The O.C. (season 4)
Encyclopedia
The fourth season of The O.C.
, an American television series, commenced airing in the United States on November 2, 2006, and concluded on February 22, 2007, with a total of 16 episodes. The O.C.’s final season aired Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET in the United States on FOX
, a terrestrial
television network
. Fox tested a new timeslot by airing the second episode on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET against ABC
's Lost
and CBS
's Criminal Minds
. With Lost about to enter a three-month hiatus, Fox hoped that changing the timeslot for The O.C. would attract back viewers it had lost since the end of the previous season; however, the move was unsuccessful and the show returned to its Thursday timeslot.
Due to the death of Marissa Cooper
in the third season finale, this was the first season without one of the "core four" characters of Marissa, Ryan Atwood
, Seth Cohen
, and Summer Roberts
; however, executive producer Stephanie Savage
said that Marissa's death "set up a new direction for the show". The shows creator, Josh Schwartz
, promised this season would be different, saying it would "focus on [the] core characters and their relationships". He added that there was no point in worrying about ratings and that he "wanted to get the show back to an earlier place, try to get back to some of the humor and heart of the show that maybe wasn't as evident last year
". The season was released on DVD as a five-disc boxed set under the title The O.C.: The Complete Fourth Season on May 22, 2007 by Warner Bros. Home Video. The season was also made available in the American versions of Zune
and iTunes Store
. Before the season premiered on television, it was available through on demand
streaming
. In the US, streaming was available from October 26, 2006 at 3:01 a.m. ET onwards, through Fox Interactive Media
's MySpace
and MyFoxLocal stations.
In Canada, the fourth season was simulcast
on the terrestrial CTV Television Network
. Additionally, as a result of an agreement between Warner Bros.
and CTV, the first episode was available to be streamed from October 30, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. ET onwards, through the CTV Broadband Network. In the United Kingdom
the season premiere
d on January 9, 2007 on E4, and in Australia it was broadcast by Network Ten
on November 7, 2006 at 8:30 p.m. (local time
).
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, College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision
. The executive producers were Bob DeLaurentis
, creator Josh Schwartz
and Wonderland co-founders McG
and Stephanie Savage
. Ian Toynton
and John Stephens served as co-executive producers. The staff writers were Schwartz, Savage, Stephens, J.J. Philbin, Leila Gerstein
and Mark Fish
. The regular directors throughout the season were Toynton, Michael Lange
, Norman Buckley
and Patrick Norris
.
The fourth season had star billing
for eight major roles. Rachel Bilson
as Summer, Adam Brody
as Seth, Melinda Clarke
as Julie
, Peter Gallagher
as Sandy
, Benjamin McKenzie
as Ryan, and Kelly Rowan
as Kirsten
all returned to the main cast. Former main cast member Mischa Barton
did not return because her character, Marissa, died in the third season finale
. Autumn Reeser
as recent high school graduate Taylor Townsend
, and Willa Holland
as Marissa's younger sister Kaitlin
both joined the main cast, having previously held recurring roles. Other cast members returning in recurring roles include Cam Gigandet
as Volchok
, Erin Foster
as Heather, Michael Nouri
as Summer's father Dr. Neil Roberts
, Paula Trickey
as Taylor's mother Veronica
, and Ashley Hartman
who starred as Holly Fischer
in the first season
. Additionally former main cast member Tate Donovan
returned as Jimmy Cooper
in a non-canonical appearance.
Actors who left the cast include Ryan Donowho
(Johnny
), Jeri Ryan
(Charlotte), Shaun Duke (Henry Griffin), Kayla Ewell
(Casey), and Nikki Reed
(Sadie). New members who joined the cast include Kevin Sorbo
as Ryan's father Frank; Gary Grubbs
as an oil merchant who calls himself The Bullit; Brandon Quinn
as Bullit's son Spencer; Chris Pratt
as an environmental activist nicknamed Che; and Wayne Dalglish and Corey Price as Luke Ward
's younger twin brothers Brad and Eric. New guest stars who joined in recurring roles include Tia Carrere
as Dean Torres, singer Chris Brown as lonely band geek Will Tutt, Henri Lubatti
as Taylor's ex-husband Henri-Michel de Momourant, and Steve-O
in a cameo role as an unnamed marine
.
