I’m glad we’re still flying a bit under the radar here. Because if the CW unleashed its babe-o-licious press relations team on me, I worry I too might somehow fall prey to it.
I threw up in my mouth a little bit when New York Magazine made Gossip Girl its cover story with the title Best Show Ever and then I threw up a little more when Sonia Zjawinski wrote a Wired blog post with the headline of Gossip Girl’s Online Success is a Preview of TV 3.0.
Not that Wired hasn’t always drunk the Internet Kool-Aide a little too much for its own good, but what’s most annoying to me about both articles is they play up the iTunes and the hundreds of thousands of streams from the CW’s site before it cancelled Internet streaming of Gossip Girl via its web site for the remainder of the season.
Take the hundreds of thousands of streams. Take the iTunes. Call it ONE MILLION altogether even. It’s not one million by the way, it’s significantly less because if it was actually anywhere near a million the babe-o-licious CW Network press relations team would have every body talking about NEARLY A MILLION instead of hundreds of thousands. But for the sake of discussion, let’s call it a million…even though Gossip Girl is currently only #7 on iTunes according to the Wired article.
But, let’s call it a million anyway and you know what you have? A show that still has less viewers in total than the Gilmore Girls had just last year in its final season. Even when you add in the imaginary million extra Internet viewers. And I’m sure Gimore Girls got some love on the Internet too. Gilmore Girls averaged 3.7 million viewers last year. That was significantly down from its hey day on The WB in 2001-2002 of 5.2 million viewers.
Babe-o-licious press relations crew or no all past performance indicates that Internet buzz (and even a cover on New York Magazine) doesn’t translate into viewers.
It’s often said that past performance isn’t always an indicator of future success, but it usually is, and I’m betting Gossip Girl is no exception. The problem for Gossip Girl is pretty simple: its target audience (women 12-34) would rather watch MTV’s The Hills.
Just letting you know it’s at #1 right now. Most people I know (being the target demo that we are) watch both Gossip Girl and The Hills, neither one live. But it is GG that everyone discusses and argues about- even in my Contemporary Civilization class. How is Nate and Chuck’s “friendship” a commentary on the need to legalize gay marriage in America?
Basically, tv producers need to find a way to cash in on the cultural phenomenon that GG has become- because it really is one. We want to buy those clothes, we text and blog about it constantly, we download it off illegal websites because it takes way too freaking long to come on iTunes and the CW streaming site sucks. Trust me, people don’t talk or care about The Hills nearly this much.
Just letting you know it's at #1 right now. Most people I know (being the target demo that we are) watch both Gossip Girl and The Hills, neither one live. But it is GG that everyone discusses and argues about- even in my Contemporary Civilization class. How is Nate and Chuck's “friendship” a commentary on the need to legalize gay marriage in America?
Basically, tv producers need to find a way to cash in on the cultural phenomenon that GG has become- because it really is one. We want to buy those clothes, we text and blog about it constantly, we download it off illegal websites because it takes way too freaking long to come on iTunes and the CW streaming site sucks. Trust me, people don't talk or care about The Hills nearly this much.
Gilmore Girls was not streamed over the internet last year.
Gilmore Girls was not streamed over the internet last year.
Oh it was streamed — just not by the CW.
And soholove, thank you for the feedback. I’m still soaking it all in.
Oh it was streamed — just not by the CW.
And soholove, thank you for the feedback. I'm still soaking it all in.
OMG, I just cannot believe it. Nobody is buying the Gossip Girl hype that The CW is just throwing in our faces with fuc**** shovels. The show is not performing good because the show is not good. Simple equation.
Oh, and about the ‘Best. Show. Ever.’ quote on the cover story of NY magazine… Do these people watch or have ever watched a little thing called TV?
OMG, I just cannot believe it. Nobody is buying the Gossip Girl hype that The CW is just throwing in our faces with fuc**** shovels. The show is not performing good because the show is not good. Simple equation.
Oh, and about the 'Best. Show. Ever.' quote on the cover story of NY magazine… Do these people watch or have ever watched a little thing called TV?
Thank you so much for calling CW on their crap. Gossip Girls is not a hit no matter how you spin it. From reading around the internet, you are right they share a viewership with The Hill, the dumbest of the 12-34 females. They both cater to the lowest common denominator of the demographic, and The Hill there has the advantage, it’s even worse, and dumber than Gossip Girls.
