Top 10 Shows to Watch if You Like Gossip Girl
#10: “Privileged” (2008-09)
A year after The CW released “Gossip Girl”, they decided to offer up some more programming with a similar vibe, including this charming show, which, sadly, only lasted for a single season. Like “Gossip Girl”, “Privileged” is based on a book produced by Warner Brothers’ Alloy Entertainment, and features an outsider entering into the world of the wealthy elite. In “Privileged”, we follow an Ivy League educated journalist, Megan, who finds herself working as a tutor for a pair of rich twins in Palm Beach, Florida. The tone of this show is definitely more fun-filled and lighthearted, but like “Gossip Girl”, it gives us a glimpse into the upper echelons of society.
#9: “The Carrie Diaries” (2013-14)
Top 10 Most Unhinged Gossip Girl Moments
If you want a look into life in New York City, you could, of course, binge your way through HBO’s classic dramedy “Sex and the City”. But if you’re specifically looking for a show with a teenage cast of characters like “Gossip Girl”, you might want to skip right to “The Carrie Diaries”. Similarly set in the Big Apple, this show introduces us to the famed Carrie Bradshaw back when she was just a high school junior trying to figure it all out. Sadly, this show only lasted for two seasons, but they were both a lot of fun.
#8: “Riverdale” (2017-)
Top 10 Jump the Shark Moments on Riverdale
If you’re looking for the modern version of “Gossip Girl” that the teens are watching in 2019, then look no further than the CW’s “Riverdale”. We’d be surprised if you didn’t already know the premise of this one, but it basically takes the characters from the Archie comics and places them in a dark and twisty universe that is unlike anything you could have expected. The show has a moody aesthetic and a more modern message that make it different from anything else on TV, but you’ll also be sure to find all the juicy drama you could want.
#7: “Skins” (2007-13)
If you like watching shows about teens behaving badly, then you might want to consider British gem “Skins”. Though the tone of the show is much grittier than the glitz and glamour that we’re used to seeing on “Gossip Girl’s” Upper East Side, the two programs do share some notable similarities. Namely, “Skins” doesn’t hide the fact that teenagers are prone to experimenting with sex, drugs and alcohol; but rather than glossing over these things, it takes a deep dive into the consequences. “Skins” is more firmly set in reality than “Gossip Girl”, but it still features a lots of juicy and complicated relationships, as well as intergenerational conflict.
#6: “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)
Top 10 Unanswered Pretty Little Liars Questions
Just like “Gossip Girl,” the world of “Pretty Little Liars” is populated by good-looking and well-dressed teens who weather more than their fair share of drama. We can assume that PLL — -which arrived on our screens a couple of years after “Gossip Girl” — took plenty of inspiration from the earlier teen drama, especially in the way that the characters interact with technology. While the Upper East Side has the mysterious figure of Gossip Girl watching their every move, the small town of Rosewood has the mysterious “A” constantly sending cryptic messages.
#5: “90210” (2008-13)
Top 10 Memorable Beverly Hills, 90210 Moments
If you’re seeking to find the show that is the closest relative to “Gossip Girl”, many would point to “90210” as required viewing. This entry in the “Beverly Hills, 90210” franchise debuted one year after “Gossip Girl” on the CW, and also focused on wealthy teens living in an expensive area code. This time though, the action was set in Cali rather than New York. The two shows share a common structure, as well as some similar character archetypes. While the west coast setting of “90210” transports you to somewhere warmer, don’t worry, it’s just as deliciously drama-ridden.
#4: “One Tree Hill” (2003-12)
Top 10 Shows to Watch If You Want a Good Cry
Anyone who grew up in the early aughts will remember that before there was the CW, there was the WB, and before there was “Gossip Girl” there was “One Tree Hill”. The setting of the two shows couldn’t be more different, with the latter taking place in a small fictional town in North Carolina. OTH also places more of a focus on sports, with a lot of the action centering around basketball. But don’t worry, even the most unathletic of viewers can enjoy this show, because at its core it’s about the relationships between high school students, just like “Gossip Girl” is.
#3: “Élite” (2018-)
Top 10 Times Gossip Girl Tackled Serious Issues
Many of our suggestions today have been shows that will take you back to the early and mid 2000s, but we’ve also got some newer content to recommend! This show was created as a Spanish web series, and, as of the fall of 2018, has been available on Netflix in many countries. Yes, watching “Élite” involves dealing with the English dubbing or subtitles, but trust us, it’s worth it. The series follows along as three teens from lower income families are given spots at an elite private school. Of course, their transitions into this new world don’t exactly go seamlessly, and plenty of drama ensues.
#2: “The O.C.” (2003-07)
Top 10 Saddest Gossip Girl Moments
The similarities (for good reason) between “Gossip Girl” and “The O.C.” are already well known to many, but if you haven’t watched this earlier series, then you’re definitely missing out! Josh Schwartz developed “Gossip Girl” for TV just as “The O.C.,” his earlier series, was wrapping up; and the action was moved from the West coast to the East, from the beaches of Orange County to the streets of Manhattan. The tone of the two shows differs slightly, but at their hearts, these two properties share so much in common. If you love one, you’re likely to love the other, so if you somehow missed out on “The O.C.”, now’s the time to give it a chance. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Melrose Place” (1992-99) “13 Reasons Why” (2017-) “Famous in Love” (2017-18) “Make It Or Break It” (2009-12) “Revenge” (2011-15)
#1: “You” (2018-)
Top 10 Gossip Girl Storylines the Show Forgot About
If one of the reasons you tuned into “Gossip Girl” every week was Penn Badgley (and who could blame you), then this one’s for you. This Netflix thriller debuted in 2018, and stars the aforementioned Badgley as a bookstore employee who immediately falls for one of his customers, and has his utter obsession with her take over his life, going to unhinged extremes in the service of it. This show is decidedly darker than “Gossip Girl” ever was, but it’s similarly set in New York City, and there are some parallels between Dan Humphrey and Badgley’s disturbing new character in this series, Joe Goldberg. You should definitely check it out!
