, homophobia, racism, classicism, and consent. "Dawson's Creek" did come with criticism, but through today's lens, it's not any racier than what's being made this decade. The show is a great option for "Gilmore Girls" fans who appreciate characters with emotional depth, and it also serves as a fun time capsule, as many of the "Dawson's Creek" stars are still working actors today.