Gossip Girl Television Program

"Grey's Anatomy" has the elevator. "The Real World" has the confessional room. And "Gossip Girl" has the limousine. They are places where characters unburden themselves, out of the view of others. And because they're not being watched, they sometimes behave as they otherwise might not; remove becomes a sort of enabler. Earlier this season, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) famously surrendered to the advances of grade-A cad Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) in the back of a limo.

The "Gossip Girl" panel on Friday afternoon at the Beverly Hilton got a little surly when television critics asked the executive producers to justify the underage drinking and (attempted) date-raping in its pilot. Josh Schwartz, creator of "The O.C." and an executive producer of "Gossip Girl," fielded the inevitable what-will-you-say-to-the-parents question. "We take the message the show is sending incredibly seriously," Schwartz said. "These are flawed characters."

Josh SCHWARTZ was shooting the finale of "The O.C." in Pasadena last season when he began to get an inkling about the potential of his next project. ? "All these teenagers from the neighborhood had gathered, upset the show was ending," said Schwartz, the young writer-producer who created the gauzy Newport Beach teen soap. "They said, 'You have to do another show for us.' " ? In fact, Schwartz told them, he was starting work on a television series based on the popular "Gossip Girl" books. ?

Renewed: After three outings, "Gossip Girl," the freshman drama about New York teen socialites, has been granted a full season by the honchos at the CW.

"Gossip Girl" guest star Willa Holland has a lot to live up to, considering the show's last two female guests have unearthed Serena van der Woodsen's darkest secrets and bedded, then blackmailed, Nate Archibald. Starting in tonight's episode, the 17-year-old L.A. native hits the Upper East Side for three episodes that will affect Jenny Humphrey's design aspirations. If Holland looks familiar, it's because she played Marissa Cooper's mischievous little sister, Kaitlin, on "The O.C." Her profile is also poised to rise with three coming films, including "Genova," in which she costars with Colin Firth, and "Middle of Nowhere" with Susan Sarandon.

A little birdie told me that the Dec. 8 "Gossip Girl" episode was the last we'd see of Aaron Rose, Serena's artist boyfriend who had recently whisked her off to Argentina for the winter break. The CW confirmed the news, and as much as I detested the character, I felt compelled to write Aaron a proper breakup letter. Dear Aaron: It was good while it lasted . . . OK, maybe not. You did arrive bearing full potential -- what girl wouldn't swoon at some clever art installation that she didn't understand or melt at the fact you remembered her out of all the other pretty, rich girls at Camp Suisse?

Hilary Duff is joining "Gossip Girl" for a multi-episode arc next season. Duff will play Olivia, a former child star who enrolls at NYU and happens to get placed as Vanessa's roommate. Her main purpose will be to portray a love interest for Dan (Penn Badgley). Duff makes her debut on the Oct. 5 episode. -- Enid Portuguez