148 Fun Facts About Gossip Girl

In the Gossip Girl series finale, which character is revealed to have been the anonymous blogger all along?

Dan Humphrey explains that he started the blog to write himself into the world of the Upper East Side, and Serena calls it a love letter to them all.

Which elite private academy do the show's female leads attend?

The Constance Billard School for Girls and its brother school, St. Jude's School for Boys, were the primary educational settings for the core group of Upper East Siders.

On Gossip Girl, Nate Archibald's mother Anne was born into the show's version of which real American dynasty?

Vanderbilt: Anne Archibald is a van der Bilt, the show's stand-in for the Vanderbilt dynasty, and her own father refuses to help when her husband is charged with embezzlement and fraud.

What is the profession of Cyrus Rose, the man Blair's mother marries on Gossip Girl?

Lawyer: Cyrus Rose is an entertainment lawyer, and in season 5 Blair pins her hopes on a loophole he thinks he has found in her prenup.

Which Manhattan hotel does Chuck Bass buy in season 3 of Gossip Girl?

The Empire Hotel: Chuck buys it early in season 3 and moves in, and many later scenes were shot in the real hotel on the Upper West Side.

Which actress turned down the Gossip Girl role that went to Michelle Trachtenberg instead?

Mischa Barton passed on playing the show's scheming troublemaker, so Michelle Trachtenberg took the part and kept returning to it right through the series finale.

What are the full first and middle names of Dan's younger sister, better known by a nickname?

Jennifer Tallulah Humphrey is Jenny's full name, carried over from the original novels, where she is the youngest main character at fourteen.

Which network aired all six seasons of the original Gossip Girl?

The CW was only a year old when the show premiered: it launched in September 2006 after rivals The WB and UPN shut down and merged.

On Gossip Girl, what is the title of Dan Humphrey's thinly veiled tell-all novel about his Upper East Side friends?

Inside reaches a publisher behind Dan's back: Vanessa sends the manuscript off without his permission, and it comes out anonymously before he takes the credit.

Which actress narrates the original Gossip Girl as the voice of the anonymous blogger?

Kristen Bell voiced the blogger in every episode without ever being credited, then finally appeared on camera as herself in the series finale.

Which British post-punk band released the song 'Nate Will Not Return' in 2011?

The Fall, Mark E. Smith's band, put 'Nate Will Not Return' on its 2011 album Ersatz GB; Smith said the song was about Gossip Girl's Nate Archibald.

In season 4 of Gossip Girl, a scheme by Juliet lands Serena in which treatment facility?

The Ostroff Center: Juliet drugs Serena so that Lily believes she has relapsed and commits her to the same clinic that treated Serena's brother after his suicide attempt.

Who wrote the young adult novel series that the original *Gossip Girl* television show is based on?

The popular *Gossip Girl* television series is based on the young adult novel series of the same name, written by Cecily von Ziegesar.

On Gossip Girl, what is the creative ambition of Dan's childhood friend Vanessa Abrams?

Filmmaking: in season 1 Vanessa is shooting a documentary when her camera accidentally catches Blair and Chuck discussing their affair.

Which university does Nate Archibald attend after St. Jude's on Gossip Girl?

Columbia: Nate picks it even though his grandfather leans on Blair to talk him into Yale, and Blair and Serena join him on the campus in season 4.

On Gossip Girl, who appoints herself Dan's manager in season 6 and shops his tell-all chapters around?

Georgina Sparks first goes to Italy with Dan to help him write the exposé, then acts as his agent and lines up meetings with publishers.

Gossip Girl's fourth season opened with two episodes filmed in which European capital?

Paris: the season opens with Blair and Serena spending their summer abroad there, and the shoot took the cast to the Sorbonne in the Latin Quarter.

Which New York City mayor proclaimed 'Gossip Girl Day' in honor of the show's 100th episode?

Michael Bloomberg came to the set to proclaim it, crediting the show with making New York a central character, and later played himself in the finale.

Which accessory is Blair Waldorf's trademark in the early seasons of Gossip Girl?

Headband: it is so much Blair's trademark that when Jenny takes over as queen of the school she announces a new era with 'no more headbands'.

In which New York City borough do Dan Humphrey and his family live when Gossip Girl begins?

