The O.C. TV Show Impact: How a 2000s Teen Drama Shaped Pop Culture

The O.C. (2003–2007) isn’t just another teen show – it’s a cultural phenomenon. Often ranked among the best teen dramas of all time, The O.C. left an indelible mark on television and 2000s pop culture. From its trendsetting music to its unforgettable characters, The O.C. TV show’s impact continues to resonate. This article explores The O.C.’s cultural influence, how it shaped the teen drama genre, and why it still captivates a dedicated fanbase today.

Cultural Significance of The O.C. – Shaping the Teen Drama Landscape

When The O.C. premiered on FOX in August 2003, it exploded in popularity and quickly became a TV sensation. The series revitalized the teen drama landscape at a time when the genre needed new energy. The O.C. broke away from the sanitized, family-friendly mold of earlier teen shows with a mix of glossy melodrama and edgier storytelling. It tackled class differences head-on by bringing outsider Ryan Atwood from a rough background into the posh world of Newport Beach, an angle that set it apart from predecessors. Viewers were hooked on the show’s blend of over-the-top drama and self-aware humor, making The O.C. a groundbreaking and iconic teen drama.

Beyond its juicy storylines, The O.C. seeped into wider pop culture. It gave us catchphrases and moments that remain famous today – who could forget Luke’s taunting line, “Welcome to the OC, bitch!”, which instantly entered the pop culture lexicon? The show even invented its own holiday, Chrismukkah, blending Christmas and Hanukkah, which fans still reference every winter as part of the show’s quirky cultural footprint. With its depiction of SoCal youth, The O.C. helped define the early-2000s pop culture aesthetic: think sunny beach parties, flip phones, chokers and polos, and a soundtrack of cool indie tunes in the background. Its influence was so pronounced that it inspired reality TV – MTV’s Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County was created in 2004 to capture the “real” O.C. vibe, proving how The O.C. set trends beyond scripted television.

Crucially, The O.C. paved the way for the next generation of teen dramas. The show’s success demonstrated that young audiences were hungry for high-quality teen soap operas with both style and substance. Its creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage later brought the drama to New York with Gossip Girl, a series clearly influenced by The O.C.’s formula of wealthy teens, pop culture references, and indie music cool. Many shows that followed in the late 2000s and 2010s – from Gossip Girl to network reboots like 90210 – owed a debt to The O.C. for reigniting interest in the teen drama genre. As one retrospective noted, few teen series have had The O.C.’s larger cultural influence, which feels “almost untouchable.” And a huge part of that influence was The O.C.’s music – a factor so important it deserves its own discussion.

The O.C. Soundtrack Effect – Indie Music Goes Mainstream

One of The O.C.’s most celebrated contributions to pop culture is its soundtrack. The show didn’t just feature background music; it turned music into a core character and used it to amplify emotional moments. Creator Josh Schwartz was a self-professed music junkie and ensured that each episode was filled with then-underground indie rock, power pop, and alternative tracks that perfectly captured the mood. This approach was innovative for the time and had a lasting impact often dubbed “The O.C. soundtrack effect.”

Through The O.C.’s episodes and official soundtrack albums (Music from The O.C. Mix 1-6), many viewers discovered indie bands they might never have heard otherwise. The series famously helped popularize bands like Death Cab for Cutie and The Killers, nudging them from indie obscurity into the mainstream spotlight. For example, protagonist Seth Cohen’s favorite band was Death Cab for Cutie, and their songs became synonymous with the show’s most emotional scenes. The O.C. also showcased acts like Modest Mouse, Rooney, and Imogen Heap, giving these artists massive exposure. The use of Imogen Heap’s haunting song “Hide and Seek” in a pivotal season 2 finale scene (when Marissa tragically shoots Trey) was so iconic that it spawned a Saturday Night Live parody skit – a testament to how deeply that musical moment permeated pop culture. Even the show’s theme song, “California” by Phantom Planet, became instantly recognizable and is often cited as one of TV’s most iconic theme songs of the 21st century.

This integration of indie music into a teen TV show was groundbreaking. It signaled a shift in how television could influence music tastes. The O.C. turned its young audience into indie music fans overnight, years before streaming playlists made that common. Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas curated such an impeccable mix of tracks that fans still reminisce about The O.C.’s musical moments as much as its plot twists. Countless articles and forums credit The O.C. soundtrack with shaping their music tastes and introducing them to artists they love. In short, The O.C.’s soundtrack effect showed the TV industry that the right music could elevate a teen drama to cultural phenomenon status – and many later shows (like Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill) followed its lead in heavily featuring contemporary music. To this day, the songs of The O.C. remain a nostalgic touchstone, cementing the show’s cultural legacy through its indie music influence.

