Thursday, April 01, 2004

And now, for pictures of a few castmates provided by wireimage.com Adam Brody & Rachel Bilson Rachel and Adam accompanied one another to the 25th Annual College Television Awards. It was hosted by The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation in Hollywood Callifornia. (wireimage.com) Mischa Barton and Brandon Davis (rumored to be dating) Rodeo Drive Walk of Style ™ Event Honoring Tom Ford - Arrivals (wireimage.com) Samaire Armstrong Motorola Hosts the Opening of "Hollywood Graffiti" - First Exhibition from Artist Jeff Vespa to benefit OPCC (wireimage.com)

posted by Jen @ 11:04 AM |

Been absolutely dying to get into contact with the peeps on The O.C.? Well, here is the info: FOX NETWORK SHOW MAILING ADDRESSES: The address for requests of autographs, correspondence and other questions to the stars and producers of the FOX Show you asked about: Paper Mail address only: (NAME SHOW HERE) P.O. Box 900 Attn: FOX BROADCASTING Publicity Dept. Beverly Hills, CA 90213 0900 ~~~~~~~~~~ I have this feeling I posted this before but just in case I did not... That70sCentral.com Rachel Bilson, who is currently portraying Summer in FOX's The O.C., will guest star as Christy in the episode 5:15 (6-21) that will air towards the end of the season. ~~~~~~~~~~ Go to Fox’s official site for a clip of Adam talking about Anna leaving, Seth’s first time and his new band ~~~~~~~~~~ Go to TV-Now.com to see when and where your favorite OC actor will be on tv soon.

