The return of "Gossip Girl"!

I just realized that tonight marks the first new episode of Gossip Girl in three months!  For a sneak preview, watch the above and read these comments from Executive Producer Josh Schwartz.  Also, nice synergy that the episode title, "The Hurt Locket," is a nod to last night's Best Picture Winner.

Count me in

I've professed my love for Gossip Girl in this space before. Although the show's main characters are largely teenagers, I suspect the audience is mostly people my age. This recent article in The New York Times certainly supports that theory: the Parents Television Council may not like the show, but it's undeniably influencing fashion and generates much-needed buzz for the CW network. As for me, I do think Blake Lively has eminently enviable hair.

Gossip Girl: Who Will Die?

Hey, Upper East Siders.
Gossip Girl returns tonight after a two-week hiatus with a rumored death happening in this new episode, titled "It's a Wonderful Lie." My money is on chilly business magnate Bart Bass going to the big board room in the sky. My reasons? He's an important enough character but not so important that his departure will leave a huge hole in the show or alienate fans. Two, his death would create interesting storyline opportunities, such as how will Chuck cope, what happens with Bass Enterprises, and will Lily and Rufus get together. Third, it's always the distant millionaire dad who kicks the bucket and leaves his screwed up kids behind. See also The OC and Ugly Betty. Oddly, Alan Dale played that part on both shows, and is currently doing much the same thing on Lost, except his character is still alive. Alan Dale and Robert John Burke (who plays Bart Bass) look a lot alike too. Eerie coincidence or typecasting?! You be the judge!

It's Monday, and that means...

Another new episode of Gossip Girl! I was reading The Daily Intel at New York Magazine for some nuggets on my favorite prime-time soap and saw a link to this interview with Josh Schwartz, the show's executive producer. It's a little spoilery, so don't read if you want to remain completely surprised by the show this season.

Shout out to my friend Lilah Krazinpitski (how'd I do on the spelling?), a fellow fan of the late, lamtented Josh Schwartz show The O.C. Give GG a try, Lilah! It may lack Sandy Cohen's eyebrows, but it makes up for that with plenty of headbands and ridiculously bright outerwear.

Gossip Girl!

Much to my delight, another season of Gossip Girl started last week. It was a long, scandal-free summer without this show.

One of my favorite things to do during TV season is read show recaps the next day to see what editors and fans were thinking, and if it lines up with my reactions. The most fun Gossip Girl recap is from New York Magazine. Entertainment Weekly finally ponied up a full TV Watch this year. I'm often surprised by how snarky the reader comments are on the TV Watches (the ones for Grey's Anatomy can get especially nasty).

My reactions to last night's episode are as follows: Rufus is still completely uninteresting to me, as much as I loved Matthew Settle in Band of Brothers. Same goes for Vanessa -- she is so annoying, and has no apparent life outside of waiting for one of the Humphrey's to need her for coffee and/or Doc Marten wearing abilities. What purpose does her character serve? As always, Blair was my favorite. I'm enjoying watching her with her new royal boyfriend. He's cute and courtly, but I don't completely believe he's as peachy as he seems. Chuck continues to be improbably sexy.

The craziest storyline is Nate's descent into being a male prostitute! I did not see that coming, although it might have been revealed in the spoiler section of EW's recent cover story on GG. Sweet, nice, slightly stupid Nate, I hate to see you reduced to being a man whore!

Lastly, this little piece of news made me squeal internally. Leighton Meester and Blake Lively (Blair and Serena, respectively) are going to be on 30 Rock!

OMFG - Gossip Girl is Back!

Just watched the return episode of Gossip Girl and damn if it wasn't refreshing like a warm bath. Yay, indulgently fabulously over-the-topishly scripted TV is back! I'm not alone in my love. New York Magazine shares my obsession and goes it one better with this awesome cover story.

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!