Who is Connor Paolo? He portrays Eric van der Woodson, the younger, troubled brother of Serena (Blake Lively).

The young actor was recently interview by New York Magazine…

Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
This changes on a weekly basis. After seeing Raging Bull it was Jake La Motta. Every time I hear “Imagine,” it’s John Lennon. Currently, it’s George Morfogen, who played Rebadow on Oz. I legitimately bumped into the man twice this week, and despite my screaming his character’s name both times, he remained gracious and appreciative.

What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?
Anything served past 3 a.m. qualifies as great.

In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Hurry up and wait, and that goes for school too.

Where do you get your coffee?
I only drink coffee when I need it. And if I need it, I really need it. I don’t care where it comes from.

What’s the last thing you saw on Broadway?
Spring Awakening. And I highly recommend it.

Do you give money to panhandlers?
As much as possible. It’s the only time in our lives that, try as we might, we cannot completely ignore the poverty staring us in the face. Even when it appears that someone is not in dire need or will use the money for some less-than-holy purpose, it feels wrong not to give when I can.

Here’s some great news:

Word around town is that The CW has ordered the back nine episodes of Gossip Girl, making the primetime soap the first freshman show of the fall to get a full-season order.

The series was one of the first shows to premiere last month and has scored solid Nielsen digits in its three-week run. Numbers have been further boosted by just-released DVR data showing ratings for the premiere increased 9% when including recording viewings of the show that take place six days after its first broadcast.

Gossip Girl has also been a hit on iTunes, with two episodes of the show ranking in the service’s top five most downloaded TV episodes.

Just when you thought Gossip Girl didn’t have room for any more pretty faces…

We hear that Caridee English, past winner of America’s Next Top Model, is set to guest star on the show.

Word has it that she’ll be playing the girlfriend of an older man. Maybe Nate’s demanding father?

In previous Gossip Girl spoilers, we gave fans a brief summary of episode four, “Bad News Blair.”

Now, we’ve uncovered a few photos from the hour. Take a look below if you want an early peek into this week’s Gossip Girl…

Just like old times: Blair (Leighton Meester) and Serena (Blake Lively) hang out.

Think Nate (Chace Crawford) is reading about the show on Gossip Girl Insider? We’d like to think so.

We posted a couple Blake Lively and Leighton Meester pictures from their recent appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live.

Now, here’s a video from the episode:

Greetings, Gossip Girl fans.

We wanted to take a few moments and update readers about what we’ve added to the site this week. Please enjoy:

• The most detailed episode guide on the Web. We’ve got the latest Gossip Girl quotes, photos and more.

• An updated music section that includes various songs played on “Poison Ivy,” from Fergie to a group named Feist. Check it out now.

• Our Gossip Girl forum. Who’s side are you on, Blair or Serena? Do you wanna see Dan finally ask out his dream girl? And is there a decent bone in Chuck’s body? Discuss all this and more with fellow fans.

Thanks for reading. You know you love us. XOXO, Gossip Girl Insider…

Looks like Blair and Serena really are friends again.

Leighton Meester and Blake Lively appeared on MTV’s Total Request Live this week. Here’s a look at the cute pair of actresses:

Yeah, yeah, so Blair and Serena made up to close out the latest episode of Gossip Girl.

And Jenny got along well with Eric, while Nate felt pressured by his dad to attend college. Who cares?

The question we keep getting from readers is focused on a far more pressing topic: Where can I get Serena’s boots?

Don’t worry, Gossip Girl fashion followers, we’re got your hook up: the boots can be purchased at Chinese Laundry. Check it out now.

The bad news for Gossip Girl so far is that ratings among The CW’s target audience of 18-34 year-old viewers aren’t so strong.

Through three weeks, the show has lost more than a third of its America’s Next Top Model lead-in and has lagged well behind timeslot rivals Bionic Woman and Private Practice in those demographics.

Among teenagers, however, Gossip Girl is a certifiable smash.

For the week that ended September 30, the series was the top-rated new show among teens 12-17, averaging a 2.5 rating. It held that rating again this week and is is averaging a 2.6 season to date for this age group.

On any other network, of course, teens alone wouldn’t cut it. Gossip Girl would be off the air faster than Chuck (Ed Westwick) could down a shot of whiskey. But this is the CW - and it skews much younger, needing to take time to develop shows that show such potential.

There is precedent for a series such as this to build an older fan base: Beverly Hills, 90210 was an immediate hit with teens, but took much longer catch with the older crowd.

Right now, Gossip Girl is the youngest-skewing show on any English-language broadcast network, with a median age of 22.8 years old, about three years younger than last year’s youngest-skewing program, One Tree Hill.

And that show has been on the air for years.

Every week, New York Magazine profiles the most recent episode of Gossip Girl and asks: which parts of the show are realistic? And which are more far-fetched than Britney Spears spending a quiet night at home?

This week’s feature focuses on the fact that the series pretty much tells us there are only three or four colleges in the entire country. Here’s what else the magazine had to say about the show’s depiction of life on the Upper East Side…

We’ll Buy It!
• Blair: “My father left my mother for a 31-year-old model. A male model.” That’s just awesome.

• “Super-successful parents expect nothing less from their offspring. And when it comes to college, that means the Ivies. It’s more than just getting into college, it’s setting a course for the rest of your life. And those who aren’t legacies are no exception. When parents have sacrificed for their children, what kid would want to let them down?” It may not be how your parents would have put it, but the sentiment is uncomfortably still the same.

• Blair’s two sidekicks donned fake Steve Urkel glasses for the Ivy Mixer. Who hasn’t tried to look geek-hot when the situation fits?

• An underclassmen a cappella group sings Fergie’s “Glamorous.” In chapel. Okay, singing it in a house of God may be a stretch, but high school a cappella is just that absurd.

That’s a Bit Rich
• “Brown doesn’t offer degrees in Slut.” Wait: you can make your own major at Brown. So, Blair, Serena can major in Slut if she wants to. And she can do it Pass/Fail!

• It’s beginning to be offensive how every time they cut to the Humphrey’s “Williamsburg” apartment, they show a building directly Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.

• Blair wears a Marni belt during field-hockey practice. Even she knows grass stains don’t come out of white leather.

• Dan (Penn Badgley) is number two in the class at his snooty Upper East Side private school? Then why does he want to go to Dartmouth?

Continue reading this article …