posted by Jen @ 9:02 AM |

Need OC-inspired gear? Think the stuff you've found looks lame-o? Well, check out the tees at lemon-lime.com. Creative, off-the-beaten-track and just kooky enough that you and your friends will rave but uncool, non-OC-watchers will think it's cool but don't understand what it's all about. So, please check them out and order two (one for you and one for me!) ~~~~~~~~~~ TVGuide.com Entertainment IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN: Fox's 24 notched some of its best ratings of the season Tuesday — fitting considering it was one of its best episodes ever. The serial thriller, which returned from a monthlong hiatus, attracted 11.8 million viewers — well above its season average. In other Fox news, how freakin' fierce was Linda Lavin last night on The O.C.? Welcome to the Emmy race, bi.., er, Nana! Yesterday's Entertainment RATINGS, SHMATINGS: With 27 million viewers, last Tuesday's performance edition of American Idol ranked as the most-watched show of the week and helped Fox edge out NBC among adults 18-49. CBS came out on top among total viewers, thanks to its strong Monday lineup and a decent performance from its NCAA basketball tourney. Meanwhile, first-year shows Las Vegas, The O.C., The Apprentice and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition posted their best ratings of the season last week. Watercooler The O.C. Oh my God, I think this show has healing powers! Simply the sight of Linda Lavin's "the Nana" all but cured my dizzy spells. Granted, as an award-winning, if rabidly lapsed Catholic — Altar Boy of the Year, 1983, thank you very much — I'm a bit lost with the Cohen's crisis over the Yenta from Hell's Passover visit. No bread in the house? What, is Seder an Atkins thing, too? Making the no-carb crisis all the scarier is the reappearance of 40something teen Theresa and that grungy Eric Balfour. Why Marissa ran off to Chino after discovering Luke and Julie's affair is beyond me, but it set off some very cool sparks between Coop and Ryan. Now, I don't know if it was the sniffles or true emotion, but I sort of filled up when she collapsed in his arms. And how about little Benjamin McKenzie showing levels beyond his usual sullen-slash-surly act? I don't know if this is kosher or not, but I gotta say "Amen" to that. ~~~~~~~~~~ Ted Casablanca's Awful Truth (E! Online) I popped into a cute Motorola-sponsored art exhibit last week called Hollywood Graffiti, which showcased works by Jeff Vespa, photog for WireImage--just call him Papa Razzi, 'kay? All went down at Traction 811 in Hell-Ay's hub. A graffiti artist at heart, Vespa reworked red carpet pics of, say, Nicole Kidman and Madonna, threw in some graffiti mishmash and, voila!, created some pieces going for a few grand. Must be effin' nice...I trotted over and bumped trends with Samaire Armstrong, the recent departee of The O.C.. We both gazed and studied the biggest piece up for grabs: Tom Cruise's mug. For 15,000 buckers! So, Samaire-doll tilted her head a bit and uttered, "You know, I'm generally kind of scared of Tom Cruise." Hmmm. Tommy can only pray Nicole isn't reacting the same way, wouldn't you say? ~~~~~~~~~~ The Pool House Summer Roberts Action Figure has been made, so now all of you can recreate any of your favorite scenes (including the Wonder Woman episode) ~~~~~~~~~~ DevotedFansNetwork.com TVs Hippest Mom You know you've hit the big times in TV land when fans create a drinking game around your show, smirks Kelly Rowan, a petite blonde who plays the gorgeous and brainy mom on Fox's hit teen drama, The O.C. The official rules go something like this: If the program's sensitive bad-boy, Ryan, tosses one of his patented puppy-dog looks, one drink. Marissa in a miniskirt, one drink. Cheesy flute music before one of dad Sandy Cohen's pep talks or pithy proverbs -- hell, polish off the bottle. Rowan, a Torontonian who moved to Los Angeles to act full-time in the early nineties, says the break-out success of this sassy, sexy show took everyone by surprise. "The elements were all there, in that we had a wonderful writer/creator in Josh Schwartz and, right out of the gate, there was an inherent chemistry between all of us on the show," says the actor, who attended Northern Secondary School and then the University of Western Ontario. "We all have fun together, and I guess that comes through to the audience." Rowan plays a winsome, waspy Kirsten Cohen, wife of public defender Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and mother to the nerdy-but-hip Seth. They live the life of the ultra-rich in Newport Beach, Orange County, in a mansion with a giant turquoise pool, and only hang out with others who are equally genetically blessed. Ryan is the kid from Chino, who is quasi-adopted by the Cohens, and gives them the daily dose of another reality: in other words, the lifestyle of the not-so-rich-and-famous, where people drive pickup trucks, wear short-sleeve plaid shirts, and have metal screen doors. On the surface, it sounds cheesy and superficial. And make no mistake, there is a healthy dose each episode of cropped tops, micro-minis, flat stomachs and cut biceps. But under the guidance of Schwartz the show explores more than the glossy comfort of Newport, and actually fixates on the U.S. class system -- and pokes fun at it in a deliciously underhanded way. Take, for instance, this line from one dolled-up mother who agonizes to her young daughter: "Do you like my hair this straight or is it too Avril Lavigne?" Rowan, too, says it's that tongue-in-cheekiness in the scripts that keeps audiences, prepubescent, through their teens, and into their 50s, tuning in zealously each week, making it the season's highest-ranked new drama. It's also, she figures, what spawned such tributes to the show as The Sandy Cohen Fellowship, a group started by some O.C. devotees and law students at the University of California in Berkeley. Another website charts a weekly "punch count," so fans of the show can keep track of how many fists Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) has thrown out. All of this bemuses Rowan, who started acting when she was 19, before moving to New York and then L.A., landing several Canadian and U.S. TV roles, as well as a few feature films (opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Warner Bros.'s 187 and, before that, a bit part in Steven Spielberg's Hook with Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams). But she's grateful for the break of a lifetime. "I think culturally this show has hit certain chords because of what's going on around us right now. There's a lot of integrity questions in terms of big business [like Martha Stewart and Enron imploding] and the war. This show provides a sense of escape. Maybe if we were in happier times, the show wouldn't be as successful as it is. It just seems to be timely." The O.C. slid quietly onto the primetime scene last summer, all sparkled beaches, surfers and sand. It took barely a few weeks, though, before critics were crowing and audiences tuning in. It's unashamedly glamorous, Rowan says. But it's also often hilarious and poignant or sad. It mocks itself and its cast members, she adds, pointing out that Ryan's doe-eyed looks were recently mocked by Seth (Adam Brody), and the public defender dad's massive eyebrows were giggled at, also, by his wisecracking son. It's trashy, trite, witty and wise. In other words, light years beyond the Walsh clan of Beverly Hills: 90210 who hung out at the Peach Pit. The O.C. kids are spoiled and rich, but they're flawed and more real. There is unending tension, and sexual misbehaviour. Trouble with cocaine and alcohol. Siblings in jail. People go bankrupt and become pariahs. One dad is discovered to be gay. And a mother fools around with his daughter's ex-boyfriend. The reason that audiences from 15 to 50 tune in, Rowan says, is because all these things happen to the teens and to the parents. It's an intergenerational program that treats everyone as equals. "There are archetypes within this show that people can identify with," Rowan says. "Everyone, if you think about it, is a fish out of water. Ryan because he's from Chino and now living in a pool house. Seth's a geek and never been with the in-crowd. My character tries to escape her Republican background, goes to art school at Berkeley, but when her mother dies, ends up coming back to work for her capitalist father. As an actor, it's a great role. How do you reconcile those two worlds. Those two points of view within one person? Despite all the glitz, all of these characters are flawed. Audiences, I guess, relate to that." She largely credits creator Schwartz for the show's mass appeal. And as The New York Times pointed out in an article last week, at 27 years of age, Schwartz is now the toast of the town, and the youngest-ever creator and producer of a one-hour network series. "Josh has been able to create this world in which what affects the kids, affects the parents. When Seth goes to Sandy and says, 'Okay, dad, we have to have this whole sex talk.' It's a very real moment," Rowan says. "Because those conversations have to take place. There's humour in the portrayal of it. And awkwardness. All of the emotions that parents and kids exchange when they reach that stage in their lives." Rowan, who recently bought a condo ("It won't be ready for two years") in Vancouver, says she regularly makes the trek to Toronto to visit her folks. An only child, she quit Western before she attained her English lit degree, opting instead to study acting at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse and the British American Drama Academy. "But I don't feel like I ever left school," the actor explains, "because I'm always taking classes." For instance, she just finished a voice-training session with the British coach Patsy Rodenburg. Prior to shooting The O.C., she also took a playwriting class in L.A. "I've been working on a play for a couple of years," which she goes on to describe as a "family kitchen-sink drama." She's also working with a producer to make a feature film, based on a Canadian novel Tracing Iris, which is in the early financing stage. "We'd like to shoot in Canada. I'd love to do a movie up here." In between, she stays focused on her role as Kirsten, the woman who tries to do it all: "Here is this woman who blatantly tells her son, 'I'm no Carol Brady.' She has a job, and she has a family. Like so many women in this day and age, she's trying to deal with the guilt of trying to deal with all that. And find the right compromises." Sure Rowan's O.C. character is obnoxiously rich, fabulously attired, and expensively coiffed, but the actor insists she is a strong female role model, despite all her sumptuous trappings, on TV. "Look, some people will shrug her off and say she lives in Newport Beach. Look at her lifestyle. But she's not a spoiled woman. She's not ostentatious. She's a good mom. A good wife. And her world -- and struggles -- have enough home truths that people can still relate to her." Source: The Globe and Mail