Seth, Ryan, Marissa, and Summer – Iconic Characters with Lasting Legacy

Another major reason The O.C. struck a chord is its quartet of memorable characters. Seth Cohen, Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, and Summer Roberts weren’t just typical teen archetypes; they became beloved figures that viewers connected with and continue to celebrate. Each character brought something unique, helping The O.C. shape how teen dramas develop characters. Let’s look at the legacy of these key characters:

Seth Cohen – The Geek Who Made Nerd Culture Cool

Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) quickly emerged as a fan favorite for his witty sarcasm, self-deprecating humor, and unabashed love for comic books and indie rock. At a time when “geeks” were usually side characters, Seth was a leading character who proved that nerdy could be cool. He introduced the world to things like Star Wars marathons, DIY comic creations (Atomic County!), and sailing off on a toy boat named after his crush. Importantly, Seth’s unlikely bromance with tough newcomer Ryan Atwood gave the show its emotional core. In fact, the Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood friendship became one of the most celebrated TV friendships of the 2000s – an unlikely brotherhood between a sheltered misfit and a streetwise outsider that showcased loyalty, humor, and heart. Through Seth, The O.C. blasted geek culture, indie music, and snarky internet humor into the mainstream teen TV world. He paved the way for future pop-culture-savvy characters (like Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey or Spider-Man’s Tom Holland-era Peter Parker) by proving audiences would root for the lovable geek. Seth Cohen’s legacy is a generation of viewers who felt seen in his quirks – and who still proudly declare themselves “Team Seth” today.

Ryan Atwood – The Outsider with a Heart of Gold

Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) gave The O.C. its dramatic backbone and a fresh point of view. As a troubled teen from Chino brought into the wealthy Cohen household, Ryan was the show’s fish-out-of-water and moral center. He arrived in Newport Beach with a brooding stare, a leather jacket, and a rough past – but underneath that tough exterior was a deeply loyal friend and caring soul. Ryan’s journey – from an outsider with a chip on his shoulder to a devoted brother-figure to Seth and a protector to those he loves – endeared him to millions. He wasn’t the typical rich kid of teen dramas past; Ryan’s blue-collar roots let The O.C. explore class conflicts and empathy in a way few teen shows had. Fans watched Ryan battle personal demons (an unstable family, anger issues) while trying to fit into a world of privilege, which made his victories (getting into college, finding love and family) all the more satisfying. His on-again/off-again romance with Marissa was the heart of the series, full of will-they-won’t-they tension and epic moments (from the ferris wheel kiss to that tragic beach finale). And through it all, Ryan’s fierce loyalty never wavered – whether he was defending Seth from bully Luke in episode 1 or rushing into violent situations to save Marissa. Ryan Atwood remains an iconic outsider-turned-hero in teen TV lore: the kid from the wrong side of the tracks who became the heart of Newport. His character’s popularity showed that audiences love a good bad-boy with a heart of gold, and many later teen dramas tried to capture a bit of Ryan’s magic in their own brooding male leads.

Marissa Cooper – The Tragic It-Girl of the 2000s

Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) was The O.C.’s resident “it girl” – the beautiful, popular girl next door who seemingly had it all, yet struggled privately with inner demons. Marissa’s arc was a rollercoaster of teenage highs and lows, and she became an emblem of the tragic teen heroine. With her effortless California fashion and penchant for drama, Marissa captivated audiences. She dealt with family turmoil (like her parents’ divorce and mom Julie’s scandals), substance abuse, and destructive relationships, which The O.C. handled in a way that felt heightened yet emotionally real. Marissa’s romance with Ryan was the stuff of teen drama legend – two star-crossed lovers from different worlds. Fans will never forget Marissa tearfully telling Ryan “Who are you?” when they first meet, or her saving him from a fiery model home, or the couple’s many breakups and reconciliations. Marissa also made waves with storylines that pushed boundaries, such as her friendship-turned-romance with bad-girl Alex, one of the early bisexual storylines on network TV. Ultimately, Marissa’s shocking death in the Season 3 finale (set to Imogen Heap’s “Hallelujah”) became one of the most talked-about TV moments of the 2000s, leaving viewers heartbroken. Love her or not, Marissa Cooper’s legacy is profound – she embodied the beautiful tragedy of teen drama. To this day, fans mourn her character and debate the show’s decision to kill her off, a sign of how impactful Marissa was. In the pantheon of teen drama characters, Marissa stands out as an icon of the genre’s emotional extremes and the girl who burned too bright, too fast.

