The first season of Gossip Girl, an American teen drama based upon the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar. Developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Airing on The CW from September 19, 2007 till May 19, 2008 with 18 episodes. It tells the story of Serena van der Woodsen's return to Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York City following her mysterious disappearance to boarding school in Connecticut, while being watched by gossip website Gossip Girl.
The first thirteen episodes of Gossip Girl aired in the U.S. on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm on The CW, a terrestrial television network. With the exception of the twelfth episode "School Lies", the first thirteen episodes aired on the CTV Television Network one day prior to their U.S. airdate. Following the 100 day writers strike, the remainder of the season aired on Mondays at 8:00 pm The season was released on DVD as a five disc boxed set under the title of Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season on August 19, 2008 by Warner bros. Home Video. The pilot episode was made available as a free download registered users of the U.S. iTunes store prior to its premiere on television. Following episodes became available to purchase following their original airing.
The initial season had nine major roles receive star billing. Blake Lively portrayed protagonist Serena van der Woodsen, a former It girl of the Upper East Side, who returns from a mysterious stay at a boarding school in Connecticut, with Kelly Rutherford playing her mother Lily, a multiple-divorced socialite. Leighton Meester played Queen Bee, Blair Waldorf, who is less than happy to see her best friend return. Penn Badgley acted as middle-class outsider Dan Humphrey, with Matthew Settle playing his father Rufus, former rock star turned art dealer, and Taylor Momsen portraying his sister, Jenny, a freshman looking to fit in with the elite crowd at Constance Billiard. Chace Crawford portrayed Blair's boyfriend Nate Archibald, who has a thing for Serena. Ed Westwick played a womanizing player and 'bad boy' Chuck Bass. Originally only a guest star, Jessica Szohr starred as Dan's childhood best friend, Vanessa Abrams. Szohr gained a contract to the main cast list in the fourteenth episode.
Kristen Bell voiced "Gossip Girl", whose gossip commentary blog is widely visited by the youths of the Upper East Side social scene. Numerous supporting characters were given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline, including Connor Paolo who portrayed Serena's brother, Eric van der Woodsen, who had been placed into a rehab center following a suicide attempt. Margaret Colin acted as Blair's mother, Eleanor Waldorf, a fashion designer. Colin took over from Florencia Lozano who played the role in the pilot episode. Michelle Trachtenberg acts as Georgina Sparks, a girl from Serena's past who returns after escaping rehab in Utah. Sam Robards and Francie Swift portrayed Nate's parents Howard and Anne Archibald. Nicole Fiscella and Nan Zhang acted as Blair's loyal sidekicks Isabel Coates and Kati Farkas. Other members of Blair's clique include Amanda Setton as Penelope Shafai, Dreama Walker as Hazel Williams and Emma Demar as Elise Wells.
Other guest stars in recurring roles include Zuzanna Szadkowski as Blair's maid Dorota Kishlovsky, Robert John Burke as Chuck's father and billionaire Bart Bass, Susie Misner as Rufus' estranged wife Alison Humphrey and John Shea as Blair's father Harold Waldorf, with William Abadie as his partner Roman.