Brooklyn: the Humphreys' loft there marks Dan as the outsider at St. Jude's, where his classmates come from the old money of the Upper East Side.

Gossip Girl reports "the scandalous lives of" whom?

Manhattan's elite: the recap line goes on 'And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell', a promise the show kept for six seasons until its finale.

Which real Manhattan nightspot stood in for Chuck's burlesque club, Victrola?

The Box doubled as Victrola, the club Chuck hopes will impress his hard-to-please father, and where Blair ends up performing on stage.

On Gossip Girl, what is the first name of Serena van der Woodsen's younger brother?

Eric is introduced recovering in a treatment centre after a suicide attempt, and Serena lets the school gossip about her instead in order to protect him.

On Gossip Girl, where does Blair enroll for freshman year after her dream school turns her down?

NYU: rejected by Yale, Blair gets in with her stepfather Cyrus's help, fails to conquer the downtown campus and transfers uptown the following year.

By what nickname is Dan's sister Jenny known in her early seasons on Gossip Girl?

Little J: Gossip Girl tags Jenny as 'Little J' from her freshman year as Blair's eager protégée; season 2 charts her rebellion against that role.

Which Gossip Girl father is a former rock star who now owns an art gallery?

Rufus Humphrey played in the one-hit-wonder band Lincoln Hawk, and a reunion concert in season 1 brings his old flame Lily back to him for a night.

In a web spin-off, Blair's maid is revealed to secretly hold which noble title?

Countess: the 2009 web series Chasing Dorota reveals Blair's maid as a Polish countess who fled an arranged marriage to come to America.

Which actor plays Nate Archibald, the golden boy of Gossip Girl's Upper East Side?

Chace Crawford spent the first two seasons sharing a Chelsea apartment with the co-star who plays his on-screen best friend Chuck, moving out in July 2009.

Which Manhattan hotel, owned by Chuck's father, is the Bass family's home early in Gossip Girl?

The Palace also houses Serena's family while their apartment is renovated, which is why she and Blair meet over drinks at its real bar, Gilt, in the pilot.

On Gossip Girl, which career does Dan's younger sister Jenny Humphrey pursue, starting with an internship at Blair's mother's company?

Fashion designer is the dream: Jenny interns at Blair's mother's label, skips school for fashion shows and eventually tries launching her own line.

Which Gossip Girl character fakes his own death?

Bart Bass survives a car crash ordered by an enemy, pays a doctor to pronounce him dead and hides for three years to protect Chuck and Lily.

What kind of business does Blair's mother, Eleanor Waldorf, run on Gossip Girl?

A fashion label: Eleanor is a busy, successful designer who often battles her daughter, yet the company ends up in Blair's hands as its chief executive.

Which Gossip Girl character does Sebastian Stan play?

Carter Baizen has a fling with Blair during her season 2 downward spiral, and by season 3 a summer abroad has left him in a complicated relationship with Serena.

On Gossip Girl, what is the name of the baby Georgina leaves with Dan at the start of season 4?

Milo: Dan believes he is the father when Georgina leaves the baby with him, until she admits the boy's real father is a Russian named Serge.

Which actress played Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl?

Jessica Szohr played Dan's childhood best friend for four seasons, left the main cast and came back only for a cameo in the series finale.

Which actress was set to star in a planned film of the Gossip Girl novels before it became a TV series instead?

Lindsay Lohan was attached, with Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino making the film; when it stalled, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage turned the books into a series.

Which royal does Blair marry in season 5 of Gossip Girl?

Prince Louis Grimaldi of Monaco marries Blair in the show's 100th episode, and a prenup with a ruinous dowry then stops her from simply walking away.

On Gossip Girl, how does Chuck's father meet his end in the final season?

He falls from a building: a rooftop argument with Chuck turns physical, and Bart lunges at his son and goes over the edge as Blair arrives.

Ivy Dickens was hired to pose as Serena's cousin in order to gain access to what?

A trust fund: Ivy Dickens, a struggling actress, was hired by Serena's aunt Carol to pose as her daughter Charlie Rhodes so Carol could tap Charlie's trust fund.

On Gossip Girl, Nate's powerful grandfather grooms him to follow the family into which field?

