There is this show called Hart of Dixie that is entering its third season on the CW this fall, and you should be watching it. Here’s why.

To give you a quick synopsis, the show is about Zoe Hart, brilliant New York City surgeon who, after failing to get a competitive fellowship, decides to take up a stranger Harley Wilkes’ offer to visit Bluebell, Alabama. Once she gets there, she finds out he passed away, leaving half of his general medical practice to her. The other half belongs to Brick Breeland, who doesn’t accept her at first and writes her off as someone who is not serious about her duties to the town. His daughter, Lemon Breeland, isn’t quite fond of her, either (more on that in a second).

She makes fast friends with her landlord, Mayor Lavon Hayes, a retired pro football player, but struggles with getting the rest of the town to accept her. They’re very hesitant to trust her with their medical care and it takes months for them to accept she’ll be staying for more than a visit. There’s also Wade Kinsella, the hangman/bartender/playboy, who also lives on Mayor Hayes’s plantation. Wade and Zoe fight about everything, especially the fuse box they must share, and drive each other insane in just about every way imaginable.

There’s a Gilmore Girls vibe to it.

Quirky townsfolk, the local hangout, small-town charm, and unique events and festivals, all qualities found in both Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie. Heck, they were/are filmed on the same WB lot, so if you notice that gazebo in a Hart of Dixie episode, just know about 10 years ago Rory and Lorelai were speed-talking around the same one.

The more I got into this show, the more I recognized tiny similarities – and differences. Zoe doesn’t rely on the town as much as the Gilmores did, but she does have a snarky and sarcastic tone at times when dealing with the oddball citizens. If you liked Gilmore Girls and miss Stars Hallow, now six years after the series finale aired, I implore you to give this show a shot.

Rachel Bilson has a killer wardrobe

From the heels to the “short shorts,” this is a New York City-bred girl who’s not willing to conform to the pastel headbands and pearl necklaces that encompass the Bluebell Belles. She typically sports short, black, well-fitting dresses to the bars, rather than floral prints and tulle skirts.

As she assimilates to the town, Zoe’s wardrobe does get toned down in some ways – casual sweaters in the winter, no stilettos – but she never lets you forget she grew up in the Big Apple. That being said, the Belles (the women who plan the social engagements of the town) have some amazing pieces of their own, like J Crew beaded tops and cardigans that can’t be beat.

Wade and George and Lavon

Sexual tension, forbidden love, and friendly confidante. These are the main men in Zoe Hart’s new life that makes most female viewers jealous of her.

Wade drives Zoe crazy, and at first he seems like a cocky guy who doesn’t have an emotional or sensitive bone in his body, but you can probably assume right now you know that’s not true. Also, he takes his shirt off a lot and can make killer drinks at the Rammer Jammer, the restaurant he works at.

On the other hand, there’s George Tucker, the town lawyer. He picked Zoe up on the roadside when he saw her walking into town the day she arrived. He lived in New York City for two years, so can sympathize with her, knowing what a culture shock she’s experienced by moving to Alabama. He’s one half of the town power couple, but can’t help but feel a connection to Zoe. That’s all I can say for now.

Meanwhile, there’s Mayor Lavon Hayes. He has an alligator named Burt Reynolds and can usually be counted on to dish out reasonably solid advice to Zoe. Intelligent in some regards, but completely lost in others, he tries his best to keep everyone in town happy while also getting what he wants, which creates dissonance at times.

It’s interesting to note that at the beginning of the series, we didn’t get the impression these men knew each other very well, but as time progresses, and the writers figure out their strengths and weaknesses, we learn George, Wade and Lavon go way back – high school – and typically involve themselves/meddle in each others’ lives.

The Breelands

Brick and Lemon Breeland feel threatened of Zoe when she first arrives. Brick wants the entire practice to himself, and Lemon does not feel like sharing her fiancé, George Tucker, with Bluebell’s newest resident. Lemon is the rival you want to hate but you just can’t. She might not be independent like Zoe, but she’s strong in her own way. When her mother left her family when Lemon was a preteen and her sister just an infant, she was left to fill her void. She raised her sister, Magnolia, and learned how to become a headstrong, smart woman.

Great music is integral to the show

This marks Rachel Bilson’s second series to highlight up-and-coming musicians (The O.C. would be the first one). Being that they hang out in a bar, live music is often a key ingredient to the ambiance, and as the show progresses, music is incorporated more and more. Wade plays in a band, George Tucker sings when he’s drunk, and the list could go on.

Love The Lumineer’s “Ho Hey”? (Or, maybe you did at one point but now you’re tired of hearing it everywhere?) You have Hart of Dixie to thank. They were the first to use the song in 2011, and the show helped it springboard into the sensation it became. Before you worry that you’ll be hearing ‘mainstream’ Taylor Swift every episode, have no fear – she’s only mentioned once, as a bartering tool for Zoe to convince Magnolia to do something. This writer has never been a particular fan of country music, but I’m not going to lie…I’ve had “Wild at Heart” by Gloriana playing on repeat for a few days now.

I could go on, but I hope what’s above is enough to convince you to give it a shot.

Ratings for the second season finale this past May were not fantastic. Live+SD brought in 1.16 million, but the competition at that time slot was fierce. See: The Voice. The first season is available instantly on Netflix, the second is in limbo around the Internet, and the third season premieres October 7th at 8 p.m. on the CW.

What do you think of ‘Hart of Dixie’?

Want to talk about the show? Tweet me or email me, kristina@hypable.com.