Thank you so much for calling CW on their crap. Gossip Girls is not a hit no matter how you spin it. From reading around the internet, you are right they share a viewership with The Hill, the dumbest of the 12-34 females. They both cater to the lowest common denominator of the demographic, and The Hill there has the advantage, it's even worse, and dumber than Gossip Girls.
I just have to say how much I enjoy these articles. This is one example of you writing what I think.
I just have to say how much I enjoy these articles. This is one example of you writing what I think.
Robert- I thought the NY Mag cover was supposed to be funny. Like ‘OMG this show is like totally the best show ever!’ playing off the ditzy valley girl vibe the show has. But I may be wrong in which case I would have to assume that no one at NY Mag has watched a television show. Ever.
Also– side note– I’m in CW’s target market and I never missed an episode of Gilmore Girls. Gossip Girls however is a mean spirited superficial crapfest which I gave a chance an now refuse to watch. I can’t believe the CW cancelled many shows with positive images of girls for this gaggle of ‘mean girl’ bubbleheads.
Robert- I thought the NY Mag cover was supposed to be funny. Like 'OMG this show is like totally the best show ever!' playing off the ditzy valley girl vibe the show has. But I may be wrong in which case I would have to assume that no one at NY Mag has watched a television show. Ever.
Also– side note– I'm in CW's target market and I never missed an episode of Gilmore Girls. Gossip Girls however is a mean spirited superficial crapfest which I gave a chance an now refuse to watch. I can't believe the CW cancelled many shows with positive images of girls for this gaggle of 'mean girl' bubbleheads.
Gossip Girl best show ever? It may be one of the most hyped shows ever, but thats about it. No wonder CW is going down the tubes.
The BEST WEEK EVER is better than Gossip Girl, at least that clip show is somewhat entertaining. Id rather eat my own eyes than watch GG.
Gossip Girl best show ever? It may be one of the most hyped shows ever, but thats about it. No wonder CW is going down the tubes.
The BEST WEEK EVER is better than Gossip Girl, at least that clip show is somewhat entertaining. Id rather eat my own eyes than watch GG.
Mandi, I nominate “Gossip Girls however is a mean spirited superficial crapfest” as the best pull quote of the week!
Mandi, I nominate “Gossip Girls however is a mean spirited superficial crapfest” as the best pull quote of the week!
I could write a book about the new do-me feminist media-journakist complex ( with apologies to Camille Paglia) and sort of am. All I will say here is my latest ( gift subscription) New Yorker has a feature article about the Gossip Girl book series. How many of us knew the TV series was based on some childrens’ books which are popular in NYC? The critic pans the TV show, of course, as a blandification or dilution of the books, again, of course, much darker. Maybe this helps explain the media hype for Gossip Girl – like Candace Bushnell, the author has good friends in high places, and the hype is as much about a successful book series, ala Bushnell and JK Rowling, as it is about a TV show on a negligible network.
I could write a book about the new do-me feminist media-journakist complex ( with apologies to Camille Paglia) and sort of am. All I will say here is my latest ( gift subscription) New Yorker has a feature article about the Gossip Girl book series. How many of us knew the TV series was based on some childrens' books which are popular in NYC? The critic pans the TV show, of course, as a blandification or dilution of the books, again, of course, much darker. Maybe this helps explain the media hype for Gossip Girl – like Candace Bushnell, the author has good friends in high places, and the hype is as much about a successful book series, ala Bushnell and JK Rowling, as it is about a TV show on a negligible network.
So much for your apology (or “apology”) to Ostroff and Co. the other day. lol
So much for your apology (or “apology”) to Ostroff and Co. the other day. lol
haha Sandy. Truth is I’m digesting a lot of Gossip Girl info right now and another at least sort of apology will likely ensue. I just haven’t figured out exactly how to write it yet.
haha Sandy. Truth is I'm digesting a lot of Gossip Girl info right now and another at least sort of apology will likely ensue. I just haven't figured out exactly how to write it yet.
This is really what grates me most about GG. If it’s press coverage was appropriate for it’s ratings, then it would just be another low rated show with a niche audience that you’d hardly ever hear about, and it would get about as much coverage as something like The Bill Engvall Show.
But you’ve got a few deluded people in the press who have somehow convinced themselves that the show is successful and popular. It’s neither.
