Not that this is
much of a surprise, but "The O.C." will be back for more
soap-opera antics and self-referential jokes in 2005-06.
FOX announced Tuesday
(March 22) that it has ordered a third season of the series, which
has given the network a Thursday-night toehold that it hasn't had
for several years.
"We're
pleased to give 'The O.C.' a very early pickup," FOX Entertainment
president Gail Berman says. "The show has performed exceptionally
well, achieving hit status on a highly competitive night and giving
us a solid anchor on Thursdays."
The show is drawing
just under 7 million viewers per week this season. That's
down about 2 million people from its performance this time
last season, when it aired in a somewhat less cutthroat time
period on Wednesdays and had the benefit of an "American
Idol" lead-in.
Compared to what FOX was
doing in the 8 p.m. Thursday slot last year, though, "The O.C."
is thriving. Its total-viewer number is more than 60 percent higher
than what "Tru Calling" drew last season, and it's increased
the time period by 72 percent among adults 18-49 and more than 100
percent among adults 18-34. FOX also says the show tops its timeslot
among adults 18-34 and teenagers.
The
show's cast and crew recently finished filming an episode in Miami
called "The Return of the Nana," which features Linda Lavin
reprising her role as Sandy Cohen's (Peter Gallagher) mother. The
episode, which is scheduled to air April 28, also features Jaime King
("Pearl Harbor") and Bret Harrison ("Grounded for Life").