Summer Roberts – The Valley Girl Who Grew into a Fan Favorite

Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson) began The O.C. as Marissa’s shallow, spoiled best friend – the quintessential rich Valley Girl obsessed with shopping and status. But over four seasons, Summer underwent one of the most beloved transformations on the show, emerging as a well-rounded, confident young woman with a heart of gold. Initially, Summer was intended as a minor character, but her humor and chemistry with Seth Cohen quickly made her a core part of the story. Her unlikely romance with Seth – the pretty popular girl falling for the adorkable geek – was pure teenage wish-fulfillment and became one of the show’s sweetest storylines. (Who can forget Summer in a Wonder Woman costume declaring her love for Seth at Comic-Con?) As their relationship evolved, so did Summer’s character. She proved she was more than a ditzy sidekick, standing by Marissa through tough times and opening up emotionally with Seth. By the final season, Summer was passionate about animal rights and environmental activism, showing massive growth from the girl who once only cared about Chanel bags. This evolution resonated with fans, as many related to Summer’s journey of finding depth and purpose. Summer also delivered plenty of comic relief with her quips (“Ew!” became her signature catchphrase). In the end, Summer Roberts left a mark as a strong female character who could be both funny and serious, superficial yet deep. Her legacy lives on every time fans cheer for a popular-girl-turned-heroine in teen media. And of course, Seth & Summer remain one of TV’s most cherished couples – their on-screen happy ending (wedding bells in the series finale flash-forward) still leaves longtime viewers beaming.

Why The O.C. Still Has a Dedicated Fanbase Today

It’s been over 15 years since The O.C. aired its final episode, yet the show continues to attract new fans and maintain a loyal following. So, what makes The O.C. so enduring? For starters, the themes and emotions in The O.C. – friendship, family, first love, finding oneself – are truly timeless. New generations of viewers who discover the series on streaming platforms find that the stories still resonate, even if the flip phones and fashion are dated. In fact, streaming has given The O.C. a second life: with the entire series available on services like Hulu and HBO Max, it’s easier than ever to binge-watch the drama in Newport. This accessibility has introduced the Cohen and Cooper families to teens who weren’t even born when the show debuted. As a result, fans new and old have kept the show relevant for two decades. Social media is full of The O.C. memes, anniversary retrospectives, and even TikTok fan pages run by Gen-Z viewers who have fallen in love with the show’s 2000s vibe. Nostalgia is another big factor. Millennials who grew up watching The O.C. still hold it close to their hearts – and many are now rewatching it as adults, finding new appreciation for its clever writing and sincere storytelling. The show never really left the pop culture conversation. Its legacy is celebrated in various ways: the cast and creators released an O.C. oral history book for the 20th anniversary, and actress Rachel Bilson (Summer) and Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper) even hosted a popular rewatch podcast called “Welcome to the OC, Bitches” in 2021-2023, where they revisited episodes and invited fellow cast members to dish behind-the-scenes stories. Events like these keep long-time fans engaged and spark curiosity in first-time viewers. The dedicated fanbase also persists because The O.C. delivers a comfort-food quality. Fans often cite it as a top “comfort watch” – a show they can rewatch for the cozy familiarity of Seth’s jokes, Sandy Cohen’s sage advice (and eyebrows!), and all those heartfelt California moments. Traditions from the show, like celebrating Chrismukkah, still bring joy to diehard viewers each year. Simply put, The O.C. struck an emotional chord that continues to hum. Its mix of heart, humor, drama, and music created an experience that people want to relive and share with others.

In Conclusion

The O.C.’s impact on TV and pop culture is undeniable. It shaped the teen drama genre with its cultural influence, introduced indie music to mainstream ears, and gave us characters and quotes we’ll never forget. Whether you’re reminiscing about Seth and Ryan’s friendship, bopping to The O.C. soundtrack, or crying over Marissa’s fate, the show remains a beloved touchstone of the 2000s. And as long as new fans keep discovering the magic of Newport Beach, The O.C. will continue to live on – a true California classic that defined an era and earned its place among the best teen dramas ever made.