This is really what grates me most about GG. If it's press coverage was appropriate for it's ratings, then it would just be another low rated show with a niche audience that you'd hardly ever hear about, and it would get about as much coverage as something like The Bill Engvall Show.
But you've got a few deluded people in the press who have somehow convinced themselves that the show is successful and popular. It's neither.
David, the answer is simple. Josh Schwartz is a very ordinary writer who is a massive manipulator of the press. Big, big bucks have been spent massaging TV critics into hyping GG which I beleive is what Robert Seidman was intimating.
David, the answer is simple. Josh Schwartz is a very ordinary writer who is a massive manipulator of the press. Big, big bucks have been spent massaging TV critics into hyping GG which I beleive is what Robert Seidman was intimating.
Hi there,
I’m from Singapore and I’m a huge fan of Gossip Girl. In defense of the show, I’d like to share with you some of my findings on social networking websites like Facebook and Friendster.
On Facebook, there are dozens of groups catered to GG and The Hills, and as I’m typing this out, the largest Gossip Girl group has 7181 members while the largest group for The Hills has 1535.
It’s a bit harder for Friendster as search results for ‘The Hills’ tend to include ‘One Tree Hill’, ‘King of the Hill’, etc. But I did try ‘GossipGirl’ and ‘TheHills’ and it turns out that 61 Americans listed GG under their Favorite TV Shows vis-a-vis 33 for The Hills.
In my country alone, 1281 people wrote Gossip Girl as one of their favorite shows, the highest among the 2007-08 slate of shows, and mind you, no TV station in my country has yet to air it.
Yes I admit that these numbers aren’t a hundred percent accurate but you have to agree that it does give you an idea of the size of a show’s fan base and popularity.
Hi there,
I'm from Singapore and I'm a huge fan of Gossip Girl. In defense of the show, I'd like to share with you some of my findings on social networking websites like Facebook and Friendster.
On Facebook, there are dozens of groups catered to GG and The Hills, and as I'm typing this out, the largest Gossip Girl group has 7181 members while the largest group for The Hills has 1535.
It's a bit harder for Friendster as search results for 'The Hills' tend to include 'One Tree Hill', 'King of the Hill', etc. But I did try 'GossipGirl' and 'TheHills' and it turns out that 61 Americans listed GG under their Favorite TV Shows vis-a-vis 33 for The Hills.
In my country alone, 1281 people wrote Gossip Girl as one of their favorite shows, the highest among the 2007-08 slate of shows, and mind you, no TV station in my country has yet to air it.
Yes I admit that these numbers aren't a hundred percent accurate but you have to agree that it does give you an idea of the size of a show's fan base and popularity.
I defy anyone to sit down, watch the first five or six episodes, and tell me that Gossip Girl isn’t one of the best teen dramas they’ve ever seen. It’s beautifully produced and sharply-written. It’s sexy and catty, but it’s got a really good heart. The focal point of the show isn’t sex, money, or cattiness — it’s the friendship between the two female leads, whose love and loyalty to each other ultimately sets the show apart.
And people *are* watching it and talking about it. Among the demo, it *is* a smash hit. I don’t care what your numbers tell you — the numbers are broken.
I defy anyone to sit down, watch the first five or six episodes, and tell me that Gossip Girl isn't one of the best teen dramas they've ever seen. It's beautifully produced and sharply-written. It's sexy and catty, but it's got a really good heart. The focal point of the show isn't sex, money, or cattiness — it's the friendship between the two female leads, whose love and loyalty to each other ultimately sets the show apart.
And people *are* watching it and talking about it. Among the demo, it *is* a smash hit. I don't care what your numbers tell you — the numbers are broken.
*pukes*
Veronica Mars was a superior show in every way possible. And so were the Gilmore Girls.
*pukes*
Veronica Mars was a superior show in every way possible. And so were the Gilmore Girls.
Totally agree with C. But why stop at the first 5 or 6? I thought episode 14 was the best one so far.
I’m a huge fan of Veronica Mars and I was (and still am) pretty upset that The CW canceled it. I nearly joined the bandwagon of CW haters till they came up with Gossip Girl! Don’t you think the character of Gossip Girl is like a homage to Veronica Mars? Now if The CW dares cancel GG prematurely, I’m booking my first class seats to their haters club!