See also: List of Gossip Girl episodesNo. in
series No. in
season Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(in millions)
1 1 "Pilot" Mark Piznarski Teleplay: Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage September 19, 2007 3.50
Filmed entirely in New York and based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, "Gossip Girl" revolves around the privileged prep school teens on Manhattan's Upper East side and the anonymous blogger, Gossip Girl, who provides them with the latest rumors about their highly exclusive inner circle. In the series premiere, Gossip Girl is busy spreading the news that "it girl" Serena van Der Woodsen has returned to Manhattan after a mysterious and self-imposed exile. Neither the cause of her departure nor the reason for her return is widely known, but it is revealed to the audience that Serena's younger brother, Eric van der Woodsen (Connor Paolo), attempted to commit suicide, and is now a patient at the Ostroff Center. Serena's best friend, Blair Waldorf, has conflicted feelings about her friend's return since she has enjoyed being the Queen Bee during Serena's absence and might not be ready to relinquish her new position on the social ladder, not to mention the fact that she has always suspected there may be unspoken feelings between Serena and her longtime boyfriend, Nathaniel 'Nate' Archibald. These feelings are confirmed when Nate confesses to Blair that he had sex with Serena the night before she left while at the same time Charles 'Chuck' Bass, the bad boy, reveals to Serena that he spied on them while they were having sex. This is implied to be the reason that Serena left for boarding school. A furious Blair forbids Nate to talk to Serena if they want to mend their relationship which forces Nate to suppress his feelings. Social circle outsiders and siblings, Daniel 'Dan' Humphrey and Jennifer 'Jenny' Humphrey move in with their dad, Rufus in Manhattan when they come back from visiting their mom in Hudson. Dan has a longtime crush on Serena and his wishes are answered when he scores a date with her and decides to take her to his dad's band- Lincoln Hawk concert while Jenny works for Blair to get an invitation to the long awaited Kiss On the Lips party where Chuck tries to force her to make out. Serena and Dan crash the party, much to Blair's disgust, and Dan and Chuck get into a fistfight. Serena's mother, Lily Van Der Woodsen confronts Rufus, her long past ex about the fact that their children are dating.
2 2 "The Wild Brunch" Mark Piznarski Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage September 26, 2007 2.48
In the wake of the scandalous Kiss on the Lips party, Serena receives an icy cold reception from her best friend Blair, who reveals that she knows Serena slept with her boyfriend, Nate, before mysteriously running off to boarding school. As if it couldn't get any chillier, Serena decides to take Dan to arch-enemy Chuck's fundraiser brunch at The Palace, where things go wild. Blair finds out that Nate has been trying to get in touch with Serena even though she told him not to and spirals furiously to reveal Serena's sexy little secret to Dan who gets upset immediately and decides to think twice before entering the "elite" world again. Chuck provokes Dan by calling Jenny a slut which causes another scene at the brunch. Jenny contacts Blair to find out whether Chuck has been floating rumors about her after the party only for Blair to find out that Jenny may be useful as a part of the inner circle. Dan finds out that Lily and Bart Bass, Chucks father, are in a secret relationship.
Title comes from the 1969 film The Wild Bunch.
3 3 "Poison Ivy" J. Miller Tobin Felicia D. Henderson October 3, 2007 2.75
As the Upper East Side teens from Constance Billard and St. Jude's prepare for a much-anticipated visit from the Ivy League representatives, Blair and Chuck uncover a scandalous secret about Serena that may not remain a secret much longer. Dan has his heart and future set on the coveted usher position for the Dartmouth rep, only to be beat out by Nate, who has no interest in the school despite pressure from his controlling father, The Captain. Meanwhile, Jenny bonds with Serena's younger brother, Eric, and Rufus must swallow his pride and ask Lily for a favor to help his son, Dan.
Title comes from the 1992 film Poison Ivy.
4 4 "Bad News Blair" Patrick Norris Joshua Safran October 10, 2007 2.80
Blair is thrilled when her mother, Eleanor, chooses her to be the new face of her clothing line. However, Blair's happiness soon turns to feelings of betrayal and jealousy when Serena moves into the spotlight and Blair finds herself back in Serena's shadow. Meanwhile, Serena and Dan are reminded once again that they come from two very different worlds, and Nate and Chuck indulge in a boys' weekend to blow off steam after Ivy Week.
Title comes from the 1976 film The Bad News Bears.
5 5 "Dare Devil" Jamie Babbit Lenn K. Rosenfeld October 17, 2007 2.41
Dan makes elaborate plans to impress Serena on their first official date. The same night, Jenny is invited to the infamous Blair Waldorf sleepover and finds herself in a high stakes game of "truth or dare." Meanwhile, when Lily discovers that Eric (Connor Paolo) is missing from his treatment center, she finds herself seeking help from her ex-boyfriend, Rufus.
Title comes from the 2003 film Daredevil.
