Gossip Girl News (Page 13)

It’s been a heart-wrenching month for fans of Gossip Girl as TV’s hottest show took a brief hiatus. But now Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, Chuck Bass and Co. are finally back - and on the cover of the new issue of Rolling Stone.

Well, Blair and Serena are. Looking very hot, on the magazine's cover and in a photo shoot that makes the OMFG and other racy ads look tame by comparison ...

Despite barely scraping together three million viewers a week, the show has become the most talked-about, culturally relevant series on television.

To get the dirt on what it’s like starring as beautiful young people in New York while being beautiful young people in New York, Rolling Stone's Jason Gay hung out with the Gossip Girl cast on set and after hours, catching all the action. He says:

“It’s very strange to see a mob of paparazzi photograph Blake and Serena in character as they film an outdoor scene. It’s as if the reality of the show exists behind two lenses - real time and TV time. All the actors enjoy the outside stuff because of the fans, too. It’s like playing on stage or something. More energy, more excitement and the sense that anything could happen. And sometimes it does. There is no such thing as a closed set in NYC!”

Follow the link to read the full Rolling Stone article, and click to enlarge the photos of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and the rest of the cast below ...

Did last night's Gossip Girl live up to the hype after so many promos and spoilers? It certainly had its share of drama, but seemed a little uneven at times. Did you like it?

Tell us what you thought of the episode in the poll below.

"The Age of Dissonance" was ...

Every Tuesday, the previous night's Gossip Girl is reviewed by New York Magazine and assigned scores according to their arbitrary and funny "reality index."

Below are some of the highlights (and otherwise) from the publication's unique analysis of "The Age of Dissonance." Leave us comments with your own!

• "I should have gone with mercury poisoning," Nate says, of a possible excuse to get out of the school play. Plus 2 for timeliness, even though the show has been on hiatus for approximately one century.

• Minus 20 for the resurgence of the "Elle" plotline. WHY IS THIS STILL GOING?? This is worse than the recession. 

• Gossip Girl herself says: "Before there was Gossip Girl, there was Edith Wharton." Plus 1, because of course Gossip Girl would say that. And of course Edith Wharton would subsequently spin in her grave.

• Not to be sticklers, but Nelly Yuki can't get into Yale early like a month after everybody. Minus 3.

• Rachel's too-tight, too-short Banana Republic outfits are atrocious, offensive, inappropriate, and totally realistic throughout this whole episode Plus 10.

• Haven't the faculty (even adjuncts) at this school been lectured enough not to do things like ask students to text them their home addresses? Minus only 3, because clearly Julian wouldn't even think this was a problem.

• We love that Vanessa Abrams immediately recognizes that Julian is a douche. And that she, in turn, is a douche. Plus 3.

• The costume closet is a great place to have illicit, Titanic-tuxedo-style, hand-kissing, teacher-on-student monkey sex at nearly any time during the school year. Except during the senior class play. Nobody walked in on them? Not even Julian and the 17-year-old assistant director "looking for sequins"? Minus 2.

• Nate watches The Age of Innocence and gasps to Vanessa, "It's heartbreaking." He was just in the play. Plus 4, because remember, he's a pothead. Or, well, don't remember. You know what we mean.

Will Serena's father be revealed in the Gossip Girl spinoff?

It looks like it, as One Tree Hill alum Matt Barr has been cast in the CW's prequel to Gossip Girl as Keith van der Woodsen, a rich and handsome Malibu prince who is the love interest to young Lily Rhodes (Brittany Snow).

Set in 1980s Los Angeles, the Gossip Girl spinoff chronicles Lily's wild teen years. Three other additions to the spinoff cast have been announced in recent days.

While the producers won't give more clues about Keith van der Woodsen, the obvious speculation is that he could be Lily's future husband (Lily's married name is Lily van der Woodsen) and father of Serena van der Woodsen.

Some pieces of Gossip Girl spinoff cast news have come to light in recent days.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Andrew McCarthy will be joining the Gossip Girl spinoff as Lily's father, a music company exec. The show will follow the teenage years of Serena's mom Lily, played by Brittany Snow, in 1980s Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, EW reports that Lost alum Cynthia Watros is close to a deal to play Lily's mom, CeCe. Also  onboard is Ryan Hansen, best known as Veronica Mars' aptly named Dick.

