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Why The O.C. became a hit
Could it be viewers like cheese factor?

VINAY MENON

"Welcome to the O.C., bitch."

Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) was welcomed with those ridiculous, ghetto-inspired words after getting pummelled by Luke Ward (Chris Carmack) in the pilot of The O.C.

As classic television lines go, Luke's testosterone-fuelled bon mot is probably not destined for the Smithsonian. But, looking back, it now seems appropriate.

Since premiering in August, the dramedy (or, "soapedy," to use creator Josh Schwartz's neologism) has welcomed millions of weekly viewers to Orange County, Calif. by punching up the ridiculous.

The season finale (Fox, CTV, 9 p.m. tonight) features a wedding between Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke) and Caleb Nichol (Alan Dale). But if the past is a reliable guide, expect more to transpire in Newport Beach this evening.

Of all new shows this season, The O.C., somewhat improbably, has sizzled with the most cultural impact. Its impossibly beautiful stars are splashed atop magazine covers. The Internet is buzzing with devotional paeans, chat-room confessionals, and philosophical deconstruction "Is Mr. Oats an overt symptom of Seth's arrested development?"

What started as a guilty pleasure is now appointment television, a maddening reality for those still too embarrassed to admit their addiction. Why is The O.C. so damn compelling? For a show so simple, this proves to be a rather complicated question.

Consider the plotlines introduced by the pilot:

Ryan and his brother steal a car. They crash. They are arrested. Ryan's brother is sentenced to three years. Ryan meets public defender Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher). Ryan leaves seedy Chino to live in the Cohen's palatial estate.

Ryan spots Marissa (Mischa Barton). Ryan meets Seth (Adam Brody). Ryan and Seth go sailing. Marissa invites Ryan to a fashion show. Summer (Rachel Bilson) invites Ryan to an after-party. Seth has a crush on Summer. Summer is intrigued by Ryan. Ryan gets into a fight with Luke. Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) doesn't want Ryan in her house. Sandy drives Ryan back to Chino. Ryan's mom has already moved out. Sandy brings Ryan back to Newport to stay with them ...

Okay, then.

The pilot, with its torqued melodrama, comic relief, breezy dialogue, formulaic twists, bucolic backdrop, hipster score and tight inter-connections between characters, happens to be structurally identical to every episode that has followed.

And millions of viewers can't get enough.

At a time when the best television shows (The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire) are obsessed with gritty realism, The O.C. arrived with almost farcical, manufactured intent. You get the feeling nobody in the writing room ever asks, "Will the audience believe this?"

This is storytelling that's not the least bit self-conscious. This is a show that believes the absurd is the sublime. This is escapism from the escapism.

In one season, we've seen arrests (Ryan), suicide attempts (Marissa), car accidents (Luke), fires (Kirsten's model home), therapy (Marissa), shoplifting (Marissa), gay reveals (Luke's father), villainous gun intrigue (Oliver), pregnancy (Theresa), love triangles (Seth-Anna-Summer, Ryan-Marissa-Theresa), bizarre romantic hook-ups (Julie and Luke, Julie and Caleb), fraud investigations (Jimmy), casino nights, cocaine, cotillions, Vegas, prostitution, illegal poker games and more fist fights than a Jerry Springer highlights show.

Secondary characters are introduced as stock composites, histrionic automatons programmed to wreak havoc on the posh SoCal milieu.

The best example is Kirsten's sister Hailey, who was thrust into the proceedings as a flaky, drifting party girl.

In the New Year's Eve episode she threw a wild, impromptu bash, trashing the Cohen home. She has since had a relationship with Jimmy and was discovered to be an exotic dancer.

Other characters are routinely airlifted into the mix, not for what they do on their own, but for what they might do to the core cast (Oliver, Danny, Theresa, Eddie, Caleb's 24-year-old girlfriend, Julie's uncouth sister, Sandy's hot colleague, the Newport gossip queens).

And millions of viewers still can't get enough.

Much is made of the show's cross-generational appeal. Here, Schwartz deserves top marks for constructing both a teen and adult playground. But, unlike a more serious show such as Everwood, the genius of The O.C.'s interplay between the kids and adults is that it's entirely inconsequential.

On The O.C., spectacle always trumps message.

Now that Sex And The City and Buffy The Vampire Slayer are no more, now that The West Wing and Gilmore Girls are freefalling through creative decline, The O.C. has filled the void, taking over as the prime-time leader in fashion, music and witty banter.

Part Beverly Hills 90210, part Melrose Place, part Freaks And Geeks, part My So-Called Life, The O.C. also has a playful, ironic ability to engage in self-mockery.

Whether characters are exchanging quips about Russell Crowe (whom McKenzie is often compared to in real life) or meeting "actors" from "The Valley," a thinly veiled, show-within-a-show that deliberately spoofs The O.C., it never takes itself too seriously.

The O.C. is really a family-fantasy centred around the Cohens. It is a show that appears to be much edgier than it actually is. Its wild appeal can also be attributed to the "buddy" friendship between Ryan and Seth.

In fact, Seth (Adam Brody) is the show's most important character. Moping about in his vintage T-shirts, occupied with video games and graphic novels, armed with withering sarcasm, Seth is the show's grounding centre and ironic oracle the geeky smartass called upon to provide commentary and scathing insights into the petty obsessions of those in his midst.

As we approach tonight's finale, you could argue The O.C. is compelling simply because of this cast chemistry. The stories may be way, way out there but lurking within the far-fetched plots is a mix of endearing characters.

And, maybe, that's why millions of viewers can't get enough.

Hot 'O.C.' ends big first season
By Diane Holloway
Associated Press
05/03/2004

AUSTIN, Texas -- The title is odd, an acronym that even many residents of Orange County didn't comprehend at first. And the cast was made up of mostly pretty young things who were complete unknowns.

So why is Fox's teen soap opera "The O.C." ending its first season Wednesday night as the hottest new drama on network television?

To start with, it's smart and clever. The writing is sharp and better than might be expected of a teen soap, the actors can actually act and the Southern California setting (in super-rich Newport Beach) is lush and lovely.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that "The O.C.," one of the highest-rated new shows of the season, airs right after the country's No. 1 blockbuster "American Idol." In the latest Nielsen ratings, "The O.C." was first among teens, which isn't surprising since there are few network prime-time shows aimed at that audience.

But it skews older, too; it's also first among viewers up to age 34. Several times the show has even beat NBC's prestigious "The West Wing" and CBS's goofy blue-collar comedy "King of Queens" in overall ratings. Broadway and movie actor Peter Gallagher, who heads the grown-up "O.C." cast, probably has something to do with that.

"I always thought it would skew a little older than the marketing people thought it would," says Benjamin McKenzie, 25, who stars as Ryan Atwood, the troubled teen taken in by public defender Sandy Cohen (Gallagher). "I think the show has a certain degree of intelligence in terms of writing and complexity of human relationships."

For those whose heads have been buried in sand other than the dunes of Newport Beach, "The O.C." blasted out of the gate last summer and was a hit right away. The pre-debut buzz was loud, and the post-debut buzz was nearly deafening.

"People were optimistic about our chances, but a lot of predicted hits fizzle out," said McKenzie in a phone interview from Los Angeles as he prepared to leave on vacation. "I'm surprised we've been as successful as we have."

We were first introduced to Ryan as he stole a car with his brother in Chino. Abandoned by his mother, he is bailed out of jail by lawyer Sandy, who takes him home to the mansion he shares with his socialite wife, Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), and their geeky son, Seth (Adam Brody) -- who, thanks to hanging out with brooding bad-guy Ryan, becomes something of a super-stud.

Conveniently housed next door is a season's worth of romantic melodrama. Failed businessman Jimmy Cooper (Tate Donovan) has a "history" with Kirsten; ex-wife Julie (Melinda Clarke) recently wound up engaged to Kirsten's father. And it only took one dreamy, puppy-dog look at Cooper daughter Marissa (Mischa Barton) for Ryan to go all weak in the knees.

Here's just a taste of the romantic entanglements that have ensued in the 26 episodes that have aired since August: Marissa broke up with her jock boyfriend Luke to be with Ryan. Luke moved on to an affair with Marissa's mother, Julie. But Julie soon ditched Luke to accept the aforementioned proposal from Kirsten's fabulously wealthy dad, Caleb. Got all that?