Politics: proud of the family's political heritage, his grandfather lands Nate an internship at the mayor's office, having already steered cousin Tripp into running for office.

In what year did the original 'Gossip Girl' series first premiere?

The original 'Gossip Girl' series premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007.

On Gossip Girl, under what name does Georgina introduce herself to Dan in season 1?

Sarah: Georgina 'accidentally' runs into Dan as Sarah and is taken in as a friend by him and Vanessa, who have no idea who she really is.

Which newspaper is Nate Archibald running by the end of Gossip Girl?

The Spectator: Nate starts working at the New York Spectator in season 5 and ends up its editor-in-chief, nursing it through near financial ruin in the final season.

Which Baldwin brother had a recurring Gossip Girl role as a doctor?

William Baldwin played Dr. William van der Woodsen, Serena's long-absent father, who resurfaces in season 3 treating Lily for cancer and is soon suspected of hiding something.

Serena van der Woodsen's mysterious year away before the Gossip Girl pilot was spent at a boarding school in which state?

Her return from a Connecticut boarding school is the pilot's opening blast, and the real reason she fled turns out to involve a death she thought she had caused.

Which sign-off closes every Gossip Girl blog post?

'XOXO, Gossip Girl' follows the taunt 'You know you love me', and the series itself ends on the same sign-off as a new Gossip Girl is teased.

In jail with Dan on Gossip Girl, what does Chuck confide about his mother?

She died giving birth to him: Chuck tells Dan his mother died in childbirth, the guilt behind Bart's coldness; season 3 muddies this with Elizabeth Fisher claiming to be his living mother.

What is the name of Chuck and Blair's son in the Gossip Girl finale's flash-forward?

Henry: the finale's five-year flash-forward introduces Chuck and Blair's son Henry Bass, as the whole gang gathers for Dan and Serena's wedding.

Which Gossip Girl character is played by Taylor Momsen?

Jenny Humphrey: Taylor Momsen played Dan's sister Jenny from the pilot, leaving after season 4 to front the rock band The Pretty Reckless.

Which Gossip Girl actor first read for Nate before the producers asked him to try another role?

Ed Westwick read for Nate, but the two producers looked at each other and wrote 'Chuck?' on a piece of paper, then refused to make the pilot without him.

Blake Lively first turned down the role of Serena because she planned to do what?

Attend college: Blake Lively initially said no to Serena because she wanted to go to college, signing on after producers promised she could study part-time while filming.

Ed Westwick modelled Chuck's American accent on which sitcom character?

Carlton Banks: the English actor borrowed the preppy cousin's voice from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, having won the part within a month of flying out to Hollywood.

Before narrating Gossip Girl, its unseen voice starred in and narrated which teen drama?

Veronica Mars was facing cancellation after three seasons when the May 2007 upfronts revealed its star had narrated the Gossip Girl pilot, making her a title character twice over.

Which building's exterior stood in for the Constance Billard–St. Jude's school?

Museum of the City of New York: its Fifth Avenue exterior stood in for Constance Billard–St. Jude's; the fictional school was modelled on Nightingale-Bamford, author Cecily von Ziegesar's alma mater.

In Cecily von Ziegesar's novels, which school does Dan Humphrey attend?

Riverside Prep: in the novels Dan Humphrey attends Riverside Prep, not St. Jude's; the TV series instead enrolled him at St. Jude's alongside Nate and Chuck.

Gossip Girl's fifth season opened with two episodes filmed in which American city?

Los Angeles: the season opens there because Serena has taken a job on a film set, and Chuck and Nate drop in on her after a summer of travelling.

Which wireless carrier supplied the characters' phones under a product-placement deal?

Verizon: every character carried a Verizon Wireless phone under a placement deal that also let fans download ringtones of songs heard on the show.

Which drink brand's season 2 placement deal helped fund the Hamptons location shoot?

VitaminWater was served at the Hamptons party that opens season 2 and kept turning up in dialogue all year, in a deal that helped pay for the location shoot.

A season 1 Gossip Girl episode about Serena's brother puns on which Pedro Almodóvar film?

All About My Mother became 'All About My Brother', one of many titles the writers twisted out of films and novels, like 'The Wild Brunch' from The Wild Bunch.

