8 Best TV Shows Featuring The Gilmore Girls Cast

From the cozy feeling of Stars Hollow to Lorelai and Rory’s fast-talking banter to its perpetual association with fall, there will never be another show like Gilmore Girls. It’s easy to think of the cast of Gilmore Girls only as their characters, but many of the leads went on to appear in other TV shows, and the cast of Gilmore Girls also starred in many great movies.

From classic network sitcoms to fantasy dramas, to some of the best TV shows of all time, these eight TV series star the talented actors of Gilmore Girls. Some of them see a different take on similar characters, while others are a completely different genre that showcase the actors’ versatility.

Mike & Molly (2010–2016)

Melissa McCarthy As Molly Flynn

Mike & Molly is an excellent showcase of Melissa McCarthy’s comedic genius outside of her underrated side character, Sookie St. James in Gilmore Girls. While she is widely recognized for her bombastic, scene-stealing roles in films like Bridesmaids, Mike & Molly gave her the opportunity to lead a network sitcom and demonstrate the full range of her talents.

As second-grade teacher Molly Flynn, McCarthy played the most rational member of her family, yet she also delivered moments of explosive humor, highlighting her signature quick temper and exceptional physical comedy. The show, a dependable CBS sitcom for six seasons, allowed McCarthy to balance heartfelt warmth with outrageous comedic timing, a combination that earned her an Emmy in 2011.

Unlike her later film projects with husband Ben Falcone, which often leaned heavily on broad humor, Mike & Molly provided a structured environment for McCarthy to explore nuanced character work while still embracing her fearless, larger-than-life comedic instincts. Though sometimes overlooked today, the series remains a standout example of McCarthy’s ability to anchor a show with both charm and hilarity.

The Resident (2018–2023)

Matt Czuchry As Dr. Conrad Hawkins

The Resident is an outstanding medical drama anchored by Matt Czuchry’s undeniable charm. Czuchry brings the same smarmy charisma that made Logan Huntzberger memorable in Gilmore Girls to Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, playing Dr. Conrad Hawkins in The Resident, a maverick chief resident who bends — or outright breaks — the rules to protect his patients.

Conrad’s dedication to people over protocol frustrates his superiors and challenges his medical students, giving the series its moral and dramatic center. An excellent medical series, The Resident thrives on romantic tension, complex cases, and ethical dilemmas, but Czuchry’s Conrad adds a warmth and charisma that elevate the drama.

While both Conrad and Logan hail from wealth, Conrad’s arc digs deeper into issues of class identity and family expectations, particularly through his strained relationship with his father. Anchored by Czuchry’s performance, The Resident succeeds as a procedural with heart, blending sharp medical storytelling with character-driven drama that keeps viewers invested season after season.

How To Get Away With Murder (2014–2020)

Liza Weil As Bonnie Winterbottom

Annalise and Bonnie sitting on a bench in How to Get Away w Murder

How to Get Away with Murder is the best showcase of Liza Weil’s talent since Gilmore Girls. Weil plays Bonnie Winterbottom, a fiercely dedicated associate attorney under Viola Davis’ formidable Annalise Keating. At first, Bonnie appears stoic, but as the series unfolds, her traumatic backstory is gradually revealed, allowing Weil to display her full range of emotional depth and subtlety.

The character’s intelligence, competitiveness, and occasional ruthlessness draw clear parallels to Weil’s beloved Paris Geller in Gilmore Girls, yet Bonnie inhabits a world far darker and higher-stakes than the halls of Chilton. How to Get Away with Murder blends intense legal drama with moments of heightened, almost campy tension, giving Weil opportunities to balance sharp wit, vulnerability, and controlled ferocity.

Over six seasons, she transforms Bonnie from a background player into a fully realized, indispensable part of the narrative, proving that Weil is just as adept at complex, layered drama as she is at fast-paced comedy. For fans of her work on Gilmore Girls, Bonnie Winterbottom is a compelling evolution of everything that made Paris Geller unforgettable.

Sullivan’s Crossing (2023–Present)

Scott Patterson As Harry “Sully” Sullivan

Scott Patterson's Sully with Morgan Kohan's Maggie in Sullivan's Crossing (Image courtesy of Everett)

Sullivan’s Crossing shares a lot in common with Gilmore Girls, from its small-town charms to its strong sense of community, and of course, Scott Patterson’s signature grumpy-but-lovable presence. Patterson’s character, Sully, who runs the eponymous Nova Scotia campground, could easily be Luke Danes’ Canadian twin brother.

Both men embody the rugged outdoorsman persona, are irascible yet secretly tender, and radiate that quietly proud “girl dad” energy. The series, based on the novels by Robin Carr of Virgin River fame, centers on Sully’s delicate, heartfelt journey to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, giving the show its emotional core.