Created by Josh Schwartz, at 27 the youngest creator-producer working in network TV, "The O.C." has galloped along with a slow shift from heavy melodrama to clever comedy. Schwartz has dubbed his show a "soapedy," but it's also heavy on music, romance and sly self-awareness.

In one episode, Ryan and Marissa go see the movie "Master and Commander," after which Marissa says she didn't like the movie because "Russell Crowe doesn't really do it for me." The crack refers to descriptions of McKenzie as a dead ringer for a young Russell Crowe.

While "The O.C." has evolved from seriously melodramatic to lighter fun, McKenzie's brooding , sad-sack character has changed, too.

"Josh and I have been talking about the second season, and I think what they're trying to do is take Ryan from the archetypical bad boy he was created to be to something a bit more comedic," McKenzie said. "He was strong and silent but never actually said anything. But the writers have had enough faith to allow me to show different colors, so we'll continue to round him out."

As for Wednesday's season-ending 27th episode, Schwartz has promised an old-fashioned cliffhanger. Not surprisingly, everyone is mum on what will happen, but we do know that Theresa, Ryan's former girlfriend from Chino, has popped back into his life and that she is pregnant, possibly with Ryan's child.

McKenzie, son of Austin lawyer Pete Schenkkan and Austin poet-writer Frances Schenkkan, has gone from unknown to teen heartthrob in less than a year. So far, the University of Virginia grad (he studied economics and foreign affairs) has managed to keep his head from spinning.

"It's been quite a year," McKenzie said with measured understatement. "Professionally, things have changed a lot, and I'm working on expanding my opportunities. But personally, I'm the same guy I was before. I keep my family close to me."

Anonymity is a thing of the past, though, even in the grocery store at 7 a.m. But McKenzie says celebrity has not been overwhelming. He lives in the same Santa Monica apartment and drives the same car he bought last year when he landed the lead in "The O.C." He goes about business as usual with friends inside and outside show business.

"You don't let it turn into paralysis," he says. "But, you know, there are celebrities and there are celebrities. I'm no J-Lo. I'm just a kid on a TV show. And at this point, I'm thrilled to be working on the show."

Oh, and he's still single.

"It's not bad right now," McKenzie said brightly. "There's plenty of fun to be had."

During the show's hiatus, McKenzie will go to New York to see some plays and then fly to China for a vacation. He may try to squeeze in an independent feature, too. Then "The O.C." resumes production July 7.

After this week's cliffhanger, "O.C." fans will have to wait until October -- after baseball season -- to return to the juicy shenanigans in Newport Beach. It's going to be a very long summer.

Hit teen show 'O.C.' gives fresh spin to old-time rocker Bob Seger

By Adam Graham / The Detroit News

Foxs hit teen drama The O.C. is known for its witty dialogue, its rapid-fire pop culture references and its use of edgy, left-of-center music from artists such as Joseph Arthur, Jem and Death Cab for Cutie.

In other words, The O.C. is not the kind of place youd expect to see Bob Seger hanging out.

Yet Seger keeps cropping up on the show, which wraps up its first season tonight. His 1976 hit Night Moves has played on two episodes, and the shows resident villain queen, Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke), cant seem to get enough of the Michigan rocker.

My wedding planner is a passive-aggressive nitwit who has the audacity to question my taste in music, she lamented in a recent episode. Bob Seger is not so over.

O.C. creator Josh Schwartz says he himself is a big Seger fan.

I love Bob Seger. Who doesnt love Bob Seger? says Schwartz, 27. How can you not love Bob Seger? Hes awesome.

He says the spirit of Seger speaks to the character Julie Cooper. You just have these connotations of people in bars, drinking beers and listening to Seger, and it just seemed like something Julie would do, Schwartz says.

Punch Enterprises, Segers management company, was approached with a request for the use of Night Moves in late January. They reviewed it and granted the show permission to use it for an undisclosed sum of money, though Schwartz notes it was the most expensive song they cleared all season.

But there was no way we werent getting it, he says. If we didnt have it, I dont know what we would have done.

The O.C. the first season is due on DVD in October has acted as a launching pad for bands such as Phantom Planet and Rooney to reach bigger audiences, but Schwartz thinks it may work in reverse with established artists like Seger too.

The younger portion of our audience doesnt know, necessarily, who Bob Seger is, Schwartz says. Im a fan of turning people on to older stuff, as well as stuff that isnt on the radio yet.

Posted 4/13/2004 9:53 PM

Five reasons you should watch 'The O.C. '
By Ken Barnes, USA TODAY
Disappointed with the way The West Wing is going sans-Sorkin? Looking for something a little different to fill your Wednesday night? Here are a few reasons to consider moving to The O.C.

The dialogue

When The O.C. is on a roll, no show except The Gilmore Girls matches the hilarity of its rapid-fire rants and clever asides. Seth's snide deprecation (self- and otherwise) are the main attraction, but Summer is a fount of sizzling sarcasm and Ryan and even Dad Sandy get off a few zingers now and then.

The acting

Adam Brody as Seth has parlayed a second-banana role into surprise breakout status with a deft portrayal of a smart-kid observer type who's willing to act the fool to achieve cool. Rachel Bilson gets overshadowed by one-dimensional Marissa but her caustic-yet-vulnerable Summer is nicely nuanced. Star Benjamin McKenzie is a good straight man as Ryan. Seth's parents, played by Kelly Rowan and Peter Gallagher (and his all-devouring eyebrows), play it straight with welcome dollops of edge and humor. Alan Dale as Caleb is a serviceable sub-J.R. hardcase business mogul. Mischa Barton throws a mean snit (three or four per episode).

The scenery

Most of the actual Orange County is made up of miles of freeways, tract houses and sunbaked strip malls, but Newport Beach is an enclave unto itself and it's showcased at its most gorgeous and envy-inspiring. That Cohen house may not survive global warming, but it's got a view to die for.

'The Valley'

A fictional teen soap used by O.C. creator Josh Schwartz and his minions to mock the living daylights out of their own show. Endless self-referential (but hardly reverential) bits make this arguably the standout episode (it aired March 24). It even pulled off the near-impossible feat of concocting a funny Paris Hilton cameo. Once it's on DVD it's sure to be pored over like an ancient biblical manuscript (the O.C. Scrolls?).

The time slot

Now that The West Wing is a pale shadow of its Aaron Sorkin-era self and Angel is on its way out, you've got no viable alternatives. And no, fetishes for Extreme Makeover and The King of Queens are no excuses.

One reason you might hesitate

It may transcend the typical teen soap in many respects, but The O.C. can aggravate you with its sudsier plot lines. Marissa's stubborn rebellions and tearful dissolutions will have you talking back to the TV, and the misadventures of Haley (Seth's aunt) are tedious time-wasters. If psychotic spoiled rich kid Oliver comes back, turn off the TV and go out to a movie. And why does every second episode feature a fistfight, almost invariably in the midst of a posh party or banquet?

Posted 4/21/2004 9:27 PM

'The O.C.' has a first season worth a party
By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES It may seem like perpetual summer on The O.C., but cast members Tuesday were looking forward to the real thing after a busy, buzzy first season.

"I'm just going to relax and not set my alarm. It's so awesome," said Adam Brody, who joined fellow cast members at Hollywood's Falcon club for a party celebrating the Fox hit's debut season.

Castmates Benjamin McKenzie and Mischa Barton, who play on-again, off-again couple Ryan and Marissa, will go in opposite directions on the summer break. McKenzie will visit China, and Barton plans a trip to Europe.

Although production is done, the soap (9 p.m. ET/PT Wednesdays), which is a big hit with young viewers, has two more episodes. They culminate with a wedding between Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke) and Caleb (Alan Dale) in the finale May 5.

Pop singer Jem, whose Just a Ride has played on the show and is on The O.C. soundtrack, plays the wedding singer and performs Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed.

"It was just fun," she said. But "I didn't get to seduce any of the cast."

Peter Gallagher, who plays lawyer dad Sandy Cohen, says viewers can look forward to "a marriage, a pregnancy, a fistfight or two, a couple of parties." But otherwise the cast was mum about late-season surprises.

