It started out as a popular series for teenage girls. Gossip Girl documents the trials and tribulations of Manhattan’s highest rolling…high school students. Any show about the wealthy and privileged kids of just about anywhere is going to be “Must See TV” (to borrow another station’s catch phrase). The OC lasted for four seasons. Beverly Hills 90210 lasted through the college years.

One of the most intriguing aspects to Gossip Girl, in both the books and the show, is the identity of Gossip Girl herself. Voiced by Kristin Bell, the face of Gossip Girl is never seen and while the viewers/readers may long to know which character she is, there is no doubt that this faceless teen girl is a fantastic narrator and joiner of otherwise dangling plot points. What better way to segue between two scenes that have nothing to do with each other than to say “meanwhile with our friends…”?

What keeps Gossip Girl viewers is the inevitable cliff-hanger or snarky one liner that comes at the end of each episode. No matter what situation, that single sentence leaves the audience saying “Hmm, I wonder…” and before they know it, they have watched every episode! This is a much more effective way to keep viewers than the usual gasp of horror as you realize that the rest of the major plot line will be told next week. Gossip Girl almost doesn’t need the “next week on Gossip Girl” promos. The end of each episode does its job quite nicely.

You might be quick to dismiss this show as just another “teen angst” show, and in many ways it is. The difference between this show and most other teen angst shows is that this show leaves you wanting to know what happens next. In this way, the show stays very true to the book series.