The Gossip Girl episode 'The Age of Dissonance' puns on a novel by which author?

Edith Wharton: the title twists her novel The Age of Innocence, which the seniors stage as their school play in that very episode.

After the 2007–08 writers' strike, Gossip Girl moved from Wednesdays to which night?

Mondays: the first 13 episodes went out on Wednesdays, and when the show came back from the strike it moved to Mondays, where it stayed until its finale.

In the Gossip Girl pilot, a flashback shows Serena and Nate's secret tryst on the bar of which venue?

The Campbell Apartment, a financier's old private office turned cocktail bar, hosts the betrayal that Blair confronts Serena over when she returns from boarding school.

Whose wedding ends Gossip Girl's first season?

Lily and Bart marry in the season 1 finale after he asks her, that very morning, to let Rufus go; the writers' strike had cut the season to 18 episodes.

Who plays influencer Julien Calloway in the 2021 Gossip Girl sequel?

Jordan Alexander plays Julien, the queen bee who asks her half-sister Zoya to move to Manhattan, only for Zoya to end up with Julien's ex-boyfriend Obie.

In the 2021 Gossip Girl sequel, who is secretly running the revived Gossip Girl account?

A group of teachers: tired of being bullied by her own students, English teacher Kate Keller leads a ring of colleagues who bring the account back.

In the 2021 Gossip Girl sequel, on which platform does the revived Gossip Girl post?

Instagram: the old blog is relaunched as an anonymous account that spies on a new generation of students, with the original narrator back as its voice.

Which country remade Gossip Girl in 2010 as Küçük Sırlar, or 'Little Secrets'?

Turkey: Küçük Sırlar was made with Warner Bros.' international arm and switched channels mid-run, from Kanal D to Star TV, lasting 55 episodes.

Which singer voiced the blogger in the Mexican remake Gossip Girl: Acapulco?

Paty Cantú voiced the anonymous blogger in Gossip Girl: Acapulco, the 2013 Mexican adaptation filmed in the Guerrero resort city.

Where do Chuck and Blair finally marry in the Gossip Girl series finale?

Bethesda Fountain: Chuck and Blair wed in a rush in Central Park, with Cyrus officiating, because spousal privilege means she cannot be forced to testify against her husband.

Which actress played Lily van der Woodsen, Serena's mother, on Gossip Girl?

Kelly Rutherford played Lily in every season; the producers say they fought for extra money to hire her and Matthew Settle because the show needed adults to anchor it.

What does Chuck name the dog he is given in season 5?

Monkey: Chuck names the dog Monkey, a nod to the novels, where he carries around a pet snow monkey called Sweetie.

On Gossip Girl, how is the scheming Jack Bass related to Chuck?

His uncle: Jack is Bart's brother, who first arrives to take custody of Chuck and seize the company, yet in the finale he is the one who comes to Chuck's rescue.

Which Harry Potter actress played Eva, the woman who nurses Chuck back to health on Gossip Girl?

Clémence Poésy, Harry Potter's Fleur Delacour, played Eva for four episodes; she rescues Chuck after he is shot, and he later names a charity foundation after her.

In which city is Chuck Bass shot by muggers at the end of Gossip Girl's third season?

Prague: the season 3 finale ends with Chuck shot by muggers in Prague after refusing to hand over the engagement ring he had meant for Blair.

Which British actress played media mogul Diana Payne in season 5 of Gossip Girl?

Elizabeth Hurley played Diana Payne, who starts an affair with Nate, gives him an internship at her newspaper and later claims to be Chuck's real mother.

Which Melrose Place alum played Juliet Sharp, the girlfriend of Nate out to ruin Serena?

Katie Cassidy, from the 2009 Melrose Place revival, played Juliet Sharp, whose brother Ben had been Serena's boarding-school teacher, jailed on an affidavit Lily forged in Serena's name.

On Gossip Girl, Hilary Duff guest-starred in season 3 as which movie star who dates Dan?

Olivia Burke enrols as an ordinary college student and dates Dan, but the romance ends when she goes back to Hollywood and he admits his feelings for Vanessa.

On Gossip Girl, Armie Hammer's con man Gabriel Edwards is secretly in league with which socialite?

