CW To Give 'Gossip Girl' An Upper East Side Victory Lap
by Sean ComerAfter six seasons, "Gossip Girl" dodged one final bullet. As a reward, E! News reports, it gets to end with a properly constructed final season.
Say goodbye to the Upper East Side, folks. The ride with Blair (Leighton Meester), Dan (Penn Badgley), Serena (Blake Lively) and Chuck (Ed Westwick) is over. Unfortunately, it's not even ending with a full order. Like The CW's own "One Tree Hill" this past year and NBC's "30 Rock" this coming fall, it's only been picked up for a half season.
Actually, it's almost worse. On one hand, "30 Rock" gets a 13-episode final bow. On the other, "Gossip Girl" gets 11. It's also worth noting that showrunner Josh Safran won't be back. He's moving up to NBC to helm the second season of "Smash". Sad, considering that he started out with the show in 2007 as a writer and consulting producer, then moved up the ranks to co-executive producer and finally became executive producer last season.
Elsewhere, at least Blair and Co. will be in familiar company next fall, dying surrounded by loved ones. Also picked up this week for full seasons were "The Vampire Diaries", "Supernatural", "90210", "Hart of Dixie" and "Nikita".
Alas, not everybody was so lucky. "The Secret Circle" has been canned. As for CW legend Sarah Michelle Gellar? Well, the luck of the Slayer has run out. With a second baby on the way for husband Freddie Prinze, Jr., "Ringer" didn't last longer than a full season.
In addition, The CW is picking up five pilots to series: the "Smallville" spin-off "Arrow", Candice Bushnell's "Sex And The City" prequel "The Carrie Diaries", "Cult", "First Cut" and a rehash of "Beauty And The Beast".