Why Did The O.C. Get Cancelled?

On Febuary 22nd 2007 the last episode of The O.C. aired. The O.C., a show that was once known for its very fast pace and somehow 25 plus episode seasons ended on a mid season note on episode 16 of it's 4th season. The O.C. was wildly successful so why did it get cancelled?

At birth, The O.C. initially aired on Tuesday nights. Then after a handful of successful season 1 episodes, the network switched the time slot to Wednesday nights and the show stayed in this slot throughout the remainder of  season 1. Season 1 carried a very solid 9.48 million viewers (on average) a crazy success! The show and it's actors literally exploded through the stratosphere and became a cultural phenomenon instantly! The O.C. was fresh, exciting and hilarious! Josh Schwartz (the creator of The O.C.) alone wrote 14 of the 27 episodes of season 1!

Then some things started to change. Who remembers when this happened? You know, when the network switched The O.C's time slot from Wednesday to Thursday at the beginning of season 2, our beloved Wednesday night time slot was lost forever..

The airing switch-up caused some confusion for dedicated watchers of the show. Season 2 of The O.C. was doing pretty well with a nice 7.44 million viewers (on average). Josh Schwartz wrote 7 episodes of season 2. Season 2 was still as fun as season 1, the addition of some new charters, new places for the characters to hang out and yes a tad more drama added something special to the show. I mean who didn't appreciate Seth having to become the Bait Shop janitor!? What about the epic scene where Marissa Mmm-Whatcha Says Trey!?

Then season 3 arrived. Yes we know - season 3 is sort of like The O.C.'s red-headed step child that nobody wants to fully accept, not that many fans really liked it. It has been said that the story lines were stale/predictable/less creative than seasons 1 and 2. In fact many fans would have been open to another Oliver story line vs the very tired Johnny Harper plot. Despite season 3 and its negatives we think that there was still many gems to be found especially if you kind of filter some of the less than savory clutter. Once again Josh Schwartz's contribution to the show dwindled, Josh only wrote 4 of the 25 O.C. episodes in season 3!

From a ratings standpoint and the networks opinion - season 3 was the beginning of the end. Average viewers went way down to 5.83 million almost loosing half of its original season 1 audience. Ironically those kind of numbers spells a big hit for cable TV these days but the early 2000's was a different time.

Then there's season 4, The O.C.'s last chance to get back to it's witty light and fun story lines that made people love the show in the first place! Despite the shows writing being infinitely better, the viewers just weren't following at this point, 3.96 million viewers on average for the entire season. Josh Schwartz again only wrote 4 episodes wrapping up season 4 and the show as we know it - forever. To clear things up season 4 was a saving grace for fans, it just really satisfied in a way season 1 and 2 did. The writers did the best they could with the very short network order of 16 episodes the final season.

So why the cancellation? Was it only because of ratings and changing of air dates? We believe the show got cancelled due to multiple complex factors.

The shows downward spiral into ratings null was probably because of season 3's finale, lots of people were very attached to Marissa and refused to watch the show once she was killed off.

The other obvious reason could have been because people were getting bored of season 3's repetitive story lines and figured the show wasn't going to get any better therefor decided to not even partake in season 4.

We find it odd that the birth father of The O.C. (Josh Schwartz) wrote less and less of episodes as the seasons of his first baby progressed. Was he out of ideas or was he crippled by making choices on where to take the show next? Was he too focused on his next idea the TV show Chuck? Below is the top 10 episodes by views. Is it not ironic that out of the top 10 episodes by millions of views - Josh Schwartz was involved in 6 of the 10?

We can assume that Josh Schwartz felt a certain pressure to give the fans what they wanted or to satisfy the opinion of his elders in the field. It is well documented that Josh spent lots and lots of time reading various O.C. message boards which probably pushed him into infinite creative hibernation. People wanted this and that to happen and would gripe about the direction of the series. But the truth is that Josh Schwartz was super young, only 26 when the show was first picked up. The O.C. was his first big success and we believe he did an excellent job by adding in some very creative writers to help out - even though some of those writers tired the plots.

