The O.C. became last season's
most pleasant surprise because of its refreshing tendency not to
take itself seriously. The lighthearted Fox drama went a bit too
far, however, with a non-cliffhanger finale nobody could take seriously.
The story line had the two
young central characters, Ryan and Seth, leaving the tony
community south of Los Angeles for parts unknown. There, of
course, was no chance they would keep going. If they did,
there would be no show.
The O.C.'s creator, Josh
Schwartz, says those who find fault with this plot choice
don't get it.
It was never a question
of whether Ryan would come back, but how. Also, how his leaving
and the summer that has taken place with his absence, along with
Seth's absence, has sort of torn this community apart and how they
are going to have to rectify and rebuild once they return."
Schwartz had to take
a shot at creating a magnet to pull back his audience for the second
season. By the time The O.C. returns Nov. 4, it will have been off
the air for almost six months. A programmer for a rival network
said he couldn't understand the strategy of not scheduling summer
reruns, since many viewers got to the series late after hearing
strong word of mouth. Besides, he noted, The O.C.'s in-season repeats
performed better than most serialized dramas, again possibly because
newcomers were trying to catch up.
Even more challenging for the series
is the fact Fox has moved The O.C. to a suicide slot on Thursday,
against Survivor and Joey. Schwartz responded to the shift the
way producers always do, offering all the reasons why his show
will beat the odds. (Almost without exception, a year later when
series in such situations wind up getting pummeled in the Nielsens,
the producers confide they never believed what they were saying
but had no other choice.)
"We
have our fan base. I think they're going to come with us. I really
do believe we're going to be able to build on that audience and expand.
I think it's wide open."
Returnees will notice a slightly dialed-back O.C.
this season, Schwartz said. The emphasis will be more on character
development. "We are going to slow down the storytelling. There
won't necessarily have to be a brawl at every black-tie affair."
Audience familiarity has reduced the need for over-the-top
plotting to keep viewers interested, Schwartz feels. "I think
people get the show now. I think they really embrace these characters
and actors. Now we want to dig in and really get to know them even
better."
One
thing that won't change is the equal emphasis on mature-adult and
young-adult story lines. There was a widespread feeling that if The
O.C. caught on, the parents would gradually become invisible, as they
did on Beverly Hills, 90210.
No chance,
Schwartz said. "It was always going to be as much about the adults
as it was about the kids. I think that this makes the show that much
more interesting for more people."
Schwartz borrowed words of wisdom from Peter Gallagher,
who plays family patriarch Sandy Cohen, to explain why the show
will remain multi-generational. "Why tell only half the story?"
To downplay the adults, Gallagher said, "would
deprive yourself of massive opportunities for drama and comedy.
To present to the world [that] `teenagers are geniuses and the world
would be a better place if it weren't for those pesky adults' wouldn't
ring true."
The humor leavening the dramatic twists also is
more reflective of the real world than episodic dramas generally
are, Gallagher said. Without it, he might not have been interested
in signing on. "When I was toying with the notion of doing
a TV show, what always perplexed me was how they were devoid of
any humor. How inaccurately that reflects most people's life experiences,
I thought. Half of what gets you through the day is either taking
delight in other people's misfortunes or laughing at your own ...
and I am really funny."
Melinda Clarke, who plays vixenish Julie Cooper,
discovered in a disconcerting manner how realistic the show is to
some viewers. Julie's first-season antics included a torrid affair
with the former boyfriend of her teenage daughter. At the show's
wrap party, Clarke met a young fan. "As I walked by, he grabbed
my arm and said, `I just want to say thank you. Because of you,
I'm dating my best friend's mother.' The friend was sitting right
next to him, rolling his eyes."
The flabbergasted Clarke said the only response
she could immediately come up with was, "OK. I guess you're
welcome."
For the rest of the night, Clarke said, every time
their eyes met, he would mouth the words, "Thank you."
Gallagher witnessed the scene. "That's exactly
how it happened. It was amazing."
