The story
Ten years on from the original finale, the revival returns to the small Connecticut town of Stars Hollow for one year, with a feature-length episode for each season. Lorelai feels unsettled in her long relationship with Luke, her mother Emily is struggling to cope after her husband's death, and Rory, now a freelance journalist without a fixed address, finds her once-promising career has stalled.
Why it matters
A Year in the Life showed a streamer could bring back a much-loved network drama on its own terms: feature-length episodes, a worldwide same-day release and the original creators back in charge after leaving before the final TV season. It was among Netflix's most-watched original releases of 2016, and media outlets later ranked it among the decade's most notable revivals.
How it was rescued
Gilmore Girls premiered on The WB on 5 October 2000 and ran for seven seasons, ending on The CW in May 2007. Its online chapter is the 2016 revival miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life: after streaming on Netflix renewed the show's popularity, Netflix struck a deal with Warner Bros. in October 2015 for four feature-length episodes, released worldwide on 25 November 2016.
Filed under: Ended, then revived online
Notable facts
- Each of the four episodes runs between 88 and 102 minutes and represents one season of the year. (source)
- Amy Sherman-Palladino said the 90-minute format was inspired by Sherlock. (source)
- When Netflix and Warner Bros. confirmed the revival in January 2016, it had the working title Gilmore Girls: Seasons. (source)
- An edited version of the miniseries aired on The CW in November 2020. (source)