Why Kristen Bell's Gossip Girl Voiceover Was Almost Cut From Original Show
Gossip Girlcreators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage explain why Kristen Bell's iconic voiceover was nearly cut from the show. It's been nearly ten years since The CW's Gossip Girl came to an end and the property has received new life on HBO Max with a reboot, but the original remains dear to many fans' hearts. Gossip Girl, which was based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, followed the scandalous lives the wealthy teens who inhabited New York's Upper East Side. Through 6 seasons of backstabbing, shocking affairs, and designer clothes, the series cemented itself as one of the most popular teen shows of all time.
Gossip Girl did much to boost the careers of those who appeared onscreen, from Blake Lively to Chace Crawford. However, when the show began, its biggest name wasn't even someone the audience could see. Bell, fresh off Veronica Mars, supplied the coy voice of the titular Gossip Girl, an anonymous blogger who posted about all the main characters' exploits. Bell even returned for HBO Max's Gossip Girl, acting as one of the many connections between the two shows.
Related: Gossip Girl 2021: Every Original Show Easter Egg & Reference In Season 1
However, there was a brief period of time when Bell's voice role was in danger of being cut. Schwartz and Savage recently appeared on the new podcast XOXO (via People),hosted by Gossip Girl alum Jessica Szohr, and revealed how early test audiences' interest would drop whenever the voiceover kicked in. Schwartz recalled:
«Interestingly, every time the Gossip Girl voiceover would kick in, it would drop. People were into it, and then like, 'Who's this voice that's coming in and distracting me?' Do you lose the voice-over? [We decided] we can't. That's part of the show
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