25 feel-good shows to start 2018 off right

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

The premise: This particular incarnation of the classic Gilmore Girls revisits Lorelai and Rory ten years, dividing up a year in their lives into seasons. If you remember, Gilmore Girls is the story of the mother and daughter duo living in a small, quirky town in Connecticut. Lorelai, the mom, got pregnant with Rory at 16, and fled her upper class parents’ home to settle down in Stars Hollow.

The original show ran for seven seasons, and saw the free-spirited Lorelai flit through life and  relationships, and the more serious Rory grow up and graduate from both high school and college. The reboot, A Year in the Life, picks up later, with both women having made a (mostly) stable and adjusted life for themselves.

Why it’s so good: It’s just plain ol’ nostalgia. For fans of the original series, revisiting this show feels like coming home. It’s got everything we loved about the old show, but this doesn’t mean it feels like yesterday’s leftovers. It’s still fun and witty, and the characters hold up, despite the apparent toil ten years has taken on them. The same way you like to go back to your old high school because it makes you feel like a grown up, you want to check in with these Gilmore Girls. 

You will also enjoy all the updated pop culture references. Sure, you’ll still hear all about Paul Anka, but you will also get a reference to AirBNB and Nick Cave, and Emily Gilmore wearing blue jeans.

How to watch: You can catch up with all seven seasons and the four installments of the reboot on Netflix.