6 6 "The Handmaiden's Tale" Norman Buckley Jessica Queller October 24, 2007 2.54
Dan is torn between two girls when his childhood friend, Vanessa (Jessica Szohr), returns home and declares her feelings for him, just as he and Serena are trying to figure out what they mean to each other. At the infamous masked ball, Blair sends Nate on a scavenger hunt, but Nate is ultimately still distracted by his feelings for Serena. Although Blair makes it perfectly clear that outsiders are not welcome, a disguised Jenny and Dan sneak into the ball. Finally, Lily asks Rufus to accompany her to an Eleanor Waldorf event in order to make Bart Bass jealous.
Title comes from the 1985 book The Handmaid's Tale.
7 7 "Victor, Victrola" Tony Wharmby K.J. Steinberg November 7, 2007 2.52
After surviving the on-again/off-again nature of their new relationship, Serena and Dan finally acknowledge they are crazy about each other, despite their polar opposite worlds that constantly threaten to pull them apart. Chuck contemplates investing in a burlesque club in the hopes of making his hard-to-please father, Bart, proud of him. Nate confronts his father, The Captain, about the drugs he found in the house, but his father denies having a problem. Jenny discovers a secret her father, Rufus, and mother, Alison, have been keeping from her. Finally, Blair is once again devastated by Nate's actions after Jenny reveals that Nate kissed her by accident thinking she was Serena. Blair has sex with Chuck, Nate's best friend.
Title comes from the brand of gramophone produced by The Victor Talking Machine Company in the early 1900s.
8 8 "Seventeen Candles" Lee Shallat-Chemel Teleplay: Joshua Safran & Felicia D. Henderson
Story: Felicia D. Henderson November 14, 2007 2.95
Devastated by the current state of her relationship with Nate and still dealing with the guilt from her recent indiscretion, Blair puts on a happy face for her 17th birthday party and attempts to hide the truth from her friends. Hoping to ease the tension between Serena and Vanessa, Dan takes Vanessa to Blair's party so the girls can have some bonding time, but this only ends up making Serena more uncomfortable. Jenny brings her mom (guest star Susan Misner) home for a surprise visit, but Rufus may not be ready to forgive and forget. Nate's parents (guest stars Sam Robards and Francie Swift) ask him to make a huge sacrifice in an effort to salvage his father's business as he faces charges of embezzlement and fraud.
Title comes from the 1984 film Sixteen Candles.
9 9 "Blair Waldorf Must Pie!" Mark Piznarski Teleplay: Jessica Queller & K.J. Steinberg
Story: Lenn K. Rosenfeld November 28, 2007 2.93
When Dan hears that Serena and her family are spending Thanksgiving alone at The Palace, he naively invites them to spend the holiday with his family, creating an uncomfortable situation for Rufus and Lily whose children are unaware of their complicated romantic history. Meanwhile, Blair's emotions spiral out of control when she learns that her father isn't coming home for Thanksgiving. It is here that hints are given that Blair is bulimic. Nate spends the holiday with his mom and dad, but their awkward dinner quickly goes from bad to worse.
Title comes from the 2006 film John Tucker Must Die.
10 10 "Hi, Society" Patrick Norris Joshua Safran December 5, 2007 2.44
Serena's plan on not attending the annual Cotillion Ball is sidetracked when her grandmother CeCe persuades her to attend; Nate sees Blair's new buoyant attitude and entrusts Chuck to find out the reason, in which he tells him that she is having an affair with St. Jude's alumni Carter Baizen (guest stars Sebastian Stan), creating drama at the Ball. Blair finds out Chuck did this for personal gain and ends their affair, returning to Nate once more and consummating her love to him during a passionate night. Meanwhile, Jenny attends the ball despite it being on the same night as Alison's art gallery opening.
Title comes from the 1956 film High Society.
11 11 "Roman Holiday" Michael Fields Jessica Queller December 19, 2007 1.81
When Blair's father, Harold, comes home for the holidays with an unexpected guest -- his boyfriend, Roman -- Blair finds it difficult to hide her disappointment and hatches a plan to get rid of Roman for good. Jenny and Vanessa help Serena plan the best Christmas surprise ever for Dan, who may have a surprise of his own in mind for Serena. Chuck texts Blair that Nate has joined him in Monaco, worrying Blair that Chuck may disclose the details of their hook-up. Rufus refuses to remain the understanding husband any longer after Alison's former lover calls the house.