posted by Jen @ 7:45 AM |

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Ok, the calender in Teen People (May) may be right because according to TheOCshow.com the schedule is as follows: Episode 23 - "The Nana" March 31, 2004 Episode 24 - "The Proposal" April 14, 2004 Episode 25 - "The Shower" April 21, 2004 Episode 26 - "The Strip" April 28, 2004 Episode 27 - "Season Finale" May 5, 2004 ____________________ DevotedFansNetwork.com Nickelodeon's "Kid's Choice Awards" Mischa and Ben are scheduled to appear at Nick's "Kid's Choice Awards" on Saturday at 8:00 Eastern Time. ____________________ Zap2It.com's TV Best Bets The O.C. 9:00 PM - FOX As an honorary Jew, I know that Passover begins next Monday at sundown. The good folks at "The O.C." celebrate early with a holiday-themed episode. The Cohen family prepares for a visit from Sandy's mother (guest star Linda Lavin, "Alice"), including readying a seder. Seth (Adam Brody), worried she won't approve, wants to make sure Nana doesn't meet Summer (Rachel Bilson). Summer, however, is out to prove Seth wrong. Meanwhile, Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) frantically searches for Marissa (Mischa Barton) -- who took it on the lam after finding out about Luke's (Chris Carmack) affair with her mom (Melinda Clarke). ____________________ Where are they now? (The O.C. edition) Bonnie Somerville (Rachel) Bonnie will be in Without a Paddle and Spider-Man 2. Also, some fun facts: she studied musical theatre at Boston College, also a singer; has had original songs in both "Dawson's Creek" & the feature film "Garden State"; currently dating Zach Braff (Scrubs)

posted by Jen @ 7:30 AM |

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Teen People (May) What's Up: Rock the Vote: Adam, Rachel & Ben pic Calender: The O.C.'s season finale is May 5th The O.C.'s season finale's tonight! Throw a bash in its honor. Dress code: spoiled rich kid or surfer dude. Snack: banana milk shakes (Rachel Bilson's favorite drink). Ben & Micha pic Teen People's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25 special premieres May 7th MTV 6p EDT (I would like to think a few of our OC stars will be featured) Star Tracks: And the Oscar goes to...: pic of Kelly Osbourne, Lindsay Lohan & Micha Barton Star Tracks: Spotlight: Are you a tough critic?: Has small pics of Chris, Adam & Ben Star Scene: Plug 'n' Play Grounded for Life's Bret Harrison (he'll be a guest agaon on The O.C.!) gives us his iPod picks (with pic) 1. Lover I Don't Have to Love, Bright Eyes 2. We Looked Like Giants, Death Cab for Cutie 3. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin 4. L.A., Elliott Smith 5. New Slang, The Shins Gossip: Paris Hilton (Kate) is writing an autobiography about the hardships that come with being fabulously wealthy (it must be so rough!) Picks: Music: Various Artists, Music from The O.C. Mix 1 This OC soundtrack features Phantom Planet (pic), Jet, and under-the-radar rockers like Spoon. Check out the bonus video to see how the songs were used on the show. Fashion: Denim Mania: Jeans & Cool Belt: Celebrity Inspiration: Samaire Armstrong ~~~~~~~~~~ Seventeen (May issue) with Micha on the cover (see below for cover picture) Little Black Book: Various Artists, Music from The O.C. Mix 1 Undiscovered rockers like the 88 & Alexi Murdoch get widespread exposure on the first soundtrack of the tv series. One of the brightest debuts is the fabulous Dido-esque electro pop singer, Jem (Just a Ride). Hardcore OC fans will also like the special web access to cast commentary. Plat it and pretend that Ryan is really gazing at you. Virgin College Mega Tour March 27 - May 1 Michelle Branch, Rooney, Gavin DeGraw and more www.virgincollegemegatour.com Win a wadrobe chosen by Micha ____________________ Don't forget to pick up your Music from The O.C. Mix 1 starting today!!