Creator Josh Schwartz offered a cryptic hint: "We're building to this wedding, but the episode really isn't about that in the end."

As for next season, "we're going to introduce some new kids who will trouble the waters," said Schwartz, who added that Chris Carmack, whose character, Luke, is moving to Portland, Ore., could be back.

As fans clamored for autographs and reporters and cameramen clogged a Sunset Boulevard sidewalk, O.C. stars said they were becoming accustomed to new fame.

Brody got a kick out of being recognized by Queen Latifah in a drugstore. For McKenzie, a fan at a supermarket stood out: The man looked to be 70, not exactly in the show's core demographic.

The actors also get a laugh out of being associated with their characters' excesses, including Ryan's punch-happy combativeness and Marissa's teary breakdowns.

"I like to be able to play that dramatic side of things," says Barton, who attended without beau Brandon Davis.

"It's a joke among us: I'm the one who cries on demand. 'OK, we've got an emotional scene. Where's Mischa?' "

Brody had a glib response to a much-asked question: How much does he have in common with his character, cool geek Seth?

"We have similarities," Brody said. "We both have allergies."

'O.C.' Cast Party: Lots Of Clues About Season Finale, No Fistfights
04.21.2004 5:41 PM EDT

Mischa Barton at "The O.C." wrap party
Photo: MTV News

HOLLYWOOD Finally an "O.C." party without a fistfight.

The cast of FOX's hit drama gathered at hotspot Falcon on Tuesday night to celebrate the first season finale, which the cast finished shooting Friday and will air May 5.

(Click to see photos from the party.)

As the teen girls lined along Sunset Boulevard exchanged waves with Mischa Barton and company, dozens of reporters and photographers prodded "The O.C." stars for details on the season's final three episodes.

"I'm going to tell you ... nothing," said a bubbly Rachel Bilson, who plays Summer on the show.

"I already got reprimanded for saying too much to you guys, actually," added Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan Atwood), who revealed a bit about the finale to MTV News at the recent Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (see " 'O.C.' Stars Hint At What To Expect On Season Finale")."I can say there's one hell of a cliffhanger at the end. Ryan is faced with a really tough decision. The last few episodes are really strong heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time."

Not all the stars' lips were so sealed.

"There's a pregnancy involved, and there are a lot of questions, but I think Sandy's probably not a prime suspect," Peter Gallagher joked about his character. "Those days are over. I'm stalwart and true."

Other cast members revealed the finale will be wrapped around the controversial wedding of Melinda Clarke's Julie Cooper character and Alan Dale's older Caleb Nichol.

"I end up going to this wedding between my ex-wife and this guy that I hate, this guy right here," Tate Donovan (Jimmy Cooper) said, pointing toward Dale. "It's a bit of a mystery to me, but you've gotta do what's written."

Perhaps Donovan's character won't have as much to be jealous about after all. "I walk down the aisle, but does it really happen? Who's having second thoughts?" Clarke asked with a wink while producer McG walked up behind her. "And who's this McG guy? And what's up with that name?"

"I know, so arrogant," McG deadpanned.

Clarke was all smiles Tuesday but said shooting the wedding scene on a cold cliff was not as enjoyable as it might sound. "It's not nearly as fun as your own wedding," she said. "You have to wear the dress but you don't get to have the reception and the drinks."

The wedding was delightful for singer Jem (see "Jem Out To Make People Forget All About The Holograms"), who made her acting debut in the scene, singing Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed."

"I was really flattered they asked, even though I never imagined I would be a wedding singer," Jem said Tuesday as she walked along the white carpet in front of Falcon. "It's my first red carpet and it's white," she added with a laugh.

With the season wrapped, all of the cast members are planning long vacations. Not that the actors aren't excited about returning for season two.

"I just want my character to continue to be three-dimensional," McKenzie said. "Bring him a little bit away from the bad boy, brooding thing we've created and show more of his different sides his sensitive side, romantic side, comedic side, ambitious side, intellectual side give me plenty of stuff to play with as an actor."

"I like what they've been doing," Brody said. "I wouldn't change anything, except if we could have Seth move to L.A. say, Hollywood and build a set a block from my house. I would like to see that happen."

A few minutes later, while Brody and McKenzie posed for pictures, a tattooed young man drove by in a pickup and shouted profanities at the cast.

On "The O.C." it might have started a fight, but Tuesday it was just something else to laugh at.

Fanboy
The O.C.'s own Seth Cohen interviews his favorite band, Death Cab For Cutie.

Indie-pop rockers Death Cab for Cutie hung out with The O.C.'s Adam Brody at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre in Hollywood, California. Before the venue opened its doors to the line of fans that stretched all the way down the block, Adam went backstage to conduct his first interview as a reporter for ELLEgirl. Turns out that DCFC is not only one of Adam's favorite bands in real life, it's also one of his character's (he even gave one of their CDs to both Summer and Anna for "Chrismukkah"). Check out Adam's chat with lead singer/guitarist Ben Gibbardand check out DCFC's latest, Transatlanticism (Barsuk).

Adam Brody: First of all, I think I know, but for everyone else, where does your name come from?
Ben Gibbard: "Death Cab for Cutie" is a song by the Bonzo Dog Band, a '60s spoof band from the U.K.

AB: What are your influences?
BG: We're currently watching a lot of VH1 Classicit's the best channel ever.

AB: Are you guys an emo band? And if so . . . what does that mean.
BG : I don't think we are. We played a show a few years ago, and this girl said to us, "I like emo music." And I was like, "Oh, like the Afghan Whigs?" I was thinking really emotionally draining, heartfelt music. And she's like, "Oh noI like the Get Up Kids and the Promise Ring and Jimmy Eat World." I was like, "Oh. . . ." It's bad to categorize.

AB: Yeah, I don't get it, either. I mean, I'm glad you don't know, either. Is there any band that you get compared to a lot?
BG: Early on, we got a lot of Built to Spill comparisons, and I read something that compared us to Dashboard Confessional. But nothing that has annoyed us.

AB: Your music is featured on The O.C., and now I'm interviewing you for ELLEgirl. Do you worry about selling out?
BG: Nah. I don't really see how having songs on TV or in movies is selling out. I think it's great for Death Cab to be on The O.C. There aren't a lot of people who will even notice, so it's kind of like a cool inside joke.

AB: Not long ago, I saw a photo of Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes making out with Winona Ryder in a parking lot. What celebrity would you like to get caught making out with in a parking lot?
BG: I don't think I want to be caught with anyone! But recently I was flipping through a People magazine and I saw that picture and was like, "Oh my God!" Every time I saw Conor, I would want to ask him, "What's going on?" But I resisted. I'm sure he hears it enough.

AB: Okay, last question: Do you like L.A.?
BG: I'm from Seattle, where there's a sense of freedom. Here I feel . . . claustrophobic. But there's this gravity that's pulling everyone to L.A., because there are so many opportunities and it's so romantic.

AB: That's why I came. I was 18, and I wasn't an actor yet, but I believed it could happen . . .
BG: . . . and now you're on one of the most successful TV shows! That's what this city is all about: "I'm just a regular kid from San Diego, and I moved to L.A. and I made it."

THE OC PARTY (RAW SOTS)

(anchor lead)
A TOAST FOR THE GANG OF THE O-C!
THE CAST FROM FOX'S HIT SHOW ARE CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF THEIR FIRST SEASON.
FANS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE SHOW.
SINCE ITS PREMIERE, THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN TUNING IN EACH WEEK TO SEE RYAN, MARISSA, SETH AND THE REST OF THE GANG LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES.. IN THE GLAMOROUS CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH.
(raw sots)
AMANDA RIGHETTI says: "you know i think the way that fox really pushed it, it's very beverly hills 90210 of our generation and its surprising to see how much of a following its gotten but it's, everyone deserves it.. it's given to them.

(little more risqué?)
AMANDA RIGHETTI says: "yeah it is. but it's a little more fun, i think it has tat thing that everybody want to tune in. they want to know what happens to those characters and there's a certain sense of involvement that you get into.. if you miss one week, you're like 'oh my gosh, what happens?'"

(how do you deal with the tabloids?)
AMANDA RIGHETTI says: "well, i think that, i think as long as you sort of stay true to yourself we all sort of know on the set what the truth is and it doesn't impede as much as people think it does. it's a very down to earth cast."

