Due to the show's pedigree as an adaptation of
The New York Times bestselling novel series, the show was considered to be one of the more anticipated new shows of the 2007–2008 television season. An August 2007 survey by OTX, a global media research and consulting firm, placed the show on the list of top ten new shows that viewers were aware of. The pilot episode gained 3.50 million viewers on its original airing, having previously been available as a free download on the American iTunes store. As the season progressed, ratings dropped with 2.48 million viewers tuning into the second episode. Author
Cecily von Ziegesar has expressed support for the show, noting that all of her major plot points were present in the pilot. The
second episode in which the characters are shown to be attending a brunch gained some approval from
New York magazine, stating that "there's no such thing as 'lunch' on the weekends", "that kids actually do venture outside of their neighborhoods" (since
The New York Palace Hotel is in
Midtown Manhattan), and "saying you live in
Williamsburg makes much more sense... for real-estate emotional conflict", as well as the fact
Rihanna is played "in every situation."
Gossip Girl was designated the "Best. Show. Ever." in April 2008 by
New York magazine. Other positive reviews came from publications
Variety and the
Boston Globe. John Maynard of
The Washington Post felt that creator Josh Schwartz "turns it up a notch" from his former series
The O.C., and cited Dan (Penn Badgley) as a standout character. The show has come under criticism for containing scenes too risqué for its teen audience. The
Parents Television Council (PTC) has shown particular criticism of the series, especially with its "
OMFG" ad campaign used towards the end of the season in April 2008. It also named the episode "Victor, Victrola" the worst television program of the week in which the episode originally was broadcast. The Parents Council's negative comments include it being "the most-watched show among girls 12-17 and glamorizes casual sex and drug use among teens. [And that] storylines have featured a would-be teen rapist, threesome among teens, and teenage girls having sex with adults." Scott D. Pierce of the
Deseret Morning News noted that the show is milder than a lot of what's shown on
MTV, but still warned parents of several scenes in the pilot. He said it includes "among other things, a teenage girl climbing on top of a boy and removing his clothes; drunken teens having sex; teens smoking pot; teens drinking in bars, in a limo and at a party; a teen boy getting amorous with a girl who fights him off; and that same teen boy essentially attempting to rape a freshman girl who is supposed to be, what, 14?". The series has also been criticized for having less-than believable storylines, and has been described as a guilty pleasure rather than an hour's worth of must-watch television. ==DVD release==