THE O.C.

The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on FOX in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. The series, created by Josh Schwartz, portrays the fictional lives of a group of teenagers and their families residing in Orange County, California.

The O.C. has been broadcast in over 50 countries worldwide. However, despite being one of the most popular new dramas of 2003, the series' ratings dwindled over the subsequent two seasons, causing FOX network to order only 16 episodes for the fourth season. When the ratings fell even further, the network decided not to renew the show for a fifth season. Consequently, the final episode of The O.C. was broadcast on February 22, 2007. The O.C. went out with ratings similar to the seasons 2 and 3, attracting an audience of 6.7 million. After the series concluded, the fourth and final season became available on iTunes, along with its animated spinoff series "Atomic County."

The O.C. has been noted for its music selections, which has led to some hitherto unknown bands (such as alternative band Phantom Planet, who performed the theme song to the show, "California") gaining exposure, so much so that the show's producers have released six compilation albums featuring highlighted performers.