Welcome to The O.C The oral history

In this juicy look behind the scenes of the television series The O.C. (2003--2007), creator Schwartz and executive producer Savage discuss with Rolling Stone editor Sepinwall (The Revolution Was Televised) the making of the popular teen drama. Tracing the show's path to air, Schwartz and Savage recount pitching Warner Bros. a Romeo and Juliet-esque drama set in Orange County, Calif., about the "daughter of this rich family's gardener" who falls in love with the well-off Ryan Atwood. At the studio's request, they reconfigured the pitch to make Atwood a "kid from a rough-and-tumble neighborhood" and his love interest a privileged "girl next door." Ben McKenzie, Adam Brody, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, and other key cast members chart the show's rise and fall, beginning with a triumphant first season that earned the "core four" an immediate fanbase (Bilson recalls having to rescue then-boyfriend Brody from a mob of fans after they appeared on MTV's Total Request Live). The interlocutors also expound on The O.C.'s missteps, with Schwartz expressing regret for killing off Barton's character at the end of season three ("I very quickly realized, Oh my God, what have we done? I think we made a terrible mistake"). The insider perspectives are refreshingly candid and offer new insights into what went into making the much loved show. The O.C. fans won't want to miss this. (Nov.)

A revealing oral history of the unlikely teen drama of the early 2000s that made stars of Ben McKenzie, Adam Brody, Mischa Barton, and Rachel Bilson. In the hands of a lesser author, this story's arc could have been problematic. After all, The O.C. went from pop-culture sensation to ennui, even among its stars, in less than five years. But Sepinwall, chief TV critic for Rolling Stone, manages to chronicle the show's rise and fall without getting trapped in the implosion. His narrative entertains throughout, thanks to the author's interesting revelations and a strong sense of pacing. He breaks up post-success years of struggle by focusing on the show's role as a musical tastemaker, bringing indie bands like Death Cab for Cutie to broader audiences. Sepinwall had the support of creator Schwartz and producing partner Savage, who found lasting success together on Gossip Girl and Chuck, as well as all the series' core actors. Their cooperation yields lighthearted revelations like the fact that producers passed on hiring Marvel movie star Sebastian Stan for the show, which Schwartz called "the worst thing to come out of this book." The book also includes more substantive disclosures, including the fact that the producers regret killing off Barton's character, Marissa, as a way to please network executives at the end of the troubled third season. "It had only been this inevitable march to Marissa's demise, because of the creative exhaustion with the character," say Schwartz. "And then all of these voices on the Internet and early Tumblr exploded, like a primordial howl from the early Internet into the night sky….I very quickly realized, Oh my God, what have we done? I think we made a terrible mistake." Skillfully captures the show's surprising sizzle without letting anyone off the hook for its many shortcomings. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.