According to reports, the much-touted Gossip Girl spinoff - set to make a partial debut in flashback scenes on Monday's GG episode - is no longer happening. Why?

• The network had six promising pilots, but just three time slots in which to fill them, and the Gossip Girl spinoff, while solid, lost out.
• Spinning off a critically acclaimed, but little-watched series (barely two million viewers) seemed like a stretch from the beginning.
• An '80s spinoff series, while cool in theory, didn't seem to mesh with a show whose core audience was largely born in the '90s.

The second and third bullet points are the opinions of TV Fanatic, but are not exactly far-fetched. CW execs loved the spinoff's yesteryear vibe, but the show faded fast with the decision-makers. Its competition was apparently that much better.

Here's a look at the three shows that are likely candidates for pickup:

1. Melrose Place rebooted is a lock. The show is already hiring.
2. The Beautiful Life looks very good to be picked up since The CW likes its relationship with Ashton Kutcher and this is a drama about models starring young and old babes like Mischa Barton and Elle McPherson.
3. Vampire Diaries is next in line with the most heat. It's a drama based on the series of books about vampire brothers and their girlfriend.

So put a fork in young Lily, but get psyched for these newcomers.

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.