New Guilty Pleasure

When I was in 9th grade, everyone was watching Beverly Hills, 90210. Everyone, that is, except for me, because I wasn't allowed! Aaron Spelling's prime-time soap about the Walsh twins from Minnesota thrust into the glitzy world of Beverly Hills, CA was off-limits in my house. No pregnancy scare for Brenda, no Andrea really lives with her grandmother, no "Donna Martin graduates" for me. Sigh. By the time I got to college and could watch on my own, the heyday of 90210 was long since over. Peach Pit After Dark, anyone? Um, no.

Ever since then, I've maintained a soft spot for the splashy high school drama. I fell in love with The OC at first sight. And even though The OC sometimes let me down and did things like bring Oliver on board and send Marissa to a crappy other high school, or make Ryan date that annoying math whiz Lindsay, I stuck it out and stayed true until it was finally cancelled last year. I still miss Peter Gallagher's eyebrows and fondness for morning bagels.

Now, Josh Schwartz, the man responsible for the brilliance of The OC's first year (and then leaving it to do other things and letting it go into a bit of a crapfest spiral) has brought us Gossip Girl. It may not be as great as The OC once was, but I'm still hooked. Parties every week, missed connections and misunderstandings, fabulous hair and fashion, prepping for college applications and hiding your dad's cocaine addiction...love it!