, the final season is generally regarded by fans and critics as an improvement on the third. Variety
s Josef Adalian said that "[the show] is once again in great creative shape". He added that "the scripts are snappy, the plots make sense, the acting's solid, [and] the music is appropriately indie" but criticized Fox for "throwing away" the show by giving it the Thursday 9:00 p.m. timeslot. The difficult timeslot Adalian was referring to was against two other very popular shows, CSI
and Grey's Anatomy
. With a later start to the season in November the premiere attracted 3.4 million viewers,
which was a series low and marked a 55 percent decrease in the 18–49 demographic, from the third season premiere. The first half of the season averaged 4.06 million viewers, with the season as a whole averaging 4.6 million viewers. This increase was mostly due to 6.7 million viewers, 76 percent more than the season average, tuning in to see the final ever installment of The O.C.
Due to a combination of low ratings and the death of Marissa in season three, it was rumored that the show would not return for a fifth season. In June 2006, Fox confirmed that "the current order for The O.C. is 16 episodes", but added that there was a chance to add more installments. In September 2006, Rachel Bilson said that she felt "like the show is over", and co-star Kelly Rowan stated that many of the cast realized the show was close to being cancelled. Rowan said that "when [the fourth season] was picked up for just 16 episodes this year the cast had a feeling the end was near".
On January 3, 2007, Fox announced that The O.C. was to be cancelled. In a statement, Schwartz said "This feels like the best time to bring the show to its close" adding that "what better time to go out than creatively on top". A campaign was launched to save the show and over half a million people signed an official petition at www.fox.com/oc/savetheoc. There were rumors that the show would be saved, and a move to the CW Television Network was mooted; however, CW president Dawn Ostroff
, whose company is partly owned by Warner Bros, confirmed in January 2007 that while the move was discussed it was decided against.
Schwartz said that the cancellation of the show "was really creatively liberating, not worrying about ratings." Belinda Acosta of The Austin Chronicle agreed praising the show's "new energy" and its ability to successfully cover "the transition between high school and college that other series have stumbled over". Entertainment Weekly
s Ken Tucker commented that the fourth season was "a succession of terrific subplots" and praised new main cast member Taylor "as a fine, funny love interest for Ryan". Greg Elwell of DVD Talk
described Bullit as "the breakout character of the season" but commented that the seasons "dark opening (...) didn't do much to keep viewers around". IGN
's Eric Goldman was also critical saying that "as amusing as Che was, his inclusion into some later episodes gets a bit tired". Goldman also commented that "the second half of Season 4 wasn't quite as solid as the first [half]"; however, he added that while the fourth season had to prove itself again as an enjoyable watch "Josh Schwartz rose to this challenge (...) once again creating a show that was witty and self-aware".
in the US on 22 May, 2007 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including unaired scenes
, featurettes, and audio commentary on the series finale
.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, an American television series, commenced airing in the United States on November 2, 2006, and concluded on February 22, 2007, with a total of 16 episodes. The O.C.’s final season aired Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET in the United States on FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
. Fox tested a new timeslot by airing the second episode on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET against ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
. With Lost about to enter a three-month hiatus, Fox hoped that changing the timeslot for The O.C. would attract back viewers it had lost since the end of the previous season; however, the move was unsuccessful and the show returned to its Thursday timeslot.
Due to the death of Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Mischa Barton. Marissa was among the original "core four" characters on The O.C. until her death in the season three finale, "The Graduates."...
in the third season finale, this was the first season without one of the "core four" characters of Marissa, Ryan Atwood
Ryan Atwood
Ryan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
, Seth Cohen
Seth Cohen
Seth Ezekiel Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Adam Brody. Seth was one of the "core four" characters on The O.C. alongside Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, and Summer Roberts.-Background:...
