Oh, I read about The Escapist comic book that was going to come out - is it already published and on newstands?

I'm not a fan of awards shows, but may watch just to catch this.

According to the Dark Horse website, it's due for release 12/17/2003.

It has many witty lines, but I would hardly call it "clever writing" overall. The dramatic themes touched upon in the plotlines do not really distinguish it from from the teen-themed shows of the recent past. Luke's gay father? Marissa shoplifting and hitting the bottle? Seth and his harem? C'mon, let's face it. It's bubblegum. Pretty people with problems performing pithy prose.

But speaking as one who has been jonesing for something to fill that void left by 90210's departure, I'm digging it VERY MUCH. Enjoy it before Fox cancels the show.

As for the haters, let them mock. They know not what they say.

Wow, what would you call "clever writing"? The O.C.'s not the best show on TV right now, but it's definitely up there.

As for plotlines, you realize you're watching a television drama, right? Every single show from Six Feet Under to Law and Order has ridiculous plots. It's the nature of ongoing storytelling. It's impossible to come up with completely believable storylines while remaining entertaining to a mass audience over long periods of time. I think many dramas mask it better because the majority of them are about a profession. It's a lot easier to come up with a different anonymous criminal every week than to take a recurring cast of relatively normal people and give them different interesting things to do every week.

I know we both agree the show is good and shouldn't argue, but I think most people are attributing the popularity of The O.C. to it being a guilty pleasure and that pisses me off.

I definitely meant it when I said clever writing. I don't think there's a better word for it. Maybe witty.

I like watching the encore too. I just can't get enough of this show. Why aren't they showing the encore anymore? It's a darn shame.

Is it just me or does Kirsten's hair look weird lately? Don't get me wrong she still looks amazing, but it just looks a little off to me.

the encores aren't scoring well in Nielsens.

That said, The OC about 2 weeks ago scored it's highest ratings to date, then the day before thanksgiving scored it's lowest (I, for one, was stuck in traffic for 7 hours), dunno how last night did but the thought of Summer in skimp had to draw in something

Can't we OCers all just get along?!?

Our problem seems to be the phrase "guilty pleasure". Both you and spainlinx0 appear to be recoiling in horror at the very thought of such a moniker being attached to the show. I'm okay with it.

What are the elements of the show which makes it what it is? I would say:

1) Hot high school chicks, and plenty of them, for the menfolk to lust after.
2) A brooding, hunky male lead for the ladies to gaze upon.
3) A droll, comic book-reading geek to be the voice of the people that couldn't get a seat at the cool table in the high school cafeteria (like me, I must admit)
4) Several parent characters that don't take the air out of the show when the younger folk aren't on screen

Then you throw in some stock soap operaish storylines and you got a potent combination. However, calling it one of the best shows on TV is faint praise. Is it better than "Run of the House" and "Becker" and "The Guardian"? Yes, I would say it is, but if you were to compare it to the Platonic image of the "good television show", I would say it doesn't necessarily score high. It's not Shakespeare or Faulkner -- it's friggin' McG, for heaven's sake.

Maybe I'm not going to be able to change your mind on this issue. In the end, though, why should it matter what motivates others to watch the show as long as they watch. The alternative, after all, is fewer people watch and eventually the show goes away. This is the Fox network remember. The same people who cancelled "Keen Eddie" and "Futurama" and "Action" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" and on and on. Cross your fingers that the O.C. becomes the guilty pleasure of lot more people.

Well, all those shows you mention that got cancelled had poor ratings. The OC isn't getting CSI ratings, but it's pretty high up there and Fox won't cancel it as long as it performs well. As for the guilty pleasure issue, I agree with the others that it is indeed clever writing and not a guilty pleasure. Writing does not to be Shakespearan to warrant praise. The show is hillarious and touching at the same time...No show on TV is realistic and they all use soap operaish story lines, no one would watch if they were all doing the normal, humdrum stuff regular families do. And who in their right mind would want to watch normal looking people? That's what tv is for, hot high school chicks, brooding guys and geeks to make us all feel better about ourselves! It's great, I love this show!

The OC scored both it's highest and lowest ratings to date last month - Highest a week before thanksgiving (Summer vs. Anna vs. Thanksgiving), Lowest the day before thanksgiving ("Big Secret" ep) (largely due to travellers I'm sure).

Also on today's Nielsen reports from mediaweek- It's doing well, and seems to be growing into a reliable ratings gainer for Fox, and right now, they could REALLY use one.

Who the F cares why people watch it.

It's consistently good and that's all that should matter.