Let's face it watcher counts/ratings aren't everything especially in the days of original series on Netflix/Hulu but when it comes to a cable TV show's survival, ratings really go into consideration. I mean it was the early 00's and The O.C. was competing with a ton of huge reality shows! Also a 9pm timeslot is pretty late considering the shows top demographics, teenagers!

The O.C. was a very fast mover, meaning the shows plots would often be full circle wrapped up with a ribbon quicker than captain oats can nay. Other shows in the same genre often dragged out the same drama and plots for weeks. The problem with a fast moving show like The O.C. is that the writing and stories get exhausted quickly. Leaving less and less creativity to scrape up and mold something new and exciting.

Then there's the whole internal politics stuff that went down behind closed doors. It has been confirmed by Tate Donovan (actor that played Jimmy Cooper video above) and Cam Gigandet , actor that played the villain Kevin Volchok, that some of the young actors in the show had bad attitudes when he was on set. Click the links for more on that. To their defense most of the young actors on the show didn't have much fame before The O.C..Their overnight fame was huge and the actors were getting TV and movie offers left and right but were often unable to take most of them due to The O.C. hectic shooting schedule and contracts. The young new to fame actors didn't necessarily know how to handle fame which caused them to get a bit mixed up in it all.

Out of the core 4 Mischa Barton (Marissa Cooper) was the only actual teenager when the show aired, the other 3 - Adam Brody, Benjamin Mckenzie and Rachel Bilson were clear in their 20's. Lets face it you definitely go through changes from ages 17 to 20 years old. Mischa Barton apparently was purposely getting to the OC studio later and later and it's been said that some of the actors were forgetting their lines purposely out of disinterest and boredom.

Adam Brody has been quoted to have been scared of getting typecast as the adorkable geek if he were to stay on the show for too long. Additionally Adam Brody dated Rachel Bilson and broke up with her all the while working on the show, which had to be pretty awkward and difficult for the both of them. There is also a definite change in Adam Brody's performance quality and depiction of Seth Cohen in the later seasons. Adam appears to be more agitated, sarcastic and void of that early Seth Cohen delivery.

The show lost it's musical tone when the background music composer was switched out at the end of season 2. Did anyone catch that? A new composer was hired on, one that changed the feeling of the show in a darker direction albeit went well with the darker writing. The music in season 1 and 2 was a character within itself, it was light and fun but when we lost that tonality - the show started changing the way scenes felt even though the actors stayed the same.

Interestingly enough The O.C. was tested and aired on Wednesday nights yet again during the fourth season while the very successful show "Lost" was on a hiatus. This was a last ditch effort  to attract more viewers to watching the show but the network quickly realized that this move was a big fail. They then switched it back to Thursday nights! Talk about a wild bipolar ride FOX!

Josh Schwartz has been quoted after the show ended to having a few regrets too - writing out certain characters (Luke and Anna) and moving the show too quickly. Furthermore at the end of the third season Josh and the crew didn't even know if they were going to be awarded a 4th season.

Most of season 4's ratings were around 3.5 million viewers with the finale totaling up a whopping 6.5 million viewers. When the show ended, countless online OC blog sites and message boards attempted to petition for the show to return, but sadly failed. So all this to say that our beloved O.C. ended and was cancelled for a multitude of above reasons - some may not even be fully known but more truth shall come out as the years go by. We will be diligently be waiting for E's True Hollywood Story on The O.C.!

The O.C. Locations: The Balboa Lighthouse Restaurant

What: The Balboa Lighthouse Restaurant
Where: Located in Newport
When: Season One
How: The Lighthouse was a restaurant venture started by Sandy and Jimmy
Actual location: 655 N. Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach, CA.

Story: 
While Sandy and Jimmy share appetizers and drinks at The Balboa Lighthouse Restaurant Sandy convinces Jimmy that they should partner-up and buy the place. Jimmy agrees after hesitation and gets excited, they both feel its a fantastic and fun idea. Lacking the funds Sandy and Jimmy have to get Caleb on board as a silent partner.

They put a down payment on the place, design it, renovate it, host a food tasting but last minute they are denied their liquor license. Sandy assumes its because his affiliation with Jimmy. This problem basically makes the business "worthless", due to the lack of alcohol sales that they would need to thrive. Without a liquor license Sandy and Jimmy decide to cut their losses and sell the property to Caleb, each of them getting over a million dollars in the deal. Jimmy and Sandy feel like they got quite a good offer considering perhaps maybe too good to be true. Then a little later they find out that Caleb was the one that blocked their liquor license purposely, buying the restaurant cheap from Sandy and Jimmy with the intention of selling it to someone else for way more money!

