Okay, enough with the Beverly Hills, 90210 scenario--what The O.C. turned out to be was the most addictive TV soap in recent memory, and one with a brain to boot. Smarter than Melrose Place, sexier than 90210, funnier than Felicity, and not as enamored of itself as Dawson's Creek, The O.C. reveled in clever and hilarious dialogue (the pilot episode earned a WGA nomination) and quirky, eccentric characters. Most noteworthy was breakout star Adam Brody, who as Ryan's geeky newfangled brother-type Seth practically stole the teen heartthrob mantle away from Russell Crowe-lookalike McKenzie. Barton was a bit of a blank as the troubled Marissa, but her best pal, the blissfully superficial Summer, was played by Rachel Bilson as the perfect supporting character in a dizzy farce. And the adults, especially Gallagher and Kelly Rowan as the supportive Cohens, grounded the other half of the show in you know, like, maturity. Not that The O.C. ever forgot the fun that was to be had in TV-land, as most every other episode ended with a fistfight or someone falling into a pool--sometimes both. Here was a soap you could purely enjoy without guilt. --Mark Englehart

Product Description
Life in THE O.C. (or Orange County, California as it's better known) attracts the rich and famous to its wealthy homes and shores. The sun glints down on plastic surgery-enhanced models, and that odor visitors can whiff is the sweet smell of money. But a dark heart lies amongst the glamour, with a number of troubled individuals going through a series of life crises. Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) is one such person--a 16-year-old whose life is strewn with difficulties, he is taken under the not-so-protective wing of the Cohen family. But Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan) have problems of their own to contend with, as does their son, Seth (Adam Brody). The Cooper family are their neighbors, whose troubled daughter, Marissa (Mischa Barton) also provides much of THE O.C.'s action. A huge hit with viewers who love to see how the privileged live their lives, this release contains the entire first season of the show.