'Gossip Girl,' a teen phenomenon

The CW network will air the conclusion of the adventures of Serena van der Woodsen, head of a circle of high school friends, and later graduates, in the most chic Manhattan neighborhood, with the episode "New York, I Love You XOXO," a reference to the signature used at the end of each episode by the narrator, the secret Gossip Girl.

They're gorgeous and rich, yet the friends, who have known each other since their silver-spoon beginnings on the Upper East Side, are confronted day and night by a big problem: the content of the Gossip Girl blog, which reveals their most embarrassing secrets.

Like a version of The Bold and the Beautiful for younger viewers, Gossip Girl is full of improbable developments. However, its strength has been its masterful capacity to divert viewers' attention away from the repetitive adventures of Serena, Blair, Nate, Dan and Chuck.

Showing the everyday life of beyond-rich kids offers notable advantages, including the fact that the teens are able to do whatever they please. Not only do the characters have access to designer clothes, handbags and jewelry, but they can also drink at the bars of the most luxurious hotels. Already leading adult lives, they do not need a parental green light to party all night.

The Gossip Girl stars immediately became role models for their viewers. Mostly unknown actors in 2007, they now star in big Hollywood productions and in major ad campaigns, the brightest example being Blake Lively (Serena). Seen in Ben Affleck's The Town, she also appeared in Green Lantern and Oliver Stone's Savages, and she's the face of Chanel Mademoiselle handbags and Gucci perfume.

The show's detractors criticize a weak plot that allows viewers to concentrate on the characters' clothes more than their adventures. Gossip Girl is accused of being one big runway, showcasing brands' products.

Others point to obnoxious characters, with Blair Waldorf making condescending statements such as "Rats go underground. Not Waldorfs!" (about riding the subway) -- even though some characters, such as Brooklynite brother and sister Dan and Jenny Humphrey, gained more sympathy with their different social background.