Blair Waldorf Must Pie!
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | September 19, 2007 |
| Founder | Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Television series |
| Parent | The CW |
The debut season of the American teen drama series Gossip Girl launched on The CW network on September 19, 2007, and wrapped up on May 19, 2008, after airing 18 episodes. Adapted from the book series authored by Cecily von Ziegesar, the show was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. The storyline follows Serena van der Woodsen as she makes a mysterious return to Manhattan's Upper East Side, with events narrated by the anonymous blogger known as Gossip Girl.
During its initial run, the first 13 episodes were broadcast on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. on The CW; in Canada, all episodes except the twelfth premiered a day earlier on CTV. Following the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the schedule was adjusted to Mondays at 8:00 p.m. The complete season was later issued as a five-disc DVD collection by Warner Home Video on August 19, 2008. Prior to the TV premiere, the pilot episode was available for free download on iTunes, while subsequent episodes could be purchased following their original broadcast.
Plot
The narrative revolves around Serena van der Woodsen’s unexpected return to Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Her comeback, publicized by Gossip Girl, disrupts Blair Waldorf’s world when it comes to light that Serena had an affair with Blair’s boyfriend Nate Archibald before leaving town. Nate’s lingering feelings for Serena ignite a rivalry between Serena and Blair that eventually leads to their reconciliation. Meanwhile, siblings Dan and Jenny Humphrey from Brooklyn become entangled in this privileged social circle; Jenny befriends Blair while Dan pursues a romantic relationship with Serena, echoing the past romance between their parents Rufus and Lily.
Blair and Nate’s relationship deteriorates as Chuck Bass begins to seduce Blair. At the same time, the cunning Georgina Sparks arrives incognito with intentions to sabotage Serena by revealing her secrets and causing turmoil in various relationships, including exposing Serena’s brother. Blair develops feelings for Chuck but loses her bond with Nate; ultimately, Chuck leaves Blair due to complications within their relationship.
Dan reconnects with his childhood friend Vanessa Abrams, who challenges his emotions toward Serena until he admits his true feelings for her. The season concludes with the Upper East Side residents joining forces to remove Georgina from their midst. Serena and Nate head off to the Hamptons; Chuck leaves a devastated Blair; Dan reconciles with Vanessa and returns to Brooklyn; Jenny departs from Blair’s circle to accept a fashion internship at Blair’s mother’s company.
Main
- Blake Lively portraying Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley playing Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald
- Taylor Momsen in the role of Jenny Humphrey
- Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass
- Jessica Szohr portraying Vanessa Abrams
- Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen
- Matthew Settle playing Rufus Humphrey
- Kristen Bell providing the voice of Gossip Girl (uncredited)
Recurring
- Sam Robards as Howard Archibald
- Connor Paolo portraying Eric van der Woodsen
- Nicole Fiscella as Isabel Coates
- Nan Zhang playing Kati Farkas
- Zuzanna Szadkowski as Dorota Kishlovsky
- Robert John Burke portraying Bart Bass
- Margaret Colin as Eleanor Waldorf
- Michelle Hurd in the role of Laurel
- Jill Flint as Bex Simon
- Francie Swift portraying Anne Archibald
- Susan Misner as Alison Humphrey
- Amanda Setton playing Penelope Shafai
- Dreama Walker as Hazel Williams
Guest
- Sebastian Stan as Carter Baizen
- John Shea as Harold Waldorf
- Caroline Lagerfelt as CeCe Rhodes
- William Abadie as Roman
- Linda Emond as Headmistress Queller
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks
- Yin Chang as Nelly Yuki
- Jesse Swenson as Asher Hornsby
Episodes
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Casting
The first season introduced nine principal characters with starring credits. Blake Lively took on the role of Serena van der Woodsen, a former socialite of the Upper East Side who returns after a mysterious period at boarding school. Kelly Rutherford portrayed Lily van der Woodsen, Serena's mother, a socialite with multiple divorces. Leighton Meester played Blair Waldorf, the dominant Queen Bee and eventual central figure, who harbors resentment toward Serena's comeback. Penn Badgley depicted Dan Humphrey, an outsider from a middle-class background, with Matthew Settle as his father Rufus, a former rock musician turned art dealer, and Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey, Dan’s younger sister aiming to fit into the elite Constance Billiard crowd during her freshman year. Chace Crawford appeared as Nate Archibald, Blair’s boyfriend who shows interest in Serena, while Ed Westwick portrayed Chuck Bass, known for being a notorious womanizer. Initially appearing in a guest role, Jessica Szohr was promoted to the main cast as Vanessa Abrams, Dan’s childhood best friend.