It would have been really cool for this to have worked out for Jimmy and Sandy. Even if they only
owned it for a season. Nana Cohen's meatloaf would have delighted many Newport dwellers. Sigh.

The actual filming location of the interior/exterior building was in Redondo Beach and not Newport, as most of The O.C. was. It simply costs too much to film outside L.A..The building housed many restaurants over the years, with the last restaurant being named "Venezia Italian Grill" and "Harbor Drive" before that.

 The most recent Yelp review was in 2008 with an average rating of 3/5 stars.

Sadly in 2013 the original Balboa Lighthouse building suffered the same fate as The Bait Shop, the building was torn down and construction started on a new modern and sophisticated hotel. We lost yet another O.C. landmark.

The hotel is called "Shade Hotel". Regular rooms start at $250-269 per night but if you want to live large the luxury suites will set you back $1500 a night!

Sandy Cohen History Lesson: The Sandy Cohen Public Defender Fellowship!

Very cool things were happening surrounding The O.C. phenomenon during the early 00's. Some of which have been rumored about throughout the years or were thought of as just O.C. legends. The following O.C. legend your about to read was very true.

In the fall of 2003 John Kim (class of 2004) of The Berkeley Law at the University of California started The Sandy Cohen Public Defender Fellowship for Lawyers who Dare to Dream also known as "The Sandy". The O.C. premiered on Fox during the summer before John's final year of law school, he saw in “The O.C.” and thought it was everything missing from law school life in general: glamour, romance, and visionary lawyering. He decided that other law students might feel the same and organized the club as soon as school began again. It was one of the largest clubs at UC Berkeley with a total of 75 members!

The Fellowship was inspired by no other than the man himself Sandy Cohen of The O.C..Sandy Cohen graduated from Berkeley Law school and was seen as a public defender in the early season one episodes. Sandy Cohen used his keen selfless public defender skills and rescued Ryan Atwood from his poor life in Chino.

The fellowship was created to help summer law students who provided public defense on a volunteer unpaid basis. Each year one or more student would be chosen for their wonderful charitable attitude and work ethic. The winning students would receive or split a cash prize of 3,000-5,000 dollars which was donated by Fox, Warner Brothers, Peter Gallagher and the Boalt Totally Awesome Prom Fundraising Event.

This Fellowship went on for three years, with each year Peter Gallagher stopping by to present the award to the winning students and hanging out to sign autographs etc.

Jason Balitzer accepting his award in 2004 with actor Peter Gallagher that plays Sandy Cohen in The O.C.

The first winner was Jason Balitzer in 2004. In 2005 Ronnie Lin was the winner and lastly in 2006 there were five total winners, Ruth Mackey, Joey McInnis, Rachel Pfeiffer, Loriani Santos and Van Swearingen!

The Sandy Cohen Fellowship was loved by the media and was mentioned on Entertainment Weekly, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, The New York Times and even the official Fox O.C. website. Peter said “I think this club is amazing. They aren't lampooning [Sandy] as an impossible dreamer missing out on a fat paycheck. Instead, they are encouraging people to do the right thing.”

Members of the fellowship would also meet every Thursday to get their O.C. on, watching the latest episode, gossiping about what would happen next, all the while eating snacks! Furthermore the fellowship would also host O.C. related parties throughout the year.

John (guitar), Iiona (keys), Anne (bass) and Captain Oats on drum machine

There was even an official band of the fellowship called "Orange Crush" who formed in December 2003. "Orange Crush" played at O.C. club meetings and wrote all original fun O.C. songs. This hot three piece plus Captain Oats on drum machine was a force to be reckoned with. With catchy hits such as "Anna Face" and "Summer Come Over" all of which can be downloaded here!

Peter Gallagher said in the Oakland Tribune: "I love the fact that [the OC at Boalt] are encouraging people to go into the public defender's office, and the fact that it happens to be based on a character I play is all gravy. I think this club is amazing. They aren't lampooning [Sandy] as an impossible dreamer missing out on a fat paycheck. Instead, they are encouraging people to do the right thing."

The Sandy Cohen Public Defender Fellowship only lasted a little while but the memories and lives changed in the process will remain priceless! What a cool experience that had to be! Cheers to all the future Sandy Cohen PD's of the world who Dare to Dream!

