On what date did the first episode of Gilmore Girls air?

The first episode of Gilmore Girls aired on October 5, 2000.

The series premiere, titled “Pilot,” introduced Lorelai Gilmore, her teenage daughter Rory, and the fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. It originally aired in the United States on The WB, where the show occupied the Thursday-night 8 p.m. time slot. The premiere established the series’ central tension: Rory’s academic ambitions lead Lorelai back into close contact with her wealthy parents, Emily and Richard.

The pilot also introduced several characters who became essential to the show, including Luke Danes, Sookie St. James, Lane Kim, Dean Forester, and Michel Gerard. Although the pilot was filmed in Unionville, Ontario, the rest of the series was primarily filmed on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California.

The date is sometimes confused with September 26, 2001, which was the premiere date for season 2, or with later dates associated with international broadcasts. October 5, 2000, is the original U.S. air date for the series’ first episode.