SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

Here’s some buzz for you: the CW just gave “Gossip Girl” a full season order.

The drama about high society teens in a tony New York City prep school became the first new series picked up for a full season of episodes. You can check out my review

Gossip Girl– Pictured: (l-r) Nicole Fiscella, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momsen, Nan Zhang, Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick stars in GOSSIP GIRL on THE CW. Photo Credit: The CW / Andrew Eccles (C) 2007 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

While the ratings haven’t been stellar, the online buzz, the show’s success on iTunes and DVR use all factored into “Gossip Girl” being deemed renewal worthy by the network.

The two most recent episodes continue to rank among the top 5 iTunes downloaded shows on the site.

For more on Blake Lively, check out my earlier blog item from the July Television Critics Press Tour. Scroll down. It’s the second one.

Blake’s promoting her new CW series “Gossip Girl” about the social lives of Upper East Side teens filled with entitlement issues based on the best-selling series of young adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar executive-produced by “The O.C.”‘s Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

Pictured ( back l -r) Executive Producer Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage Executive Producer, Blake Lively and Leighton Meester session at the TCA Summer Press Tour 2007 held on July 20, 2007 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Carol Kaelson/THE CW

She’s still tight with her “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” co-stars America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Amber Tamblyn (“Joan of Arcadia”) and Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”).

“My first instinct was I’m going to call the girls, because I knew they had all been through it. But then I was — they’re so dog-gone opinionated
and they’re all so different,’’ Blake says. “When they get together, I’m like their baby sister. And they sit me down. I was going to get another dog recently, and they’re like, “No. You’re not going to do that.” They, like, wrote a whole list of pros and cons for me. So I thought I’m just going to make this decision on my
own, and then I’m going to talk to them about it, which, I think, was the right decision. I’m very happy.’’

The Sisterhood

Blake and the girls will be filming the sequel soon, she says. By the way, her current maltese/poodle mix Penny, 2, looks like an adorable brown mini-ewok with curls.

As for the gorgeous Vivienne Westwood yummy yellow dress that cinched tightly around her waist with a large belt, Blake says she can hardly wait to get it off.

“It looks great, but just try eating something while you are wearing it,’’ Blake says, rubbing her tummy. “Just trying to eat a couple of bites really hurts.’’