A Gossip Girl episode without Kristen Bell’s coy voiceover seems unthinkable, yet test audiences’ disinterest nearly prompted the creators to cut it.
Gossip Girl creators 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.
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:
Looking back on it now, it’s smart that Schwartz and Savage followed their instincts and kept the voiceover. Though Gossip Girl’s eventual identity reveal later stirred up some debate, there’s no question that Bell’s voice work became a key part of the show and gave it a deeper layer of intrigue. It reminds viewers that Gossip Girl is always watching – and even worse, always judging. That the Gossip Girl reboot might not have happened at all without Bell’s involvement just shows how pivotal she became to the show’s overall universe.
There has been a lot of debate surrounding the Gossip Girl reboot, with many praising its diversity but others calling it out as not being as mean as the original. However, if there is one thing that has helped the reboot truly get off the ground, it’s Bell’s return. Even beyond connecting the two shows, the sound of Bell welcoming viewers back to the Upper East Side transports everyone back to the Gossip Girl pilot, giving off the perfect dose of nostalgia. It’s strange to consider a version of the show without her – so it’s a good thing fans never have to.
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