TV For Dummies: Gossip Girl
Posted on Tuesday, 12 May 2015
It makes sense that Josh Schwartz, creator of our beloved teen drama The O.C., would be instigator and creator of Gossip Girl (the TV Show). Originally a young adult book written by Cecily von Ziegesar (and a series I was an avid fan of) Josh and Stephanie Savage transformed these written words onto the small screen. Running for 6 seasons on the CW network, the show was a big success.
The series follows the return of Serena van der Woodsen (played by Blake Lively) after returning back to the Upper East Side from a year away at boarding school and her best friend/ sometimes rival Blair Waldorf (has taken up Queen status at Constance Billard) and their group of friends, Chuck Bass (played by Ed Westwick), Nate Archibald (played by Chace Crawford), Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), Vanessa Abrams (played by Jessica Szohr) and little Jenny Humphrey (played by Taylor Momsen). Kirsten Bell voices the anonymous gossip blogger 'Gossip Girl' who the shows name is all about, she helps documents the lives of the scandalous students of Constance Billard and St Jude's, focusing primarily on our main group.
In typical Schwartz fashion we see the school lives of the rich and privileged (Blair, Chuck, Nate & Serena) vs the not so rich and privileged (Dan, Jenny & Vanessa). I also can't help but compare Dan to a New York version of Seth Cohen.. (although Seth Cohen will always be Number 1 Teen Drama Bae).
What's nice as well is that the tv show isn't just a carbon copy from the book, with changes including the character of Chuck, yes while he is an arrogant prick and self assured in the book, his tv self has a bit more heart and a chance for redemption. The show also only follows their high school lives for two seasons, before we see how the group tackle university/college life.
The storylines as well are what you would expect of a teen drama and something that must only happen when you have power and influence, because really, who has time for all that plotting and scheming in the real world. But I think that's why it was so popular, it gave simple viewers like myself a means to escape and see how the other half can live.. plus the wardrobe (for both boys and girls) were to die for! (Serena's and Blair's closet please!)
If you like The O.C. or Pretty Little Liars then you're more than likely going to love Gossip Girl...
I'm already on Season 4 having started a week ago!
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