‘Gossip Girl’ to return to TV

The original cast of “Gossip Girl”. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Television via AFP Relaxnews

The upcoming streaming service HBO Max has ordered 10 hour-long episodes of the upcoming reboot of the hit TV series, “Gossip Girl”.

Based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar, originally aired on The CW for six seasons from 2007-2012. It starred Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick, Penn Badgeley and Chace Crawford as the young protagonists at elite Manhattan prep schools, with Kristen Bell as the voice of the eponymous gossipy narrator.

The shows’ reboot picks up eight years after the original Gossip Girl website shut down, and will follow a new generation of rich private-school teens with their own secrets. The reboot will address just how much social media and the city itself have changed in the intervening years.

It is not yet known whether any original cast members will appear in the new show.

Joshua Safran (“Quantico”, “Smash”), who was the showrunner of the series’ later seasons, will write and executive produce the new version. Series creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will also serve as executive producers.

The streaming service from Warner Bros is set to launch in the spring of 2020 and will host shows like “Friends”, “Pretty Little Liars”, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and the new “Batwoman” and “Riverdale” spinoff “Katy Keene”. New projects from Kaley Cuoco, Anna Kendrick, Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon will also find a home on the platform. RGA

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