LOS ANGELES (Jan. 4) - Fox has pulled the plug on "The O.C," which collapsed in the ratings this season.

The network said Wednesday the teen soap will end its four-season run next month. New episodes will air in the show's ultra-competitive 9-10 p.m. slot every Thursday through the series finale February 22.

So far this season, the show is averaging about 4.1 million total viewers, less than half of what it garnered during its debut season, according to Nielsen Media Research. Last season it averaged 5.7 million.

"The O.C." got off to a promising start in August 2003, garnering plenty of buzz with its attractive cast. But at the start of Season 2, Fox moved the show to Thursday nights, where it faced an uphill battle and never recovered. Before this season began, Fox said it was cutting its order of episodes.

The show, which follows a group of friends and families whose lives were changed by the arrival of an outsider (Benjamin McKenzie) to the chic California community of Newport Beach, recently saw some cast changes. Mischa Barton 's character was killed off at the end of last season, and Autumn Reeser and Willa Holland came on board as regulars.



The other original cast members still on board include Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Adam Brody , Melinda Clarke and Rachel Bilson.

During its four seasons on the air, "The O.C." also generated buzz around the indie music featured in its episodes and spawned six soundtracks.

"This feels like the best time to bring the show to its close," said creator/executive producer Josh Schwartz. "Thanks to the hard work of our cast, crew and writers, we have enjoyed our best season yet, and what better time to go out than creatively on top."

Well duh...

It's up against Supernatural.

Of course it's gonna lose.

:rasp

:hehe

haha. it did start sucking after the first season. it got too cliche.

Oh, shucks.

Yeah. I remember when it came out everybody LOVED it. It's really sucked for a year or two now. I stopped watching after that guy died from a heart attack and fell in the pool.

^Me too. Cal. Yeah I quit watching then. Every once in a while I would watch a few minutes of it..catch up on everything, then change the channel. When Marissa's sister came in and started raising all kinds of hell...then I REALLY quit watching. I found something better...CSI.

I stopped watching after Season 2. It went up against shows that I enjoyed more, and I just couldn't get into it.

Pretty much Grey's Anatomy and CSI killed it.

And the fact that it sucked.

I've been a regular watcher since partway through season 1. This season though, I had to choose between The OC and Scrubs... I still try to keep up with The OC on YouTube, but I don't have the snazzy dual tuner Tivo and Scrubs is on at the same time and I ranked it higher... So The OC doesn't record anymore.

I'm sort of disappointed, yet not. Disappointed because I really liked the show when I first started watching it, but not disappointed because it's been dying for a while now.

I watch the show occasionally so I am kinda sad

aww, I'm sad, but honestly, when they killed Marissa off I was surprised they came back for more after that... the show really did have potential, but like someone said, it just got too cliche.... I'm still a "Seth Cohen girl" tho... I LOVE HIM!! LoL

I'm sad because I have been watching it since it began. This season was just starting to pick up a little because I kind of like the whole Ryan and Taylor storyline but the past couple of years have been a little on the boring side but I still continued to watch it. I'm sad to see it go but at the same time you can only have shows like that for a few years.

my friend is sad about this. me only kinda.

I only watched season 1 and a few eps into season 2...but then other shows i loved were on so it got pushed to the back burner.

I'm torn... in one way it's like eh I saw it comming so no big deal but then the other side of me is like... what am I gonna watch at 9PM on Thursday... and I'm attached to the charaters... I started watching AFTER season 2... I saw the last couple of eppys of season 2 and decided to catch up and rent seasons 1 and 2... and but then it just kind of starting going down hill... I figured they wouldn't last as long at 90210 did... especially when they started this whole bi-costal storline... they should of kept the gang together and instead of killing people off sent people away and called that was it... I mean seriously it worked for 90210 and for all we know Brenda is still in England with that crazy professor... :) ha ha

Sorry I'm long winded today... I guess I'm mostly sad cause I'll miss seeing Ben Mac LOL

well this sucks! Just don't pull the plug on One Tree Hill and I'll be ok!

I think I watched most of season 1, but that was it.

For most shows when you lose one of your main characters the show is done for so it doesn't surprise me that its gone.

I couldn't get into it, I think I watched 2 episodes and I thought that it was trying too much to be what my beloved 90210 was...(I don't know, like I said I only watched 2 episodes). Besides, like somebody said, there were other shows I enjoyed more that was on at the same time...JMO

SOAP NET has 90210 on it M-F 5-7 :)

I should start collecting the DVD's ha ha relive all the old memories

Thanks for the info, spoon buddy :) . We could have flashback get togethers and watch the shows! LOL

BTW, the only thing that I could get stuck on was the OC's theme song...it was stuck in my head for a very long time! LOL