Title comes from the 1953 film Roman Holiday.
12 12 "School Lies" Tony Wharmby Lenn K. Rosenfeld January 2, 2008 2.19,
Serena, Blair, Nate, Chuck and their entourage break into the school swimming pool for a night of fun, but when a member of their group nearly drowns, the school threatens to expel the person responsible for the break-in. Everyone agrees to keep a secret pact and say nothing, but it ultimately creates major tension between Serena and Dan, who isn't sure he's ready to take the fall for someone else and risk his future. Vanessa is working on a documentary project about private schools and accidentally captures Blair and Chuck discussing their affair. Lily contemplates telling Rufus how she really feels about him.
Title comes from the 1992 film School Ties.
13 13 "The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate" Norman Buckley Felicia D. Henderson January 9, 2008 2.27
Gossip Girl takes pleasure in reporting that Serena van der Woodsen was spotted buying pregnancy tests. Of course, on the Upper East Side, the truth is often even juicier and more scandalous than the gossip, and this time is no exception.
Title comes from the 1996 film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate.
14 14 "The Blair Bitch Project" J. Miller Tobin K.J. Steinberg April 21, 2008 2.50
Having been recently dethroned as "Queen Bee", Blair hesitantly returns to school with the support of her BFF, Serena. Meanwhile, Serena struggles to adjust to her new living arrangements with her future step-brother, Chuck, while receiving disturbing packages from an unknown sender. Jenny's drive to be popular hits an all-new time high when she does something illegal to fit in with her new Upper East Side friends.
Note: From this episode on, Szohr (Vanessa) are added to the main cast (i.e. no longer guest stars), is credited in the opening titles.
Title comes from the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project.
15 15 "Desperately Seeking Serena" Michael Fields Felicia D. Henderson April 28, 2008 2.53
Serena's Upper East Side world is turned upside down when her former partner in all things bad, Georgina Sparks (guest stars Michelle Trachtenberg), returns to Manhattan to stir up trouble and Serena's past. When Dan notices that Serena seems preoccupied he jumps to the conclusion that it must have something to do with Serena's new roomie and soon-to-be step-brother, Chuck. Nate finds romance with the last person he was expecting to connect with, Vanessa. Jenny meets a new guy, Asher Hornsby, who just might be her ticket to permanent popularity. Finally, Blair hatches a secret plan to sabotage her biggest rival, Nelly Yuki (Yin Chang).
Title comes from the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan.
16 16 "All About My Brother" Janice Cooke Paul Sciarrotta May 5, 2008 2.12
Georgina informs Serena that she is prepared to reveal damaging information from Serena's past, but no one is prepared for what Georgina does next. Blair and Jenny escalate their "popularity war" by spreading scandalous rumors about each other through Gossip Girl. Dan witnesses Jenny's new boyfriend, Asher, cheating with another boy who we find out to be Eric, Serena's brother, but Jenny refuses to listen to her brother's warning. Rufus goes to Lily for advice on how to handle Jenny's recent out-of-character behavior.
Title comes from the 1999 film All About My Mother.
17 17 "Woman on the Verge" Tony Wharmby Joshua Safran May 12, 2008 2.71
As a result of Georgina revealing the true reason that Serena fled Manhattan for boarding school, Serena falls back into her old habits and Blair, Nate and Chuck must put their complicated feelings for each other aside to help their friend. Unfortunately, Serena is too ashamed to share the truth with Dan, leaving him only to assume the worst about his girlfriend. Rufus is thrilled when his band is invited to perform at a Rolling Stone-sponsored concert, but Lily is the last person on earth he expects to see at the performance, especially since her wedding rehearsal dinner is the same night.
