Gilmore Girls was filled with pop culture references, but it rarely got specific about Rory and Lorelai's favorite TV shows. Think about it: Apart from a reference to Rory loving Saved By The Bell as a kid (something Lorelai jokes she should be embarrassed about) and those VHS tapes of Cop Rock that Luke tried to throw out, the two rarely talked about the TV they were watching. Of course, to be fair, when Gilmore Girls first aired, TV was not the juggernaut it is now — it was too early in its Golden Age that the mother-daughter duo wouldn't be remiss to feel like network television was a waste of their time. I mean, Netflix was still just mainly a DVD mail service when we last saw the girls, not a bonafide network!
But, when the Gilmore Girls finally returns, it's very likely, they'll be filling us in on all the TV shows they're watching, streaming, and marathoning since we last saw them. To make things easier though, I've come up with a list of shows that seem right up Rory Gilmore's alley (and maybe some Lorelai may like, too). There are political satires, quirky female-led comedies, prestigious dramas, and, of course, a few Netflix series.
1. The Americans
A show about the KGB? Sign Rory up. Likely, she's marathoning through the seasons while also reading about the Cold War, just to keep the creators of the period drama honest.
2. Broad City
Rory and her mom were certainly fans of I Love Lucy, so it would be hard to believe that they wouldn't love the millennium's version of Lucy and Ethel, Abbi and Ilana. Just two broads trying to make it in the city — something Rory can definitely relate to.
3. Last Week Tonight
While John Oliver is certainly no Christiane Amanpour, Rory likely appreciates the British host's long-form reports that get at issues that even "real" news shows aren't covering. He's on the front lines of satirical news that gets at the facts. How could a Yale-educated journalist like Rory not be intrigued by that?
4. Veep
Considering that the last time we saw Rory she was headed out on the campaign trail with then-Senator Barack Obama, it's likely that she'd find the humor in a show that gives an inside look at what really goes on in Washington.
5. UnREAL
Rory may not be watching the Bachelor, but she's pretty obsessed with this Lifetime drama, which looks at what happens behind the scenes of a (fake) dating reality show called Everlasting. This seems like the perfect show to break out those Showgirls shot glasses Lorelai got years ago and invent a drinking game. Every time Quinn completely obliterates someone, take a drink. (Actually, maybe just take a sip.)
6. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Since this show has been crowned one of the best shows of the year, so far — Vulture even said Crazy Ex Girlfriend was THE best show — and Rory is definitely up on her pop culture criticism, this is bound to be on her list of must watch shows. Even if it's still unwatched on her DVR. Don't worry, she's going to get to it eventually.
7. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
The over-the-top colorful characters that fill the world of this Netflix show must seem familiar to Rory after growing up in Stars Hollows. I imagine she watches this show nostalgically, thinking of her own upbringing, which, thankfully, doesn't share too much in common with Kimmy's bunker-filled past.
8. Orange Is The New Black
While Rory is intrigued by the many different women who are serving time in Litchfield prison, she probably finds herself getting caught up in the way creator Jenji Kohan handles the prison industrial complex.
9. O.J. Simpson: Made In America
Rory may have to persuade Lorelai to watch this five part, 10-hour documentary, she probably has pored over every detail of this thorough look at Simpson and the trial that ruined so many lives. I wouldn't be surprised if she's planning on following this thorough doc up with a viewing of the other O.J Simpson series that aired this year, The People vs. O.J. Simpson, fact-checking her way through the mini-series, ready to let her mom in on all the inconsistencies.
10. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Rory being the good journalist she is, likely prides herself on her objectivity — but finds herself siding with Bee's feminist take on what's going on out there. It's why every Monday night, she likes sitting down to watch Bee do her best Network impression. It's therapeutic for the calm, cool, and collected Rory.
11. Lady Dynamite
Maria Bamford's kind of autobiographical surrealist comedy series is a weird zany trip into madness that seems right up Rory's alley. Of course, she probably hates watching it with Lorelai who asks a lot of questions about what exactly is going on — specifically, with that slap-happy guinea pig. It's enough to get her saying, "Oy with the guinea pigs already."
Rory has likely changed a bit since she left Stars Hollow to begin her life, but like most early 30-somethings, she's probably watching a lot of TV. These shows seem as good as any to fill her queue.
Image: Warner Bros. Television