posted by Jen @ 10:48 AM |

Here are most recent news and information. Anything that seems to be spoilers or spoilerish will be at the end, so I don't ruin it for people (sorry to anyone that I have by accident -Jen ~~~~~~~~~~ Zap2It.com TV Gal Seth Cohen Quotes of the Week Since the show wasn't on for three weeks and it's being preempted next week for "The Swan" (don't even try to talk to me about that), we're having two Seth Cohen quotes for the price of one this week. "Maybe they just go to the motel and spoon and watch Charlie Rose." Seth speculating that Luke and Julie Cooper aren't actually having a torrid affair. "I heard some really really awful music and I knew it could only be self-indulgent actors with instruments." Seth after hearing Grady play his CD. Highlights of the Week Ahead Seriously, was that not the best episode of "The O.C." (Wednesday, FOX, 9 p.m.) that we've had in, well, forever? The series biggest strength is its ability to laugh at itself. The audience is simultaneously laughing with them and at the folks in the opening credits. We are all in on the joke that "The O.C." is an over-the-top soap opera. The show's second biggest strength is that somehow, amidst all the crazy nonsense, they've created characters we care about and they've created Seth Cohen, one of the best characters ever to hit prime time. Won't you join me in hoping that we never celebrate angst-free Ryan month. ____________________ E! Online Music Review Original Soundtrack - Music from the O.C.: Mix 1 Artist / Band: Original Soundtrack Record Label: Warner Bros. Release Date: March 30, 2004 Our Review: The O.C. is now better than car commercials or even the Gilmore Girls at identifying and promoting new, cool music. The show's masterminds always know the exact moment when the sexy grooves of South, the Doves and Turin Brakes or perhaps some quirky Dandy Warhols rock would help accent the happenings of TV's favorite drama-filled coastal-living peeps. On this first Mix (there's more to come!), you get an easy-flowing collection of the best sounds of the series so far, including the above bands, plus trip-hop-peppered singer-songwriter Jem, Aussie rockers Jet, sunny theme-song singers Phantom Planet and more. Multimedia video clips of scenes featuring the soundtrack's songs also allow fans to relive the tunes in all their glory (and helps us all get through that dang summer hiatus). Perfect for your own version of the Seth Cohen Starter Kit. our grade: A ____________________ The Pool House THE SETH Well, first let me say that some of you already saw the following because I made a stupid mistake this weekend. Oh well. This weekend I created a Seth Cohen Action Figure as well as a very special Summer Roberts Action Figure. So in the style of the Ryan and Marissa Action Figures, I give to you...Seth Cohen... Seth Cohen comes packaged with the following goodies: 1 - Trendy gray t-shirt with stereo logo (because Seth RAWKS!) 1 - Sweet pair of jeans perfect for the emo look 1 - Cell phone so Summer can keep tabs on him 1 - Rooney CD for the drive home from school 1 - Captain Oats to tell his secrets to 3 - Popular comic books In case you can't read what it says on the cell phone, it says, "BUZZ'S CELL" because he's calling me to make sure Summer isn't at my crib! SHABAM! And I wasn't sure how to draw "wit" and "sarcasm" to add to the package, so you'll have to fashion those yourself. So now Ryan, Seth and Marissa can chat it up in your imagination, just like the old days. Remember when Ryan hid in the unfinished house? You can now have Seth dish out the "Luke shaves his chest!" lines again. I'm great, aren't I? Giving you free Action Figures like this? Well just wait until Wednesday when I deliver the Summer Action Figure from heaven... ____________________ DevotedFansNetwork.com There is a rumor going around that Rachel (Summer) and Adam (Seth) bought a house together. Now, mind you, this is just a rumor. If anyone has any information to prove us right or wrong, please email us. ____________________ Fanbolt.com Alice In O.C. Land There's a new sexagenarian in town and she's feeling good: On March 31, Tony winner Linda Lavin--who served up thousands of blue plate specials on CBS' long-running sitcom Alice--storms into The O.C.'s Cohen household for a Passover seder that'll make last year's Christmukkah feast look like, well, a day at the beach. "Everybody's terrified of her," laughs Lavin, who plays Sophie, the "liberal New York socialist" mother of Peter Gallagher's Sandy. The New York part isn't a stretch for Lavin, who was a Broadway fixture (The Tale of the Allergist's Wife) before launching her traveling one-woman cabaret show. She admits that she had "no idea what The O.C. meant. I thought it was a medical show! I had to call a friend who said, 'Um, it's only the biggest hit on TV right now.'" She quickly bit, much to the delight of her two teenage grandnieces. "It doesn't matter that I've been in the biz for umpteen years. They're now familiar with me for the first time, screaming on the phone, 'You got to meet Seth! You got to meet Ryan!' Finally, I've made it." Welcome to The O.C., Grandma! ------------ Source: Entertainment Weekly Issue: April 2, 2004 No. 758 Publication Date: 04-02-2004 Page: 57 ____________________ Now, on to the SPOILERS (some are extensions, some are just repeats said a different way) Zap2It.com TV Gal Summer will do everything she can to try to impress Seth's grandma (Linda Lavin) and Marissa will run away after she finds out about her mom's affair with Luke on "The O.C." ~~~~~~~~~~ All About Luke Kristin from E! Online.com Will & Grace Is Looking Less Grace-ful by Season's End; There's an O.C. M.I.A. for Season Two This week, I have exclusive scoop on some surprising news for Debra Messing, plus the 411 on who could be out The O.C. door. Meanwhile, The Real World's Coral has a secret tryst, Smallville's Chloe confronts Pete, and Alias' Vaughn has a new target in the Sunday-night spy game--his eeevil wife. From copssister: Rumors abound that Luke is the one done-in on The O.C. Any confirmation from our maven? I say yes. I know for a fact that Chris has been auditioning for other roles--full-time gigs--and has not yet signed on for next season. Looks like Luke is going bye-bye. ~~~ TVTome.com Chris Carmack may not return for the show's second season, as the actor's rep, Jerry Shandrew, has told The New York Post that Carmack declined to sign a new contract with the series. He indicates the decision is not due to money concerns, but because producers refused to guarantee him airtime in the upcoming year. ~~~ From TheFutonCritic.com THE O.C. (FOX) - Chris Carmack may not return for the show's second season, as the actor's rep, Jerry Shandrew, has told The New York Post that Carmack declined to sign a new contract with the series. He indicates the decision is not due to money concerns, but because producers refused to guarantee him airtime in the upcoming year. Stars Benjamin McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Peter Gallagher and Adam Brody all reportedly have clauses in their contracts that guarantee a certain amount of screen time. (Continue to read the original report) ~~~ NewYorkPost.com 'O.C.' STAR GULPING FOR AIR March 28, 2004 -- ONE of the hot young actors on Fox's "The O.C." might not be back next year. Chris Carmack, who plays Luke Ward, declined to sign a contract with the series - not due to money concerns, as some people were saying, but because producers refused to guarantee him airtime in the upcoming year. "It's not about money," Carmack's rep, Jerry Shandrew, said. "They gave him a generous raise. They just refused to give him a guarantee. He's bummed people would think he would leave the show because of money. Chris has a lot going on. He couldn't sign a contract without a guarantee. He is doing a movie with Dennis Hopper for USA, 'The Last Ride,' and has some other things on the table. Chris decided to keep on working without a contract and pursue other roles." Other actors on the series, including Benjamin McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Peter Gallagher and Adam Brody, are said to already have signed contracts that do give them guaranteed airtime.

