Culture

ZOMG ‘Gossip Girl’ Prequel Spin-off Series Planned

by Jarrett Martineau | January 15, 2009 at 10:30 am

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All it takes is one episode, but the producers of 'Gossip Girl' are hoping to set plans in motion for a spin-off prequel series to the hit show.

The episode, scheduled to air in May, will explore the early life of Lily Rhodes — who grows up to be Lillian van der Woodsen, mother of Serena, on Gossip Girl.

This could pave the way for a full prequel series which could debut as early as next fall, depending on how it is received.

The CW is expanding the universe of the low-rated but much-buzzed-about drama “Gossip Girl.” An episode in May will take the form of a prequel, laying the groundwork for a spin-off that could debut as soon as the fall, the network confirmed.
The episode will chronicle the exploits of Lily Rhodes, whom the CW calls a “wildchild teenager in Los Angeles in the 1980s.” She grows up to be Lillian van der Woodsen, the mother of Serena, in the present-day “Gossip Girl” series, which chronicles the lives of ridiculously wealthy teenagers in Manhattan.

Amid ongoing speculation about a “Gossip Girl” spin-off, “we were adamant that it had to be the right time and the right idea,” the executive producers, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, said in a statement. By setting the prequel in California and introducing new actors, the producers said they would avoid diminishing the current series, which is in its second season.