GOSSIP GIRL: PILOT {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The premiere of this drama series, based on Cecily von Ziegesar's novels, which focuses on a group of rich, young students attending a prep school for privileged teens on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
The program opens in Grand Central Station as Serena van der Woodsen is spotted by the anonymous narrator -- the titular, blog-writing "Gossip Girl" -- as she returns to New York City after a mysterious absence. Also at Grand Central, Rufus Humphrey greets his teenage children, Dan and Jenny, who are returning from a visit with their estranged mother. Across town, Blair Waldorf, Serena's erstwhile best friend, hears of Serena's return. She experiences mixed emotions as she fears that her boyfriend Nate Archibald once "had a thing" for Serena.
At a party thrown by her extravagant mother, Eleanor, Serena takes Nate into the bedroom and starts to seduce him. Their lovemaking is interrupted by Serena's arrival, which seems to excite Nate. Elsewhere at the party, Nate's best friend, proverbial "bad boy" Chuck Bass, cynically observes as Serena reunites with her self-centered mother, Lily. After a show of affection for Blair, Serena leaves the party and goes to the hospital to see her younger brother, Eric, who's recovering from a suicide attempt.
The next day at his Brooklyn apartment, Rufus tells Dan and Jenny about trying to revive his '90s-era rock band, Lincoln Hawk. Jenny chides Dan about having stayed up late to read the "Gossip Girl" blog entry on Serena, noting that Dan has long been in love with her. In Manhattan, Nate seeks out Serena, who tells him that they can't resume the affair which caused her to leave town, as he remains Blair's boyfriend. While shopping, Serena and Eric run into Jenny, who invites Serena to Blair's upcoming party. That night, Blair and Serena meet for drinks, during which Serena avoids telling an angry Blair why she left for boarding school without explanation.
Later, Chuck takes Serena to dinner and tells her that he knows of her past with Nate. When Chuck tries to make love to her, Serena hits him and stalks away. While leaving, she stumbles over nearby Dan, who later finds her phone on the floor. At the same time, Nate admits his indiscretion with Serena to Blair, after which she throws him out of her apartment.
The next morning, Dan returns Serena's phone. Running into Lily, Serena uses Dan as an excuse not to go to Blair's party, telling Lily that she's instead attending a Lincoln Hawk concert with Dan. Meanwhile, Nate apologizes to Blair, who takes him back on the condition that he never converse with Serena. Rufus then gets a visit from Lily, who states that their long-ago affair should remain in the past, and that Serena's date with Dan won't change anything.
That night, Nate is distant with Blair at her party, while Chuck goes after "newbie" Jenny. In Brooklyn, Dan introduces Serena to Rufus as they await the concert's start. Jenny texts Dan to rescue her from Chuck; Dan and Serena then rush to Blair's party. There, Blair refuses to speak to Serena, causing a sensation among the guests, particularly Serena's latest sycophants, Isabel Coates and Kati Farkas. After finding Chuck trying to ravage Jenny on the roof, Dan punches Chuck. As Serena, Dan, and Jenny hurriedly leave the bash, Blair and Chuck plot Serena's downfall. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CW, The
- DATE: September 19, 2007 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:40:41
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:91242
- GENRE: Drama, night-time serial
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, night-time serial; Teenagers; Romance; Women's Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: The CW - TV series, 2007-2012
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Leslie Morgenstern … Executive Producer
- Bob Levy … Executive Producer
- Stephanie Savage … Executive Producer, Writer
- Josh Schwartz … Executive Producer, Writer
- Amy Kaufman … Producer
- Jonathan C. Brody … Co-Producer
- Trey Coscia … Associate Producer
- Joshua Safran … Consulting Producer
- Trista K. Wahl … Visual Effects Producer
- Mark Piznarski … Director
- Cecily von Ziegesar … Based on the novels by
- The Transcenders … Music by, Theme Music by
- Blake Lively … Cast, Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester … Cast, Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley … Cast, Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford … Cast, Nate Archibald
- Taylor Momsen … Cast, Jenny Humphrey
- Ed Westwick … Cast, Chuck Bass
- Kelly Rutherford … Cast, Lily van der Woodsen
- Matthew Settle … Cast, Rufus Humphrey
- Sam Robards … Cast, Howie "The Captain" Archibald
- Florencia Lozano … Cast, Eleanor Waldorf
- Conor Paolo … Cast, Eric van der Woodsen
- Nicole Fiscella … Cast, Isabel Coates
- Nan Zhang … Cast, Kati Farkas
- Kimberly Hebert Gregory … Cast, Nurse
- Andrew Stewart-Jones … Cast, Concierge
- Lindsay Broad … Cast, Melody 91
- Robert Stoeckle … Cast, High Society Man
- Renee Diamond … Cast, Herself
- Kristen Bell … Voice, Gossip Girl