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REVIEWS | FOX's
"THE O.C."
(Aug 5, 2003)
  "First,
no one calls it 'the' O.C. No one. We live in California, we know
that. The producers live here, too. In Southern California, even. So there's
no defending their insistence that people say 'The O.C.' It just makes
a better title." (Sacramento Bee)
"The
knee-jerk reaction to 'The O.C' would be to assume that years after
the fact, Fox is just looking for a little 'Beverly Hills 90210' action
to bolster ratings. But that ignores the pretty decent pedigree of the
people behind 'The O.C.'" (SF Chronicle)
"As
recycled as this all is, remember that the audience Fox is gunning
for was barely out of diapers when Fox launched its last hit teen soap,
'Beverly Hills 90210' more than a decade ago." (Calgary Sun)
"'90210,'
which ran mostly during the economic boom of the '90s, always seemed
like a celebration of being rich and fabulous, but 'The O.C.' views too
much money as a very dangerous thing. The teens of Orange County are shown
as vapid and cruel, too privileged to have ever had social limits imposed
on them." (Newark Star-Ledger)
"Some
high-minded viewers complain when television writers steal shamelessly
from past shows and movies, but the real problem is that they usually
do not borrow enough ... What gives 'The O.C.' added spice is that it
also borrows from older films." (NY Times)
"Dopey
as it all is, you'll be vaguely interested to see how the writers
manage to keep all their balls in the air. But they better not get too
silly and force me to come down there -- and show them how it's done in
the San Fernando Valley." (LA Daily News)
"The
show's creators are wise enough to not paint the rich as too crass
or unsympathetic. Instead, they rely on the classic crutch of secret unhappiness."
(Seattle Times)
"For
many younger viewers, it may accurately reflect how they experience
life today --- or fantasize about it, in some cases." (Atlanta J-C)
"There's
almost nothing in it you haven't seen before. Except for Benjamin
McKenzie. McKenzie is a revelation and, backed by an able cast, he is
what salvages this music-infused, glossy *** soap from slick filmmakers
Doug Liman and McG." (Chicago Sun-Times)
On
26-year-old McKenzie: "Once in a great while an actor comes along
whose face pins you to your seat. Think James Dean in 'Rebel Without a
Cause,' think little River Phoenix the first time you saw 'Stand By Me,'
and mostly think Russell Crowe every time you see him." (NY Post)
"(Ryan)
doesn't seem to have many clear personality traits. McKenzie needs
to let a little brooding and torment shake up his still surface -- he's
at the center of a shameless melodrama, after all. He needs to get in
touch with his inner James Dean." (Boston Globe)
"For
all the James Dean comparisons being bandied about, (Ryan is) a character
straight out of Dickens: a little bit Pip, a little bit David Copperfield."
(Philly Daily News)
"These
days even water-polo stars from national Republican strongholds want
the world to know that they, too, have street cred -- no matter that the
streets front the cribs that give the O.C. Southern California's highest
median home price, $398,000." (Chicago Tribune)
"Encumbered
by a script that is nearly breathtaking in its imbecilic banality,
'The O.C.' makes one long for the cold comforts of a sleazy-minded 'reality'
show ... Fashioned crudely to appeal to teenage masochism, the series
plows old ground in the tritest possible way." (Washington Post)
"Only
a misguided English teacher from the last century, or maybe one of
the show's self-aggrandizing producers, would try to find authenticity
in this entertaining trash." (Philly Inquirer)
"'The
O.C.' is surprisingly better than it should be. Since Fox's early
kick-off date will have it temporarily vacating the schedule long before
the rest of the net's fall lineup
bows in October, it's definitely better than it has to be." (OC Weekly)
"Chances
are you will get hooked ... Early indications are that the
show is smartly going after two generations of viewers -- not just the
20-somethings Fox is famous for, but also their parents." (Houston Chronicle)
"What
separates 'The O.C.' from past Fox failures, aside from the skill
and attractiveness of its cast, is its ability to come up with a few smart
deviations from the genre norm." (USA Today)
"(Peter)
Gallagher's hair annoys the daylights out of me. I know he's supposed
to be this scruffy guy, but somewhere along the way he could have found
a comb." (Akron Beacon Journal)
Josh
Schwartz, 26, youngest creator of a primetime TV show, says: "I
try not to whimper. I try to remind myself that Fox isn't paying me to
figure out their prime-time schedule, just to do this."
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