7 Cozy Small Town Shows With Virgin River & Gilmore Girls Vibe

Many cozy dramas become a true guilty pleasure for TV series fans, as they present us with sometimes surreal plots peppered with the wild antics of offbeat characters, their mental turmoil over unrequited love, and a fair share of cringe-inducing situations. Even small towns aren't always tranquil!

Nonetheless, series like the iconic Gilmore Girls or the recent Virgin River can alleviate our stresses and anxieties by showcasing the quirky residents of small towns, their slow-paced lifestyles, and everyday problems. Can't get enough of these shows? Here's a list of the best.

7. Corner Gas (2004, 6 seasons)

This Canadian series is far from a melodrama, leaning more towards the sitcom genre, but it encapsulates everything we adore in cozy small-town shows. The plot centers around the employees of a remote gas station dozens of miles away from the nearest settlement.

6. The Café (2011, 2 seasons)

Simply titled The Café, this British series tracks three women who work in a café in the quaint coastal town of Weston-super-Mare in southwest England.

5. Lark Rise to Candleford (2008, 4 seasons)

Based on the autobiographical novels of Flora Thompson, the series narrates the story of a young girl on the verge of becoming a postmistress in the late 19th century. Through her experiences, we get a glimpse into the comfortable everyday life in the small Oxfordshire village of Lark Rise.

4. Northern Exposure (1990, 6 seasons)

This underrated series follows a young doctor from New York City who moves to Alaska to practice medicine. Much to his dismay, he finds himself not in the relatively big (by Alaskan standards) city of Anchorage but in the small rural town of Cicely, where a general practitioner is desperately needed.

3. Dawson's Creek (1998, 6 seasons)

Dawson's Creek is one of the earliest (and certainly a classic) coming-of-age series that focuses on the issues of teenagers not from big cities or suburbs but from the small town of Capeside, Massachusetts.

2. When Calls the Heart (2014, 10 seasons)

Not only picturesque Northern California or New England can offer a cozy, romantic atmosphere but also the Canadian frontier! When Calls the Heart is a melodrama about a schoolteacher who relocates to a remote coal-mining town in the early 20th century.

1. Heartland (2007, 17 seasons)

Another Canadian series, Heartland, follows the day-to-day lives of two sisters living with their grandfather, father, and hired farm hand on a remote ranch in Alberta.