"When I was your age..."
Spin-offs of television shows usually take a character or characters from the existing cast and throw them in a different location to let them do their thing (e.g. Frasier, Private Practive). The producers of Gossip Girl are trying something different--they're going in the way-back machine.
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the minds behind Gossip Girl, have opted to tell the tale of Lily van der Woodsen's younger years through a potential spin-off, says The Hollywood Reporter. The news comes after rumors of a Gossip Girl spin-off boiled over last month.
However, those rumors said the show would be set in New York City; Schwartz and Savage have decided to set the show in 1980s Los Angeles, when day-glo clothes were in style, chewing gum was essential, and young lasses oft requested to be gagged with spoons. That's right, Gossip Girl is going Valley Girl.
"We didn't want to upset the chemistry of our cast--all of whom are crucial to the show," Savage said of the creative decision. "Nor did we want to dilute New York City as a character."
In the show, Lily Rhodes (her maiden name) has a falling out with her parents and heads West to live with her sister in the San Fernando Valley. Soon, she gets caught up with the Sunset Strip crowd, has a wild time, and eventually meets rocker Rufus Humphrey (a character from Gossip Girl).
"We also can introduce characters in the past and see them again in the present or vice versa," Schwartz added. "Each show can inform and enrich the other, deepen the universe."
The show will be introduced as a flashback episode of Gossip Girl, and--if everyone likes what they see--will presumably become its own series next fall.
My question is will the spin-off have the same buzz as Gossip Girl? Given the show's unimpressive ratings, the only reason it is still on the air is because of the hype created by ushering in a new, modern-day teenager that has loads of sex. Gossip Girl's influence on fashion is big; but will anyone care about the grotesque fashion period known as the 1980s? And more importantly, how will they text message each other?
Comments (61)
okay, seriously. SO many teens watch this show, not because of the sex and intrigue, but because of the addictive nature and everything. i wish they did it girl, but that would include jenny and if she left the show, it would be a relief, seriously, how much more can they do with her? btw, they totally ruined jenny, compared to the books. the books rule. but so does the show. love it.
when i read that they were thinking of doing a gossip girl spin off, i was thinking they were gonna do the it girl. it was dissapointing when i found out they weren't!
I absolutely love the idea... it's different and whoever wouldn't like diving into the past of Miss van der Woodsen? Sunset strip, 80's fashion and in an era where music was at its purest form. It just screams Almost Famous and I can't wait for it to air! I love Gossip Girl but this can add some interesting bits of history, especially since L&R just dropped the bomb about their previous son. This can only get better with time... The producers are brilliant and I think this will be a major hit. Kudos to them
Dorota's spin-off would be crazier and funnier, especially her interaction with Blair and helping her out with hers bright and bad ideas.
Please don't do the spin-off nodoby cares about Lily & Rufus story. Mostly Rufus because he is a boring character!!!
If they wanted to do a spin-off, The IT Girl would've been a WAYYYYY better idea.
Blah. I hope this doesn't get picked up.
The theme of it is interesting I guess.. since it's different from other spinoffs. I'm not too interested in the Lily & Rufus story either. Maybe this is to target older demographics and get them to watch Gossip Girl? I would've preferred them to have a spinoff in the future with more advanced technology than texting. Sort of like a Gossip Girl meets Eureka type of thing.
Good God, they're going through with this? Please, this shouldn't have made it past the drawing board.
this sounds kinda crazy and for now I don't see a bright future for this spin-offs, but maybe I'm wrong. Will see.
I'm not quite sure the point of this spin off. Since it will be completely different actors, in a different time zone, in a different era, it won't have very much to do with GG. Are there that many 30-something fans of GG? I'm one, but really, I lived through the 80s once. It would be amusing to relive them again-- but briefly. Let us know, through flashbacks, more about how Lily and Rufus met, the pregnancy, how they ended. And then back to today. I don't think viewers need yet another teen drama. Even a well-written character driven one. Forget this spin off nonsense, and just focus on the show. Far better, I think, would have been to have had Lily pregnant by Bart-- THAT would have led to some interesting plot twists with Chuck!moreless
if you just keep gossip girl as it is then it will look fabulous
urk...sounds like a bad 80's version of beverly hills 90210. I am very curious so I will tune in, but I see no potential in this show.
How about an Scrubs spin-off with the janitor! I'm just thinking...
I think they could make something great out of this. I don't know if it could last many seasons,but it is worth the try. They could make it classic and fashionable. Some 'girls just wanna have fun' meets 'my fair lady' wihtout the singing. I don't see why this can not be good. Especially because of the lack of text messaging. I really think we should all give it a chance. I know I will.