, and Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Rachel Bilson.-Background:Summer Roberts grew up in Newport Beach, California, with her wealthy father, Dr. Neil Roberts...
; however, executive producer Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage is a Canadian screenwriter and television producer. Savage is best known for developing The CW's teen drama series, Gossip Girl from the novel series, and being an executive producer of the Fox series The O.C....
said that Marissa's death "set up a new direction for the show". The shows creator, Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
, promised this season would be different, saying it would "focus on [the] core characters and their relationships". He added that there was no point in worrying about ratings and that he "wanted to get the show back to an earlier place, try to get back to some of the humor and heart of the show that maybe wasn't as evident last year
The O.C. (season 3)
The third season of The O.C., an American television series, commenced airing in the United States on September 8, 2005, and concluded on May 18, 2006, with a total of 25 episodes. The first ten episodes of season three aired Thursdays at 8:00 p.m...
". The season was released on DVD as a five-disc boxed set under the title The O.C.: The Complete Fourth Season on May 22, 2007 by Warner Bros. Home Video. The season was also made available in the American versions of Zune
Zune
Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...
and iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. Before the season premiered on television, it was available through on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
streaming
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
. In the US, streaming was available from October 26, 2006 at 3:01 a.m. ET onwards, through Fox Interactive Media
Fox Interactive Media
News Corporation's Digital Media Group , also known as News Corp. Digital Media and formerly Fox Interactive Media, oversees the Internet business operations of media giant News Corporation, and was formed to oversee News Corporation's new media acquisitions, including IGN Entertainment, MySpace...
's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and MyFoxLocal stations.
In Canada, the fourth season was simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on the terrestrial CTV Television Network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
. Additionally, as a result of an agreement between Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and CTV, the first episode was available to be streamed from October 30, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. ET onwards, through the CTV Broadband Network. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the season premiere
Season premiere
In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:...
d on January 9, 2007 on E4, and in Australia it was broadcast by Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
on November 7, 2006 at 8:30 p.m. (local time
Time in Australia
Australia uses Standard time, i.e: the same well defined time for a region. The proper names of Australia's time zones are Australian Western Standard Time , Australian Central Standard Time , and Australian Eastern Standard Time...
).
Regular
- Peter GallagherPeter GallagherPeter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
as Sandy CohenSandy CohenSanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and... - Kelly RowanKelly RowanKelly Rowan is a Canadian television and film actress and former fashion model. She is best known for portraying Kirsten Cohen on The O.C.-Early life:...
as Kirsten CohenKirsten CohenKirsten Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Kelly Rowan. Kirsten is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood... - Ben McKenzieBenjamin McKenzieBenjamin McKenzie Schenkkan , better known as Benjamin McKenzie, is an American actor and producer. He is best known for playing Ryan Atwood in the television series The O.C. and for playing Ben Sherman in Southland. He appeared in the films Junebug and 88 Minutes which earned him a Sarasota Film...
as Ryan AtwoodRyan AtwoodRyan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is... - Adam BrodyAdam BrodyAdam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
as Seth CohenSeth CohenSeth Ezekiel Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Adam Brody. Seth was one of the "core four" characters on The O.C. alongside Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, and Summer Roberts.-Background:... - Melinda ClarkeMelinda ClarkeMelinda Patrice Clarke is an American actress who has primarily worked in television. Clarke is best known for playing Faith Taylor on the daytime drama Days of our Lives, the manipulative and cunning Julie Cooper-Nichol on The O.C., and the professional dominatrix Lady Heather on CSI...
as Julie CooperJulie CooperJulie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:... - Rachel BilsonRachel BilsonRachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
as Summer RobertsSummer RobertsSummer Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Rachel Bilson.-Background:Summer Roberts grew up in Newport Beach, California, with her wealthy father, Dr. Neil Roberts... - Autumn ReeserAutumn ReeserAutumn Alicia Reeser is an American actress and blogger. She has portrayed Taylor Townsend on the Fox series The O.C., Lizzie Grant on HBO's Entourage and most recently appeared as Katie Andrews on ABC's No Ordinary Family....
