10 Things to Know About the TV Show Slated to Be the Next Gossip Girl
Last week, we learned some amazing news for Gossip Girl lovers and book lovers alike. The 2005 novel Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld is going to be turned into an HBO TV series. We also found out that this show will feature a dream team of 30 Rock’s Colleen McGuinness and Game of Thrones’s Carolyn Strauss, making it essentially a trifecta of awesomeness.
It’s no doubt that the plot of the book Prep is giving us major Gossip Girl vibes, as it’s about a midwestern girl who transfers to a fancy private school. Casting and other details of this upcoming show have yet to be announced, so in the mean time, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about this story to get up to speed:
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY1/10Prep is set in Massachusetts.
While Gossip Girl took place in NYC, the location of Prep invokes more of a Stars Hollow vibe. The characters all attend school at Ault, which is a fictional independent school complete with a big campus and grandiose buildings. It’s a boarding school, so all of the students live on campus – meaning, you’ll definitely see some characters wearing sweatpants, unlike literally anyone on Gossip Girl, like ever.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY2/10The main character, Lee Fiora, is super relatable.
Lee is the protagonist and narrator of the novel...and it quickly becomes clear that she’s not perfect. But it seems that flawed characters are often the best characters. It’s refreshing to see characters who make mistakes and are actually human, because it gives us something to relate to. Like Serena, Lee doesn’t always make the best choices, but those mistakes make her more real.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY3/10Prep spans four years.
When Prep begins, Lee is a freshman. The book follows her entire high school experience and culminates with her graduation. This definitely gives the series room to spread her four years of high school over several seasons. Remember, Gossip Girl started when most of the characters were 16 or 17.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY4/10Aspeth Montgomery will definitely be the new Blair Waldorf.
Okay, we know that no one could ever really replace Blair, but Aspeth is the next best thing. She is the queen bee of Ault — the most popular, most beautiful, and most terrifying girl in the school. Lee describes her as “the kind of girl about whom rock songs were written.” Yeah, that definitely sounds like Blair to us.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY5/10Cross Sugarman will undoubtedly become our next crush.
Cross Sugarman (AKA Sug) is the “big man on campus” at Ault. He’s a basketball player and an actor, but unlike the some of the other jocks, he’s soft-spoken and introspective. We find out quickly at the start of the novel that Aspeth has her eye on him (not surprising) but he’s more interested in Lee. Obviously, drama ensues. This sounds a lot like Nate for sure.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY6/10Even though it’s a comedy, Prep will likely discuss serious issues.
The novel contains characters of many different ethnicities, and sexual identity is openly discussed throughout the story. In addition, the book touches on crucial issues like mental health and drug abuse. This means that the TV series will also (hopefully) have a really diverse cast, and that these important themes will be at the show’s core. Hollywood, don't let us down.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY7/10Lee’s best friends are named Martha, Dede, and Sin Jun.
Like any #goal-worthy squad, each girl brings something different to the table. Martha is hard-working and studious, but she’s not always trustworthy. Dede longs to be popular, and is one of many girls with a crush on Cross. Sin Jun is extremely intelligent but struggles to fit in with the cliques at Ault. Each of the girls play an important role in Lee’s life throughout high school, and beyond.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY8/10The biggest honor at Ault is being named Senior Prefect.
While Gossip Girl might have had their iconic prom episode, the characters in Prep aspire to become their school’s Senior Prefect. The school elects two Senior Prefects each spring, and they take on leadership roles throughout the following school year. When the novel starts, it is the first year that a girl has been named Senior Prefect — and her name is Gates Medkowski, a total Vanessa-esque character.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY9/10Dave Bardo is the book’s quintessential “nice guy.”
Aka GG’s Dan — well, Dan in Season 1, that is. Dave works in the kitchen at Ault, and is the first boy to ever ask Lee out on a date. We predict that there will be a lot of fans who ship Dave and Lee once this TV show launches.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY10/10Prep contains some of the best quotes about teenagedom you could ever ask for.
Case in point: “I always worried someone would notice me, and then when no one did, I felt lonely.” The novel does a great job of capturing the exact essence of what it means to be a teenager, and blends the comedy and drama of those adolescent years perfectly. It reminds us that things don’t always turn out perfectly, but there’s lessons to be learned at every corner.