This post was just liked via Twitter by the man himself Sandy Cohen aka Peter Gallagher!

For more check out boalt.org

Photos provided by boalt.org

Sandy Cohen History Lesson: Everything The O.C. Insider!

After the huge success of season 1 of The O.C. an exclusive The O.C. fan site was created in 2004 by Fox and The WB. It was called The O.C. Insider also known as OCI. For the first few years the website required a paid membership for the small-small price of 24.95 per year (in 2006 it became free for everyone).

Being an OCI member got you unlimited access to exclusive content such as cast interviews, video clips and pics, downloads for your computer or flip phone, fashion/style tips, access to message boards, discounts on O.C. gear and merchandise as well as the OCI Quarterly Magazine. In other words if you had an OCI membership you were all that and a bag of oats.

Furthermore the O.C. Insider Magazine would occasionally contain a trial membership card to the O.C. Insider website which would allow a friend to access the site for a certain amount of hours. Basically the gateway O.C. drug, giving you a glimpse of what the grass tasted like on the other side of the pasture..Then leaving you wanting more!



As you can see in the above time capsule, this is a real capture of the long defunct OC Insider website. This is what the site looked like in 2005 complete with flashy flash objects minty enough to make an epilepsy sufferer have a seizure or an O.C. super fan high and eat a ton of bagels!

Benefits of being a member stated on the site:

"THE OC INSIDER MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES:

 - A three-issue, one-year subscription to The OC Insider magazine, published by Titan Publishing

 - One year of access to theocinsider.com - the online component of The OC Insider and the ultimate online The O.C. destination which includes exclusive behind the scenes video and photos, weekly music streams and downloads, chats with talent, fashion and make-up tips

 - A membership kit, which includes a letter from series creator, Josh Schwartz, posters, and other exciting and exclusive The O.C. products.

 - Discounts and early purchases at theOCInsiderShop.com. Many exclusive items and hot fashions not available anywhere else 

- Hundreds of dollars in FREE wireless downloads!"

One of the coolest area's of the site was the pool house page!

Inside the pool house page you could download buddy icons, screen savers for your PC, flip through Seth's sketchbook and play awesome games like Casino Night Hold'em or Fold'em or Blackjack (the count goes way higher with multiple decks).

Everything The O.C has rescued some of the digital download files featured on The O.C. Insider including the two games above. They can be located in the downloads section of the site! You can thank us later!

The sites concept was pretty genius and pretty revolutionary for the time. Not only could The O.C. make money on the screen but it could also make money in digital subscription form all the while proving a ton of great content.  To hardcore fans this was a no-brainer especially keeping yourself entertained in between waiting for episodes to air. An OCI membership card, talk about the perfect Chrismukkah stocking stuffer!

The awesome video interviews were probably one of the best things going for the site. Many of which can still be found floating on YouTube by searching "The O.C. Insider". Above is an example of the typical question and answer format. It's okay Sandy your guilty pleasure is safe with us!

 

Additionally Starbrand.tv partnered with The O.C. Insider and started cross promoting their site that sold various merchandise, clothing, bags, wall art, electronics (flip phones and Ipods) that were featured on The O.C. as well as other shows of that era.

This allowed you to basically replicate the styles of the characters you loved as well as allowing you emulate their room decorations etc for a price (sometimes pretty hefty)..Giving you the capabilities of living your own unique alternate O.C. universe of sorts, you could be the main character of The O.C. wherever you lived and in complete bliss.

If you wanted Ryan's hoodie from season 2 episode 1, you could buy it..If you Marissa's top featured in X episode you could buy that too. Everything from Seth's hair wax to Sandy's public defender tie collection could be bought! Starbrand.tv would include a store locator or brand website if you were interested in purchasing an item. If this was done now they would have included a buy it now Amazon link. Starbrand.tv also did this with other TV shows with great success.

Both sites lasted awhile after the series was over. The O.C. Insider was taken down in late 2015 and Starbrand.tv was acquired by Popsugar, the site was later taken down as well. There is now a ton of copy-cat sites doing the same thing that Starbrand did. Here at Everything The O.C. we try to research and archive forgotten O.C history for you. That way fans of the future will still be able to know the way things were, not myth's but pure facts and legends!

So now you know, put that on your bagel and schmear it!