The Children's Hour

Once Gossip Girl roofied the zeitgeist, it was only a matter of time before someone decided it needed a reality check. Or at least a reasonable facsimile using non-actors, which is what Bravo is serving up with NYC Prep (premiering Tuesday, June 23).

The parallels are uncanny (and calculatedly so): PC is slimy Chuck Bass in guyliner; headband connoisseur Camille is uppity Blair; Sebastian and his hair are swoony Nate Archibald; latch-key singer Kelly is beautifully benign Serena; and poor (at least comparatively) public school matriculant Taylor feeds on the approval of the wealthy like Jenny Humphrey. The show eschews a preachy Dan Humphrey type (Amen) in favor of a pot-stirring bitch (Amen!) in PC’s BFF, Jessie. It also mostly echews parents, most of whom are out in The Hamptons, eschewing parenting.

Abandon all hope of relating to any of these gilded butterflies, and enjoy the show for the farcical game of dress-up it is. Roll your eyes when 16-year-olds “catch up over drinks” and attend art openings. Giggle when PC double kisses everyone. Squeal when Camille, reviewing her marginally acceptable SAT results, insists "I can achieve a perfect score." And raise a glass when Jessie's friend warns her to stop micro-managing PC or she'll "end up on Lexapro for the rest of [her] life." You know you love it. xoxo


NYC Prep premieres Tuesday June 23 at 10 PM on Bravo.