Poppy Lifton and Gabriel fake a falling-out while running a Ponzi scheme together, trading on Serena's name until Blair springs a trap to have Poppy arrested.

Which pop star does Blair scramble to book for a private concert in season 3 of Gossip Girl?

Lady Gaga: hoping to impress the theatre students at her new college, Blair lands a private concert, and Gaga performs 'Bad Romance' as herself.

Which band played the Constance Billard alumni party in Gossip Girl's season 4 finale?

The Airborne Toxic Event played 'Changing', from their album All at Once, at the Constance alumni party in the season 4 finale, which also featured a cameo by author Cecily von Ziegesar.

What is Cyrus Rose's signature catchphrase?

"Not enough!" is Cyrus's cry whenever a hug is too brief, a habit that initially horrifies his future stepdaughter Blair when Eleanor brings him home in season 2.

Blair says meeting Cyrus was like expecting Cary Grant and getting whom?

Danny DeVito: Blair grumbles that she expected Cary Grant and got Danny DeVito on meeting Eleanor's short, effusive new boyfriend Cyrus Rose, played by Wallace Shawn.

Which actor plays Blair's father, Harold Waldorf?

John Shea played Harold Waldorf, Blair's father, who leaves Eleanor for a man named Roman and moves to France; Wallace Shawn played her stepfather Cyrus.

What does Dorota name the daughter she gives birth to in Gossip Girl's season 3 finale?

Anastasia: Dorota's labour in the season 3 finale is why Blair arrives hours late to meet Chuck at the Empire State Building, with disastrous results.

What job does Vanya, Dorota's husband, hold at the van der Woodsens' building?

Doorman: Vanya works the door of the van der Woodsens' building, and he and Dorota marry in a hurry in season 3 when she learns her family is coming to visit.

On Gossip Girl, where does Cyrus buy Dorota and Vanya an apartment as they start their family?

Queens: Cyrus buys the apartment over Eleanor's objection that Dorota is only an employee, pointing out that she practically raised Blair.

In which California town does Lily's mother CeCe live on Gossip Girl?

Montecito: CeCe descends on New York a few times a year from her California home, and in season 3 Lily spends a whole summer out there with her.

Who is named the heir to CeCe's estate after her death in season 5?

Ivy Dickens: CeCe's will leaves her estate to Ivy, and it emerges CeCe had known all along that her 'granddaughter' was an impostor and left it to her anyway.

Which duchess does Nate have an affair with in the Hamptons in season 2 of Gossip Girl?

Catherine Beaton, a married duchess, gives Nate money to save his family from debt, an arrangement that unravels once her affair with her own stepson Marcus is discovered.

On Gossip Girl, Jack Bass ran Bass Industries' operations in which country before coming to New York?

Australia: Jack ran the firm's division there from Sydney until he came to New York to take custody of Chuck, then schemed to take the whole company from him.

Jenny's drug-dealing boyfriend Damien Dalgaard is the son of which country's ambassador?

Belgium: Damien is the Belgian ambassador's son, and when his father finally learns that he has been dealing drugs he is cut off from the family money.

On Gossip Girl, Dan's sister Jenny later moves to London to attend which art and design school?

Central Saint Martins: Jenny ends up studying there after Blair banishes her from Manhattan for sleeping with Chuck at the end of season 3.

Which Pretty Reckless single was the last song heard in the Gossip Girl series finale?

"Kill Me" closes the finale, an episode in which Taylor Momsen also makes a brief return two seasons after leaving the cast to front the band.

What was the name of Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick's punk band?

The Filthy Youth: Westwick fronted the English band, and two of its songs ended up on the soundtrack of an episode of his own show.

What is Leighton Meester's natural hair colour, which she changed to audition as Blair?

Blonde: Meester came in blonde, but Blake Lively was already the show's blonde, so the producers asked her to change and she did a sink-rinse dye job to audition as a brunette.

Who played the young Lily in Gossip Girl's season 2 spin-off pilot, set in 1980s California?

Brittany Snow played the teenage Lily in 'Valley Girls', a backdoor pilot told in 1980s flashbacks, with Krysten Ritter as her sister Carol; the spin-off was never picked up.

Gossip Girl showrunner Joshua Safran left after season 5 to run which NBC series?

