As Rick Bird from the Cincinnati Post says, "We have seen the future of TV and it is...'Gossip Girl.'"

The CW teen soap is symbolic of how the traditional networks will judge hits and misses in the new media age.It also shows how the "traditional media" are learning how to use the "new media" and the power of integration.

As Rick points out, "'Gossip Girl' became the first new series to be picked up for a full season 22-episode order. At first glance that seemed mighty curious. It was averaging just 2.41 million viewers, one of the lowest-rated new shows, even below average by CW standards."

So why was it picked up?