It’s been seven years since we last saw; Serena Van der Woodson, Blair Waldorf, Nate Archibald, Chuck Bass, and Dan Humphrey. These five individuals were the subject of a mysterious blogger who chronicled their every move, from mere adolescence to adulthood.
With an army of sources throughout New York City, constantly sending in tips. This anonymous blogger had an arsenal of insider information on the lives of Manhattans elite, ready to use if and when needed. Quite a lot of power for someone who relied on emails from others to get information. Of course, as Serena and her friends got older, the stakes got higher, and soon Gossip Girl had even the untouchable adults, fearing for their secrets.
Based on the book by Cecily von Ziegesar. “Gossip Girl” was quite the risqué-forward show, for the CW network. Covering topics of; adultery, infidelity, eating disorders, drugs, drinking, overdoses, embezzlement, forgery, extortion, and intimidation. All centered around a young group of protagonists. When the show first aired it drew much criticism from parents for its portraying’s. However, audiences quickly fell in love with the characters and their elite New York world. As Dan Humphrey said, in the final episode:
“The Upper East Side was like something of Fitzgerald or Thackeray. Teenagers acting like adults; adults acting like teenagers, guarding secrets spreading gossip. All with the trappings of truly opulent wealth.”
For six years audiences wondered who this anonymous, far-reaching blogger could be. The only possible clue being the female voice, narrating each episode. At times our protagonist did try and find out who she was and even stop her from ruining their lives with her “Gossip Girl blasts.” Of course, every attempt was foiled, thanks to GG’s arsenal of secrets and insight, that she would release as pre-emptive strikes. It wasn’t until the season six finale that it was revealed that Dan Humphrey, the “Brooklyn outsider” was “Gossip Girl.”
Now, seven years after Dan Humphrey declared “Gossip Girl” dead. The lying and scheming ways of anonymous blogging will see the light of day once again, on the new streaming service. HBO MAX. The 10-episode reboot begins production next year and will take place in the new era of social interaction. This new “Gossip Girl” is a reboot; not a revival or spin-off. It may not have much connection to its predecessor. However, it will take place in New York, as a new group of adolescence are introduced to the social surveillance that was “Gossip Girl.” While addressing how much the social media landscape has evolved. After all, back in 2007, there was no Instagram or SnapChat, and Facebook was still a relatively new network.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Joshua Safran who was a showrunner in the later seasons of the original, said: “ It’s something we’ve been talking about — Josh, Stephanie and I — for a little bit, just in terms of, ‘Is this something we want to explore?’ We’re all so in love with the original and had such an incredible time working on it, and it’s such a big part of our lives… Then the stars aligned, and we had availability to jump, and Warners, obviously, it’s something they’re very passionate about. It seemed like the best time and also the best way to do it.” Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, who previously to working on “Gossip Girl” also worked together on “The O.C,” will return as executive producers.
HBO Max is set to launch in Spring of next year, and it is already set to feature over 10,000 hours of content. Including a line-up of; Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, Pretty Little Liars and many more.