as Taylor TownsendTaylor TownsendTaylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:... - Willa HollandWilla HollandWilla Joanna Chance Holland is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series The O.C.. She also appeared as Agnes Andrews on The CW series Gossip Girl...
as Kaitlin CooperKaitlin CooperKaitlin Cooper is a fictional character on the Fox television series The O.C., played by Willa Holland. She was originally played by Shailene Woodley.-Season 1:...
Recurring
- Cam GigandetCam GigandetCam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
as Kevin VolchokKevin VolchokKevin Volchok, more commonly referred to as simply Volchok, is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Cam Gigandet.-Background:... - Paula TrickeyPaula TrickeyPaula Trickey , is an American actress who has starred in many TV movies. She has also appeared in television series. Trickey's most well-known role was on the USA Network series Pacific Blue as Officer/Sgt. Cory McNamara from 1996-2000...
as Veronica TownsendVeronica TownsendVeronica Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Paula Trickey. Highly driven and extremely judgemental, she is a highly successful sports agent and served as the chair of the parents' committee at The Harbor School, a prestigious private school where... - Kevin SorboKevin SorboKevin David Sorbo is an American actor best known for the roles of Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda and Kull in Kull the Conqueror.-Early life:...
as Frank Atwood - Gary GrubbsGary GrubbsGary Grubbs is an American actor.Grubbs has several film and television credits to his name, including his portrayal of attorney Al Oser in Oliver Stone's JFK....
as Gordon Bullit - Brandon QuinnBrandon QuinnBrandon Quinn is a television and film actor. He started his career in 1998 as Charlie Murphy in the film Express: Aisle to Glory....
as Spencer Bullit - Chris PrattChris PrattChristopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
as Winchester "Che" Cook
Episodes
"Series #" refers to the episode's number in the overall series, whereas "Episode #" refers to the episode's number in this particular season. The fourth season's episodes are altogether 727 minutes in length.|- style="color:white"
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#
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#
! style="background: #FFBF00;" | Title
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! style="background: #FFBF00;" | Written by
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! style="background: #FFBF00;" | Original airdate
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|}
Crew
The season was produced by Warner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
, College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision is the production company of producers McG and Stephanie Savage. They are responsible for producing The O.C. and Supernatural as well as Chuck. Wonderland also co-produced all of McG's films since Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.-History:McG and Stephanie Savage formed...
. The executive producers were Bob DeLaurentis
Bob DeLaurentis
Robert "Bob" DeLaurentis is an American writer and producer.DeLaurentis wrote the 1982 film, A Little Sex, and has also written a proposed script for a Dr. Who film. He has both written and produced for television shows including The O.C., Providence and Alfred Hitchcock Presents...
, creator Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
and Wonderland co-founders McG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
and Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage is a Canadian screenwriter and television producer. Savage is best known for developing The CW's teen drama series, Gossip Girl from the novel series, and being an executive producer of the Fox series The O.C....
. Ian Toynton
Ian Toynton
Ian Toynton is a British television director, producer and editor.His most notable work has been on The O.C., on which he served as director, supervising producer and co-executive producer for a number of episodes. He has both directed and produced episodes of the series Bones, The Pretender,...
and John Stephens served as co-executive producers. The staff writers were Schwartz, Savage, Stephens, J.J. Philbin, Leila Gerstein
Leila Gerstein
Leila Gerstein is an American television producer and screenwriter.Gerstein has written for television shows, including The O.C. and Life As We Know It, and written and produced episodes of Eli Stone. She was praised for her use of "sharp dialogue" in The O.C. episode "The Metamorphosis"...
and Mark Fish
Mark Fish (writer)
-Actor:Fish has appeared in bit part roles on shows including The O.C., Ed, Law & Order and The Sopranos. He was an actor in the TV show Trinity, and a supporting actor in the film "Paging Emma".-Writer:...
