Girls Power: WB Drama to Return

Score one for fans of quality television: The WB is on the verge of renewing its acclaimed freshman drama Gilmore Girls for a second season. "I think you'll see that Gilmore Girls is a long-term piece of the WB's schedule," WB co-president Jordan Levin tells TV Guide Online, adding that the series is a shoo-in to return next year.

Gilmore Girls — which revolves around the bond between a young single mom (Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter (Alexis Bledel) — was instantly hailed by critics as one of the season's best new offerings. And viewers seem to be catching on: Gilmore Girls has gradually developed into a modest Thursday night hit for the WB, particularly among young women.

"We are thrilled with the creative performance of the show this season, as we are with the ratings trends," adds Levin. "It's a show that we're extremely proud of."

It's also a show that would probably be an even bigger smash were it not for the fact that it's up against Nielsen hogs Friends and Survivor. Still, Levin says no decision has been made to relocate the show to another night in season two. "You never know what your needs are going to be and how a schedule unfolds and what [the other networks] are doing," he notes. "You want to be as open as possible to looking at the situation, but we are happy with the way it's been performing on Thursday nights."