posted by Jen @ 8:14 AM |

Monday, March 29, 2004

Colin Hanks (Grady) News & Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Germans Rejoice: Hasselhoff Plans Glorious TV Return (Monday, March 29 09:27 AM) LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - In a move that has been much too long in coming, television legend David Hasselhoff is hoping to make his return to primetime in an upcoming ABC pilot. Hasselhoff, a People's Choice Award winner for his work in the seminal talking car drama "Knight Rider," is joining the cast of ABC's untitled comedy from journalist and humorist Joel Stein and Marsh McCall ("Just Shoot Me"). The series focuses on a young reporter at a national magazine. Recent "O.C." guest star Colin Hanks is set to play the lead role, based on Time writer Stein. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hasselhoff will play a "dashing war correspondent" at the magazine.... (more on Hasselhoff) ~~~~~~~~~~ Boogaru02 at TVTome.com (in the voice of a member from The Plus Ones) We just received official word that the episode of the "The O.C." with our song in it airs on Wednesday, March 24th at 9 p.m. on Fox. This means that not only do we get to be on TV, but that the guest star for the evening is none other than Paris Hilton! How awesome is that?! Now for the really good stuff ... this is the most exciting thing to happen to us in weeks: The Plus Ones will soon have one of our songs featured on an episode of that work of genius known as "The O.C.", airing Wednesday nights on Fox. The really fun thing is that the song ("All the Boys", if you were interested) will be used as a plot point, and won't just be playing randomly in the background. Another fun thing is that the audience isn't supposed to like the music! Here's the deal: the villain for that episode is some hot-shot actor named Grady who has a hit TV show as well as his own band. He tries to put the moves on Summer by playing her a CD of his band, which will actually be The Plus Ones. As he lunges for her, Seth bursts in and calls our song "obnoxious and pretentious" or something like that, and presumably rescues the poor girl. I think this is all kind of awesome. Plus, I really do like "The O.C." and I watch it all the time, so I don't mind them turning the song into something evil. I'm actually pretty excited about being the voice of the bad guy. I believe the episode will be on in about a month, but we'll post the exact air date as soon as we find out when it is. Please catch it! It's going to be crazy.

