Forcing 'Gossip Girl' Fans to (Gasp!) Watch TV

The resumption of the TV season following the writers' strike means a chance for a do-over for many shows. The CW is hoping to use the opportunity to change the habits of Gossip Girl fans who prefer to watch the show on their computers.

Hence the very odd press release I received announcing the network's decision not to stream the final five episodes of the season on its website. This runs contrary to the prevailing trend in TV, where networks are anxious to make sure that their shows are available wherever viewers might go looking for them, be it on iTunes, Hulu or Netflix.

But Gossip Girl has never had a problem reaching the secondary audience; it's in the original broadcast of the show on the CW that it has performed weakly. It was reportedly renewed for a second season only on the strength of its iTunes sales and DVR replays.

A CW spokesman calls the no-streaming edict "an experiment to see if we can help move the ratings needle." He notes that the CW will increase the number of Gossip Girl online extras for the duration of the experiment. "For us, it's a great show. We're very proud of it and we think it can be a signature show, but being a broadcast, network the bottom line is still the ratings."