Gossip Girl News (Page 5)

Josh Schwartz took TV by storm this season with his sudsy primetime drama about Manhattan's upper crust, Gossip Girl.

Often compared to Schwartz's other teen soap, The OC, Gossip Girl outshines its predecessor in so many ways. Or at least two:

1. The Gossip Girl cast.
2. The premise of Gossip Girl uniquely lends itself to the abundance of real world celebrity gossip blogs.

The Gossip Girl of the show, voiced wonderfully by Kristen Bell, is a secret blogger who dishes about the goings-on of Upper East Side teens.

Gossip Girl has become something of a fictional Page Six.

In fact, in "All About My Brother," Isabel says, "I'm so glad Gossip Girl got her balls back. She was so turning into the new Page Six."

Therefore, when it comes to Gossip Girl, real celebrity gossip is that much more addicting and impossible to tune out.

We already know Penn Badgley and Blake Lively are a couple in real life - and that's just the beginning of the gossip.

Are Blake and Leighton Meester frenemies in real life? Is Chace Crawford gay, or isn't he? Who is he dating? The lists of questions and photos on celeb gossip sites is not short by any means.

Then again, does it really matter if the gossip is true or not?

The fact that there are rumors and gossip surrounding the Gossip Girl cast affords us the same voyeuristic pleasure we take when watching the episodes - and not just Mondays at 8.

In a strange piece of Gossip Girl news, Star Magazine reports that Nicole Richie will have an appearance as a guest star

The details are not certain right now, to say the least, but an insider close to Richie told Star the following:

"Nicole's life has settled down a bit after having her daughter Harlow, she's eager to get back to work."

"She's keen on pursuing an acting career and she loves Gossip Girl."

What do you think of Nicole Richie appearing on Gossip Girl? Will it actually happen - and would she be a good addition?

Were you expecting a little more from last week's excellent, but mostly scandal-free, season finale of Gossip Girl?

Apparently, the original script had a completely different ending, according to Gossip Girl casting director Renee Godbout.

Below, Godbout described how Season 1 of Gossip Girl would have ended had they gone with the original script.

Serena & Dan

In the original script for the season finale, Serena (Blake Lively) does not catch Dan (Penn Badgley) hooking up with Georgina (Michelle Trachtenberg), but Dan confesses it to Serena anyway.

Godbout thinks the way the events went down in the version that aired was a better, more dramatic choice - it allowed S to call her nemesis a "crazy, manipulative bitch."

More confrontation = more drama.

Blair & Chuck

The part of the "Much I Do About Nothing" script that was entirely rewritten involved Blair (Leighton Meester) and Chuck (Ed Westwick). They were supposed to rendezvous at the airport, not the helicopter pad.

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For adults, romances are variable, and friendship is the constant.

Privileged Youth reverses the equation: Love affairs are constant, and it's the friendships that vary. And matter most.

That is the essence of Gossip Girl, the semi-satirical portrait of power and privilege in the private schools and penthouses of New York's ultra rich, the New York Times says in a think piece.

It's often said that Hollywood is "high school with money." On this glossy, glamour-soaked CW series, high school is better than Hollywood.

Gossip Girl, which had its Season 1 finale this past Monday, explores the un-navigability of friendships. Female bonding is punctuated by the joy and disappointments of dating, but the ruling passion is power.

The pride that comes with connecting with one's ilk and asserting control, as well as the scorching pain of rejection and ridicule.

Sex is easy; it's the cliques that take time and solicitude.

"You can tell us anything," Blair Waldorf coos to a distraught Serena van der Woodsen, hung over and harboring a shameful secret.

"We've seen you with vomit in your hair, making out with investment bankers in the men's room at P. J. Clarke's."

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Take that, Wall Street Journal.

On the same day the nation's leading business newspaper reported that time may be running out for the CW, the struggling network scored its biggest second best Monday night ratings. Ever.

