Gossip Girl spin-off headed to '80s L.A.

As Gossip Girl developed into a flagship series for The CW, two of its principal architects, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, began to float ideas for a spin-off. The winner: A new series that would trade New York for L.A. and swing back to the ’80s for the debutante days of Lily van der Woodsen (currently played by Kelly Rutherford, above).

As Variety points out, the prequel premise will provide an opportunity to expand the brand while also allowing Gossip Girl’s characters and narrative threads to remain as they are. The new series is expected to follow an embattled Lily as she adjusts to an abrupt transfer to public school when her posh lifestyle is cut short after a fight with her parents.

There’s no cast yet, but the network hopes to air a pilot episode on May 11 in Gossip Girl’s regular Monday time slot.

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