September on Television

Today marks the end of August, which means a new season begins tomorrow. Usually, we associate Spring with colourful flowers and cute baby animals. These things are lovely, of course, but for those of us in Australia with a particular interest in US television there is another area where new and exciting things are blooming- the return of beloved series and the debut of new ones (which are hopefully soon to be beloved!).

Most exciting are the return of Gossip Girl and the beginning of Hart of Dixie- both brought to you by my television heroes, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (who were also producers of The O.C).

Gossip Girl is now entering its fifth season, an impressive feat considering its predecessor The O.C only lasted four- and fizzled out after Mischa Barton's departure at the end of season three (if not before). While season three of Gossip Girl left a bit to be desired (too many storylines, Blair's scheming getting somewhat old), in season four it actually seemed to get better. Likable new characters and surprising (but awesome) new love pairings seemed to save this show. The fact that a certain very annoying younger sister barely featured didn't hurt either! The final few episodes were as addictive as the earlier seasons had been- my battered bandwidth can attest to this. While every show has to end eventually, I think Gossip Girl will be around for a bit longer. It returns Monday, September 26th in the US.

On the same night, Hart of Dixie begins. It stars Rachel Bilson, who has probably fared the best post-O.C of all her counterparts. While I always preferred Marissa (read about that here), I still loved Summer for both her rage blackouts and trendsetting boho fashion. Bilson plays a young doctor, which should be a real change from her character in The O.C. This is hopefully a good thing, as a character similar to Summer would no doubt fall short. I have high hopes for this show- how could I not with Bilson, Schwartz and Savage. The O.C and Gossip Girl have something that other TV shows don't- it's than indefinable element that makes them more than just something you watch out of boredom. Let's hope Hart of Dixie doesn't disappoint. If it does, you can always try some more traditional Spring activities- go outside and smell some flowers/cuddle a baby lamb. It's good to have options!

Check out more info on The CW.