is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on Fox in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, with a total of four seasons consisting of 92 episodes.

The series centers on Ryan Atwood, a troubled and gifted young man from a broken home who is adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy and Kirsten Cohen.

[6] The first season focuses on Ryan Atwood's arrival in Newport Beach to live with Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, who take him in after his mother kicks him out.

A major theme of the first season is the culture shock Ryan feels as he adjusts from a life of domestic abuse and poverty to living in a superficial high-class society.

Other storylines include Seth's development from a friendless loner to having two romantic options in Summer and Anna, as well as the arrivals of Oliver Trask, a troubled teen who befriends Marissa during their coinciding therapy sessions, and Theresa Diaz, Ryan's close friend and former love interest from his hometown of Chino.

This final season contains multiple surprises, such as a new addition to the Cohen family, a visit to an alternate universe in which Sandy becomes mayor, and a natural disaster that leaves Newport devastated.

In 2002, creator Josh Schwartz met with Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol and Stephanie Savage of production company Wonderland Sound and Vision.

[31] The network targeted a summer launch for the show,[32] and Doug Liman was brought in to direct the premiere after McG withdrew due to his scheduling conflicts with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

The Cohens' home was recreated on a soundstage at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach for filming during the rest of the series;[50][51] the pool was only 4-feet deep meaning that the cast had to act on their knees.

Bands including the Walkmen, the Killers, Modest Mouse, the Thrills, Rachael Yamagata, Death Cab for Cutie and the Subways all made guest appearances on the show performing at the venue.

The writer noted, "When thinking back on holiday specials of yore for this project, the first thing that popped into my head wasn't nostalgia for my Rankin/Bass- and Chuck Jones-filled youth.

The second season also focuses on the creation of a fictional comic book called Atomic County, written by Seth Cohen, that is used for similar self-deprecating purposes.

He continued, saying that the "device allowed producers and writers to have fun mocking critical and public perceptions of The OC, its supposed soap-operatic excesses and pop-culture obsessions.

[108] In Italy it was shown on Italia 1,[109] with pay-per view channel Joi being the first to make available episodes of the third season onwards through the digital terrestrial television service Mediaset Premium.

[110][111] In Poland the series was broadcast under the local title Życie Na Fali on TVN in 2006 and 2007 in a daytime block from Monday to Friday at 2:00 p.m. with single episodes attracting up to a million viewers.

The reviewer pointed to the show's sense of humor and respect for its audience, praising the series as "very funny" and "well-acted", while referring to Mischa Barton as the weak link.

[136] Time Magazine critic James Poniewozik was fond of the premiere episode, saying that the show "looks to have enough heart, talent and wit to generate a few seasons' worth of luxurious suds.

San Jose Mercury News criticized the plot and the casting, saying that "the storylines usually involve the obligatory three-episode-arc drug problems or lost virginity with dialogue designed to keep a dog up to speed,"[138] and that "Whoever at FOX thought Benjamin McKenzie could pass for anything younger than 25 should be fired.

[140] It was said to have "managed to surpass its ratings ploy outer trappings to actually work as one of the better Marissa plotlines, at least initially, by doing a solid job of portraying her "I've never done this before..." confusion and excitement."

About television, about myself as a writer, about discipline and trying to hold onto your focus even if you're hearing a lot of opinions or being forced to add things creatively that you don't agree with.

He added that "the scripts are snappy, the plots make sense, the acting's solid, [and] the music is appropriately indie" but criticized Fox for "throwing away" the show by giving it the Thursday 9:00 p.m.

Confident, in character, funny on occasion (any scene with Che), genuinely touching at others (the comic book store intervention), really the most like itself the show has felt in a long time, maybe even going back to season one."

"[149] Belinda Acosta of The Austin Chronicle agreed, praising the show's "new energy" and its ability to successfully cover "the transition between high school and college that other series have stumbled over.

"[150] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker commented that the fourth season was "a succession of terrific subplots" and praised new main cast member Taylor "as a fine, funny love interest for Ryan.

"[153] The pilot episode attracted 7.46 million viewers in the United States,[154] came second in its time slot behind the season finale of Last Comic Standing,[155] and was the highest rated show of the night in the 12–17-year-old demographic.

[161][162] The move improved Fox's performance at the new time slot, but lost the show viewers,[163] as average viewing figures decreased thirty percent from the previous season to 7 million.

has become one of those rare shows whose influence has begun to extend far beyond the television screen, and has actually started to take an active role in shaping American teenage pop culture.

At Boston College, students created and produced a parody titled "The BC" that received nationwide acclaim and features in The New York Times and CBS Evening News.

[190][191] The short became popular enough to beget a wave of re-enactments and parodies using "Hide and Seek" with the music set to slow-motion scenes of violence from various films and television series.

While not officially authorized by FOX or Warner Bros. TV, Sucker Love Productions' musical was supported by the show's cast and producers, with Autumn Reeser portraying Julie Cooper and briefly reprising her role as Taylor Townsend for the first time in 8 years.