posted by Jen @ 11:39 AM |

TV Guide.com Matt Roush's Dispatches When we think of a prime-time soap as funny, that's usually because it's being knowingly ridiculous, campy, over-the-top, even borderline stupid (think Dynasty, Falcon Crest or the epitome of serialized nonsense, Melrose Place). But Fox's brilliantly entertaining The O.C. is something new: A soap that earns its laughs by being smart. Will wonders never cease? The March 24 episode hit a new high for spot-on self-referential parody, with many of the laughs deriving from a fictional show-within-the-show called The Valley, which the kids of The O.C. are hooked on, much as classrooms and workplaces everywhere are buzzing about The O.C. the next day. (Isn't it nice to know there's at least one watercooler show that isn't reality-based these days?) Even without The Valley, this episode would have been a hoot, if only for the peerless Adam Brody, as Seth Cohen, telling best bud Ryan that he's now "clean-slate Ryan... Finally you have no women to protect from violent, goateed factory workers or pill-popping manic-depressives." In vain, Seth declared it an "angst-free Ryan week, with an option for an additional week." (They didn't even make it past the night.) Meanwhile, Orange County's own "Mrs. Robinson," Julie Cooper, unsuccessfully tried to hide a hickey given to her by her daughter's ex-boyfriend, Luke; and there were multiple references to cell-phone cameras being "the autograph of the 21st century" (The O.C. is a wonderful class-conscious satire on conspicious consumerism). Even the inevitable Paris Hilton cameo clicked, with her priceless "ewww" at the thought of someone actually living in the O.C., followed by her secret confession that she has a penchant for Pynchon. (She's right. Gravity's Rainbow really is his masterpiece.) But what really resonate in the brain are the crafty jokes about The Valley, and by extension The O.C., in series creator Josh Schwartz's sublime script. First, Seth realizes his girlfriend, Summer, has a crush on an actor playing a suspiciously Seth Cohen-like wisecracker who (shades of Adam Brody) ad-libs his lines. Then, Ryan gets a load of said actor (Colin Hanks) and remarks, "How does that guy play high school?" HA! As if we haven't all been making those same jokes about The O.C. since it premiered. Not that it matters, of course. Comes with the 90210 territory. And when Summer learned that actors on the show were dating each other (like rumors that have attached themselves to the O.C. cast), it was just too meta, and too funny, for words. The only other show that has made me laugh so consistently lately is Fox's Arrested Development. I wonder what TV show those characters watch. ____________________ 'O.C.' Creator Defends Oliver, Misses Anna (Saturday, March 27 12:01 AM) By Daniel Fienberg LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Oliver destroyed me," Josh Schwartz sobs. "He's like a virus in my soul. There. Now you've got your angle. I had to work out my own dark issues with obsession and jealous through the Oliver character. I did and then I was free and clear to go back to being the funny and happy person that I am." Schwartz, the 27-year-old creator of FOX's "The O.C.," is kidding, of course. Still, the television neophyte knows that pesky Oliver Trask (played by Taylor Handley) polarized viewers during a six-episode run that began in December and carried on through February. Although his run on the show was brief, Oliver kept busy. He got busted for drug possession, went off-roading in a golf cart, started at least one fist-fight (which is as easy as breathing on "The O.C."), told copious lies, transferred high schools, broke up Marissa and Ryan, held Marissa hostage at gunpoint and still managed to score the gang prime tickets to Rooney. Given the amount of tension Oliver generated and his peripatetic attempts at wreaking havoc, it's no wonder that the character produced such strong mixed reactions. "I got a lot of flack about Oliver from people in their 20s and 30s, but high school kids freaked out over that storyline, loved it," Schwartz insists. Oliver's final appearance came in the show's first February sweeps episode and while the character seemed on an inexorable path for self-violence, his departure ended up being surprisingly peaceful. Disarmed and in tears, Oliver vanished to a presumably padded cell, but Schwartz says that there are no plans to bring him back. In fact, he admits that the miscreant's extended run was partially a product of FOX's ambitious expectations for the freshman soap. "I think if you're gonna do an extended storyline, you have to look real hard at how it's impacting all of your other characters and really consider how many episodes you want to do it for," Schwartz says. "We had to do 27 episodes this year. That's quite a bit of episodes and we may have stretched the story material an episode longer than it necessarily needed to do." Still, Schwartz notes that Oliver has a small, but articulate Internet following, including at least one writer who has advanced the ambitious, but somewhat dubious notion of the character as the first homme fatale. "He stirred a lot of controversy and it was a slow month of January and I think it kept the show vital," he says. More likely to be missed is Samaire Armstrong's Anna Stern, a Pittsburgh transplant who arrived in the show's fourth episode, vanished on a summer sailing trip and returned to instigate a multi-episode love triangle with Seth (Adam Brody) and Summer (Rachel Bilson). Having served her purpose and yielded Seth's heart to his long-time crush, Anna abruptly caught a plane back to the Steel City, taking many a fan's affections with her. "I know. It's heartbreaking," Schwartz sighs. "Her character was really only conceived to do the one episode of 'Cotillion,' and we just loved Samaire so much and thought she'd be really fun to write. But we always kinda knew that in the end, Seth would have to go back to Summer and when you pulled Seth out of that love triangle, it really didn't give Anna enough to do." "The O.C." will probably take a lengthy departure after its finale ("I don't think the network was ever interested in airing