Smash: Safran left to run NBC's musical drama, Sara Goodman took over Gossip Girl for its final season, and Safran later returned to develop the HBO Max sequel.

Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman had assisted Patricia Field on which earlier series?

Sex and the City: Patricia Field hired Daman in 2001 to help give that show a more editorial, downtown New York look, work that won him an Emmy before Gossip Girl.

Blair Waldorf's season 1 dream sequences on Gossip Girl are built around which Hollywood idol of hers?

Audrey Hepburn fills Blair's dreamscapes, with sidekicks Kati and Isabel often turning up in them too. The costume designers named Hepburn and Vogue editor Anna Wintour as inspirations for Blair's wardrobe.

On Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf builds her school career around getting into which university, only to be rejected?

Yale first wait-listed Blair, then dropped her after word of her hazing of a teacher got back to the university. She and Serena had made peace during their interviews there.

On Gossip Girl, Howard Archibald, a white-collar criminal who flees arrest, goes by which nickname?

The Captain flees to Dominica to dodge arrest, and his son punches him before he can reach the limo. He later turns himself in and is paroled in season 4.

Blair Waldorf's royal husband in season 5 of Gossip Girl is heir to the throne of which European country?

Monaco's fictional heir is written as a nephew of the real Albert II. He first poses as a chauffeur, so that Blair will not want him only for his title.

Which real designer plays herself on Gossip Girl at a fitting for Blair Waldorf's royal wedding gown?

Vera Wang designed the dress and turns up in person for the fitting. The wedding itself was saved for the show's 100th episode.

Before Gossip Girl, a young Taylor Momsen played which storybook character opposite Jim Carrey in her breakout role?

Cindy Lou Who came her way in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, released in 2000. She quit Gossip Girl in 2011 to focus fully on her music career with the Pretty Reckless.

Penn Badgley, Gossip Girl's Dan, went on to play Joe Goldberg in which psychological thriller series?

You began on Lifetime in 2018 before Netflix took it over, and ran until 2025. Badgley nearly passed on Gossip Girl too, turning down the part of Dan at first.

Ed Westwick, who plays Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl with an American accent, actually comes from which country?

England is home for Westwick, who grew up in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. He was among the last leads to be cast, found in April along with Matthew Settle.

Josh Schwartz, co-creator of Gossip Girl, became one of TV's youngest showrunners at 26 with which Fox teen drama?

The O.C. ran for four seasons, and Schwartz brought its music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas, along to choose the songs for Gossip Girl.

Gossip Girl's season 2 advertising campaign became notorious for splashing which unlikely material across its adverts?

Negative reviews from the Parents Television Council and several newspapers were quoted in the ads to play up the show's rebellious image. The same council had named a season 1 episode its worst show of the week.

On Gossip Girl, the Waldorfs' devoted housekeeper, Blair's closest confidante, comes from which country?

Poland is where her parents fly in from in season 3, prompting a rushed traditional wedding so they will not find her pregnant and unmarried. Chuck offers to throw it.

On Gossip Girl, scholarship student Dan is tagged with which nickname as an outsider among the elite?

Lonely Boy has longed for Serena since a party when they were fifteen, where she was the only person who was nice to him. The finale's last shot shows a new one walking past his classmates.

Which 1980s pop star makes a cameo at Blair Waldorf's 18th birthday party in season 2 of Gossip Girl?

Cyndi Lauper's cameo comes in 'Bonfire of the Vanity', an episode that also sees a runaway Jenny move in with her model friend Agnes.

Which supermodel guest-stars in season 3 of Gossip Girl as Ursula, a film actress whom Serena befriends?

Tyra Banks plays Ursula Nyquist, co-star of a film whose premiere Serena is hired to help with. Serena gets the job through the movie star's publicist.

Which actor plays Cyrus Rose, the entertainment lawyer who becomes Blair Waldorf's stepfather on Gossip Girl?

Wallace Shawn's Cyrus marries Blair's mother in season 2, after Blair has done her best to split the couple up. In the finale he is the one who marries Blair and Chuck.

During the citywide blackout in season 2 of Gossip Girl, where do exes Serena and Dan end up trapped together?

In an elevator, the pair finally argue out the problems of their junior-year romance. Chuck and a friend later borrow the trick, deliberately trapping Serena and Blair in one to repair their friendship.