Title comes from the 1988 film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
18 18 "Much 'I Do' About Nothing" Norman Buckley Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage May 19, 2008 3.00
With her best friend Serena's life and reputation on the line, Blair decides to take matters into her own hands in dealing with the manipulative and evil Georgina Sparks. With Rufus never far from her thoughts, Lily prepares for her wedding day which is destined to be the Upper East Side's social event of the year. Serena finally pours out her heart and the truth about her past to Dan, but will it prove to be too late to save their relationship? And Chuck admits his feelings for Blair to Nate, allowing the two of them to mend their friendship. Heiress and model Lydia Hearst guest stars in the episode as Amelia, Lily's interior decorator.
Title comes from the 1993 film Much Ado About Nothing.
Crew
The season was produced by Warner Bros. Television, Alloy Entertainment and College Hill Pictures. The executive producers were creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage with Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein. K.J. Steinberg and Felicia D. Henderson served as co-executive producers. Producers include Joe Lazarov and Jessica Queller. The season was produced by Amy Kaufman. Jonathan C. Brody served as co-producer with Joshua Safran as consulting producer.
The staff writers were Schwartz, Savage, Henderson, Safran, Lenn K. Rosenfeld, Queller, Steinberg and Paul Sciarrotta. The regular directors throughout the season were Mark Piznarski, J. Miller Tobin, Patrick Norris, Norman Buckley, Tony Wharmby and Michael Fields.
Due to the show's pedigree as an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel series, the show was considered to be one of the more anticipated new shows of the 2007-2008 television season. An August 2007 survey by OTX, a global media research and consulting firm, placed the show on the list of top ten new shows that viewers were aware of. The pilot episode of the season gained 3.50 million viewers on its original airing, having previously been available as a free download on the American iTunes store. As the season progressed, ratings dropped with 2.48 million viewers tuning into the second episode. The eleventh episode marked a season low with only 1.81 million viewers tuning into watch the episode. The show was moved from Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. to its new timeslot Mondays at 8:00 p.m following the end on the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike where the final five episodes of the season were aired. Ratings increased for the season finale, with 3.00 million viewers tuning into the episode. Gossip Girl's digital video recorder ratings were high, increasing the show's profitability and the show had also been in the top five of iTunes sales.
Author Cecily von Ziegesar has expressed support for the show, noting that all of her major plot points were present in the pilot. The second episode in which the characters are shown to be attending a Brunch gained some approval from New York Magazine, stating that "there's no such thing as 'lunch' on the weekends", "that kids actually do venture outside of their neighborhoods" (since The New York Palace Hotel is at Midtown Manhattan), and "saying you live in Williamsburg makes much more sense... for real-estate emotional conflict", plus the fact Rihanna is played "in every situation." Gossip Girl was designated the "Best. Show. Ever." in April 2008, by NY Magazine. Other positive reviews came from publications Variety and the Boston Globe. John Maynard of The Washington Post feel that creator Josh Schwartz "turns it up a notch" from his former series The O.C., and noted Dan (Penn Badgley) as a standout character. Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle praised the show for its use of "Gossip Girl"'s blog as a new media element noting "there's a chance to tell a story where the Greek chorus essentially has a blog."
The show has come under criticism for containing scenes too risqué for its teen audience. The Parents Television Council has shown particular criticism of the series, especially with its "OMFG" ad campaign used towards the end of the season in April 2008. It also named the episode "Victor, Victrola" the worst television program of the week in which the episode originally was broadcast. The Parents Council's negative comments include it being "the most-watched show among girls 12-17 and glamorizes casual sex and drug use among teens. [And that] storylines have featured a would-be teen rapist, threesome among teens, and teenage girls having sex with adults." Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret Morning News noted that the show is milder than a lot of what's shown on MTV, but still warned parents of several scenes in the pilot. He said it includes "among other things, a teenage girl climbing on top of a boy and removing his clothes; drunken teens having sex; teens smoking pot; teens drinking in bars, in a limo and at a party; a teen boy getting amorous with a girl who fights him off; and that same teen boy essentially attempting to rape a freshman girl who is supposed to be, what, 14?".
The series has also been criticized for having less-than believable storylines and has been described as a guilty pleasure rather than an hour's worth of must-watch television
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