Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino left the original series after its sixth season due to a contract dispute, with Sherman-Palladino later explaining it stemmed from her being overworked and the network's misconception that only she and her husband could write the show.

The revival's four 90-minute episode format was inspired by the British series Sherlock, which Sherman-Palladino is a fan of, feeling the 'mini-movie' style would suit Gilmore Girls' storytelling.

Netflix struck a deal with Warner Bros. in October 2015 to revive the show as a four-episode limited series, which was tentatively titled 'Gilmore Girls: Seasons' before being renamed 'A Year in the Life' in May 2016.

Producer Gavin Polone sued Warner Bros. Television seeking a credit and additional payments for his early involvement in the original series, but he ultimately had no role in the miniseries and went uncredited.

Melissa McCarthy's return as Sookie St. James was uncertain for weeks, with rumors suggesting she would not appear, until she officially confirmed her participation on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 7, 2016.

Fans on a dedicated website used detective work to uncover that Sally Struthers, Michael Winters, and Liz Torres would be reprising their roles as Babette, Taylor, and Miss Patty before it was officially announced.

Musician Sebastian Bach, who played band member Gil, was confirmed to return along with the rest of the fictional band Hep Alien, including John Cabrera and Todd Lowe.

Filming began in Los Angeles on February 2, 2016, and was scheduled to run until June 30, 2016, taking place primarily at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank with additional exterior scenes shot around Los Angeles.