Gossip Girl News (Page 8)

Well, in a manner of speaking.

After weeks of being approached about the identity of the mysterious vixen who narrates the series, Gossip Girl producer Stephanie Savage gave her standard answer in an interview with CTV.

"We are all Gossip Girl," says Savage with a laugh.

"We all feed the chain, participating in a circle, a circus of information, whether we want to admit it or not," the admitted blog reader admits.

Guess it's not Eric van der Woodsen, then?

Savage says sites like Perez Hilton, TMZ or The Hollywood Gossip are real life counterparts to the fictitious blogger on the series Gossip Girl.

But instead of updates on Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, Gossip Girl keeps tabs on the Upper East Side's elite teens.

The series stars a pair of beauties in Blake Lively (left) as Serena van der Woodsen and Leighton Meester (right) as Blair Waldorf.

The mysterious blogger, Gossip Girl, is voiced by Kristen Bell of Heroes fame, but the actress has yet to appear on the show.

"Kristen does a great job with the voice over work and we're so pleased. She really digs out every nuance of humor and attitude and I think she does a great job," says Savage.

"We'd love for her to be a part of the show whatever way she wants to be. But it's fairly sacred that the identity of Gossip Girl is kept secret."

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With the expected end to the three-month-old writers' strike any day now, the networks are planning to salvage what's left of the TV season.

TV Guide has a tentative schedule of what you can expect from Gossip Girl and many other hit shows, although the plans are subject to change.

Just the same, it looks like we may get as many as nine new Gossip Girl episodes this season, airing in April, May and June!

Dan and Serena celebrate the end of the WGA strike.

Follow the jump for TV Guide's full list of shows and what we can expect in terms of return dates and new episodes. While this is not final yet, it looks like the chance for a bunch of new Gossip Girl episodes is good ...

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When Gossip Girl premiered, the show came in last place in its time slot with only 3.65 million viewers. It lost more than half of its lead-in from America's Next Top Model and 22 percent of its own debut numbers. Gossip Girl averaged a modest 2.6 million viewers for all of its first season.

Yet, according to the Los Angeles Times, it's a bona fide hit.

Although The CW hasn't been able to translate the hype into substantial ratings, fans have shown a similar affinity for new media, consistently making Gossip Girl the most downloaded TV show on iTunes.

Nate (Chace Crawford) spoons Blair (Leighton Meester).

"It's sort of become the first show that has managed to achieve some level of cultural permeation and success in the new world order where ratings don't really seem to apply," executive producer Josh Schwartz said.

On the other hand, ratings do matter.

With the show's second season due next fall, the network executives are looking into ways to take advantage of viewership (largely by tech-savvy teen and 'tween viewers) shifting to different places.

"When you look at all the ways people are getting Gossip Girl, whether on TV or TiVo or streaming or downloading it, clearly there's a strong core group of viewers," Dawn Ostroff, the CW's president of entertainment, said.

"Our job is to start getting the show broadened out a bit."

Who cares about the State of the Union? Well, lots of people... but not the CW! At least not when there are more important things to show you, like the debut of Gossip Girl in its Monday slot.

If you're only into clothes and boys and drugs and sex like Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), do you really care about subprime lending? No way.

Monday, the network took us back into the world of the rich and privileged with a re-airing of the pilot episode of Gossip Girl.

Monday's special re-broadcasting, entitled "Gossip Girl Revealed," ran 91 minutes, beginning at 8 p.m. Interspersed within the pilot were bonus features, including cast interviews and commentary, and deleted scenes.

Gossip Girl girls: Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen.

There were also cool profiles of the characters, as well as info about the fashions and Gossip Girl music used on the show for all those aspiring to be the next "it" girl or guy.

In this age, it makes sense for the CW to be promoting its best freshman show with new clips on a new night. Maybe the writers' strike will even be resolved and give us new episodes.

Don't hold your breath, but we can hope.

Gossip Girl will air new episodes again in 2008. We promise.

And when it does, a pretty new face may be part of the cast: Russin model/actress Eliska Sursova is in talks to join the series. She'd portray a love interest for Chuck Bass, which is intriguing.

We didn't know Chuck was capable of love.

Sursova was born on Valentine's Day, 1988, in Manhattan. Previous television appearances have included guest starring stints on House, Boston Public and ER.

Look for Tampa native Dreama Walker on tonight's Gossip Girl.

The Plant High School graduate is introduced as a new character, Hazel, one of the "in crowd" at the gang's posh Manhattan prep school.

We get to know Hazel as she makes trouble for spoiled rich girl Blair Waldorf, who is played by series co-star Leighton Meester.

As we know, Blair Waldorf is worried that she might be pregnant. When Hazel and her pals find out, they start snubbing Blair.

Will new character Hazel cause Blair Waldorf (above) trouble?

"We are being added to shake things up," says Walker, who has been in New York since she graduated from high school four years ago.

The role could be recurring, but DreamaWalker won't find out until the writers strike is over. There's currently no end in sight.

"I'm almost 100 percent certain that I will be back," she said. "I don't think they would introduce a character that would never be seen again."

Walker was on an episode of Law & Order as well as Guiding Light. She was in a TV pilot, Zip, for NBC that didn't get picked up.

She has worked in several films that were made in New York, including the upcoming Sex and the City: The Movie. She also has a role in an indie film, Wherever You Are" making the rounds of film festivals.

The CW is moving its smash hit Gossip Girl to Monday nights at 8 p.m., starting January 28, Variety reports this morning.