PETER GALLAGHER says: "i'm taken a back anytime anything succeeds especially when i'm in it. it's really a miraculous event. yes, because it doesn't happen very often in anyone's career. if it happens a couple of times it's really great. this has been a wonderful year. especially because i love the show i love.. and when i decided to do it a year ago, wow.. that was like my first car.. a 68 cougar. um, i'm back.."

PETER GALLAGHER says: "yes, my plane will be landing any minute. i just got off my flight from new york by the way. disclaimer.. so what were we talking about?"

(dealing with success?)
PETER GALLAGHER says: "so i've been going non-stop since we've been shooting so i haven't really had a chance to sit down an appreciate all that's transpired in the past year. but i feel good, i was just saying that it feels like i've finished a round of golf and laying a little tired but ready to go for another eighteen. i'm looking forward to the next season and the stories josh and the gang might be breaking and i think sandy will be a big part of it."

(what would you like to see happen?)
PETER GALLAGHER says: "it will have absolutely no bearing on what will happen what i might.. i haven't put much energy into where i'd like to go, i think i got the general felling that sandy will be back as a public defender or some kind of criminal defense work. i think it's a really good idea, closer to where he lives and breathes. and beyond that, part of the thrill of doing a show like this is being served up with a new script every week and seeing where it takes you, where you can take it and it's what i love most about this work which is all relatively new."

PETER GALLAGHER says: "geez, Noah. i can't think of.. sandy i think is gonna stay pretty close to home. there may be a dream sequence, but other than that i'm not sure."

PETER GALLAGHER says: "you know, i haven't found any bad and i'm not gonna look to hard for it. so far there's been a lot of good and and.. that's good."

BEN MCKENZIE says: "u, it is fun to be approached for the first time and certainly happened a lot since the first time in august wen the show came on.. it's weird. you never get of over the fact that people recognize you when you go."

BEN MCKENZIE says: "i think we'll continue to keep it interesting and continue to keep the show as fast paced as it has been . it think that's one oft he things fans enjoyed the most. every week there's a lot of action, there's a cliff hanger every week action, romance, comedy, a little drama.. continue to mix it up, but honestly i don't know what happens in season 2. they haven't told me. they're still coming up with it."

BEN MCKENZIE says: "i can't tell you anything."

(real life from character?)
BEN MCKENZIE says: "well it parallels my life a little bit in the sense that when i was out here in LA before the show i was living the life that ryan was living outside of the alcoholic mother and abusive father and all that. i was living paycheck to paycheck and so the path he's going down entering the life of wealth and glamour to my experience here in LA this year. other than that, we're pretty different. normal kid from texas."

(on fame and being tabloid fodder)
BEN MCKENZIE says: "You've gotta take it with a grain of salt. I try to shrug most of it off. People are going to write what they write. One of the bargains that you make is that your private life will be examined. For better or for worse."

(on what he would like to see happen with his character.)
BEN MCKENZIE says, "Yeah, I think we should mix it up a bit..show his faults a little more, his weaknesses. I want to try to keep his character as 3 dimensional as possible because there's a tendency to get stuck in the brooding bad boy thing and we want to show a different color..his sensitive side, his intelligent side."

(on how the internet says his birthday was in April but it was really in December.)
ADAM BRODY says, "I feel so bad because my birthday is December the 15th so I turned 24 last December the 15th. For some reason on the internet on IMDB or whatever it says that wrong date is. I'm not computer savvy, I don't know how to change it. I don't really care, it never really bothered me until on my wrong birthday these people are like, "Adam there are girls outside the gate that brought a cake for you and they want to give you your birthday cake and I'm like, "What?" And I read that in a magazine and then Fox sent me a DVD player, which I kept and I'm going to keep, but I feel bad for it not being my birthday where the girls brought me a cake saying, "Happy Birthday Adam" like I had somehow wronged them. Ok, in that sense I was a little pissed."

(on his character's popularity)
ADAM BRODY says, "..The coolest thing for me is that my friends are in a pilot for Fox and the girl who plays his sister on the show in her room on the set is a picture of me." It's so cool! I love when I can pop up all over my friends lives when they don't want me anymore. I'm here, I'm there. They can't get a way from me. It's awesome. It's great!"

(on coming back for a second season and the chemistry with his co-stars)
ADAM BRODY says, "I'm looking forward to it. We're call kind of in our prime and we're comfortable. It's not easy it's hard work, but it's a comfortable environment. i'll miss them at the end of the summer..until thanksgiving. then i'll hate them again."

(on suddenly being in tabloids and in entertainment magazines)
RACHEL BILSON says, "i subscribe to oc weekly and i read it all the time but you have to know that some stuff is not true and i've experienced it a little bit"

(on the show's success)
MISCHA BARTON says, " i don't think you can ever assume if something is going to be successful but it is a little mind blowing yeah."

(on the growth of her character, Marisa)
MISCHA BARTON says, "even from the begining of this season till the end she's become a completely different person in a sense, she's grown up so much and she's had to deal w/ things and next season is gonna be even more of that."
(anchor tag)
THE BOYS HEAD OFF TO LAS VEGAS TONIGHT.. BUT IS THE CITY OF SIN TOO MUCH TO HANDLE FOR THE GUYS FROM THE O-C?
IT'S ALL ON FOX... TONIGHT AT NINE P-M EASTERN.

OC-DOES-VEGAS

SOURCE: KSAZ/PHOENIX

SCRIPT:
(anchor lead)
"THE O-C", FOX'S HIT SHOW, IS LEAVING ORANGE COUNTY BEHIND.
AS THE SHOW WINDS UP ITS FIRST SEASON - SOME OF THE BOYS GET A SPECIAL TREATA BACHELOR PARTY TO LAS VEGAS.
NOT TO BE LEFT OUT, FOX'S SABRA GERTSCH JOINED THE FUN WHEN TONIGHT'S EPISODE WAS SHOT ON THE FAMOUS VEGAS STRIPAS SHE TELLS US TONIGHT, THE BOYS SEEMED TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD TIME.

(take pkg)

(anchor tag)
THE O-C'S FIRST SEASON WRAPS UP NEXT WEDENSDAY NIGHT - RIGHT HERE ON FOX.

ADAM: it's pretty crazy

IT'S HIP--

TATE: you know it's terrible...

IT'S HOT--

TATE: it's such hard work

IT'S HOLLYWOOD

TATE: to be out here in the sun with all the women...

FANS EVERYWHERE CAN'T WAIT TO O-D ON THE O-C..

ADAM: it's pretty unbelievable to think how sort of quickly it did take off...

TONIGHT'S EPISODE DID TAKE OFF ---
THE LIGHTS
CAMERA-
AND ALL THE ACTION....

DIRECTOR: "ACTION"

GOT OUTTA TOWN...
DROPPING O-C ..
FOR THE BIG L.V......

PETER GALLAGHER: we all love the vegas.

CAST AND CREW PACKED UP AND MOVED THE O-C TO LAS VEGAS---
POOLSIDE AT THE HARDROCK HOTEL AND CASINO...

QUICK SABRA STANDUP: one week out of the studio in the sun...and we got to go backstage...

ADAM: i'm actually African American..so to play seth cowen is weird for me...

THE KINDA QUIRKY ADAM BRODY---- YOU PROBABLY KNOW HIM AS THE KINDA NERDY ORANGE COUNTY NATIVE SETH COHEN....HE'S NOT GOING FOR A SWIM....BECAUSE HIS TAN WILL WASH OFF-----

ADAM: im waiting for someone to be like seth cowen ...DUDE....

DUDE!! WHAT'S UP WITH THE NEWS THAT YOU'RE NOT ONLY DATING ONE OF YOUR LEADING LADIES ON SCREEN-- BUT BEHIND THE SCENES AS WELL?

ADAM: are you asking me out...

LET'S TRY THAT ONE MORE TIME....

SABRA AND ADAM: so you're not going to confirm or deny.... i don't talk about personal life....

LOOKING VERY RUSSEL-CROWE-LIKE THE STAR OF THE SHOW--- BEN MCKENZIE HAD PLENTY SAY ABOUT THE RUMORS SWIRLING AROUND HIS SUPPOSED ROMANCE WITH CO-STAR MISCHA BARTON---

BEN: thank God she now has a boyfriend settle the whole thing we're not dating we never were dating totally we're friends i love her to death...

