More pre-upfronts buzz coming from the fifth network: The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz's Gossip Girl pilot seems poised for pickup by the CW, having been approved to begin staffing — typically a solid tell that a show is prime-time bound. Schwartz, the Hollywood Reporter notes, received a similar green light from NBC for the other would-be series he has in play, Chuck.
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TV Guide has learned exclusively that Andrea Martin (SCTV, My Big Fat Greek Wedding) will guest-star on the April 20 episode of Fox's The Wedding Bells, playing no less than the titular trio's mama. Also on board for that outing is Autumn Reeser (The O.C.'s Taylor) as a blonde pop singer bride-to-be with a Sound of Music fetish.
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SOAPnet will begin airing One Tree Hill and The O.C. weeknights at 5 and 6 pm/ET, respectively, on April 9.... The View's spring coffee mug, to be unveiled on Tuesday's show and featuring the hosts in a Warhol-inspired design, is available for purchase at ABC.com.... Smokin' Aces arrives on DVD April 17.
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Question: I'm just writing to weigh in on something you mentioned a few columns ago about the difference between One Tree Hill and The O.C. Don't get me wrong, when both shows kicked off, my favorite by a long shot was The O.C., and it remained that way through the shows' first seasons. I still preferred The O.C. through its second season, holding out hope that it would improve, but as we all know, it didn't. I think where One Tree Hill got it right is that it has always been a guilty pleasure and knows it. However ridiculous the story lines are (and for the record, I do hate the odd dance routine that seems to pop up once or twice a season), they keep me looking forward to the next episode, especially last year with the shooting. What I'm getting at here is that One Tree Hill has been consistent since day one, while The O.C. could not hold onto the brilliance of its freshman season. Obviously the writing, acting and characters are inferior in OTH, but it's one of the best guilty ...
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Question: How much were you crying at the end of The O.C.?
Answer: How many times do I have to tell you? I'm a dude. Dudes don't cry. (I was a wreck.)
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Question: I just had a thought: Now that The O.C. is kaput, I wonder if Gilmore Girls can get Adam Brody back to stir up trouble for Zach and Lane?
Answer: Never gonna happen. Adam doesn't want to do another series right now. I know this because he was offered the lead in a very high-profile fall pilot, and passed.
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I had been dreading this final episode of The O.C. all week. I was so curious about how it would all end, yet not wanting it to end at the same time. But as the oh-so-wise Sandy said, “Nothing lasts forever.” OK, so if it had to end, I wanted a really good finale. And I’m tough on series finales: They have to be both happy and bittersweet, and look back with nostalgia while they move forward. I’m happy to report that I was not at all disappointed. They hit us with a lot of surprises right off the bat: Ryan and Taylor had broken up; Julie was preggers and about to marry the Bullitt. I loved the “Buffet of Bullitts” — all 12 of his sons, named after (mostly) Texas towns. For a little while, I was afraid this last episode was going to turn into a sap-fest, but The O.C. didn’t let me down. They, of course, piled on the drama: Julie was pregnant with Frank’s son, not Bullitt’s. But Frank wimped out, and Bullitt was there for her to pick u...
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Question: Do you think Fox put The O.C. up against CSI and Grey's Anatomy just so it would fail and they would have an excuse to cancel it? It was starting to pick up some steam this season after the death of Marissa. I know the ratings slipped over the last couple of seasons, but that's no reason to schedule it in a time slot where it is doomed to failure.
Answer: I don't subscribe to the notion that networks ever aim to have their shows fail, no matter how it sometimes looks. That said, Fox did The O.C. no favors with this move to Thursdays the last few seasons. The network never found a compatible companion series, and as more networks developed bigger hits to put on the night (ABC the latest), The O.C. was further marginalized. It's a fact that if Fox truly wanted to boost its fortunes, it would have moved the show to a less competitive night. But given the network's success with thrillers (Prison Break and 24) on Mondays, and more traditional medical (House) and procedural (Bones)
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Mischa Barton and Benjamin McKenzie, The O.C.
After four seasons and countless fistfights, the Newport group is hanging it up with a finale that executive producer Josh Schwartz promises will "offer real closure." So what better way to say goodbye to The O.C. (Thursdays at 9 pm/ET) than a look back at the Fox serial's best moments?
1. "Welcome to the O.C., Bitch!" — "Premiere," 8/5/03 Luke's bon mot to new punching bag in town Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) quickly became the signature line of the series. Says Schwartz, "Kids from Orange County say they're from ‘the O.C.' like it's ‘the Ukraine.' I always found it funny so I gave Luke that line."
2. Marissa Dies — "The Graduates," 5/18/06Marissa (
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Question: C'mon, man, this is the last time we'll ever be able to ask you about The O.C. — give us something.
Answer: What if I told you Julie was the one getting hitched? Oh, wait, Fox already gave that away in the promos. What if I told you Kirsten delivers a healthy baby girl? Oh, wait, Fox already gave that away in the promos. What if I told you that Seth and Summer go their separate ways? Oh, wait, Fox already gave that away in the promos. What if I told you that Ryan and Taylor have sex? Oh, wait, Fox already gave that away in the promos. I got nothing.
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