Upper East Side, here we come
Here's what "Gossip Girl" has that "The O.C." started off with, too: a wisecracking loner type; a brooding leading boy; a heroine with dark secrets; a snooty but sympathetic best friend; a sarcastic but sensitive Peter Gallagheresque dad; a mother who critiques her daughter's fashion choices; a snide king of his high school; ample opportunities to gawk at how the rich kids live.
Here's what "The O.C." had that "Gossip Girl" lacks so far: a sense of humor. That was my main beef with the pilot when I first spied it this summer, and I felt the same way after watching last night's premiere. Yes, the CW's new show is slick and stylish eye candy; yes, it's likely to be a hit; and yes, I'm supposed to be snickering at how often these kids use their BlackBerries. But I'm hoping that somewhere down the line, I get a taste of that self-mocking Josh Schwartz humor that made his first show so much fun.
Then again, the "O.C." pilot was fairly serious, too, as I recall. Chrismukkah came later.
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