'The O.C.' A Decade Later



Ryan: Sometimes I think you talk just to make sounds.
Seth: Well, sometimes I do.
- "The O.C."

Monday marked 10 years since the premier of "The O.C.," a teen soap on FOX that premiered in the summer, likely because people didn't think it would gain much traction. After all, it had been a few years since "Beverly Hills 90210" limped to the finish and a few months since "Dawson's Creek" ended, taking teen angst off the small screen.

I had just graduated college, I was trying to adjust to my first "adult" job, and I was WAY TOO EXCITED about a teen soap premiering. In other words, I was at my TV when the show debuted, and I stayed that way throughout its four-season run.

I have long been a fan of teen dramas. Though in recent years I've become more drawn to the prestige dramas, for a long time in my life I had a theory about TV. While in film I tend to be drawn to things that make me think deeply, TV has been more a place of escapism. I love TV shows that challenge me and make me think — anyone that reads this site regularly knows that — but I also have a soft spot for soap operas.

Here's why:

* I like a mix of humor and drama.
* I want to be drawn to the characters, to have some kind of connection.
* If I'm going to invest in following a show each week, I like it to be serialized. One-off crime dramas are fine, but what's the compelling reason to tune in for the crime of the week? Now, ongoing personal drama — that's compelling.

So I have frequently been all in on shows for which I'm not the target demographic. That's probably an apt description of "The O.C." From the first episode on, I knew I'd be watching. And while it got somewhat uneven after the first season, improving, I thought, with season four, it was still fun. The wry humor, the catchy music, and the characters kept me coming back.

And it still holds up. A few weeks ago I re-watched the first four episodes with my wife, and even 10 years later the elements that were appealing are still there. I may have gotten older — and farther away from the target demographic — but I still enjoy the mix of comedy, drama, and angst in this show.

Hopefully that's still true in another 10 years.

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