Media > Articles > General Fox gets good jump on fall with 'The O.C.' JSOnline.com Aug. 2, 2003 Feel that autumn chill in the air? See the leaves turning gold and drifting down from the trees? No? Well, the programmers at Fox apparently do, because they're kicking off their fall season this week with a drama series called "The O.C.," hoping to get you hooked before the September onslaught begins. It's a smart move. In a season short on meaty new dramas, this overly slick but rather appealing hour deserves some attention. The title refers to the Orange Coast, the priciest slice of Orange County, Calif., where the houses run to seven figures and even the maids carry Kate Spade bags. Here live Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher), a humble public defender, and his wife, Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), a not-so-humble businesswoman whose racket is unspecified but, judging from the Cohens' lifestyle, seems to involve either uranium mines or oil wells. One fateful day, Sandy brings home his work in the form of Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie), a 16-year-old delinquent whose sleazy mom and stepfather have kicked him out of the house. Kirsten isn't crazy about this arrangement, fearing that the young tough will be a bad influence on the Cohens' sensitive teenage son, Seth (Adam Brody). Ryan, however, turns out to be a prince of a guy - smart, brave, clean, loyal, reverent and a he-babe with the brooding charisma of a young Russell Crowe - who kindly takes Seth under his wing and, before the pilot is over, teaches him a thing or three about life. The premise of "The O.C." is somewhere between implausible and preposterous. Idealistic lawyer in fabulous beachfront mansion becomes foster father to misunderstood but shining-with-promise youth from wrong side of the tracks? Yeah, and if you believe that one, I've got this fabulous beachfront mansion you can buy for somewhere in the low six figures. But the writing is polished, the music is hip and the cast is well above average. Though everyone is good, the standouts are McKenzie and Brody, neither of whom will ever see adolescence again but who convincingly portray a pair of likable outsiders. Also easy to like is Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper, the inevitable knockout next door, who's inevitably smitten with Ryan. Marissa is wildly pampered but basically OK, in contrast with her parents (Tate Donovan, Melinda Clarke), who are not OK fiscally, morally, spiritually and no doubt in other ways yet to be revealed. "The O.C." would be a better place to visit if it didn't keep preaching against materialism while wrapping itself up in it like a present designed to impress. What's the message: Prada good, flaunting your Prada bad? And if that's the case, why are the producers flaunting all that Prada, those Jaguars, the Manolo this and Vera Wang that? There are moments of wry humor, especially from Sandy and Seth, but the script could use more of them. And is the response of the icky Summer (Rachel Bilson) to learning where Ryan comes from - "Chino? Eeeyew!" - supposed to be funny or reprehensible? In addition to its two showings this week, the first episode of "The O.C." will also be repeated at 7 p.m. Aug. 11. After its summer run on Tuesday nights, the series will be seen at 8 p.m. Thursdays beginning Oct. 30. 2003 Virtual Rain. This is an unofficial fansite with no relation to FOX, Warner Brothers, or any of their associates. This is just a fansite opened for the purpose of exposing the show "The O.C" to new fans across the internet. Original copyright of all photos remain to FOX/WB and are used purely for the purpose of enjoying the show and furthering its fanbase.