Sounds like a bad idea but maybe that is just me.
This actually sounds good, I'm in!
Imho Frasier is too good to be mentioned in this article.
Might be cool for one episode. Comedy! But there's no way the 80's can carry a whole show. It would have to have really good writing and actors, like That 70's Show. Could they stay serious enough to maintain a teen drama (as opposed to a sit-com)? I doubt it.
sounds kind of lame. and the 80s are overrated! i don't think i'll bother watching it. still going to watch gossip girl though :)
I like the 80s, but I don't think I would watch the show. I don't even watch Gossip Girl now. I did watch the first season, only because of Penn Badgley. For some reason, by the end of the first season I didn't really care if I missed an episode or not. It just didn't interest me anymore. I don't like all of these teen, drama shows. Give me demons and monsters anyday. My favorite show is Supernatural.
Well, personally.
I don't care for the rufus and lily story.
I mean, I'm a teenager. I'm not interested in the lives of 30 or 40 something year old people.
I'm interested in the lives of the 17 year olds - people close too my age. Yah Know?
But I'll give this show a shot. I don't want to let my biased opinion get in the way, they will be teens in this show. But it's still Lily and Rufus, and I know them now as parents. I don't think i'll like it.
I don't think it'll get as much views or hype as gossip girl. I don't want it messing with gossip girl. They better be careful with it.
I would much much much rather watch a Supernatural spin-off. But it's also hard to mess up Supernatural...
CW if you wanna save ur network come up with something better.
I hope it happens, it would be so cool
This sounds like it could be good, as long as it doesn't interupt with Gossip Girl. I don't think that the texting and the fashion will be too much of a problem, fashion in the 80s may intrest people to seeing something different (but then again it IS the 80s). As for the texting, it doesn't really bing me back to watch the show, I keep comming for the relationships, not the texting of the show. They can do the same thing in the 80s, just make it an annoying tabloid if they want. I think it has potential.
if they do it smart i think it can and will work well
I really love Gossip Girl, and I think it could be interesting. Nothing wrong with the eighties! I'm a bit worried though that we already know a lot about how she ends up and why.
Sounds better than that other potential spin-off...
I'm a huge GG fan, but I'll pass on the spin-off, doesn't sound interesting, 'cause we already how the character ends up...
I love GG, but i don't think I would watch the proposed spin-off.
interesting very interesting
New idea? Think Caprica got their first.
I like the idea. It can be quite interesting
Yuck!I'll pass, I like the idea of a flashback, but that's good enough.For example, if they wanted to develop the younger versions of the characters like they did with Loreli and Chris in Gilmore Girls, they can do long flash backs. However, without the texting, and fashion etc, I think this show will bombYou can count me out for watching!
Why?
Okay this is new and creative but I think it's a really bad idea !
Sounds good but I just hope the whole 80's thing doesn't make it feel too out dated...
I would be willing to give the show a try so long as it doesn't ruin the original show.
Since I am BIG fan of Gossip girl, I'll give the new series a try and wait to see if it is any good
I'm so gonna watch!
If these only happens in one episode it would be fun, although for my opinion its not a good idea. Lily and Rufus are very boring and they get as much attention as the others. So for me leave GG as it is...xoxo
So Bruce Wayne and Pushing Daisies are dead but Gossip Girl gets a spin-off? Is this how 2009 is going to be defined?
YAY! Though I am not THAT big a fan. I think this will be a nice, somewhat short lived, show.
Hopefully they do not try to drag it out again.
I am so glad that they are doing something new and creative with teen dramas. The best idea that has ever excisted is skipping the college years in One Tree Hill. I hope we like the episode so they can make the series and we can begin watching it. I think it will be succesful and awesome like Goddip Girl. Plus the whole Los Angeles 80s thing is geniuos. I hope they make it.
i think it could be at least a little interesting i don't think i will make any judgments until i see it then i will decide
What's the point on watching a show if you already know the end of the story?
Oh and it porbably wont work because the show will suck just as much as gossip girl does. cancel it all :]
Alright, what you all are saying makes no sense. A) Valley Girl will not be the name for the spin-off it was just a refrence to an older movie with that name. B) Yes the actress is pregnant, but i doubt she will be the actress in the show because it is taking place almost 30 years ago and lets face it, they cant make her look 30 years younger. C) This wont ruin Gossip Girl at all because it is taking place in a different time zone with different stars in a different setting, therefore goddip girl will be completely left alone and not messed with.