Kristen Bell provided the voiceover for "Gossip Girl," the anonymous blogger whose posts are eagerly followed by the Upper East Side youth. Recurring characters included Connor Paolo as Eric van der Woodsen, Serena’s brother recently discharged from rehab following a suicide attempt; Margaret Colin replacing Florencia Lozano from the pilot as Eleanor Waldorf, Blair’s mother and fashion designer; Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks, a complicated figure from Serena’s past; and Sam Robards and Francie Swift portraying Nate’s parents Howard and Anne Archibald. Blair’s close friends featured Nicole Fiscella as Isabel Coates and Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas—Zhang departed temporarily to pursue neuroscience studies at Johns Hopkins University and was succeeded by Yin Chang playing Nelly Yuki; Zhang returned in season four. Additional members of Blair’s circle included Amanda Setton (Penelope Shafai), Dreama Walker (Hazel Williams), and Emma Demar (Elise Wells).
Among notable recurring guest stars were Zuzanna Szadkowski in the role of Blair’s maid Dorota Kishlovsky; Robert John Burke as Chuck Bass’s father Bart Bass, a billionaire; Susan Misner portraying Alison Humphrey, Rufus’s estranged wife; John Shea playing Harold Waldorf, Blair’s father; and William Abadie as Roman, Harold's partner.
Crew
This season was developed through collaboration between Warner Bros. Television, Alloy Entertainment, and College Hill Pictures. The executive production team consisted of series creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, alongside Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein. Co-executive producers included K.J. Steinberg and Felicia D. Henderson, with Joe Lazarov and Jessica Queller credited as producers. Amy Kaufman functioned as the season producer, Jonathan C. Brody held the co-producer role, and Joshua Safran contributed as consulting producer.
The writing team featured Schwartz, Savage, Henderson, Safran, Lenn K. Rosenfeld, Queller, Steinberg, and Paul Sciarrotta. Directorial duties were regularly fulfilled by Mark Piznarski, J. Miller Tobin, Patrick Norris, Norman Buckley, Tony Wharmby, and Michael Fields.
Reception
As a television adaptation of a The New York Times bestselling book series, the program generated significant anticipation for the 2007–2008 broadcast season. An OTX survey conducted in August 2007 placed it among the top ten new series in terms of audience recognition. The pilot episode premiered with an audience of 3.50 million viewers after being offered as a complimentary download on iTunes. Nevertheless, viewership dropped to 2.48 million by the second episode and reached a nadir of 1.81 million by the eleventh installment. Post-2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the show shifted from its Wednesday 9 p.m. slot to Mondays at 8 p.m., with the concluding episodes experiencing a resurgence in ratings, culminating in approximately 3 million viewers for the finale. The program's profitability was further bolstered by high digital video recorder usage and robust iTunes sales.
Author Cecily von Ziegesar publicly supported the adaptation, affirming that essential narrative elements were preserved in the pilot. The second episode garnered acclaim from New York magazine for its genuine portrayal of social dynamics and real estate tensions pertinent to its intended audience. In April 2008, the series earned the designation "Best. Show. Ever." from New York magazine. Additional favorable critiques appeared in Variety, the Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle, which commended the strong character arcs and innovative incorporation of digital media components such as the show's blog.
Controversy emerged regarding provocative content considered unsuitable for teenage viewers, particularly from the Parents Television Council (PTC). The council targeted the show's "OMFG" advertising campaign and condemned certain episodes as among the worst broadcast due to themes involving casual sexual encounters, substance use, and contentious storylines featuring minors. Nonetheless, some analysts observed that the series was comparatively less explicit than other youth-oriented programs but recommended parental discretion for specific scenes.
Furthermore, the show faced criticism over unrealistic plot developments and was frequently described as a guilty pleasure rather than a must-watch within its genre.
DVD release
Warner Home Video issued the complete first season on DVD in the United States on August 19, 2008, subsequent to its television airing. This release contains all 18 episodes along with additional materials including deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and a downloadable audiobook version of the original bestselling novel narrated by Christina Ricci.
| Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season | ||||
| Set details | Special features | |||
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| Release dates | ||||
| Template:USA | Template:CAN | Template:UK | Template:AUS | |
| August 19, 2008 | August 18, 2008 | April 15, 2009 | ||
External links
- Compilation of Gossip Girl Season 1 episodes available on IMDb]