'Gossip Girl' Reboot On HBO Max Cancelled After 2 Seasons, And Nobody Is Really Surprised

The original "Gossip Girl" starred Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, and Ed Westwick. It spanned across six seasons and created a loyal fanbase that kept talking about the finale long after it aired. The show followed the mysterious Gossip Girl, whose identity was finally revealed to be Dan in the last season. Fans were excited to learn that the show was getting a reboot on HBO Max on 2021, but after just two seasons, the show's creator announces that it will be canceled.

'Gossip Girl' Reboot on HBO Max Cancelled after 2 Seasons, and Nobody Is Really Surprised

The character of "Gossip Girl" was narrated by Kristen Bell in the original series, and she returned to reprise her role as the anonymous blogger. The reboot's cast included Jordan Alexander, Whitney Peak, Tavi Gevinson, Eli Brown, and more. Joshua Safran, who produced the series along with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, announced on Thursday that the show will not be coming back for a third season.

"So here's the goss: it is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce GOSSIP GIRL will not be continuing on HBO Max," he wrote. "We are currently looking for another home, but in this climate, that might prove an uphill [battle], and so if this is the end, at least we went out on the highest of highs. Thank you for watching, and I hope you'll tune into the finale next Thursday to see how it all comes together."

"The EPs and I will forever be grateful to the network and studio for their faith and support; the writers for their devious brains and dexterous talent; the superstar cast for being the greatest of collaborators and friends; and the crew for their hard work, dedication and love for the project. This was honestly the greatest set I ever worked on, top to bottom," he said. "ps. A big thank you to all the GG fans around the world. You’re the reason we came back in the first place, and who knows, maybe the reason we will meet again. Much love."

The comments mostly expressed disappointment and sadness over the cancellation, but most other corners of the internet aren't at all surprised by this development. The "Gossip Girl" reboot wasn't received well by many viewers and fans communicated how little they enjoyed the series, especially when compared to the original.

For starters, the identity of Gossip Girl was revealed at the very start of the show: the teachers at Constance Billard were collectively the anonymous blogger who published the secrets of the school. Many questioned why this was the choice, as it almost results in teachers bullying students. Fans said the cast may have been full of good actors, but they were wasted on a terrible, boring script.

Another common critique was that the characters were nothing more than rich, spoiled brats who were obsessed with progressive politics and social justice. The original characters were rich and spoiled too, but they weren't attempting to be politically conscious individuals who were morally superior; they were just pretty, privileged people who had good fashion and offered juicy escapist fare to viewers in good faith. It seemed inauthentic and far too obvious as to what the writers were trying to do with the reboot. The phrase "go woke, go broke," although overused in our culture, was entirely applicable to this "Gossip Girl" makeover, leaving many OG fans disappointed and disenchanted with a series they once loved and couldn't get enough of. Even though the reboot desperately tried to be culturally relevant, it still failed to capture the true essence of what's currently happening in our society, and instead delved into a manufactured, over-the-top narrative that just felt stale and uninteresting.

The creator may be trying to find a new home for the "Gossip Girl" reboot, but even if he does, it may not attract enough viewers to sustain itself unless the writers come up with something different.