SORRY MISCHA--
ONLY MEN ALLOWED TODAY
THIS EPISODE SUPPOSED TO BE BACHELOR PARTY
TONIGHT WE FOUND OUT SOME BAD NEWS FOR TATE DONOVAN'S CHARACTER, PETER GALLAGHER TRIES TO EASE THE BLOW....THE BOYS ON THE BEACH FIND A WORKING GIRL... WORKING THEM OVER....SOMEONE IS PREGNANT.....BUT WHO IS THE FATHER????

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR : "BACKGROUND"

WE'RE ALL CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO KNOW---
I THUMBED THROUGH THE SCRIPT LOOKING FOR A CLUE--BUT THE CLINCHER IN NEXT WEEKS' SEASON FINALE IS TOP SECRET...

DIRECTOR: cut!!! winner! pay the line..let's go moving on!!!!

BEN: I'm a great kid...i would never gamble or do any of that fun stuff in vegas..no, no never...

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS....

PETER GALLAGHER: im not much of a gambling man.
TATE DONOVAN: adam doesn't gamble... well some actors do... the real old tough ones..but we're all whimpy...

THE FROM BLUE SKIES AND SWIMMING POOL SPRAWL----

SABRA STANDUP to rolling the dice inside the hardrock hotel and casino in las vegas one of the stars of the show told us he thought the series itself was a gamble.....

TATE DONOVAN: to tell you the truth i liked it ..i didn't htink it was gonna be that much a success...i've done a lot of pilots and they all tank ..generally when i'm on them ...

THE O-C IS SLATED FOR A SECOND SEASON---- NO SURPRISE!!!!

no....because the work i've done is just so...good..what are you going to do cancel..magic??

BEFORE WE GO WE GO FANS IN PHOENIX WANNA KNOW..IS THERE AN ARIZONA CONNECTION... ANYONE?

BEN: never been to phoenix im so sorry i hear it's lovely......
PETER: you know im dying to go phoenix becaue i love to golf ,,,,

TATE: have you been to phoenix do you like to golf? uh, im not a big... TURN THE CAMERA OFF.... we're done..we're done!!!!
SABRA GERTSCH FOX TEN NEWS.

Chris Carmack Exits The O.C.
by Daniel R. Coleridge

Last week, fans of The O.C. were majorly bummed, dude. How could the teen soap's best-looking bad boy, Luke Ward, be packed off to Portland? At the season's start, he made a big bang with his signature catchphrase: "Welcome to the O.C., bitch!" He bullied Ryan, cheated on girlfriend Marissa after taking her virginity then seduced Marissa's mom, Julie Cooper. He was bad, but he looked damn good doing it. Here, TV Guide Online asks 23-year-old Chris Carmack why Luke had to go, and learns what's next for the fan fave.

TV Guide Online: Though the producers deny it, rumor has it a salary dispute made them decide against bringing you back next season.

Chris Carmack: There was no salary dispute. They were unsure where the character was going to go. He started out as an antagonist, became a bit of a protagonist a character you cared about and that grew. I don't know what precipitated the choices the writers made about writing him off. But they talked to me about it, and I understand how that goes.

TVGO: Seems strange he'd suddenly move to Portland with his gay dad.

Carmack: Luke has hurt so many people on the show and has done things you can't defend. How can he keep going at this pace? He came to his senses and chose to distance himself to give everyone a chance to get back to normal, because he keeps screwing stuff up. I think it's the most mature decision he's made this whole season. It felt very natural.

TVGO: What about Luke's personality switcheroo? He starts off as a jerk, fighting Ryan over Marissa. Then, Luke's dad comes out, he endures some teasing and, suddenly, he's a sweetie and best buds with Ryan. Did you mind him changing so quickly?

Carmack: It didn't at all. What happened was that something went very awry in Luke's life that made him think and reevaluate things. His parents are divorcing, he's got two younger siblings lost in the mess and, all of a sudden, the girlfriend thing isn't that big of a deal. I don't think it was as big a switcheroo as it seems.

TVGO: How did you feel about Luke's affair with Marissa's mother, Julie?

Carmack: [Laughs] I certainly didn't have any objections. Melinda Clarke and I had a blast working on those scenes.

TVGO:It's funny that Melinda's barely a dozen years your senior, but she's playing your ex's mother.

Carmack: I know. If you want to talk reality, she's like a smidgen older than my last girlfriend!

TVGO: What's next for you?

Carmack: I'll be in a movie called The Last Ride, which will be on the USA Network June 2. It's about street-racing and revenge. It's also about three generations of men in a family. Dennis Hopper is my grandfather and Will Patton plays my father. The O.C. was imperative in me [getting] this project. It's a great stepping stone.

Mischa, Rachel and Samaire did an interview in Being Girl's relationship issue:

Love Under the Sun

The girls of The OC, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson and Samaire Armstrong, help us understand the opposite sex.

What do you look for in a guy?

Barton- Im not the average girl, I dont go for the tall, dark and handsome type, I think personality comes first, I mean he can be good-looking but can I talk to him, do we have anything in common, that is whats important.

Bilson- I like a guy that cares enough to want to make me laugh, a good sense of humor is key. Im not into the classic Ken doll types, Im into the more natural, subtle good looks and a great smile, really thats what I first notice, when he smiles at me, and all I can do is smile back.

Armstrong- I look for compatibility, I have to be able to be friends with that person, if not hes not for me, we have to be able to go out and have a good time in each others company.

What makes a relationship successful?

Barton- Communication and honesty, if you cant talk to someone and tell them things, there is no way its working.

Bilson- I think the best relationships arent planned, like your intentions arent necessarily romantic at first, but then you start feeling these things and its like whoa!

Armstrong- Relationships are about compromise, you have to realize that now your actions dont just affect you, but someone else, too.

Describe your ideal date.

Barton- I am a sap for romance, like you see in movies where the guy takes her on like a candle lit dinner by the beach, I could totally get into that, but then I could seriously just rock out at a concert all the same.

Bilson- Im into spontaneous things, it doesnt have to be mapped out like oh were going to do dinner from 5 to 7 and thenId rather be with someone who is going to be like lets go scare the hell out of ourselves at a haunted house or lets go surfing!

Armstrong- I like simple things, like a walk down the beach or pier, or just curling up on the couch and watching comedies together.

P.J. Mirkin

Guilty as charged: 'The O.C.' is OK with me

Guilty pleasures. I've got plenty of them. For those of you who aren't skilled at interpreting context clues, guilty pleasures are things you enjoy that you know you probably shouldn't enjoy but that you enjoy all the same.

And the fact that you feel guilty enjoying them makes them, oddly, even more enjoyable.

Several months ago, common sense forced me to eliminate my favorite guiltiest guilty pleasure. The two helpings of Braum's peanut butter cup frozen yogurt I was inhaling every night just stopped fitting in with my fitness plans.

Luckily, about that time, I found a replacement guilty pleasure that's just as sweet without the calories.

It's a television show you've probably heard of called "The O.C." It airs on Fox (KSAS Channels 4/24) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday nights.

I'm not the only one who hates myself for loving the "The O.C." either. It's been earning all sorts of attention and critical praise.

It was recently featured on the cover of "Entertainment Weekly" magazine, for example. And in the ultimate validation of my devotion, VH1 recently honored it as last year's "Biggest Guiltiest Pleasure" on its awards show, "VH1 Big in '03." This was a two-fer because the "Big in 03" awards show was a big 'ole guilty pleasure all its own.

But I digress.

If you haven't yet allowed yourself to experience "The O.C." (or just feel too guilty to admit that you have), here's a primer.

The show is a teen soap opera set in an ultra-rich neighborhood in Newport Beach, California.

The zip code there is 92663, not 90210, but there are several similarities between "The O.C." and that Beverly Hills show many of us grew up watching.

It's another fish-out-of-water story, but instead of naive Midwesterners Brenda and Brandon Walsh, "The O.C." is centered on Ryan Atwood, played by dreamy Russell Crowe look-alike Benjamin McKenzie.

