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Last month, the Television Academy announced plans to add a new category to the Primetime Emmy Awards. The 78th Annual Emmy Awards will include the Legacy Award, a category recognizing the lasting impact of television shows. While there are many TV shows that have had long and lasting impacts on society, there are just a few that we think could possibly be the recipients of the first-ever Legacy Award. Gilmore Girls feels like a solid fit for the new Emmy category, but there are other shows that could certainly beat it out.

What is the new Emmy category and what is the criteria?

The new category, the first in two decades, was created with the expressed goal of recognizing and celebrating shows that have a “profound and lasting impact” on culture and the industry. While the category is open to legacy content from all genres, there are some eligibility requirements. To be eligible, a show must have run for 5 seasons and aired 60 episodes. The show must demonstrate its last impact, and a show can only win the category once.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a special committee has been created to select nominees, while the Academy’s Board of Governors will select the winner. The category will debut during the 78th Annual Primetime Emmys, held in September 2026. The first nominees in the category will be announced in July, along with the nominees for all other categories. Until that happens, we can speculate on which shows might be nominated.

‘Gilmore Girls’ feels like a good fit

While the Television Academy has yet to select the nominees for the first-ever Legacy Award, Gilmore Girls feels like a solid fit based on the criteria. The series was largely ignored by the Emmys during its original run, winning just one award in a creative category. Still, its popularity has only risen since it went off the air in 2007. The advent of streaming platforms has allowed the fans to return to it year after year, and they always do.

Stars Hollow in 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'
Stars Hollow | Saeed Adyani/Netflix
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Not only has the show become more popular, but experts and industry insiders have been looking at the Amy Sherman-Palladino-created series differently in recent years. Multiple people have discussed the show’s lasting impact and the allure of Stars Hollow so many years after the show’s finale aired. Awarding the series the first-ever Legacy Award would kind of feel like righting a wrong.

These shows could be contenders, too

Gilmore Girls feels like a good fit for the Legacy Award to us, but it won’t be an easy battle if it does end up on the nominee list. A lot of powerful, thought-provoking, and beloved shows have been tossed out as possible contenders. Shows like The Sopranos, The Office, Friends, and Sex and the City have all been bandied about as possible contenders. Some fans think Breaking Bad, or The Walking Dead, could bring home the prize. All of the shows mentioned have been wildly popular and have had a lasting impact on television history. Sex and the City brought audiences the first female anti-hero. Friends provided a true ensemble experience, and The Office helped develop the mockumentary genre.

There is a chance the board will consider even older shows for the first-ever award. For experts who think the board will look further back for a winner, Dynasty seems like a contender. The series, airing in the 1980s, featured strong female leads and tackled serious, often taboo topics. I Love Lucy and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, while filmed during different periods, were similarly impactful.

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