Welcome to the O.C. cover art

Welcome to the O.C.

The Oral History

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Welcome to the O.C.

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, Eva Kaminsky
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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!

Business Aspects Direction & Production Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism Social Sciences Entertainment Heartfelt

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This book really takes you back to the early 2000s when this was on the air & how different the TV landscape was back then. I remember the ads for it on E4 & they drew you in like this book does in a big way.

It has to be the most honest & detailed story of the show. It pulls no punches (I don’t get why the Mallpisode got such a beating when it’s one of the best episodes in Season 2! but it is what it is) & really tells you the truth at all levels of the production. It took me 3 days to listen to & complete. I was hooked! Very well written & put together but it’s an honest telling of a show that hit big & ended quietly in 2007. Now it’s having another day in the sun, well deserved.

If you were a fan back in the day or if you’re a new fan now, listen to it & you’ll be back in Orange County again!!!!

‘This is the real story about The OC bitch!’

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Such a great book! For the funs of the OC - so worth to listen to:)

Fantastic

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I got a lot out of the first half, which focuses on casting, season one, and the cultural zeitgeist circa 2003.

The book becomes less and less interesting as it tackles seasons 2-4 (go figure).

Everyone who was involved with the O.C. contributes, from the Core Four to musicians and execs, which is great. It’s a shame that they couldn’t get the real cast members to read their parts - I guess that would have been a Herculean task. The voice actors we do have are a mixed bunch - the guy voicing Ben McKenzie is unintentionally comical.

One for the fans

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