"GOSSIP GIRL"
Starring Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford,
Ed Westwick, Kirsten Bell
The CW, Mondays at 7 p.m. Central

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FULL EPISODES

Not deep but fun. An hour of 'Gossip Girl' will take your mind off whatever is troubling you.

THERE IS SOMETHING guiltily delicious about the lives of the rich and the fabulous.

And that’s what “Gossip Girl” is all about.

“Gossip Girl” revolves around the scandalous lives of an elite group of teenagers in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The story is narrated by an omniscient character, Gossip Girl (Kirsten Bell), who keeps a blog reporting sightings and rumors concerning these blue-blooded Upper East Siders.

The plotline begins with the mysterious return of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), former “It Girl” at the Constance Billard School for Girls, a private school for all the wealthy budding socialites on the Upper East Side.

However, Serena’s return was not rosy. Her former best friend Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), the new "Queen Bee" at Constance Billard, was still bitter over her former best friend’s sudden departure many months ago.

The situation was exacerbated when Blair found out that her boyfriend and the love of her life, Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), had slept with Serena before her departure.

Serena later gets into a relationship with Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), an average boy who lives in Brooklyn, while continuing in a love-hate friendship with Blair.

“Gossip Girl” was supposed to be a huge hit. Based on the best-selling novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar, “Gossip Girl” was one of the most anticipated series of 2007 when it debuted in September on The CW.

Its tantalizing plot seemed perfect for its target audience of teenage girls. It promised an exclusive look into a world open only to a few, which is why it appeals to so many. In addition, the show was created by Josh Schwartz (maker of the popular young adult series “The OC”), and it features a beautiful young cast.

However, “Gossip Girl” got off to a rocky start. The first episode attracted 3.65 million viewers, falling short of expectations and landing in last place on the 9 p.m. Wednesday time slot. Performances were often cheesy since the series featured a cast of relatively inexperienced actors and actresses.

Nevertheless, CW picked up “Gossip Girl” for a full season because of its small but loyal audience. “People everywhere are talking about 'Gossip Girl,' and we believe this show will continue to build audience as it builds buzz,” said Dawn Ostroff, CW’s president of entertainment. Strong sales on iTunes also proved to be a major contributing factor to the show being picked up for a full season.

As a show targeted toward teenagers and young adults, “Gossip Girl” has certainly received its share of criticism. Many parents are concerned about the moral values present on the show. They’re worried that the show glamorizes drug use, underage drinking, and sex.

I admit that “Gossip Girl” does glamorize these things to an extent. However, there are many good values to take away from it. Somehow, despite the promiscuous and risky lifestyles of these characters, they still manage to maintain good grades, do charity work, and present themselves as promising candidates for Ivy League universities. It allows viewers to realize that if they want a life of luxury and glamour, they need to be educated and hardworking.

It also helps to see that rich people have problems, too. Sure, they’re backed up by their parents’ infinite trust funds, but these Upper East Siders face many of the same issues that normal teenagers have to deal with.

As a huge fan of the novel series, I watch “Gossip Girl” religiously every week. It’s not a deep and meaningful show (I would say it’s even shallower than “The OC”), but it’s fun. The selection of music on the show is great, and the acting has vastly improved since the series’ debut.

One of my favorite aspects of the show is the fashion. The characters all have an amazing wardrobe. No matter what happens, everyone always looks good. In the lavish New York lifestyle, looks seem to be the only thing that matters anyway.

Eric Daman, the costume designer for “Gossip Girl,” manages to incorporate each character’s personality into his or her standard private school uniform. Serena has a relaxed, bohemian look; Blair has a classy, Audrey Hepburn look; and Nate and Chuck (Ed Westwick) — well, they could both be Abercrombie models.

In one word, “Gossip Girl” can be described as glamorous. Not surprising, since the pilot and promos all featured the song “Glamorous” by Fergie. Everything about the show — the clothes, the filming location, the lives of the Upper East Siders, and even the characters’ names (it’s not every day that you can find someone named Serena van der Woodsen) — is dazzling.

All in all, I find “Gossip Girl” to be an intriguing show. It doesn’t have the best plotline or the most talented cast, but it's interesting and superficial — not in a bad sense, but in the sense that you can enjoy the hourlong program without having to ponder over it when you sleep.

Recently, “Gossip Girl” moved from Wednesdays to Mondays. Mondays are always hard since it’s the first day back to school after a relaxing (or not so relaxing) weekend. So if you’re having a bad day or just tired from school, tune into The CW at 7 p.m. and watch an hour of “Gossip Girl.” Girls can ogle at the handsome Nate, the sleazy yet superhot Chuck, and the sweet and adorable Dan. As for guys, well, the actresses are quite attractive, too.

I do believe that an hour of “Gossip Girl” will take your mind off whatever is troubling you. So watch an episode sometime. “Gossip Girl” might just become your guilty pleasure.