Entertainment

Gossip Girl reboot finds home at UK broadcaster

The story will take place nine years after the original Gossip Girl’s website went dark.
The story will take place nine years after the original Gossip Girl’s website went dark. The story will take place nine years after the original Gossip Girl’s website went dark.

The highly-anticipated Gossip Girl reboot will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK, the broadcaster has said.

The BBC has also acquired the box set of all six series of the original US teen drama, which will be available on iPlayer.

The original series starred Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Chace Crawford as privileged students living in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Kristen Bell voiced the all-knowing Gossip Girl throughout the cult series’ original run from 2007-2012.

The reboot introduces a new cast of characters plagued by an anonymous Instagram account spying on students, nine years after the original Gossip Girl’s website went dark.

Dan McGolpin, director of BBC iPlayer and channels, said: “The BBC has a rich track record of acquiring some of the best content from around the world to complement our original commissions and we are delighted to be reacquainting existing fans and introducing new viewers to the iconic world of Gossip Girl on BBC iPlayer.

Blake Lively
Blake Lively Blake Lively starred in the original series (Ian West/PA)

“The original series defined an era and we cannot wait for everyone to see the new series with its exciting new generation.”

Developed by showrunner Joshua Safran, a writer and executive producer on the original series, the new series stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak and Savannah Lee Smith.

It is based on the bestselling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar and the original show, developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

The reboot will start streaming on HBO Max on July 8 in the US.