He'll play Owen's (Shiloh Fernandez) pal, Shep, who's crushing (futilely) on Krysten Ritter's character, Carol (Lily's sister). Hansen is currently on Schwartz' web series, Rockville.

Cynthia Watros, Ryan Hansen and Andrew McCarthy (left to right) are all joining the Gossip Girl spinoff-prequel, sources say. Brittany Snow will play a young Lily.

According to sources, it looks as though Star's report that former American Dreams actress Brittany Snow has been cast in the lead role of Lily van der Woodsen (Rhodes) in the forthcoming Gossip Girl spinoff is indeed accurate.

"Brittany is thrilled," a friend of the actress says.

"She loves the original show and thinks the 1980s concept sets the Gossip Girl spin-off apart from other series on television. She can't wait to wear all the fabulous outfits and really sink her teeth into the role."

Brittany Snow - who has appeared in movies including Hairspray and John Tucker Must Die - was the top choice for producers, who thought she would be the perfect choice for the part of young Lily, played on Gossip Girl by Kelly Rutherford.

She was reportedly offered the role without an audition.

"Brittany always thought she was going to continue her career in films," a source said.

"But this is a marvelous part and she just couldn't say no. This has the potential to be a huge show in the tradition of Melrose Place."

The "backdoor pilot" introducing the show will air as part of the Gossip Girl episode May 11 (episode 2.24, which will air one week before the Season 2 finale).

UPDATE: Michael Ausiello of more-reliable EW reports that Snow has indeed emerged as the front-runner for the role, though it is not 100 percent official.

SECOND UPDATE: Krysten Ritter, who will play Lily's sister Carol Rhodes on the show, confirms to E! that "They just cast Brittany Snow. It's definitely official, and I think I'm the first one to know that. It wasn't official earlier, I saw on the Internet, but now it is official."

What do you think? Can you see Snow as young Lily? Is she a good fit for the Gossip Girl spinoff role, or would you have preferred another?

Last week, we posted a promotional poster featuring Serena and Blair in "The Age of Dissonance," the next new episode of Gossip Girl, scheduled for Monday, March 16.

Below is a similar poster - using the same tagline (Two reputations destroyed. Now for the second act ...) for the following week's episode, entitled "The Grandfather."

Could there be some much-anticipated Chuck-Blair drama to come? And what role will the grandfather - presumably Nate's - play in this episode? What do you think?

Not that we expected anything different, but the CW officially announced today the early pickups of six series, including our favorite here at this site.

In all, five of the network’s "signature" dramas (Gossip Girl included) and the reality TV staple America's Next Top Model will all return in fall 2009.

“As we continue to build The CW Network as a destination for young women, these six shows have clearly contributed to strengthening our schedule and our brand identity,” President of Entertainment at the CW Dawn Ostroff said.

“By securing these signature hits for next season, we further a commitment to deliver high-quality, original programming to viewers, advertisers and affiliates.”

Both Gossip Girl (now in Season Two) and One Tree Hill (in Season Six) have scored double-digit gains on Monday compared to their previous seasons.

Freshman hit 90210 has improved the network’s Tuesday lineup by double-digit increases in key demographics. America's Next Top Model, which consistently wins its time period Wednesday, will also be back for cycles 13 and 14.

Also renewed were the network’s established Thursday team of Smallville, in its ninth season, and Supernatural, which will enter its fifth season next year.

Congratulations to the Gossip Girl cast, producers and crew!

Special thanks to Gossip Girl Insider reader Blair Archibald (great name) for passing these along. These promotional pictures are clearly official CW material, but we don't know how recent. Perhaps before the Season 1 pilot episode even aired?

We also can't find one for the great Chuck Bass, which we assume is out there, so please post a link or email us if you can find one and we'll add it ASAP!

For now, here are promotional shots of Dan, Serena, Blair and Nate (devilishly vandalized with some of their finest attributes). Click to enlarge ...

Two reputations destroyed. Now for the second act ...

Below is a new promotional poster released by the CW in advance of new episodes of Gossip Girl returning Monday, March 16. The next episode is entitled "The Age of Dissonance," and if this is any indication, it should be a great one ...