repeats," Schwartz says. "Of anything. Ever."), leaving fans outside the Southland starved for their dose of Newport Beach antics. Fortunately, the show's first season DVD should hit shelves next fall shortly before the second season premiere, giving viewers a chance to cheer Anna and boo Oliver once again. "We have footage of the entire cast naked," Schwartz deadpans on plans for extras. "It's gonna be awesome" ~~~~~~~~~~ Rawat Figures in 'Numbers'; Devane, Bauer Also Cast (Friday, March 26 01:03 PM) LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Navi Rawat, who's already filmed one pilot this spring, has taken a role in another. The actress, currently in a recurring role on "The O.C.," will co-star in the CBS drama pilot "Numbers," according to The Hollywood Reporter. William Devane, Kristin Bauer, Melissa De Sousa and Jarrad Paul have also joined pilots. In "Numbers," Rawat will play an MIT classmate of star David Krumholtz, a mathematician enlisted by the FBI to help solve crimes. Her role there would come second to FOX's drama "North Shore," which she's already filmed. Given that FOX placed a 13-episode order for "North Shore" earlier this week, something will likely have to give. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pilot Season: Say 'Aloha' to Next Season's Hits -- and Misses (Monday, March 29 12:00 AM) By Rick Porter LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - If you're a private detective living in Hawaii who's had to give up your carefree lifestyle to take in your orphaned niece or nephew, you really should have sold your story to a TV writer this year. The 50th state, surrogate parents and especially private eyes are big this pilot season, which is in full swing now behind lots of closed doors in Hollywood. The six networks have ordered more than 100 pilot episodes for the 2004-05 season, most of which will be shot by the end of April. Recent history says only about 35 of those will make the schedule for the start of the season, with a few more being held for midseason. The rest will never see the light of day, outside of a possible run on Trio's "Brilliant But Cancelled" series. Hollywood being a relatively small and gossipy place, a number of pilots have similar themes, characters or settings, as seems to happen ever year (although none look to be as eerily similar as The WB's "Do Over" and ABC's "That Was Then" were two years ago). There's a reason for that, says NBC's Kevin Reilly. "Everybody's in the same soup," says Reilly, president of prime-time development at NBC. "Sometimes you have a smart executive who makes an observation and says 'Here's something that's not being served' or 'Here's something I want to do.' That message filters out to the agents, so they start pitching their clients, and it makes its way out to the community. "None of this is proprietary information. They're just observations -- but it kind of gets into the water, and the next thing you know, everyone's drinking the same thing." Thus, the evergreen but not-seen-much-lately private eye genre is enjoying a comeback, with five of the six networks (The WB is the exception) developing shows about detectives. Hawaii is the setting for three shows -- one of which, FOX's "North Shore," has already been picked up -- and single people raising orphans are the focus of two pilots ("Summerland," a similar show, will premiere this summer on The WB). What's odd about this crop of pilots, according to Carolyn Bernstein, The WB's head of drama development, is not that such shows came across development executives' desks. It's that so many of them survived to the pilot stage. "I can tell you that every year since I've been doing this, which is almost 10 years, writers come in and pitch shows in that arena," Bernstein says, referring to the adults-and-orphans drama. The same goes for series based in Hawaii. "Every network, every year, develops Hawaii shows," she says. "You just don't necessarily know about it because they don't all get picked up to pilot." Once pilots do get picked up -- the networks ordered 35 new series for last fall, and several more for midseason -- networks have to worry about whether they'll be able to cut through the clutter. ABC Entertainment president Susan Lyne notes that only seven of the 17 dramas that debuted last fall are still on the air, and only three are scoring better than a 3.0 rating in the crucial adults 18-49 demographic. "We're increasingly facing a world where there are so many options for people out there that launching a new show that's not already pre-sold in some way, already branded, is increasingly difficult," Lyne says. With that in mind, Lyne says ABC's mission this development season was to find shows with "clean enough concepts or big enough ideas" to break through to wide audiences. She cites "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams' "Lost," about a group of plane-crash survivors stuck on a remote island, and "Countdown," a drama about the first minutes of a SWAT team's response to a crisis, as potential breakouts. "Not every show needs to be a blockbuster, but we do need a hit," she says. "That's very clear." CBS, which has a big lead in the Nielsen household ratings and in total viewers this season, isn't straying far from what helped it get to the top. The network has several crime-solving procedural dramas and broad-appeal comedies in the works. Network chairman and CEO Les Moonves jokes that with such a big overall lead, "we're actually paying more attention to [demographics], even the dirty word 18-49." The success of "The Apprentice" has helped NBC shore up its Thursday-night lineup, but with two comedy mainstays, "Frasier" and "Friends," leaving the airwaves in May, the network has focused heavily on comedy this spring. Reilly believes the key to a breakout comedy is finding something that brings something fresh to the strictures of a half-hour show. It could be something as simple as a new take on a relationship story or something more technical, like using improvisation or tweaking the standard sitcom format. "I'm pretty sure the next NBC hit [comedy] will not be just a version of something that's already on the air," he says. Of course, none of