Gilmore Girls vs Other Shows

[mstaken]

This is the place to compare and contrast Gilmore Girls with other shows---or, for that matter, even movies or books that strike you as somehow GG-esque :) How would you compare Gilmore Girls with other WB/CW shows? How about with AS-P's other show, the short-lived Bunheads? Do any of GG's characters remind you of characters you've encountered elsewhere, in books or onscreen? 

 

I've been rewatching Psych, and it occurs to my TV-obsessed brain that it shares some similarities with our GG:

 

1. Both feature extremely witty dialogue. 

2. Both shows make approximately 12 zillion pop culture references per episode. 

3. Both can be a little over-the-top (okay, more than a little!), but the flip side of that is that they're both among the most vibrant, energetic shows I've seen. 

4. Both shows can be unashamedly silly (though this applies to the rarely-not-goofy Psych more than GG), but it's a surprisingly smart silliness. 

5. Both feature main characters who are (excessively!) chatty, sparkly, funny, attention-garnering, ramble-prone extroverts who can be awfully annoying but who  have great hearts underneath and care deeply about the few people to whom they're genuinely close. 

6. Both main characters have difficult, conflict-ridden relationships with their parents. 

7. Both main characters have close 'will they/won't they' friendships with someone of the opposite sex who they finally start dating after about four seasons. 

 

There are some major differences as well---for starters, there are no weekly murders on GG, though at times we might have wished there had been---but they're both eminently rewatchable gems that are bursting with a joyful, infectious enthusiasm that's sadly lacking in much of today's TV. 

 

I'll look forward to hearing any random comparisons that you guys can come up with! 

[CheersEnthusiast]

1. The Gilmore banter and fast talk reminds me of the dialogue in the movie "Dorothy Parker and the Vicious Circle" where all the writers are gathered in the Algonquin trading barbs and quips at a mile per minute.  

 

2.  I agree Psych's style of comedy has a lot in common with Gilmore Girls.

 

3.  In some 1930s gangster films you can catch something like the speed of Gilmore Girls in the way they talk.

 

4.  An odd cast of characters milling about a small town is a theme shared by The Andy Griffith Show and Twin Peaks (though David Lynch puts his one of a kind spin on the theme).

[amensisterfriend]

Does anyone here watch Castle?! I'm devouring it now and a few similarities leap to mind:

 

1) The main characters are both energetic, enthusiastic charmers who are kind of juvenile and impulsive (Richard Castle and Lorelai Gilmore!)

2) Both main characters have a very close, loving relationship with the teens who they brought up more or less on their own. 

3) Both of those children, Alexis and Rory, are exceptionally bright, studious and generally responsible. They tend to be depicted as more mature and level headed than their parents...

4)...until later season, when both 'rebel' :) 

5) Both shows feature fast paced, razor sharp dialogue and rely a lot on witty banter to illustrate chemistry and connection 

6) Both shows feature an opposites attract, 'will they/won't they?!' couple who become close friends and have ill-fated relationships with other significant others until finally getting together at the very end of Season 4 (though, interestingly, I actually think Castle/Beckett reminds me more of Logan/Rory than Luke/Lorelai!) 

 

 

...I'm sure there are more, but those are a few that leap to mind! 

[takalotti]

Never watched the show, but there are 3 GG/Castle crossover fanfics on fanfic.net.

[amensisterfriend]

I recently had a wonderful and unashamedly geeky discussion with someone about which GG characters reminded us of certain people from Jane Austen’s timeless novels (and the millions of film/TV adaptations they spawned!) Which GG characters remind YOU of an Austen character? I would love to hear your thoughts! If for some reason I end up accidentally stealing any of your ideas for a vaguely Austen-themed GG fanfic I’m attempting to write, I promise that you’ll get full credit :) 

[Eyes High]

Jane Austen definitely had a thing for writing about handsome, charming male characters who turned out to be garbage human beings: Wickham from Pride and Prejudice, Willoughby from Sense & Sensibility, Henry Crawford from Mansfield Park, Frank Churchill from Emma, etc. Whether that applies to any of the major male characters in Gilmore Girls is open to debate.

I don't think Rory really maps on to any of the Austen female heroines. She's not moral enough to be Fanny, too shy to be Elizabeth, too passive to be Emma, too cheerful to be Anne...Maybe Jane? (Admittedly not a protagonist.)

Edited January 24, 2016 by Eyes High

[amensisterfriend]

I love your answers, Eyes High! actually see Rory as a combination of Ann, Catherine Morland and Elinor Dashwood. For me, Lorelai is kind of a combination of Elizabeth and Emma (though obviously more flawed then either!) And tell me you don't see just a dash of Catherine de Bourgh in Emily :)