Life’s short, and Gilmore Girls podcasts talk extra fast. These days, social media is feeling extra chaotic, and I just want to put my earphones in and press play on a full-length episode. For example, I don’t want a hot take on Luke and Lorelai in five seconds; I want a well-considered theory on where Rory would be today and why.
The problem? Many Gilmore Girls podcasts are outdated. I want more! I want now! So, as a superfan who’s run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge to read the books on Gilmore Girls since 2021, I wanted to share with you the top five active shows still in my own queue for your binge listening and escaping to Stars Hollow.
The Best Gilmore Girls Podcasts for Fast Talk
Gabbing Gilmore
I adore the sisterly duo of Jackie and Catherine at Gabbing Gilmore. They refer to Gilmore Girls as “comfort food,” and that same sentiment applies to their show. It comes across as cozy and kind, yet also really thoughtful.
I especially love their emotion-fueled episodes, like the food moments on Gilmore Girls that “broke them,” because yes, the Santa burger and magic risotto do give you all the feels.
They’re also great with guests. A few of my favorites included Valerie Campbell (key set costumer) with a special appearance by a star from the show, and John Cabrera (Brian from Hep Alien, who I also know through the fandom). Both have a depth of fun knowledge about the show.
Gilmore Gals
Gilmore Gals is a casual coffee-like blend of a rewatch and brief, yet thoughtful, dives into specific Gilmore topics. They even tackle the defense of April Nardini–gasp!– and chatted with one of my virtual friends, Larisa of Eating Gilmore. (We Gilmores are somehow all connected.)
This mix makes their show feel really bingeable.
Gilmore to Say
Gilmore to Say is a piping hot podcast that has expanded from a pandemic rewatch to events, merch, a community, book club, and all the things.
They excel at bringing fan content to the masses and making it feel super immersive and interactive on a personal level. For example, they’ll be interviewing Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) live soon!
Tune in for “Gilmore to Consider” (deep dives on topics), “Gilmore to Read” (book club discussions), and oh, so much more!
I Am All In
Boy, was I excited when I heard an actual cast member was going to rewatch the show for the first time on a podcast. On I Am All In, Scott Patterson (Luke) takes a very nostalgic look back on his experiences from a unique lens, and he also shares a lot about the craft of TV and acting along the way.
The show has since expanded (with co-hosts) to include “town meetings,” a “gazette,” and style breakdowns (my personal favorite as an elder millennial who worked at Gap in the early aughts and spotted their products in many episodes).
Plus, being a celebrity has its perks. This show gets big-name guests, like Sean Gunn (Kirk), Milo Ventimiglia (Jess), and Keiko Agena (Lane).
Talking Fast
Talking Fast is another fun, longtime Gilmore Girls-inspired show, and guess what– I was on it! The hosts, Alexis and Suzanne, two English PhDs (gotta love that!), actually just finished their rewatch.
I especially love their March Madness brackets, featuring Gilmore Girls characters, of course!
Next, they’re going to read books and talk about their adaptations, which is so Gilmore adjacent.
Bonus: Friday Night Readers
Yes, Friday Night Readers, a book club inspired by Gilmore Girls, is my podcast, but to be fair, I do listen to it every week just like a listener! About a year ago, I decided to add audio content to my Substack book club in order to connect more personally in an AI-driven world.
It’s been a journey that started as a pop culture rewatch, then pivoted to an audiobook-style readalong of long-form essays, and finally landed at (mostly) book listicles inspired by the show.
After a variety of testing, the data told me that this is what listeners wanted! Seriously, these types of episodes get thousands more listens. The books we talk about are usually, but not always, directly connected to Gilmore Girls, but I always make an effort to pick topics that feel Gilmorean and connect them to the show.
For example, Jane Austen Adaptations As Good As the Book hit with almost 5,000 listeners to date and is so Gilmore-coded. Rory, Jess, Paris, and even Dean read Austen, and we all know Rory and Lorelai love classic movies, too. And the essential classics from the show have reached 6,000+ listeners to date.
So, while you’re at it, read (and listen) along with us in our little literary corner of the world, too.
