The CW has picked up Gossip Girl for a full-season order, making it the first series of the year to get such a commitment. This might be surprising, given the show’s seemingly mediocre ratings. But, the show is performing nicely in key demographics and is one of the most buzzed about shows on the Internet. The impressive DVR ratings for Gossip Girl have boosted its profitability, and the show has been in the top five in ITunes sales all year. Based on a series of books for teenagers (well, mostly teenage girls), Gossip Girl already had a built-in audience going into its debut season, and that audience seems to approve of its adaptation to the small screen.
I’m not a big fan of the show, though I only watched the pilot, but I admit that I’m not the target audience. I did know that the show would have its very own subculture when I learned that my 16-year-old sister, who does not watch any TV, has been DVRing Gossip Girl since its premiere and absolutely loves it. I still think Gossip Girl is a poverty-stricken version of The O.C, not funny and with worse actors. But, again, it’s not for me.
The CW needs some good news this year, and this is a good first step. Its other big new show Reaper has been mildly disappointing with its ratings thus far, but that show has received rave reviews and solid word of mouth, so hopefully things will pick up. There’s always something to be said for a show focusing on a very specific target audience, especially one as consumer friendly as teenagers. If Gossip Girl can become a so-called “buzz” show in high schools, the series could have a long and successful run.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: Variety
(Image Courtesy of The CW)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
