Gilmore Girls replacement?

December 6, 2007 2:10 PM

Gilmore Girls filter: my girlfriend is missing the recently deceased GG and is looking for a new show to fill its shoes. She'd like another show with a similar feel and tone, but nothing too intense or overly dramatic (e.g. not One Tree Hill). What should she watch?
posted by johnsmith415 to media & arts (31 answers total)

Her Gilmore Girls DVDs. Honestly, that's what I've been doing.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 2:17 PM on December 6, 2007

season 1 of The O.C. might fill the void if she hasn't already seen that show...
posted by hummercash at 2:26 PM on December 6, 2007

Everwood?
posted by thehmsbeagle at 2:36 PM on December 6, 2007

Gossip Girl.
posted by sweetkid at 2:48 PM on December 6, 2007

Amy Sherman-Palladino is working on a (not particularly promising) new show, but it won't come out 'till next year.

The tone is definitely different, but there seems to be a fair amount of overlap between fans of Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Veronica Mars. Maybe it's time to check out some DVD sets?
posted by designbot at 2:50 PM on December 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

The facts are these: Pushing Daisies has a cute brunette, fast talking, and unexpectedly intelligent cultural references. In addition, it has a Hardy Boys/John Bellairs-type mystery with every episode. Give it a shot!
posted by infinitewindow at 2:50 PM on December 6, 2007

OMG Pushing Daisies is a lot of fun. And they talk too fast too.
posted by GuyZero at 3:00 PM on December 6, 2007

Seconding Pushing Daises, especially if your looking for some replacement for the Mamet-like dialog of Gilmore Girls. Mild warning, Pushing Daisies has Quirk Factor 11! You have been warned (and hopefully intrigued).

Actually, anything by creator Bryan Fuller is pretty awesome. As a present, try the DVD's of his earlier offerings; Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me. Reasonably light fare and awesome writing and dialog.
posted by elendil71 at 3:01 PM on December 6, 2007

I was going to recommend Pushing Daisies as well. That's the closest I've come to Gilmore Girls.

Veronica Mars is like a bizarro-Rory, but the dialog feels similar sometimes, and I really liked it.

The O.C. is going to be way too intense and dramatic. It's only slightly better than One Tree Hill.
posted by natabat at 3:03 PM on December 6, 2007

Did she ever watch Northern Exposure? That one on DVD might be good. Same with Veronnica Mars.
posted by willnot at 3:03 PM on December 6, 2007

I was able to use Empire Falls to wean my girlfriend off of Gilmore Girls. That, and talking like them when we drank coffee.

Available on dvd.
posted by Benjamin Nushmutt at 3:06 PM on December 6, 2007

Can't believe I forgot Pushing Daisies. Excellent show; Wonderfalls was also really good.

Might want to wait for a DVD or *ahem* other means to watch Pushing Daisies, though. Like most scripted shows, it only has 1 episode remaining in the season, due to the writer's strike.
posted by designbot at 3:16 PM on December 6, 2007

Agreeing with Veronica Mars, Everwood. I'm mixed on Pushing Daisies. I think Northern Exposure will come across as too dated now.

My one original contribution -- give Brothers & Sisters a try. At first I was meh, but now i really like it.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 3:25 PM on December 6, 2007

I'd also say Veronica Mars. It has it's dramatic moments but not soap-y ones, more like Nancy Drew cliffhanger-ishness. The banter and wit in the writing is top notch, and just enough of the interesting relationships and juicy story archs that GG did really well.

Others - Scrubs, 30 Rock, Arrested Development.

I'm going to toss out a random - has she seen Weeds? It seems like it's serious, but honestly it's got some strange intangible similarity - great cast chemistry, great dialog, goofy situations but underscored by relationships that feel true.
posted by SassHat at 3:58 PM on December 6, 2007

Ugly Betty, Scrubs, 30 Rock, early episodes of Malcolm in the Middle. I always thought the dialog in Veronica Mars was totally unrealistic, but I know quite a few people who like Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 4:09 PM on December 6, 2007

I second Wonderfalls.
posted by bluishorange at 4:11 PM on December 6, 2007

Wonderfalls is fantastic, so's Dead Like Me. I'd say the first is more like Gilmore Girls in the sense that it's light; Dead Like Me is both funny and really sad, but it's wonderful in its own way.
posted by you're a kitty! at 4:24 PM on December 6, 2007

Pushing Daisies.
Definitely.
posted by konolia at 4:35 PM on December 6, 2007

I always thought the dialog in Veronica Mars was totally unrealistic

Well, I don't know anyone who talks like the Gilmore Girls, either.

