      Like many of you, I have passed a lot of time in quarantine by binge-watching some of my favorite television shows, including an old favorite: Gossip Girl. Down the TV rabbit-hole is where I stumbled across a hidden gem of reality TV, Bravo’s NYC Prep. Whether you need something to kill the time until the Gossip Girl hits HBO Max in 2021, you want to see how the top 1% lives, or you’re simply a lover of reality television, this single-season show is must-watch!
           NYC Prep premiered in the summer of 2009, during the height of the original Gossip Girl craze, and it follows around a group of incredibly wealthy New York teens, aka the real-life Nate Archibalds and Serena van der Woodsens of the world. The show only lasts a single season, eight episodes in its entirety, so it is the perfect thing to watch in between seasons of your favorite drama or to break-up your holiday movie marathon.
           Essentially, the show depicts these rather rich teenagers as they run around New York City, lusting over the same guys, going to insane parties, taking luxury vacations, and throwing some Waldorf-worthy insults at each other. The show only has a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is honestly a crime. This show is hysterical! I love the over-top drama! The show is absolute insanity, in the best way possible! Firstly, as the title suggests, almost all the main cast attend a prep school; and they fight over whose school is more challenging as though they are fighting for their lives! Imagine if the Kardashians were petty 15-year-olds. Plus, there is something humorous about the way they all gloat about their 2009 blackberries as they drop $300 on sunglasses like it’s no big deal.
           To be honest, there is nothing I could write that would accurately describe this show and its madness. But I will say, I got more entertainment from watching this show than I have had in a long time. You can watch the show online at https://www.bravotv.com/nyc-prep or on the Bravo TV app. Watch one episode and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.