Ryan's from Chino, also known as the wrong side of the tracks. Sensitive and smart, he nonetheless gets himself into trouble with the law, and his deadbeat mother is no help. The public defender assigned to him is wealthy do-gooder Sandy Cohen (played by Peter Gallagher) of Newport Beach.

Sandy has a rich, hot wife and a wise-acre son back in his mansion in Orange County. Sandy sees Ryan's potential and brings him home to live in his ocean-side house and become his misfit son's new best friend and surrogate brother.

"The O.C." is much more sophisticated than its Beverly Hills predecessor. It's laugh-out-loud funny in a smart way, and it manages to tackle issues like teen substance abuse without all the "After School Special" schlock.

Adults can enjoy "The O.C" just as much as teenagers, too, because the grownups in the show are sexy, interesting and have story lines all their own, unlike poor Jim and Cindy Walsh, who were reduced to spineless set decorations on "90210."

So why do I feel so guilty about this guilty pleasure?

Shouldn't I feel guiltier about listening to Neil Diamond? About following the details of Britney Spears' life? About... well, I think I've revealed enough about myself already.

The truth is, I'm not exactly a teenager anymore, and I realize that it's kind of dippy to get hooked on a show about rich high schoolers and the dramas of their debutante balls.

But I'm not alone.

I recently found out that several of my friends are closet fans of "The O.C." as well.

For instance, I was wishing my friend Maria a "Merry Chrismukkah," a hilarious phrase coined by Adam Brody's character Seth Cohen on the "The O.C.' s" Christmas episode. Seth's dad is Jewish but his mom isn't, so he observes both Christmas and Hanukkah.

Maria's in a similar situation, so I thought the greeting was appropriate. Instead of thanking me, though, she e-mailed me back immediately.

"YOU WATCH 'THE O.C.' TOO?" she demanded.

Now, Maria and I exchange e-mails every Thursday morning with our thoughts on the previous night's episode.

She's also not a teenager. In fact, she's a mother of two. I like to envision her putting the kids to bed, grabbing a couple of their Oreos and a juice box and dashing downstairs to indulge her guilty pleasure.

Another person who loves "The O.C." is multi-talented local radio personality Ted Woodward.

He's also not a teenager and doesn't even have the excuse of being female. But he admits his "O.C." guilty pleasure loud and proud.

Ted's sister, Anne, turned him onto the show after the World Series was over, and now he can't stop watching.

"I've started referring to Sedgwick County as 'The S.C.,'" he said. "I'm hoping it'll catch on."

While we wait for that to happen, would you do me a favor?

E-mail me at dneil@wichitaeagle.com and confess your guilty pleasure. If I get enough responses, I'll write a follow-up article on the topic.

I'll title it something like "The guilty pleasures of The S.C

Mar. 24, 2004. 01:00 AM
The O.C.'s ode to Canada
Toronto native's career on hot streak Vancouver movie

in works for summer

JIM BAWDEN
TELEVISION COLUMNIST

Sharing the spotlight on American TV's biggest hit of the season "is pretty wonderful stuff," says Toronto's Kelly Rowan. She stars as TV's most beautiful mom, the picture-perfect Kirsten in The O.C., the hour-long drama about the lifestyles of the rich and spoiled of Orange County.

"I did go to Newport (Calif.) to look around, do some homework," she allows. And she thinks the luxury location is one of the reasons the series has caught on. "America has a lot of problems right now: the war, the financial scandals. There's a lot of doubt out there, which we dramatize. The scenery is so perfect but the people living here have big problems."

Rowan is one of the biggest reasons for the series' breakout success. She's as beautiful as any of the teenaged girls on the show and she plays a woman born into wealth who is determined to keep her job as a powerful businesswoman as well as have a family.

"We wait for the scripts and the writing is so outstanding, it's all there for us," she says.

Creator Josh Shwartz, 27, who writes most of the dialogue, peppers each hour with witty talk and obscure references. The pilot has been nominated for a Writers Guild of America award as the year's best TV script.

Rowan says, "There's not that much for an actress my age in either TV or movies. I mean, a part that's not a cliché. When I read the first script I was pretty eager to do it. Most movies don't have this range."

Initial reviews focused on Kirsten's meanness, "which I didn't get. I mean her husband brings home this teenager with troubles and she's the one who has to voice the objections." Over the year, she has grown closer to the boy, Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie). And the series has changed, too, from the melodramatics of the first few episodes to more heartfelt banter.

Just don't call the show 92660 to Rowan's face. True, everybody on the show is impossibly beautiful and most are rich just like the old series Beverly Hills 90210. And some of the actors are too old to play teens and Rowan at 36 looks far too young to have a teenager as old as Seth (Adam Brody). "The math doesn't pan out," she giggles. "Kristen supposedly met her husband Sandy (Peter Gallagher) in college."

Born in Canada's capital but raised in Toronto, Rowan went to Northern Secondary and then the University of Western Ontario, where she studied English (before dropping out). "The idea of acting as a living hadn't hit me. I was doing commercials to support myself and then I got on a Canadian TV series, Mount Royal. I got to go to Paris and that was it. I was hooked."

She moved to New York to study at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse "and assumed I was headed for a theatre career."

But TV and movie projects got in the way and in 1987 she copped a Gemini award playing a psychopath in the Canadian TV feature Adrift. "Then nothing. I literally didn't work."

So she moved to Los Angeles and has come back to Canada for special projects she was in the series Lonesome Dove, did a Vancouver episode of DaVinci's Inquest, went to Nova Scotia for the Harlequin romance Loving Evangeline.

Her movie appearances include 187 opposite Samuel L. Jackson (1997), Candyman 2 (1995), Three To Tango (1999) with and Late Last Night (1999).

The O.C. jump-started the TV season with an August debut and Fox intended it would run 13 weeks before baseball playoffs kicked in. The show's galloping popularity forced several revisions and Rowan says she's starting another batch "which will take us up to 27 episodes. The network wants fresh hours to run during the May sweeps."

With her newfound visibility, Rowan is looking for an acting project for the summer break. She's already set to co-produce a Vancouver-based movie adapted from the novel Tracing Iris by Genni Gunn.

"I've got to get back to the theatre but there isn't enough time this summer. I'm just enjoying this time, enjoying the work most of all."

March 22, 2004, 10:51AM
Young man in charge
'O.C.' creator Josh Schwartz gets a rare chance at age 27
By ARI POSNER
Copyright 2004 New York Times News Service

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. -- When you see Josh Schwartz on the set of The O.C., Fox's hit teen drama, it's easy to mistake him for one of the casually hip actors who pretend to be high school students on the show.

But Schwartz is no actor, and his days on the set are rare. Most of the time, he's holed up in his modest Hollywood apartment, where he has spent the past year furiously writing or revising every one of the show's first 27 episodes.
J. Emilio Flores / New York Times
It's been a big year for 27-year-old Josh Schwartz, creator of Fox's successful teen drama The O.C.

It has been quite a year for Schwartz. Almost overnight, the 27-year-old has gone from obscure screenwriter to the youngest person in network history to create and produce his own one-hour series. The show (8 p.m. Wednesdays, Channel 26), is the season's highest-ranked new drama in the coveted 12-17 and 18-34 age brackets. Since the pilot went on the air in August, Schwartz's script has been nominated for a Writers Guild Award, and he was signed to a multimillion-dollar deal by Warner Bros. to keep him producing The O.C. and developing new shows. And in the strangest tribute yet, a law students club at the University of California, Berkeley, has formalized its devotion to Sandy Cohen -- the feisty public defender played on the show by Peter Gallagher -- by establishing the Sandy Cohen Fellowship to support work in the Orange County public defender's office.

Schwartz has arrived at this point without so much as a day's previous experience on the staff of a TV show. "I have never seen anyone take to this medium as quickly as he has," said Marcy Ross, Fox's senior vice president of current programming. "I mean, sure, he's lost a lot of weight, he's falling apart, he does nothing but work. But he was born to do this."

Until recently, Schwartz's achievement would have been all but unthinkable. Network television was a strict dues-paying culture. Writers sweated it out for years on other people's shows -- earning arcane titles like "executive story editor" and "supervising producer" -- before getting a shot at creating their own. But lately those rules are being rewritten. "Networks are now clamoring for fresh voices that they otherwise would not have looked toward," said Rick Rosen, a partner at the Endeavor agency, which represents Schwartz. "And that includes feature writers and younger writers with less experience."

