Monday January 14th marked the airing of The Carrie Diaries, also known as the CW’s attempt to replace Gossip Girl. Similarly based on a best-selling book about teenagers in New York City, The Carrie Diaries, a prequel to Sex and the City, follows 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (played by Anna Sophia Robb) as she deals with her mother’s passing and starts her internship and adult life in New York City in the year 1984. At the same time, however, Carrie is also trying to balance her drama-filled high school life, ask out the very attractive new kid Sebastian Kydd (played by Austin Butler), and figure out just who she is. Sound familiar?
Although at first glance The Carrie Diaries seems to be focused primarily on sex, the show’s underlying message is about the loss of innocence and growing up. While not nearly as witty or intriguing as Gossip Girl–indeed, there were some very dull moments in the pilot episode–The Carrie Diaries has a relatable sort of quirkiness that is sure to strike a chord with many teenage girls. In fact, despite its poufy 80’s hairstyles and questionable taste in costumes, The Carrie Diaries might in time become as popular as Gossip Girl, but for now it seems more likely to become the kind of show to watch when nothing else is on.
Written by Sarah Fornshell’15