Because of the writers strike, Gossip Girl will be in repeats after this week's episode, the 13th of its freshman season.

But by moving the show from Wednesdays, the network believes it can expose Gossip Girl episodes to a whole new audience.

"I don't think anyone's expecting miracles in terms of running series repeats, but at the same time, there's a unique opportunity to get some new eyeballs on it," said CBS' Kelly Kahl, who also handles the C-Dub's lineup.

"There's great buzz and reaction to Gossip Girl - now we just want to grow the audience a bit. The Wednesday competition is tough, and it will get tougher with American Idol."

The move is just one of several shuffles the CW announced Friday. On Tuesdays, network will replace repeats of Crowned at 8 p.m. with repeats of Reaper until March 11, when Beauty and the Geek returns.

One Tree Hill remains at 9 p.m.

We're giving Reaper a few Thursday airings, which means for the first time a real compatible lead-in for the show, from Smallville, Kahl said.

It sure was entertaining, and New York Magazine gives this week's episode, "School Lies" high marks on its weekly realism scale. Some high- and low-lights from the newest installment of Gossip Girl:

• Why would Gossip Girl know anything about any of their parents? Minus only 2, because we don't really care.
• Speaking of which... sometimes Gossip Girl doesn't sound so gossipy, she sounds like Brenda Strong on Desperate Housewives. Minus 2.
• "What are you up to besides missing me?" Serena asks Dan on the phone. "Just wondering whether you were missing me," he replies. Terrible Gossip Girl quote, but too, too real. Plus 4.

• Of course Chuck Bass is wearing a shirt at the pool party, and sunglasses (Wayfarers, natch) at night. Plus 5.
• A gold skeleton key is all it takes to get into the school pool. What, are they insured by the Bank of Brunei? Minus 2.
• Did anybody else notice that those supposed cell phone pics of the pool party were HD quality? Minus 1.
• "What do the Humphreys have to offer?" Chuck asks Dan. "Your dad's cassingle?" Plus 3 for the use of "cassingle."
• Chuck has waaaaay too much chest hair for a 16-year-old. Minus 1.

Follow this link to read New York Magazine's full rundown ...

It was, indeed, a very Gossip Girl Christmas, and despite Rufus' waffling, a weird availability of an empty loft space for Serena to build a sexy nest for Dan, the episode balanced out by the ever-present and all-too realistic holiday staples: dysfunction and assholic, selfish behavior.

For that, New York Magazine gives last night's episode, "Roman Holiday" a Plus 28 on its weekly realism scale. Some high- and low-lights:

• No way is Blair Waldorf spending her last high-school summer in France. She wants to go to Yale. Bitch needs an internship. Minus 1.
• Since he got his dream girl and got a story in The New Yorker, Dan observes, "I may have peaked." OH, GOD, WE ALL PEAKED JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. Plus 10.
• Chuck's text to Blair: "Just one question: How did you fake your virginity for N?" That is so the kind of message that an a$$hole teenage boy would send. Plus 3.
• What the hell are Blair and Serena wearing on Christmas? Not even rich people like prostitution on a high holy day. Minus 2.
• When Chuck photo-texts Blair a pic of him and Nate in Monaco, Nate is shirtless and Chuck is wearing a hat, polo shirt, and sweater. Plus 3.
• Holy hell. Adults are as awkward as kids? "If there's something you want to say, you should go ahead and say it," Lily says. "Is there something you want me to say?" Rufus replies. Brody and LC had this exact conversation on The Hills. Plus 3.
• OMG! Dan and Serena are both so surprised that they end up having sex! BUT: WHERE ARE THE CONDOMS? Plus 5.
• Dan gets published in The New Yorker. Minus 4, because we become incensed when someone we know writes a "Talk of the Town."

Follow the link to read New York Magazine's full rundown ...

Admit it. Regardless of your age or gender, Gossip Girl appeals to you.

Between the show's dramatic characters, the sometimes convoluted plot, the great Gossip Girl music and fashion, there's something for everyone.

There's no arguing that Gossip Girl has succeeded in building a die-hard fan base of young "tween" girls whose growing passion for TiVo-ing the show or downloading it on iTunes led to it being the first new fall series to be picked up for a full season. These girls are a movement in and of themselves, and have a surprisingly strong grip on the economy.

Consider a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article, fittingly and simply entitled: "Where 'tweens go, big dollars follow."

The adventures of Blair Waldorf and co. captivate the 'tweens.

A big part of the article focuses on recent Hannah Montana concert tickets and brokers immediately sweeping up the tickets before anyone else had the chance, and Miley Cyrus (who plays Hannah Montana, her alter ego) had to add more tour dates to make up for it.

These girls aren't kidding around when it comes to getting what they want. And the combination of wanting to conform and not having any appreciation for the value of money means these girls see no reason not to beg their parents for anything and everything they want. So ultimately, if you can target your product to this demographic, you can guarantee a profit.

Stephanie Savage, executive producer of Gossip Girl, told the Inquirer, "Girls are the original consumers, and the last of the shoppers."

Think that a teen drama couldn't possibly appeal to younger girls? Think again. Josh Schwartz, creator and executive producer of Gossip Girl and The OC, pointed out, "They want the thing that's slightly out of their grasp, that's not completely age-appropriate. If you don't market a teen drama to the core group of younger girls, you're in trouble."

Don't forget, there's a new Gossip Girl, "Roman Holiday," tonight!