Like, gag me with a spoon: The “Gossip Girl” spinoff is going ’80s. Warner Bros. TV insiders confirm that the much-discussed “Gossip” spinoff will revolve around the character of Lily van der Woodsen. But instead of focusing on the grown-up Lily, the show will flash back to the 1980s, when Lily, then known as Lily Rhodes, was a wild child living life as a Valley Girl. In other words, it’s a “Gossip” prequel. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage came up with the idea for the totally tubular twist. The CW has ordered a pilot. “There has been a lot of speculation about a ‘Gossip Girl’ spinoff, but we were adamant that it had to be the right time and the right idea,” the producers said in a joint statement. “Also, the new show couldn’t diminish ‘Gossip Girl’ in any way. We didn’t want to upset the chemistry of our cast, all of whom are crucial to the show. Nor did we want to dilute New York City as a character. We are inspired by the opportunity to tell overlapping stories and introduce characters that will appear in the past and the present, and hopefully enrich both shows. We love exploring fashion, pop culture, music and a heightened world that’s just a little more fun than the one we actually live in. L.A. in the ’80s totally fits the bill.” The untitled project will be produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Television. Mr. Schwartz, Ms. Savage, Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein (all of “Gossip Girl”) will serve as executive producers. Mark Piznarski (“Gossip Girl,” “90210”) will direct. The “Gossip” prequel joins the new “Melrose Place” spinoff on The CW’s drama development fast track. Zap2It.com first reported the concept for the new “Gossip.”

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Posted Wed, Jan 14 2009 7:20 PM by News