The season finale of One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl provided the network with its most-watched Monday of the season, and its best Monday effort to date among its coveted adults ages 18-34.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that advertisers had "cooled" on the network, that "at least" one of its owners was ready to bail on the operation, and that next season could be its last.

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Just how realistic is Gossip Girl? More so than ever this week, says New York Magazine in its patented (nonsensical) rating system, which takes into account the most real and surreal moments from each episode.

According to the show's unofficial publication, this week's episode, "Much I Do About Nothing," rated +28 on the realism scale! Below are excerpts from this New York Magazine feature.

• Why is Nate so obviously wearing makeup and gobs of hair goo while jogging in the park with his dad? Minus 2.

• Plus 2 for Dan finally making fun of Nate's "man bangs, and Blair letting slip that Chuck wears his scarf during sex.

• Serena does that annoying TV thing where she doesn't bother to clear up the fact that in the last episode, she told Dan she cheated on him with the two guys she left the bar with. Oops! Minus 2.

• Those orchid centerpieces are lovely. Plus 2.

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Ed Westwick, Leighton Meester, Matthew Settle and the rest of the Gossip Girl cast looked positively fabulous at the CW Network's Upfronts at Lincoln Center on Tuesday in New York City.

Here's a shot of Chace Crawford ...

Suffice it to say, the entire cast was charming at the event - with Blake Lively and Penn Badgley sporting tans from their romantic getaway in Mexico!

They certainly make a cute couple. Click to enlarge the photos of your favorite Gossip Girl stars from last night's Upfronts ...

In a genius marketing move, The CW created an official wedding website for Lily van der Woodsen and Bart Bass. It looks exactly like what this Gossip Girl writer imagines his wedding site looked like.

There's a theme song, bridal party page (Chuck and Serena are Best Man and Maid of Honor), countdown to the big day (5 days, 6 hours, 7 minutes and 23 seconds!), guest book, RSVP page, a tribute and back story of the happy couple, and much more! Check it out via the link above!

We'll see if Lily (Kelly Rutherford) and Bart (Robert John Burke) actually tie the knot in next Monday's Gossip Girl season finale ... or if Rufus Humphrey (Matthew Settle) has something to say about that.

Thanks to the fan in our Gossip Girl forum who posted this piece of info!

We always appreciate your help in making the Insider the very best Gossip Girl fan site on the Internet!

Think you're a Gossip Girl Insider?

Now's your chance to prove it! To test your knowledge and celebrate the end of the first season, our staff collaborated with Parade Magazine on an exclusive, 25-question Gossip Girl quiz!

See how much you know about TV's steamiest drama by clicking on the image below to take the Gossip Girl Insider quiz, hosted by Parade.

Good luck. Once you've finished taking the quiz, Parade also has cool interviews, news and photos of the Gossip Girl cast which you'll enjoy!

Come back and let us know how you did!

Just how realistic is Gossip Girl? Despite its awesomeness, not so much this week, says New York Magazine in its patented (nonsensical) rating system, which takes into account real and surreal moments from each episode.

According to the show's unofficial publication, this week's episode, "Woman On the Verge," rated -3 overall on the realism scale. Below are excerpts from this New York Magazine feature.

• The entire scene where Chuck, Nate, and Blair comfort Serena is realistic. They totally would have let the drama bring them all back together (which is what they secretly want anyway), and they would have definitely admitted all of their own foibles to try to make Serena feel better. Plus 5.

• Lily left her own rehearsal dinner - it couldn't have waited one day? And where was Eric? And why didn't Lily melt down like most normal adults who find out their daughter accidentally aided in a lethal overdose while in a drunken three-way sex situation? Minus 10.

• Chuck lost his virginity to Georgina in 6th grade? Awesome! Plus 4.

• Why is Dan Humphrey so gullible? He'll believe anything a pretty girl tells him! Her mom told her to change her name and get out of town? WHAT? A parakeet wouldn't believe that story! Minus 5.

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