. The regular directors throughout the season were Toynton, Michael Lange
Michael Lange
Michael Lange is an American television director and record producer.-Early life:Born and raised just outside New York City, in Mamaroneck, New York and attending Mamaroneck High School where he was heavily involved in music and a bit in drama, Michael Lange first developed a taste for drama in...
, Norman Buckley
Norman Buckley
Norman L. Buckley is an American television director and editor best known for his work on The O.C., Chuck, Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars.-Early life:...
and Patrick Norris
Patrick Norris
Patrick R. Norris is an American television director.His directing credits include Chuck, Friday Night Lights, Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Hidden Palms, Related, Bones, North Shore, The Division, The O.C., Boston Public, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Twilight Zone, American Dreams, Roswell,...
.
Cast
Billing (film)
Billing is a performing arts term used in referring to the order and other aspects of how credits are presented for plays, films, television, or other creative works...
for eight major roles. Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
as Summer, Adam Brody
Adam Brody
Adam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
as Seth, Melinda Clarke
Melinda Clarke
Melinda Patrice Clarke is an American actress who has primarily worked in television. Clarke is best known for playing Faith Taylor on the daytime drama Days of our Lives, the manipulative and cunning Julie Cooper-Nichol on The O.C., and the professional dominatrix Lady Heather on CSI...
as Julie
Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:...
, Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher
Peter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
as Sandy
Sandy Cohen
Sanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and...
, Benjamin McKenzie
Benjamin McKenzie
Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan , better known as Benjamin McKenzie, is an American actor and producer. He is best known for playing Ryan Atwood in the television series The O.C. and for playing Ben Sherman in Southland. He appeared in the films Junebug and 88 Minutes which earned him a Sarasota Film...
as Ryan, and Kelly Rowan
Kelly Rowan
Kelly Rowan is a Canadian television and film actress and former fashion model. She is best known for portraying Kirsten Cohen on The O.C.-Early life:...
as Kirsten
Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Kelly Rowan. Kirsten is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood...
all returned to the main cast. Former main cast member Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
did not return because her character, Marissa, died in the third season finale
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
. Autumn Reeser
Autumn Reeser
Autumn Alicia Reeser is an American actress and blogger. She has portrayed Taylor Townsend on the Fox series The O.C., Lizzie Grant on HBO's Entourage and most recently appeared as Katie Andrews on ABC's No Ordinary Family....
as recent high school graduate Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
, and Willa Holland
Willa Holland
Willa Joanna Chance Holland is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series The O.C.. She also appeared as Agnes Andrews on The CW series Gossip Girl...
as Marissa's younger sister Kaitlin
Kaitlin Cooper
Kaitlin Cooper is a fictional character on the Fox television series The O.C., played by Willa Holland. She was originally played by Shailene Woodley.-Season 1:...
both joined the main cast, having previously held recurring roles. Other cast members returning in recurring roles include Cam Gigandet
Cam Gigandet
Cam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
as Volchok
Kevin Volchok
Kevin Volchok, more commonly referred to as simply Volchok, is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Cam Gigandet.-Background:...
, Erin Foster
Erin Foster
Erin Taylor Foster is an American actress. She has become most recognizable for her role as Heather, Marissa Cooper's enemy, on The O.C....
as Heather, Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri is an American television and film actor. He may be best known for his role as Nick Hurley, in the 1983 film Flashdance. He has had recurring roles in numerous television series, including NCIS as Eli David, the father of Mossad officer Ziva David, The O.C. as Dr...
as Summer's father Dr. Neil Roberts
Dr. Neil Roberts
Dr. Neil Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX series, The O.C., portrayed by Michael Nouri.A plastic surgeon in wealthy Newport Beach, California, Neil is the father of Summer Roberts. He was married to Summer's mother until his daughter was 13 years old, when Summer's mother left for...
