Gossip Girl Spin-off Gets interesting

So earlier on this blog I bitched about the potential CW Gossip Girl spin-off that is slated to center on a young Lily Vanderwooden's life. I retract much of that bitching. Word on the street (read: Internet reports) claim that American Dreams and John Tucker Must Die star Brittany Snow has been cast in the lead. This in money. I'm a big Snow fan so the fact that she's on-board means good things.
Gossip Girl Insider is reporting that series creators Josh Swartz and Stephanie Savage are also exploring tieing the new storyline in with storylines from Josh's previously successful teen drama the O.C. While I'm not sure I really care to see this...it may bring in some of the fans from that series that were left high and dry after Mischa Barton's departure and the show's demise.
The episode of GG that will serve as the launching pad for the pilot has already been shot which means it should be on the TV schedule in the near future (May 11 to be exact)!
In other spin-off casting news...Krysten Ritter (you know her from Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls) will play Lily's sister on the series.

Speaking of Spin-offs...

Gossip Girl isn't the only popular show set for a spin-off. CBS is hoping that they can capitalize on the success of NCIS with their own spin-0ff.

Ironically enough, NCIS started as an episode spin-off of JAG. Now NCIS will host the episode that spins off a new show. CBS hasn't announced any casting progress, or given any details on how the new show will function.

Gibbs might have to pull double duty if they expect this one to work.

Gossip Girl Spin-off?!

I love Gossip Girl. But is there enough Upper-East side love for a spin-off? The folks at the CW hope so. The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Gossip Girl executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are moving forward with plans for a spin-off that will follow a teenage Lily van der Woodsen through 1980s L.A. A backdoor pilot is set to air May 11.

Here is why I don't think this will work:

*Too much like Star Wars-

Going backwards in the life of a character as deep as Ms. van der Woodesen seems like trouble. We already know that she and Rufus had a thing, she got knocked up, and did some "artistic" modeling. Filling in the the rest of Lily's holes could get obnoxious. No matter where the series goes, it will have to end up in the present day or true Gossip Girl fans will be nothing but annoyed.

*A show about the past can't work alongside a show about the present.

Who wants to watch Lily van der Woodsen break the space-time-continum? On Monday nights she's in her 40s, on Tuesdays she'll be in her teens again. That's just too confusing.

*Casting-

You've already got one of the hottest casts on TV in Gossip Girl. Will the CW be able to bring the same magic to a spin-off? I doubt they'll be able to find another Chace Crawford out there. Plus the chemistry between Leighton Meester and Blake Lively is one of a kind. Try and find that in another set of teen stars and you're just asking for trouble.

*Character Sympathy-

Out of all the characters to do a spin-off with why Lily? Do we really have enough sympthy for the dysfunctional mother to want to watch her turmoil filled childhood? If the CW had wanted to give Chace Crawford his own show, I'd understand. I'd even have gotten onboard for a Bass based spin-off (they could have saved Bart's life and a potentailly awesome story-line).