Both shows are different & unique, no one is superior than the other.
Totally agree with C. But why stop at the first 5 or 6? I thought episode 14 was the best one so far.
I'm a huge fan of Veronica Mars and I was (and still am) pretty upset that The CW canceled it. I nearly joined the bandwagon of CW haters till they came up with Gossip Girl! Don't you think the character of Gossip Girl is like a homage to Veronica Mars? Now if The CW dares cancel GG prematurely, I'm booking my first class seats to their haters club!
Both shows are different & unique, no one is superior than the other.
I agree with C and SG fan I loved Veronica Mars AND Gossip Girl!
All these people hating Gossip Girl HAVE NOT seen even a few episodes GUARANTEED. If they had they would notice how witty and well written this show actually is. Don’t let the name turn you off. It’s by far my favourite teen drama I have ever seen in my life.
Out of all the shows I watch (Friday Night Lights, Battlestar Galactica, LOST, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Terminator, The Office), Gossip Girl has quickly become the show I look most forward too (I’ve never been this obsessed with a show ever!) If CW cancels this show, I’m done with CW.
I don’t think CW will cancel the show this season. It has bypassed anyshow in the last 5 years in term of buzz and it does really good in the young female demo (Number 9 out of ALL TV SHOWS!) even though its overall ratings aren’t great. This is the best written show on the CW right now and has an amazing cast…CW would just be plain stupid to cancel this show.
Without GOssip Girl, I guarantee everyone would forget what the CW even is…
I agree with C and SG fan I loved Veronica Mars AND Gossip Girl!
All these people hating Gossip Girl HAVE NOT seen even a few episodes GUARANTEED. If they had they would notice how witty and well written this show actually is. Don't let the name turn you off. It's by far my favourite teen drama I have ever seen in my life.
Out of all the shows I watch (Friday Night Lights, Battlestar Galactica, LOST, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Terminator, The Office), Gossip Girl has quickly become the show I look most forward too (I've never been this obsessed with a show ever!) If CW cancels this show, I'm done with CW.
I don't think CW will cancel the show this season. It has bypassed anyshow in the last 5 years in term of buzz and it does really good in the young female demo (Number 9 out of ALL TV SHOWS!) even though its overall ratings aren't great. This is the best written show on the CW right now and has an amazing cast…CW would just be plain stupid to cancel this show.
Without GOssip Girl, I guarantee everyone would forget what the CW even is…
BSG Fan: I’ll go 100% that the CW will NOT cancel Gossip Girl this season. They’ve already renewed it and nothing happened last Monday to make things any worse,
despite getting CRUSHED by The Hills in the Nielsen ratings GG improved over its own season averages in key demos. I don’t know that everyone won’t wind up forgetting what the CW is anyway, but it seems VERY committed to GG. I don’t expect anything that happens the remainder of this season will change that.
BSG Fan: I'll go 100% that the CW will NOT cancel Gossip Girl this season. They've already renewed it and nothing happened last Monday to make things any worse,
despite getting CRUSHED by The Hills in the Nielsen ratings GG improved over its own season averages in key demos. I don't know that everyone won't wind up forgetting what the CW is anyway, but it seems VERY committed to GG. I don't expect anything that happens the remainder of this season will change that.
I live in the UK and just thought you might like to know that it gets around 300,000 viwers on digital only channel ITV2… thats below the slot average.
I live in the UK and just thought you might like to know that it gets around 300,000 viwers on digital only channel ITV2… thats below the slot average.
I remember a “little show” called Dawson’s Creek, and when it first came out had all this buzz, cuz the best friends would literally sleep together, and they talked about masturbation….10 years later I’m 22 and now middle school girls get to watch high schoolers literally FUCK! Oh but this show is buzzing b/c of the fashion, that’s commercialism for you! Teen dramas were entertainment, and dialogue starters w/o selling you on being a superficial, egotistical, best-dessed BITCH!!!
I remember a “little show” called Dawson's Creek, and when it first came out had all this buzz, cuz the best friends would literally sleep together, and they talked about masturbation….10 years later I'm 22 and now middle school girls get to watch high schoolers literally FUCK! Oh but this show is buzzing b/c of the fashion, that's commercialism for you! Teen dramas were entertainment, and dialogue starters w/o selling you on being a superficial, egotistical, best-dessed BITCH!!!