Now enjoying a new lease of life on
Netflix, the mother-daughter dramedy still holds a special place in fans’ hearts
At 22, I experienced a moderate bout of depression. Living in a packed house I shared with strangers and having just ended a draining relationship, I was in a weird, transitional period, and I was finding it a bit much. I worked mornings, which at least meant my days began with structure and a sense of purpose. My afternoons, by contrast, were lonely and aimless, defined by hours-long naps and eating large bags of crisps. There was, however, one other, nicer, constant, something I always looked forward to, no matter how grey I felt. Arriving home from the office at about 2pm, I would boot up Netflix, always with the same objective: to transport myself to the almost pathologically cosy, gently kooky world of the mother-daughter dramedy Gilmore Girls.
Originally airing from October 2000 until May 2007 (and now enjoying a second wind in the streaming age), Gilmore Girls is a thoroughly wholesome TV hit. Its unhurried pace, low stakes and sleepy, picturesque setting have led fans and critics alike to cite it as a high point for comfort TV. And as of next week, it will have been keeping viewers warm for 20 years.