The list of those who made the leap to show creator without first apprenticing on a staff includes J.J. Abrams (Felicity, Alias), Anthony Zuiker (CSI), Hank Steinberg (Without a Trace) and Ryan Murphy (Popular, Nip/Tuck). These writers aren't so much creating new television forms as they are endowing familiar ones -- the detective show or, in the case of The O.C., teen drama -- with freshness and intelligence.

Last month, sitting in his tidy office at Manhattan Beach Studios, where the show is filmed, Schwartz recalled the "Trojan horse" strategy by which he got Fox's attention. He was developing the show with McG (the director of the Charlie's Angels films) and McG's producing partner, Stephanie Savage.

"We knew Fox was looking for their next 90210," he said -- Beverly Hills 90210, that is -- but "90210 was not a show I watched or particularly liked or wanted to do." A lifelong Cameron Crowe fan, with a framed Fast Times at Ridgemont High poster on the wall beside his desk, he had always preferred quirkier character-driven shows, like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared and My So-Called Life. "You can't tell a network that's what you want to make, because they'll just say, `Those shows lasted 15 episodes, and they're off the air, and we don't want them.' But if instead you go to Fox and say, `This is your new 90210' -- that's something they can get excited about."

So Schwartz and Savage cleverly constructed a pilot -- the tale of Ryan Atwood, a gentle young hoodlum who finds himself living among the beautiful people of the titular Orange County -- that pushed every glamour-teen button they could think of. "That's why it's got a bonfire on the beach and Karate Kid without the karate, and a fashion show and a big bash with cocaine," he said. At the same time, however, "we felt we had this story that was organic to that world of beaches and sunshine and wealthy people. And really what we hoped we had were these characters that were a little bit funnier and more soulful and different and specific than the kinds you usually see in that genre. They would be the soldiers inside our Trojan horse."

To a remarkable extent, Schwartz pulled it off, sneaking a truly smart show past the gatekeepers in the guise of something commercial and trashy and fun. The O.C. hits what Allan Heinberg, one of its co-executive producers, likes to call "the pleasure centers" inherent in a sexy soap, and the writers lay on the tumult pretty thick, especially when the sensitive bad boy Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) is involved in one of his innumerable fistfights (which prompted one Web site to begin a weekly tally called the "punch count"). But The O.C. has steered clear of both Aaron Spelling-style camp and the soggy earnestness that often characterizes teen drama. Instead, it traffics in fizzy banter and knowing humor -- characters watch a teen soap called "The Valley"; the actors' peculiarities are mocked, as when Peter Gallagher's character is teased for his industrial-strength eyebrows.

The O.C. is also notable for the way it integrates compelling adult characters into teen drama, bringing the two groups together in ways both realistic and -- when the gods of melodrama require it -- outrageous (one character hooks up with his ex-girlfriend's mom).

"For me it was sort of an organic thing," Schwartz said. "And then, of course, everyone was like, `Yesss, and we can reach a broader demographic this way as well.' " He laughed. "The coolest thing for me, in terms of how the show's been received, is how much people have taken to the parents. As much as our audience enjoys living vicariously in this wealthy world, I think the true wish fulfillment comes from wishing that they had a family like the Cohens -- where the parents could be that cool and that grounded and that loving but also real parents."

IInitially, Fox wanted an experienced show runner, but Schwartz resisted. "The last thing you want is someone who comes in and puts this, like, 1970s television, Baretta, this-is-how-we-did-it-on-Hunter-kid philosophy on your show." And it takes a special breed of veteran to tolerate sharing control with someone so young. "Then we met Bob DeLaurentiis and fell in love," Savage said.

DeLaurentiis, 56, is a 20-year TV veteran who has run many shows, including the recent NBC drama Providence. "It sounds New Agey to say this, but he has a really calm energy, he's really warm, and I think the most important thing for me is that he wanted Josh to succeed," said Savage.

Schwartz agreed. "It's not like writing a movie -- you still have to learn how to map out a season, how to track characters," he said. "It's not something I could've done by myself for the first time."

The O.C. speaks with many voices, but perhaps the most winning is that of Seth Cohen, Sandy's gawky son, played by the dazzling Adam Brody. Together, Schwartz and Brody have conjured something highly personal and refreshingly new: the nerd as hipster comedian. Indeed, the show has gradually tilted from Ryan, the newcomer to the O.C., toward Seth, the audience favorite -- who also happens to be the character most closely based on Schwartz.

"I don't want this to come out wrong," Brody said, "but I just think a young writer can write young slang young,

How Josh Schwartz and 'The O.C.' Beat Writer's Block
(Tuesday, March 23 04:00 PM)
By Daniel Fienberg

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - At FOX's January Press Tour party, Josh Schwartz, the 27-year-old creator of "The O.C." made an embarrassing confession. It's not as embarrassing as Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) admitting his failure as a first-time lover to his Chino-raised friend Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie), but a subject of chagrin nonetheless.
Schwartz, network television's youngest showrunner, was suffering his first bout of writer's block.

Nearly two months later, Schwartz can joke about that moment of near-insecurity.

"I got over it," he says simply. "I went to Vegas. I just got out of town."
After that intellectual dry spell and a temporary narrative hiccup involving a borderline psychotic named Oliver Trask, "The O.C.," like its youthful creator, has experienced a creative second wind in the later stages of its extra-long 27-episode first season. Learning the job on the run, Schwartz and his staff of writers ("Everything goes through my computer at some point," he says of the collaborative process) have had to make major character adjustments as the season progressed.

Viewers who haven't visited Schwartz's semi-fictionalized Newport Beach universe since the show's August premiere would have some difficulties recognizing the young characters (except for the fact that the actors who play them have seen their faces plastered on magazine covers, billboards and web sites).

Summer (Rachel Bilson) has developed from a sarcastic ice queen into a sympathetic romantic lead and the show's second most reliable source of one-liners. Luke (Chris Carmack) has gone from stereotypical, short-tempered jock to surprisingly endearing and bumbling doofus (some of the transitions haven't been quite so organic). And Ryan has gone from mumbling, monosyllabic, brawl-starting bad boy to, well, mumbling, monosyllabic, brawl-starting bad boy, but at least he sometimes makes jokes about his limitations.

"We always knew we wanted to -- especially with Luke and Summer -- really dimensionalize those characters," Schwartz says. "We always wanted to immediately go and start to show these other sides of those two. Seth, as I got to see what Brody did really well, I wanted to start writing towards that and making the character a little bit more extroverted."

The process of making comic readin', Shins-lovin', Captain Oats-ownin' social reject Seth into one of the show's heroes ran into a roadblock when, thanks to Brody, Seth actually became too cool and too popular. The show's Valentine's Day episode, which featured that awkward first sexual encounter, began the process of regeekifying Seth, a devolution which continued an episode later with a peculiar (and romantic) declaration of love.

"He stands on a giant coffee cart and announces to the world that he's a huge geek," Schwartz says of the "Some Kind of Wonderful"-inspired episode "The Telenovela." "That's letting him reconnect with that side of his character and retapping back into the mythology of that character as being this misfit, loner, outside who never fit in."

It's unlikely that Schwartz is going to allow Seth to regress too far, as it's clear that the creator viewers the character as something of a proxy for himself, in addition to as a source of inspiration for introverted fans everywhere.

"I think the lesson with Seth is that you stand up there on that coffee cart, you declare who you truly are and you might just get Summer as opposed to standing in the background and just naming your boat after her and never trying to talk to her," he says.

Just as those awkward Seths-in-training might feel as if the show is speaking directly to them, the show's burgeoning Internet fan base has noticed that many of their comments, concerns and jokes have worked their way onto the show. In past episodes, the metatextuality has included gags about McKenzie's resemblance to Russell Crowe, the show's occasional over-reliance on fistfights and the fact that Peter Gallagher's eyebrows often become entirely new characters. More than a few web sites have become convinced that they're Schwartz's one-stop shop for cyber-buzz.

"I can't reveal the sources because then they know and it just throws everything out of whack," he notes, before half-joking "I'm out there. I'm trolling in cyberspace. I'm highly sensitive to the criticisms of the general public and I'm here to please."

