"Gossip Girl" TCA Report

[JamesG]

Ooh La La; "Gossip Girl" Goes to France -- TCA Report
by Laura Prudom
posted Jul 30th 2010


While most of the ridiculously beautiful "Gossip Girl" cast is currently scattered to the four winds, the man behind the eponymous Chuck Bass, Ed Westwick, was in attendance at the CW's presentation to TV critics.

He was joined by "Gossip Girl" executive producers Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Joshua Safran.






First up, a juicy sizzle reel treated us to the Upper East Siders' exploits in Paris. It's all play and no work for our naughty New Yorkers when "Gossip Girl" returns with two episodes set in Paris this fall.





The critics were treated to brief clips of Serena flirting her way through Paris, hopping a ride on a moped and getting into another legendary catfight with BFFrenemy Blair in which she ends up getting pushed into a fountain.

Meanwhile, Dan was in NYC playing babysitter (or perhaps baby-daddy?) to Georgina's shocking spawn back in Brooklyn, Nate canoodling with two girls at once, and the return of Chuck Bass.

Expect an electric reunion between Chuck and Blair at a train station, with Blair in a stunning red dress. And, of course, enviable outfits galore.













On the spoiler front, Schwartz and Savage were happy to hint a little of what we can look forward to when "Gossip Girl" makes its dramatic debut:




-- Savage admitted that a trip to Paris has been a dream of hers since season one of the show, but they started laying the groundwork for the plan in January, lining up support from the network's marketing division and financial help from other investors.

She revealed that they were the first production to ever shoot inside the Musée d'Orsay, as well as hitting the Gare du Nord train terminal and in front of the Eiffel Tower.

There will also be a "little village area that became Chuck's world," Savage said.








-- Taylor Momsen's divisive character, Jenny Humphrey, left on such dramatic terms, Savage said it would've been anticlimactic to bring her back immediately as though nothing had happened.

Instead, expect her to return at some point during the first half of the season, with as much drama as possible.








-- Katie Cassidy's character "has a great arc," Schwartz promised. "She'll raise a lot of trouble, turn everyone on their heads and stir the pot.








-- New York's Fashion's Night Out will be featured in the third episode -- you will see characters preparing for it and taking part.

Because of the event, the show shot in Diane von Furstenburg's store, and the designer herself showed up for it.








-- Westwick said that he was "blown away" by the performance of Clemence Poesy, who will play his new love interest.

"I had to catch myself a few times in the scene and remind myself that I was supposed to be acting," he laughed.








-- Chuck and Blair will be a driving force this season in terms of storylines.

"Blair and Chuck seeing each other will have explosive consequences that will play out through the rest of the season," Schwartz teased.








-- On his character's progression this season, Westwick said that Chuck will be in a dark place after being shot and left for dead.

"His world is crumbling around him; he's trying to decide whether or not he wants to be Chuck Bass anymore."








-- "You will be seeing more of Georgina Sparks [Michelle Trachtenberg] in more ways than one," Savage promised.








-- When "Gossip Girl" comes back online this year, she'll be "under construction," Schwartz said. "She'll be giving herself a face-lift, adding new features that she never had before."

Savage felt that they had fallen behind technology last season and want to get back ahead of the curve with new advances in gadgetry.








-- Savage wants to go to Tokyo next -- Warner Bros. willing.








-- Shockingly, Savage and Schwartz were approached to produce original "Gossip Girl" episodes for China, even though the show doesn't even air on Chinese television.

"They estimate that more people watch us online in China than all of America's viewing audience combined," Savage said.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/07/30/oo...ce-tca-report/