, Paula Trickey
Paula Trickey
Paula Trickey , is an American actress who has starred in many TV movies. She has also appeared in television series. Trickey's most well-known role was on the USA Network series Pacific Blue as Officer/Sgt. Cory McNamara from 1996-2000...
as Taylor's mother Veronica
Veronica Townsend
Veronica Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Paula Trickey. Highly driven and extremely judgemental, she is a highly successful sports agent and served as the chair of the parents' committee at The Harbor School, a prestigious private school where...
, and Ashley Hartman
Ashley Hartman
Ashley Christina Hartman is an American actress and fashion model.-Early life:Hartman was born to Michele Knutsen and Kip Hartman in Orange County, California. When she was four years of age, her parents divorced and Hartman lived with Knutsen and her two sisters...
who starred as Holly Fischer
Holly Fischer
Holly Fischer is a fictional character from the first and fourth season of the FOX series The O.C., played by Ashley Hartman.-Season One:Holly is introduced at the outset of the series as one of the best friends of Summer Roberts and Marissa Cooper....
in the first season
The O.C. (season 1)
The first season of The O.C., an American television series, debuted in the United States on August 5, 2003, and concluded on May 5, 2004, with a total of 27 episodes...
. Additionally former main cast member Tate Donovan
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
returned as Jimmy Cooper
Jimmy Cooper (The O.C.)
James "Jimmy" Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Tate Donovan. He is often described as extremely unreliable, immature and cowardly, due to his actions....
in a non-canonical appearance.
Actors who left the cast include Ryan Donowho
Ryan Donowho
Ryan Wayne Donowho is an American actor and musician.-Early life:Born in Houston, Texas, Donowho moved to Brooklyn, New York and then to Los Angeles. He was a street musician in New York City as "bucket" drummer...
(Johnny
Johnny Harper
Johnny Harper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Ryan Donowho.-Season 3:Johnny Harper was an upcoming surfer, rival of Kevin Volchok and best friend of Dennis "Chilli" Childress...
), Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
(Charlotte), Shaun Duke (Henry Griffin), Kayla Ewell
Kayla Ewell
Kayla Noelle Ewell is an American actress known for her roles on television as Caitlin Ramirez on CBS's long-running soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful, as Maureen Sampson on NBC's acclaimed Freaks and Geeks, and as Vicki Donovan on The CW's The Vampire Diaries.- Early life :Ewell was born in...
(Casey), and Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
(Sadie). New members who joined the cast include Kevin Sorbo
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo is an American actor best known for the roles of Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda and Kull in Kull the Conqueror.-Early life:...
as Ryan's father Frank; Gary Grubbs
Gary Grubbs
Gary Grubbs is an American actor.Grubbs has several film and television credits to his name, including his portrayal of attorney Al Oser in Oliver Stone's JFK....
as an oil merchant who calls himself The Bullit; Brandon Quinn
Brandon Quinn
Brandon Quinn is a television and film actor. He started his career in 1998 as Charlie Murphy in the film Express: Aisle to Glory....
as Bullit's son Spencer; Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
as an environmental activist nicknamed Che; and Wayne Dalglish and Corey Price as Luke Ward
Luke Ward
Luke Ward is a fictional character in the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Chris Carmack. At the beginning of the series, Luke was in a long-term relationship with Marissa Cooper. However, it was later revealed that Luke was cheating on Marissa with Holly Fischer. After seeing the two...
