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Welcome to the O.C.

The Oral History

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Welcome to the O.C.

Written by: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Alan Sepinwall
Narrated by: Alan Sepinwall, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Josh Bloomberg, Robert Fass, Andrew Eiden, Fred Sanders, Ewan Chung, Kaleo Griffith, Michael David Axtell, Alyssa Bresnahan, Karissa Vacker, Therese Plummer, Amy Landon, full cast
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About this listen

“A fascinating peek behind the making of a megahit, and a delightful bit of nostalgia for those of us who remember life before streaming TV.”—Town & Country

Welcome to the O.C., b*tch: it’s the definitive oral history of beloved TV show The O.C., from the show’s creators, featuring interviews with the cast and crew, providing a behind-the-scenes look into how the show was made, the ups and downs over its four seasons, and its legacy today.

On August 5th, 2003, Ryan Atwood found himself a long way from his home in Chino—he was in The O.C., an exclusive suburb full of beautiful girls, wealthy bullies, corrupt real-estate tycoons, and a new family helmed by his public defender, Sandy Cohen. Ryan soon warms up to his nerdy, indie band-loving new best friend Seth, and quickly falls for Marissa, the stunning girl next door who has secrets of her own. Completing the group is Summer, Seth’s dream girl and Marissa’s loyal—and fearless—best friend. Together, the friends fall in and out of love, support each other amidst family strife, and capture the hearts of audiences across the country.

Just in time for the show’s twentieth anniversary, The O.C.’s creator Josh Schwartz and executive producer Stephanie Savage are ready to dive into how the show was made, the ups and downs over its four seasons, and its legacy today. With Rolling Stone’s chief TV critic and bestselling author Alan Sepinwall conducting interviews with the key cast members, writers, and producers who were there when it all happened, Welcome to the O.C. will offer the definitive inside look at the beloved show—a nostalgic delight for audiences who watched when it aired, and a rich companion to viewers currently discovering the show while it streams on HBO Max and Hulu.

The O.C. paved the way for a new generation of iconic teen soaps, launched the careers of young stars, and even gave us the gift of Chrismukkah. Now, it’s time to go back where we started from and experience it all over again.

Includes exclusive interviews with: Ben McKenzie * Mischa Barton * Adam Brody * Rachel Bilson * Peter Gallagher * Kelly Rowan * Melinda Clarke * Tate Donovan * Chris Carmack * Autumn Reeser * Willa Holland * Samaire Armstrong * Alan Dale * Colin Hanks * Amanda Righetti * Navi Rawat * Shannon Lucio * Michael Cassidy * McG * Imogen Heap * Alex Greenwald * Ben Gibbard * Paul Scheer * Doug Liman * and many more!

©2023 Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
Film & TV Popular Culture
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Great for fans, good for pop culture heads

This is a bracingly honest account of the rise and fall of an early-aughts phenomenon. I'd recommend this for anyone who is curious how The OC went from being a critical and commercial darling in season one to getting cancelled without much fanfare four seasons later. Caution to anyone who doesn't want to hear a word against Adam Brody -- because even Adam Brody is going to speak against Adam Brody -- but Alan does talk to all the key players and many passing figures about The OC and paints a very clear picture of what went wrong. Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz are particularly candid and honest about their own mistakes. Most people don't hold much back in talking about their experience, with one notable exception (Mischa Barton -- and who can blame her?)

My one knock is the voice acting. It's an oral history and the actors don't read their own parts (many non-actors do) and a few of the interpretations, particularly of the men, are pretty broad. Colin Hanks would be right to complain.

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