TV show reviews

The O.C.
If you miss the old, serialized days of "Dallas," "Knots Landing" and "Beverly Hills, 90210," here comes the ongoing saga of husbands and wives, fathers and sons, and the relationships between a group of teenagers in a seemingly idyllic town in Southern California. Although launching the series Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. this summer could create early interest, after baseball and once the new season kicks in, competition from "CSI" and "Will & Grace" could send "The O.C." to the O.R. Only patience, and plenty of it, will keep "The O.C." on the schedule past its first year.

The O.C. is a American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the FOX Network in the US and on various networks around the world. The show details the lives of young adults and their families growing up in affluent Orange County, California. It was an immediate hit upon its release in 2003 and was the first teen drama to capture critics and audiences alike since Beverly Hills 90210 a decade earlier. The series, created by Josh Schwartz, debuted on August 5, 2003.

The series has been noted for its music selections, which have helped some previously little-known bands (such as alternative band Phantom Planet, who performed the theme song to the show, "California") gain exposure, so much so that the show's producers have released six compilation albums featuring highlighted performers.

To date, The O.C. has aired in more than 50 countries worldwide. Mixing comedy, drama, melodramatic soap conventions and tongue-in-cheek humor, The O.C. helped bring young viewers back to FOX and has launched its stars onto magazine covers around the globe.

Peter Gallagher plays Sandy Cohen, the idealistic public defender who takes in Ryan Atwood . Early in Season 1 he took a job at a private law firm. He was fired from the firm in Season 2 after helping Caleb with his case, after which he started his own private law office. He later became the CEO of the Newport Group until he decided to return to the public defender's office.
Kelly Rowan plays Kirsten Cohen, the linchpin of O.C. society. She is the wife of Sandy Cohen and the mother of Seth Cohen and was the former CFO of her late father's (Caleb Nichol) real estate company, the Newport Group. She is also a recovering alcoholic.
Ben McKenzie plays Ryan Atwood, a troubled teenager from Chino thrown headlong into the privileged community of Newport Beach, California, having being taken in by Sandy Cohen after his mother (Dawn Atwood) threw him out of their family home. He had an on/off relationship with Marissa Cooper before she was killed. He is now the love interest of Taylor Townsend.
Adam Brody plays Seth Cohen, the awkward adolescent son of Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. He is known for his quick quips and pop-culture references. He is also the love interest of Summer Roberts.
Melinda Clarke plays Julie Cooper-Nichol, she is mother of Kaitlin Cooper and the late Marissa Cooper. She was married to financial planner Jimmy Cooper, but after learning that he had stolen large sums of money from his clients, Julie divorced him. She later married Caleb Nichol. Following Caleb’s death, she became engaged to Dr. Neil Roberts. She is now single.
Rachel Bilson plays Summer Roberts, the socialite of the four main teen characters (Ryan, Seth, Marissa and Summer). She is the love interest of Seth, and best friend to Marissa. She is the daughter of Dr. Neil Roberts.
Autumn Reeser plays Taylor Townsend, a student who battled Marissa for full control of Harbor High School's social scene. Summer and Seth became friends with Taylor after learning how lonely she was. In the season three finale, Seth tells her she has become inner circle material, making her a part of the short-lived “Fab Five.” In Season Four, Taylor becomes the love interest of Ryan Atwood. She is the daughter of Veronica Townsend.
Willa Holland plays Kaitlin Cooper, the daughter of Jimmy Cooper and Julie Cooper-Nichol and sister to the late Marissa Cooper. After returning from boarding school, she plans to stay in Newport permanently. Her personality is more of her mother's rather than her father's, quite different from her older sister Marissa.

The network (FOX) has initially ordered only 16 episodes, well below the current average of 25 per season. The fourth season premiered on November 2, starting the season after coverage of Major League Baseball's World Series.

Depending on ratings performance, additional episodes could potentially be ordered. Entering the new season, The O.C.'s timeslot is also expected to face increased challenges for ratings both from current competitor CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS, and a relocated Grey's Anatomy on ABC. The network has stated they "have faith in the show's fans to follow the show" even with the increased challenges.

New faces will be seen in this season, including R&B artist Chris Brown and Everwood's Chris Pratt. The Cohens struggle to keep Ryan focused on the future after the death of Marissa, fighting forces that threaten to pull him back into his old life. With Julie struggling, Sandy and Kirsten reach out to Kaitlin.

The show was given a special first-run presentation on Wednesday, November 8, 2006 to test the waters for a new night to air. However, only a moderate improvement in ratings was seen in the special Wednesday night showing, meaning that for now the O.C. will continue to air on Thursday nights as originally planned.