The O.C., and as interesting as that would have been, I’m actually glad it didn’t happen. In 2007, Gossip Girl ed the peak of teen dramas and became one of the most popular ones of the decade. Based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar, and developed by Josh Schwartz, Gossip Girl took the audience to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There, Gossip Girl followed a group of wealthy teenagers whose personal lives were often exposed by a mysterious blogger known as “Gossip Girl.”
Before Gossip Girl, Schwartz created another successful teen drama of the 2000s: The O.C., which aired from 2003 to 2007. Set in Newport Beach and its surroundings, The O.C. followed Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), a troubled teen taken in by the wealthy Cohen family. What followed was Ryan and the Cohens adapting to a new family dynamic, while Ryan also adapted to a completely new lifestyle. The O.C. and Gossip Girl have their creator and tone in common, but they almost had a direct connection thanks to a spinoff of the latter.
Gossip Girl's Spinoff Series Valley Girls Would Have Linked To The O.C.
Valley Girls Was Set In The 1980s
The success of The O.C. led to the possibility of different spinoffs, of which most never happened. Gossip Girl also almost had a spinoff series, and had it become a reality, it would have directly linked to The O.C. The show was titled Valley Girls, and Schwartz’s idea was for it to focus on the younger versions of the adult characters in Gossip Girl and tie them to those in The O.C. Of course, this meant that Valley Girls would have changed New York City for Los Angeles, so the characters could meet.
"Valley Girls" followed a young Lily (played by Brittany Snow), focusing on the events that led to her first arrest.
The pilot episode of Valley Girls was a Gossip Girl episode from season 2, also titled “Valley Girls”, and it took the audience back to the 1980s. In those flashbacks, Gossip Girl followed a young Lily (played by Brittany Snow), focusing on the events that led to her first arrest, while, in the present day, she deals with Serena’s arrest. “Valley Girls” aired on May 11, 2009, and was well-received by critics, though the over-the-top references to the 1980s were criticized. Ultimately, the Valley Girls spinoff was never picked up, and the pilot remained as an episode of Gossip Girl.
Why Gossip Girl’s Valley Girls Spinoff Never Happened
Valley Girls Was Only A Gossip Girl Episode
As fun as Valley Girls could have been, especially if it linked to characters from The O.C., the show didn’t have many chances of being picked up, even before the episode was released. CW’s fall line-up had few open spots back then, and Valley Girls had some strong competition with shows with actual pilot episodes, instead of an episode from an established show being used as a pilot. Said shows were Melrose Place (2009), The Beautiful Life, and The Vampire Diaries, leaving no space for Valley Girls.
Using Gossip Girl’s “Valley Girls” as a backdoor pilot instead of doing a full pilot episode put the show at a disadvantage.
Although the CW’s former President of Entertainment, Dawn Ostroff, later revealed that Valley Girls was in consideration to be used as a midseason replacement (via Zap2it), she shared months later that it wouldn’t be green-lit for the time being. Ostroff explained that using Gossip Girl’s “Valley Girls” as a backdoor pilot instead of doing a full pilot episode put the show at a disadvantage, as it made it hard for the audience to understand what the world of the show would be like (via E! News).
Ultimately, Valley Girls not happening was the best decision for both Gossip Girl and The O.C. It’s unclear which The O.C. characters Valley Girls would have linked to, as well as how the events of the show would have impacted The O.C.’s timeline. As fun as Lily’s younger years might have been, she’s not a character as strong as Serena and Blair to carry her own show, despite Snow’s performance. Valley Girls works a lot better as an episode of Gossip Girl and with no ties to other teen dramas.
Gossip Girl Got A Standalone Sequel In 2021
Gossip Girl’s Sequel Lasted Two Seasons
Gossip Girl never got its spinoff series, but it did get a standalone sequel series in 2021. Also titled Gossip Girl, the series is set almost a decade after the original Gossip Girl website was shut down, but the mysterious blogger is back – but now, instead of focusing on New York, Gossip Girl goes global. Gossip Girl follows a new group of wealthy teenagers whose lives are constantly observed and exposed by the title blogger, showing the impact of social media and addressing more adult topics than the original show.
Why Gossip Girl's Reboot Ended After 2 Seasons (Was It Canceled?)
Despite the success of the original series, HBO’s Gossip Girl reboot ended after season 2 — and there are multiple reasons for its short-lived run.
The Gossip Girl standalone sequel stuck around for two seasons, and it was canceled in 2023. It’s unlikely The O.C. and Gossip Girl will get a spinoff, sequel, or crossover event now, despite the trend of revivals and reboots, and they are much better off as separate yet similar worlds.
Sources: Zap2it, E! News.