An example of the show at its most self-referential comes this Wednesday when "The O.C." returns several weeks of "American Idol"-based hiatus. Titled "The L.A.," Wednesday night's (March 24) episode finds Summer and Marissa hobnobbing with the stars of their favorite primetime soap "The Valley," including Colin Hanks who plays an actor named Grady Bridges who plays Jake Needleman, the Seth Cohen of "The Valley."

"Seth is, of course, jealous that he's going to lose Summer to the real-life TV Seth Cohen," is Schwartz's circular logic.

Another group that's watching is FOX's Standards and Practices department. "The O.C." has faced a bit of a crush because the Post-Janet Jackson Era began at same time as several of the show's characters were engulfing on sexual relationships.

The most notorious cut came in Summer's Stephanie Savage-penned come-on line "You don't even have to do anything. You can just lie there like a buffet, and I can serve myself," which was ultimately delivered to Seth sans buffet reference. The Valentine's episode also featured a pair of advisory warnings.

The network also had reservations about the May-September relationship between high school guy Luke and attractive, scheming mom Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke).

"We had to throw in a line there at the last minute saying Luke was 18, even though we don't believe he is actually 18," Schwartz confesses. "It was the only way they'd let us get away with it and I'd much rather do the storyline. The idea is that he stayed back a year."

With storylines flowing from his word processor once again, Schwartz is looking forward to ending the season with a bang, but hopefully not too much of a bang.

"We're building to a cliffhanger, but it's not going to be a cliffhanger like the Tijuana episode," he promises." Oliver will not show up an take Marissa hostage and put her in the trunk of his car and drive off with her. I think it's going to be more of an emotional cliffhanger."

No Plan B for 'The O.C.'
(Wednesday, March 10 12:27 PM)
By Rick Porter

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - When writer Josh Schwartz and producer McG were developing "The O.C.," they were in fact building a Trojan horse.
They knew FOX was looking for a young adult-oriented drama, a latter-day "Beverly Hills, 90210." Schwartz, a Rhode Island native who came to Southern California for college, and McG, a self-described former nerd who grew up in Newport Beach, where the show is set, had something a little different in mind.

"We knew we could sell the world," Schwartz told a packed house Tuesday (March 9) at the Museum of Television and Radio's William S. Paley Festival. "Then we could have our characters inside be our little soldiers."

What Schwartz, McG & Co. have done with their little soldiers is tweak the idea of the teen soap with large doses of self-aware humor and adult characters who are as interesting as their kids. The results have been good for FOX, which is drawing decent-sized audiences (about 9.3 million viewers a week) and strong ratings among its target demographics of teens and young adults.
The equal emphasis on grown-ups helped attract Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Melinda Clarke and Tate Donovan to the cast and is a big reason why the series has earned critical favor as well as the adoration of younger viewers, a number of whom punctuated Tuesday's event with frequent squeals of "Whooo!"

"The adult stories are really what drew me in," says Doug Liman ("Swingers," "The Bourne Identity"), an executive producer of the show and director of its first two episodes. "It's not just teenagers running around. Peter and Kelly have created a home on the show that I kind of wish I'd grown up in."

Allan Heinberg, another executive producer who's also written several episodes, thinks the best parts of the show are scenes where the adult and teen storylines intersect. He just didn't think he'd see much of it.

"The shock for me is that we've been allowed to get away with it," he says. "I fully expected a Plan B, where the adult stories would get smaller and smaller."

Gallagher feigns shock at this remark, causing Schwartz to shush Heinberg: "You're not supposed to tell them about Plan B."

"I have a Plan C," Gallagher says.

It's apparent watching the cast and crew interact that the banter between characters on screen continues off camera. Gallagher says working on the show, his first series since the short-lived comedy "The Secret Lives of Men" in 1998, has been a pleasant surprise, starting from when FOX chief Gail Berman offered him the role right after his audition for her.

"There's a really humane vibe about the show that started there and really hasn't stopped," he says.

`O.C.' hottie broods his way to the big time; Robert Philpot
Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service 03-11-2004

When Benjamin McKenzie sits down, you realize how much he's acting in his role on "The O.C.," Fox's entertainingly over-the top nighttime soap. The Texas-born actor broods through his role as 16-year-old Ryan Atwood, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who winds up in a glossy part of California's Orange County, where he falls for the troubled girl next door. Along the way, he tangles with the rich kids and, occasionally, their parents.

In real life, the 25-year-old McKenzie isn't much of a brooder. In fact, he smiles a lot, sometimes in bemusement at the sudden attention he and his castmates have received since "The O.C." debuted last summer. Before that, McKenzie's only screen credits were guest appearances on "The District" and "JAG." Now, he's on magazine covers and reluctantly becoming a part of the L.A. party scene.

"First of all, I couldn't even have imagined that I would have a job like this," McKenzie says. "Second of all, (I couldn't imagine) that anyone would care where I am on a Saturday night or where I'm getting coffee or who I'm supposedly dating or not dating. The only people who cared about that before were me and my mom."

Forget about stardom; acting wasn't something McKenzie thought about while growing up in Austin, or through most of his time at the University of Virginia. His family remains in Austin -- his grandfather, Robert Schenkkan, was a founder of Austin public-TV station KLRU, the home of "Austin City Limits" -- and McKenzie returns there often.

"I went back over Thanksgiving and Christmas for a few days," he says during an interview in Beverly Hills, Calif. "It's pretty amusing going back. The family's absolutely the same. The parents still expect you to do the same chores. My brothers still give me tons of (guff) -- they find it highly amusing that I've entered the `teen heartthrob' territory."

When he was a teen, McKenzie's biggest role was as a football player at Austin High School, where he played strong safety and wide receiver. Although he's not like his "O.C." character, he did share Ryan's noncomformist side. He played football, but he didn't hang out with the jocks; he took honors courses, but didn't hang out with the brainy kids. He graduated in 1997, but he compares his Austin days to the movie "Dazed and Confused," which was shot at a rival high school just down the road from his school.

"That was set in the '70s, obviously, but it's the exact same thing as it is today," he says. "Guys ride around in their trucks, and they have a little bit shorter hair than they did in the '70s, but there's still keg parties in the woods, hazing the freshmen. . . . It's a pretty cliquey kind of environment all over, and certainly in Texas."

McKenzie's journey took him to the University of Virginia, where he received dual degrees -- in foreign affairs and economics. But like a lot of college students, he found himself drawn in another direction. He auditioned for a college play, got the part, enjoyed the experience, and was hanging around the drama department nearly full time by his senior year.

After graduation, McKenzie went to New York, where he spent about six months waiting tables without catching a big break. He decided to move to Los Angeles, where he stayed with family friend Ernie Sabella, who was the voice of Pumbaa the warthog in "The Lion King."

Considering that a year ago nobody knew who McKenzie was, he's still prone to a bit of "is that . . . ?" celebrity-gawking himself.

"(Ernie) let me crash at his place for a year in L.A. when I was trying to make it," he says. "First night out, we went to a Beverly Hills-ish restaurant that he knew of with a couple of friends, and Alec Baldwin was at the table next to us. Ernie had done something with Alec, or knew him or something from New York. And so he introduced me. So my first night in L.A., I go out to this swanky restaurant in the one suit that I own, and Alec Baldwin is shaking my hand. And he's a pretty intense guy, so it was an overwhelming experience.

"Of course, I didn't meet another celebrity for another six months. I was living in the valley in a rundown apartment," he adds. "But that night was, `Oh, this is what it could be like.' "

Despite McKenzie's skimpy credits, "O.C." producers saw something in his personality that reminded them of what they were looking for in Ryan. Or maybe they just saw an oft-noted resemblance to another actor.

"I guess I happen to look like Russell Crowe," McKenzie says. "If people get that about me or my temperament or something" -- he stops himself, then restarts with a chuckle, "Maybe not my temperament. If something about me reminds them of him, then it's OK. He's a great actor. If I were able to achieve one-tenth of what he's achieved, I would probably be a pretty happy man.

"It's kind of nice," he continues. "At least I don't get compared to (`Beverly Hills 90210's') Luke Perry. No offense -- no knock on Luke Perry -- but at least I'm being compared to a guy who's won an Academy Award and is a movie star."