Gossip Girl
2007
Original language: English
- drama
The story
An exclusive group of privileged teens from a posh prep school on Manhattan's Upper East Side whose lives revolve around the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive Gossip Girl.
What it’s like
Glossy, saturated early-2000s prime time: bright Manhattan daylight through apartment windows, lavish interiors in cream and gold, and the Upper East Side rendered as a place of white-tiled marble, taxi-yellow street glare and rain-slicked night avenues lit by shop signs. Camera work is quick and mobile, with frequent handheld tracking through crowded galas and school corridors, and the blog's text messages flash across the screen in bold, each arriving with a sharp sting. The score leans on pop and indie-rock cues, bright and forward, while the emotional beats slow into swelling strings. The vibe is glamorous, bitchy and breezy, with a current of loneliness under the champagne, the kind of show that suits a weeknight binge, a comfort rewatch, or something to half-watch while doing a face mask. Pacing is brisk and serialized, with a fresh scandal almost every episode and the friendships and romances tangling and untangling across seasons. Its people are teenagers chasing status and love while learning, slowly and not always gracefully, how much the cruelty around them costs. Intensity is low to moderate: some bullying, drinking, sexual innuendo and teen make-outs, with no graphic violence and no gore. It is for viewers who want escapist, character-driven drama about wealth, rivalry and growing up, with a generous dose of style.
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