's younger twin brothers Brad and Eric. New guest stars who joined in recurring roles include Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
as Dean Torres, singer Chris Brown as lonely band geek Will Tutt, Henri Lubatti
Henri Lubatti
Henri Lubatti is an American actor.-Life and career:Lubatti was born in Seattle, Washington, to Catherine Lubatti, a travel agency worker who is of French descent, and Henri Lubatti, Sr., a physics professor who is of Italian descent....
as Taylor's ex-husband Henri-Michel de Momourant, and Steve-O
Steve-O
Steve-O is an American stunt performer and television personality. His entertainment career is mostly centered around his performance stunts on the American TV series Jackass and accompanying movies....
in a cameo role as an unnamed marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
Reception
While ratings were lower than those of the third seasonThe O.C. (season 3)
The third season of The O.C., an American television series, commenced airing in the United States on September 8, 2005, and concluded on May 18, 2006, with a total of 25 episodes. The first ten episodes of season three aired Thursdays at 8:00 p.m...
, the final season is generally regarded by fans and critics as an improvement on the third. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
s Josef Adalian said that "[the show] is once again in great creative shape". He added that "the scripts are snappy, the plots make sense, the acting's solid, [and] the music is appropriately indie" but criticized Fox for "throwing away" the show by giving it the Thursday 9:00 p.m. timeslot. The difficult timeslot Adalian was referring to was against two other very popular shows, CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. With a later start to the season in November the premiere attracted 3.4 million viewers,
which was a series low and marked a 55 percent decrease in the 18–49 demographic, from the third season premiere. The first half of the season averaged 4.06 million viewers, with the season as a whole averaging 4.6 million viewers. This increase was mostly due to 6.7 million viewers, 76 percent more than the season average, tuning in to see the final ever installment of The O.C.
Due to a combination of low ratings and the death of Marissa in season three, it was rumored that the show would not return for a fifth season. In June 2006, Fox confirmed that "the current order for The O.C. is 16 episodes", but added that there was a chance to add more installments. In September 2006, Rachel Bilson said that she felt "like the show is over", and co-star Kelly Rowan stated that many of the cast realized the show was close to being cancelled. Rowan said that "when [the fourth season] was picked up for just 16 episodes this year the cast had a feeling the end was near".
On January 3, 2007, Fox announced that The O.C. was to be cancelled. In a statement, Schwartz said "This feels like the best time to bring the show to its close" adding that "what better time to go out than creatively on top". A campaign was launched to save the show and over half a million people signed an official petition at www.fox.com/oc/savetheoc. There were rumors that the show would be saved, and a move to the CW Television Network was mooted; however, CW president Dawn Ostroff
Dawn Ostroff
Dawn Tarnofsky-Ostroff was the former President of Entertainment of The CW Television Network. She was in charge of all creative efforts of the network and oversees such areas as current programming, series development, scheduling, research, marketing and publicity.-Career:Ostroff began her career...
, whose company is partly owned by Warner Bros, confirmed in January 2007 that while the move was discussed it was decided against.
Schwartz said that the cancellation of the show "was really creatively liberating, not worrying about ratings." Belinda Acosta of The Austin Chronicle agreed praising the show's "new energy" and its ability to successfully cover "the transition between high school and college that other series have stumbled over". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Ken Tucker commented that the fourth season was "a succession of terrific subplots" and praised new main cast member Taylor "as a fine, funny love interest for Ryan". Greg Elwell of DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
described Bullit as "the breakout character of the season" but commented that the seasons "dark opening (...) didn't do much to keep viewers around". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Eric Goldman was also critical saying that "as amusing as Che was, his inclusion into some later episodes gets a bit tired". Goldman also commented that "the second half of Season 4 wasn't quite as solid as the first [half]"; however, he added that while the fourth season had to prove itself again as an enjoyable watch "Josh Schwartz rose to this challenge (...) once again creating a show that was witty and self-aware".
DVD release
The DVD release of season four was released by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in the US on 22 May, 2007 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including unaired scenes
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
, featurettes, and audio commentary on the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
.
| The O.C. - The Complete Fourth Season | |||
| Set details | Special features | ||
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| Release dates | |||
| May 22, 2007 | May 28, 2007 | July 4, 2007 | |
External links
- Episode guide at Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
' The OC Insider - The O.C. episode list at IMDb.com
- The O.C. season 4 episode guide at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- The O.C. episode guide at SavetheOC.WordPress.com