Pushing Daisies was my first thought, too, although personally I'm not a huge fan. I can't deal with the quirk. It's as if it were the Gilmore Girls, but it was all about the other Stars Hollow townsfolk, rather than Rory and Lorelei. There's only so much Kirk and Miss Patty I can take.

The O.C. is what would have happened if Amy Sherman-Palladino had been commissioned to make One Tree Hill. It's totally soapy and melodramatic, but the dialogue is snappy, the writers are smart, it's funny, and there are a lot of random pop culture references. Seasons 1 and 4 are definitely the best. Season 3 is almost unwatchable.

I think Buffy is a pretty good bet, if she's not already a Buffy fan. It has the funny/ dramatic thing going on, although it's funny horror, rather than funny family drama.

(I think Jane Espenson was heavily involved in Buffy and Gilmore Girls and did some writing for the O.C., so that may account for the similar snappy dialogue.)
posted by craichead at 4:39 PM on December 6, 2007

Men in Trees

It has the fast dialog and cute town and many charming side characters.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 5:28 PM on December 6, 2007

Veronica Mars was my first thought, but that could be because i'm in the middle of watching it for the first time, and am halfway thru the 1st season. It only took 2 episodes before I loaded seasons 2 and 3 on my zen as well, so i'm set for a while. I was totally skeptical of it, but, well, basically because Kevin Smith (you know, Silent Bob) gushed about it so much in his latest book, I had to give it a try. Now i'm hooked.
posted by cgg at 5:34 PM on December 6, 2007

Drama (fan overlap):
Veronica Mars
Buffy
Angel

Drama (similar dialogue, different tone):
Pushing Daisies (very very twee)
The Unit (that ones ACTUALLY mamet)

Drama (similar tone, different dialogue):
Everwood
Ed

Comedy (fan overlap):
Northern Exposure
Scrubs (lots of pop culture references)
30 Rock (funniest US show on TV)

Jess is on Heroes now, but I wouldn't recommend season 2. Season 1 is on DVD though.

Dean is on Supernatural, which people seem to like.

Also, if you haven't seen the first four seasons of The West Wing, i highly recommend it for similar snappy dialogue in a totally different arena. After that, you'll want to check out SportsNight, also out on DVD. After that you'll want to check out Studio 60...but dont.
posted by softlord at 5:49 PM on December 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Psych on USA is cute and zany, a little like the Stars Hollow aspects of Gilmore Girls. There's a very strong friendship between the two main characters, and an on-going father-son rapprochement, if your wife was partial to the relationship stuff on GG.
posted by Squeak Attack at 5:56 PM on December 6, 2007

reaper. it is hip and witty.
posted by TheLibrarian at 7:44 PM on December 6, 2007

There are no other Loreleis and Rorys out there, but there are a few shows that are kind of quirky, cute, and relatively clever. I'd recommend two ABC shows: Pushing Daisies, which has the quirkiness, cuteness, and cleverness down pat. No heady pop culture references, but the repartee is almost as fast as those Gilmores. Another show that might be worth watching is Samantha Who? It's pretty cute, but it's not as quirky as GG (or the aforementioned Pushing Daisies). Melissa McCarthy might be a sight for sore eyes for the Gilmore-obsessed. (Gossip Girl is not a worthy replacement for The O.C., let alone Gilmore Girls!)
posted by Mael Oui at 7:47 PM on December 6, 2007

Actually, I second Reaper, too. For exactly TheLibrarian's reasons. Also, I interpreted your question as 'what show that is currently on tv..', so I never even considered DVD. In that case, Arrested Development. The pacing is the only thing it really has in common with GG, though.
posted by Mael Oui at 7:52 PM on December 6, 2007

Pushing Daisies! My new favorite show!
posted by thebrokenmuse at 8:35 PM on December 6, 2007

i, too, am really missing gilmore girls.

re-runs are the only thing that really work.

but zillionthing all suggestions of shows by bryan fuller (dead like me, wonderfalls, pushing daisies)

also i've started watching the o.c. and while it's a bit heavier, it's not too heavy and we've got adam brody (who coincidentally left gilmore girls to go to california, oooh)
posted by thisisnotkatrina at 11:26 PM on December 6, 2007

Thanks for all the answers! This should be very helpful...(for her...I swear...)
posted by johnsmith415 at 11:27 AM on December 7, 2007

Does anyone remember the show Ed? I found it to have very similar humor to GG and it was also short lived. Quirky, smart and funny.
posted by asuh at 4:11 PM on December 7, 2007

How I Met Your Mother has a similar combination of humor and sweetness. And it sounds strange, but Chuck shares those qualities, too. Those are my two favorite "comfort shows" now that Gilmore Girls is off the air.
posted by Messily at 4:33 PM on December 13, 2007