The series is also built on Chad Michael Murray’s undeniable heartthrob appeal. Murray, who first charmed audiences in Gilmore Girls, brings romantic charisma to Sullivan’s Crossing, balancing Patterson’s gruffness with his own charm. With its small-town connections, relatable family dynamics, and the combined pull of Patterson and Murray, Sullivan’s Crossing is a satisfying watch for Gilmore Girls fans.

Supernatural (2005–2020)

Jared Padalecki As Sam Winchester

Supernatural is perhaps the most tonally and genre-wise different show from Gilmore Girls on this list, yet it became a long-running, wildly successful series with a devoted cult following. Jared Padalecki played Rory’s first boyfriend, Dean Forester, who is sweet and well-meaning, but considered the least intellectually fitting of any of Rory’s three major boyfriends.

Padalecki’s Sam Winchester in Supernatural is thoughtful, empathetic, and deeply reflective, often questioning the moral cost of hunting demons. The contrast is striking: where Gilmore Girls was a witty, character-driven family drama set in a small Connecticut town, Supernatural is a dark, action-packed fantasy horror series about two brothers hunting demons.

This intellectual and emotional depth, combined with his loyalty and compassion for his brother Dean (Jensen Ackles), highlights Padalecki’s versatility as an actor. That Padalecki could transition from sweet, small-town boyfriend to morally complex monster hunter demonstrates both his range and the lasting appeal of the show itself.

Parenthood (2010-2015)

Lauren Graham As Sarah Braverman

Lauren Graham as Sarah smiling in a cozy sweater in Parenthood — Lauren Graham as Sarah in Parenthood

Lauren Graham’s career is remarkable for her starring roles in two iconic family dramas: Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. In Parenthood, Graham plays Sarah Braverman, a character who, like Lorelai Gilmore, navigates the complexities of motherhood, personal identity, family responsibility, career, and romantic relationships.

While Lorelai’s life in Gilmore Girls is relatively isolated family-wise, connected primarily to Rory and only tentatively reconnecting with her estranged parents, Sarah exists within the constant swirl of a large, involved, and loving family. A divorcee rather than a former teen mom, Sarah is older and somewhat more grounded than early-season Lorelai.

Sarah is still on a journey of self-discovery over the course of Parenthood’s six seasons. Graham’s ability to inhabit both roles so fully demonstrates her versatility and deep understanding of family dynamics on screen, balancing humor, vulnerability, and emotional resonance. Graham’s performances make each one feel distinct, but fans of Gilmore Girls would love Parenthood.

This Is Us (2016–2022)

Milo Ventimiglia As Jack Pearson

Jack Pearson sitting on the ground looking concerned in This Is Us

This Is Us shares Gilmore Girls’ focus on family, relationships, and emotional intimacy, but with a unique narrative twist: the use of interweaving multiple timelines within a single episode. Milo Ventimiglia, who played Rory’s intense, moody, writerly boyfriend Jess in Gilmore Girls, anchors This Is Us as Jack Pearson, the devoted patriarch of the Pearson family.

Jack’s character is layered and complex — he contends with an abusive father and struggles with alcoholism at times — but Jack’s love for Rebecca and their children is unwavering. The mystery surrounding Jack’s death in This Is Us, gradually revealed over the early seasons, adds dramatic tension and poignancy to the storytelling.

Ventimiglia’s performance brings charm, vulnerability, and strength, making Jack a character audiences root for while also navigating the heartbreak and challenges that define his life. This Is Us demonstrates how Gilmore Girls actors can excel in richly textured, intergenerational narratives that explore love, loss, and legacy.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2025)

Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek (Ofglen/Ofstephen)

Emily is a scene from The Handmaid's Tale. — Emily is a scene from The Handmaid’s Tale.

The Handmaid’s Tale stands out as one of the most powerful and acclaimed shows in the Gilmore Girls alumni canon, with Alexis Bledel delivering a crucial performance. Cast as Rory Gilmore as a teenager, Bledel first captured audiences with her sweetness, but in The Handmaid’s Tale, she takes on far darker, more complex material.

Bledel’s Handmaid’s Tale character Emily is central to the story’s emotional and political stakes. Emily becomes a key link in Mayday, the underground resistance movement in Gilead, first informing June about it and helping catalyze her journey. Bledel navigates Emily’s trauma, resilience, and moral courage with nuance and intensity, creating a character that is heartbreaking and inspiring.

The TV show expands beyond Margaret Atwood’s disturbingly prescient dystopian novel, exploring themes of oppression, survival, and resistance. Bledel’s work proves that she can handle weighty, emotionally charged roles, making The Handmaid’s Tale an essential example of her growth as an actor since her time on Gilmore Girls.