As antagonist Blair Waldorf elegantly explains, “If you want to be a part of this world, people will talk.” The ‘world’ she’s thinking of is, of course, the elite Upper East Side of Manhattan. And on the CW’s new show Gossip Girl, everyone is talking.

The program, based on Cicely von Ziegasar’s best-selling book series of the same name, follows six privileged prep-schoolers as they deal with all the pressures and enjoy all the perks having a wealthy family can bring. Writer and executive producer Josh Schwartz, who showed viewers the equally glamorous world of California’s Orange County on the now-defunct OC, creates another glittering portrait of a class many long to enter, and few ever leave.

The series follows Blair (Leighton Meester) and Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) as they try to balance a friendship based on competition and deception, thanks in large part to the object of both their affections, one Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford). Throw into the mix the Humphrey siblings, Dan and Jenny (Penn Badgley and Taylor Momsen), outsiders trying to work their way into the Manhattan elite, and Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), the epitome of an arrogant society heir, and you have drama, pre-assembled and ready to go.

The plot is fanciful, extravagant, and (at least for those of us further inland) a bit absurd… but I love it anyway. The delivery is seamless, with incredible acting from leads Lively and Meester and a gifted supporting cast. The polished, stylish costumes look as appropriate for the fashionable Upper East Side as if they were taken from the pages of Vogue, and the soundtrack underscores perfectly the show’s eclectic feel, including national chart-toppers and tracks that pay homage to local New York City bands.

The element that works most in the show’s favor is the setting: I’m speaking, of course, about the inimitable New York City. The city is a veritable character in the show, its nuances and whims representative of the unpredictable characters themselves. The disembodied narration of the ubiquitous Gossip Girl (voiced by Kristen Bell) adds elegance and mystery to the city that never sleeps—or stops gossiping, apparently.

I’m not generally enthusiastic about the CW’s primetime lineup, which can run overly melodramatic, but Gossip Girl has converted me. The show’s fast pace, clever plot and general chic-ness make it something to talk about. (4 stars)