what the networks do between now and the new season -- which will start during the summer for FOX, after the Olympics on NBC and in the traditional late-September period for some other networks -- can ensure that they'll launch any hits (see this year's "Tarzan," "The Lyon's Den," "Skin" and on and on). Several networks rely at least in part on the response from focus groups, but gut feeling plays a role as well. "We pick up shows that we love. It's a very simple kind of determination," The WB's Bernstein says. "It's not so much about 'What would the young people out there want to watch?' We pick up series that we're passionate about, that we feel like we can't live without. "Obviously there's spirited debate about what fits that bill. ... But it's always about what do we think is really compelling and has the most entertainment value. That's how we program." ____________________ Friday, March 26, 2004 - 8:21 AM FOX: Don't Expect Fall Schedule on May 20 By Brian Ford Sullivan CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- "There is no such thing as a fall schedule from FOX any longer," the network's entertainment president, Gail Berman, said this week. "The new season will start in June. It will all be laid out in a plan for them at upfront [on May 20]." The news was delivered during FOX's pre-upfront meeting with the advertising community on Wednesday in which Berman indicated that instead of a traditional September start, FOX will begin the 2004-05 season in June followed by a second wave of launches in November when its coverage of the World Series concludes. The moves are part of what FOX says is a transition to a year-round schedule. The announcement comes as little surprise as FOX had been moving in said direction for the past seven months with such moves as launching scripted dramas like "The O.C." during the summer and ordering several pilots well in advance of the traditional spring development season. As for schedule specifics, here's a breakdown of the developments mentioned: -- "Cracking Up," which has emerged as the weak link in the network's new Monday schedule, will be pulled after its April 5 broadcast with the remaining episodes turning up this summer. -- Only one series has been given a firm summer start date: the Mark Burnett-produced reality series "The Casino" will air Tuesdays at 8:00/7:00c beginning June 8. -- Drama pilots "Ricochet," "Hollywood Division" and "One Big Happy" (now titled "The Deerings") and comedy pilots "Lucky Us," "The Quints" and "Related by Family" were all mentioned by name as being likely targets for a summer start. The network plans to launch at least two new comedies and two new dramas this summer. -- The network also confirmed its series orders for dramas "The Jury" (six episodes) and "The North Shore" (13 episodes) as well as the comedy "Method & Red," however it's still unclear if any or all of them will start this summer. -- Almost 30 hours of programming left over from the 2003-04 season will be available to fill the network's summer slate, including shelved series "Still Life" (seven episodes) and "The Ortegas" (six episodes) as well as unaired episodes of "Boston Public" (two episodes), "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" (six episodes), "Oliver Beene" (10 episodes), "Wonderfalls" and the aforementioned "Cracking Up." -- "Forever Eden," which has a 25-episode order, will undoubtedly spill over into the summer months. -- And finally to review, "King of the Hill," "The Simpsons" and "That '70s Show" are the only series to have been given official pick-ups for the 2004-05 season, although "American Idol," "The Bernie Mac Show," "24" and "The O.C." are considered shoe-ins to return. ~~~~~~~~~~ TheFutonCritic.com NUMBERS (CBS) - Navi Rawat ("The O.C.") has been cast in the drama pilot, in second position to her current commitment to FOX's "The North Shore." The news of her casting apparently wasn't released before FOX's series order for "Shore" so it's expected she'll no longer be involved in the Paramount Network Television/Scott Free Productions project. In any case, her role on the CBS pilot, about a mathematician (David Krumholtz) recruited by the F.B.I. to help solve crimes, is that of an East Indian M.I.T. grad student. ____________________ DevotedFansNetwork.com Fashion18.com ~~~~~~~~~~ Samaire Armstrong (aka The witty Anna Stern) was recently at the Opening of "Hollywood Graffiti" hosted by Motorola! (pics on www.wireimage.com) ~~~~~~~~~~ This Monday, March 29, Ben will be on The Last Call with Carson Daly! ~~~~~~~~~~ This morning (if you didn't already miss it) Kelly Rowan will appear on Regis and Kelly. ~~~~~~~~~~ Elle Magazine ~~~~~~~~~~ Teen Magazine ____________________ If you didn't pre-order your Music from The O.C. Mix 1, don't worry, it'll be in stores TOMORROW (or late tonight if you have a friendly music store that stays open late for music-philes. ____________________ Erin posted Saturday about The OC Social Club, which I somehow didn't post up yet. If you want to know more information on it, here it is: JOIN NOW!!! Become part of an online community of like-minded fans dedicated to spreading the word. Get on the inside and receive exclusive content, enter special contests and, most importantly... MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! Earn points through simple and fun tasks... ~Check in and read the latest team message and news stories ~Invite friends and others to join the team ~Check out exclusive content like songs, interviews and videos ~Send cool links to friends via email and IM, or post them on your own site ~Complete offline tasks or custom challenges ~Write online reviews ~Create banners and IM icons Trade in your points and receive great prizes... ~CDs, video games and DVDs ~T-shirts, hats and buttons ~Posters and stickers ~Tickets ~Exclusive prizes only available to team members ~Invitations to special events Be part of the community... ~Create a personalized profile ~Check out other fans' profiles ~Interact with other fans in the message boards or chat room, or IM them if they're online ~Respond to quizzes and polls to see what others are saying

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