Which actress appears as herself in the Gossip Girl finale, preparing to audition for a film of Dan's book?

Rachel Bilson shares the scene with the show's narrator, who is seen on screen for the first time. The producers wrote the gag to play to both actresses' strengths.

In the Gossip Girl finale's flash-forward, Dan's father has found love with which real singer-songwriter?

Lisa Loeb had already appeared on the show in season 1. The writers paired her with Dan's father so that he would end up with a fellow musician, someone from his own world.

In the Gossip Girl finale, Jack Bass urges Chuck and Blair to marry at once so they can rely on what?

Spousal privilege means a wife cannot be made to testify against her husband, and Chuck is a person of interest in his father's death. The police turn up to question them right after the ceremony.

During a college visit in season 2 of Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass is kidnapped by members of which secret society?

Skull and Bones members grab Chuck in 'New Haven Can Wait', the same campus trip on which Dan finds out his reference letters were never sent.

In season 2 of Gossip Girl, Dan's job as a cater-waiter lands him serving at which Waldorf family occasion?

A Passover Seder at the Waldorf penthouse is the gig, with several of Dan's friends and relatives among the guests. He had taken the work to help pay for university.

After her royal wedding on Gossip Girl, Blair tries to reach which country for a divorce without her husband's consent?

The Dominican Republic has a loophole in its law that would allow it, and Dan helps her make a run for it. She has forgotten her passport, though, and has to ask her maid for help.

In season 5 of Gossip Girl, Lily and Serena honor grandmother CeCe with a party themed on which nightclub?

Studio 54 is the theme of the party thrown for CeCe on her return to New York. Meanwhile Dan and his publicist set up rival fan and hater accounts on Twitter to stir up buzz for his book.

In season 5, Gossip Girl's characters don masks for which real immersive New York theater production by Punchdrunk?

Sleep No More gave the episode half its title, 'The Big Sleep No More', and its masks and anonymity set up some surprise romantic twists by the end of the night.

In season 5 of Gossip Girl, Dan turns down a prestigious summer fellowship in which European capital to stay with Blair?

Rome was the offer, and Dan gave it up for his relationship with Blair. He told her he loved her, and she did not say it back.

At the end of season 3 of Gossip Girl, Jenny is banished from Manhattan to live with her mother in which town?

Hudson is where her mother lives as an artist, away from the rest of the family. Blair had told Jenny never to set foot in Manhattan again after her night with Chuck.

Which alternative rock band performs at Rufus and Lily's wedding reception in season 3 of Gossip Girl?

Sonic Youth play 'Starpower' at the reception after the couple bring their wedding day forward. Georgina tries to wreck it by luring their long-lost son back to town.

In season 3 of Gossip Girl, Blair and Chuck go head to head over the same lot at which auction house?

Sotheby's hosts the face-off, with both of them set on one item and the personal stakes running high. The pair had spent that summer breaking every traditional rule of dating.

On Gossip Girl, Hilary Duff's movie-star character says something she regrets on which host's talk show?

Jimmy Fallon's show is where she slips up in season 3, and she then scrambles to keep her boyfriend Dan from finding out.

On Gossip Girl, Dan and Jenny's father was once a musician in which one-hit-wonder rock band?

Lincoln Hawk is invited to play a Rolling Stone-sponsored concert in season 1, and Lily turns up to watch even though her wedding rehearsal dinner is the same night.

In season 4 of Gossip Girl, Juliet Sharp's vendetta against Serena is payback for the jailing of which relative?

Her brother Ben, once Serena's teacher at boarding school, was serving time for a crime he did not commit. Lily had faked her daughter's signature on the charge so that Serena could return to Constance.

On Gossip Girl, what sentence does Lily serve for forging Serena's signature on a legal document?

House arrest keeps Lily at home until early in season 5, when she is released in time to attend a fashion show. Her forgery had put an innocent teacher in prison.

Connor Paolo left his recurring Gossip Girl role as the youngest van der Woodsen to join which ABC drama?

Revenge made Paolo a series regular, and he confirmed his exit in August 2011. He had always declined promotion to the main Gossip Girl cast, citing personal reasons.

