"Gossip Girl" will likely be renewed for a shortened sixth and final season, according to an individual close to the production.
The CW drama is expected to return for a reduced number of episodes like fellow CW drama "One Tree Hill" did for its final season, the individual said.
A spokesman for the network said that CW has not yet made a decision about picking up any of its scripted shows for next year.
Given its low ratings, the show is seen as perpetually on the bubble. "Gossip Girl" averaged 1.7 million viewers, and a 1.9 rating in the women 18-34 demo, this year. That's a far cry from the 2.35 million viewers the show averaged in its debut season.
But renewal could be more palatable to the network because all of the show's stars, including Blake Lively, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, and Leighton Meester, are under contract for another season. That will spare CW the potentially costly ordeal of re-negotiating salaries.
"Gossip Girl" centers on the romances, trysts and social rivalries of a group of privileged young adults living in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
The series celebrated its 100th episode in January. At the time, the show's producers expressed optimism that "Gossip Girl" would be back with more rivalries and bed-hopping.
"We're not writing a series finale this year," Executive Producer Stephanie Savage told