Which actor plays Tripp van der Bilt, the congressional candidate who has an affair with Serena on Gossip Girl?

Aaron Tveit's Tripp flees the scene after a car crash on the drive back from Long Island leaves Serena seriously injured. He came back to the role for several episodes in season 5.

Which actress took over as Blair Waldorf's mother on Gossip Girl after someone else played the part in the pilot?

Margaret Colin replaced Florencia Lozano, who appears as the character only in the pilot. Blair's mother often battles her daughter, yet early on picks her as the face of her clothing line.

Leighton Meester sang guest vocals on 'Good Girls Go Bad', a top-ten hit heard on Gossip Girl, for which band?

Cobra Starship's single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured in the season 3 episode where Blair starts university. Frontman Gabe Saporta made a cameo in the season 5 finale.

Gossip Girl's season 4 episode 'Easy J' borrows its title from a hit teen comedy starring which actress?

Emma Stone's Easy A had Gossip Girl's own Penn Badgley as Todd, her character's love interest, and earned him a Teen Choice Award nomination.

Which British act performs an acoustic version of 'Cosmic Love' during season 4 of Gossip Girl?

Florence and the Machine play the song in the episode where Blair tries to win over her boss during an internship at W magazine. The band's 'You've Got the Love' was later heard in the series finale.

The girls' school in Gossip Girl is modelled on which real Manhattan school that the novels' author attended?

Nightingale-Bamford became the model for the girls' school, while the boys' school was derived from another real one, Allen-Stevenson. The author went on from there to Colby College.

Which actress played Lily's black-sheep sister Carol in Gossip Girl's 1980s-set spin-off pilot, 'Valley Girls'?

Krysten Ritter was the first guest star cast for the pilot, in February 2009. Despite generally positive reviews, the spin-off was not picked up as a series.

Which real band appears in Gossip Girl's 'Valley Girls' episode as a fictional 1980s group called Snowed Out?

No Doubt used the cameo, part of their return after a four-year hiatus, to premiere a cover of Adam and the Ants' 'Stand and Deliver'. It was the band's first new song in five years.

Which real American novelist appears on Gossip Girl in the recurring role of writer Jeremiah Harris?

Jay McInerney came back as Harris in season 5, an appearance New York magazine made a point of noting. That season turns on Dan's own first taste of life as a published author.

In its fifth season, Gossip Girl served as the lead-in to which new CW drama from the same producers?

Hart of Dixie aired straight after Gossip Girl, which shifted to an 8 pm slot to lead into it. Both came from executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

On Gossip Girl, which bookish rival does Blair Waldorf try to sabotage before the SATs?

Nelly Yuki is a Merit Scholar whose first violin was a gift from Itzhak Perlman. She joins Blair's clique in season 2 anyway, and returns in the final season.

The Gossip Girl episode 'Blair Waldorf Must Pie!' sends Serena's family to the Humphreys' for which holiday?

Thanksgiving at the Humphreys' follows Serena's family being kicked out of the annual Waldorf dinner. Nobody at the table knows about the torrid history between Lily and Dan's parents.

Michelle Trachtenberg, Gossip Girl's schemer Georgina, played Dawn Summers on which supernatural drama?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast her as the heroine's younger sister from 2000 to 2003. She had made her film debut even earlier, in the title role of Harriet the Spy.

In season 2 of Gossip Girl, a heartbroken Blair sets her sights on joining which exclusive women's institution?

The Colony Club is billed on the show as the most prestigious ladies' club in New York. Blair throws herself into winning a place to forget her last painful exchange with Chuck.

On Gossip Girl, a new Shakespeare teacher earns Blair Waldorf's wrath by giving her which first-ever grade?

A B was the first of Blair's prep school career, and she answered it with a rumour about the teacher and Dan that got the teacher fired.

In season 5 of Gossip Girl, Serena's real cousin Charlie, working as a waitress, goes by which name?

Lola first crosses paths with the family as a waitress at Blair's wedding reception. She had known the impostor who was posing as her from acting school.

On Gossip Girl, what does model Agnes do to Jenny's dress collection after their fashion partnership turns sour?

Burns it, every dress, and then kicks Jenny out of her apartment with nothing. Willa Holland returned as Agnes for a brief appearance in the series finale.