California, Here We Coooooooooooooome!!!!!!!!!!

Last Friday a quiet anniversary passed; an anniversary remembered by few and observed by fewer. On February 22, 2007 Fox aired the final episode of The OC. As a fan of the show for its entire 4-season run (although it was closer to 3 ½ seasons), I was obviously sad to see the end come. But sorrow was overshadowed by the anger I felt toward the Fox Network. Two things in particular really irritated me about The O.C.’s situation:

1. The show did not end on its own terms. Fox announced it was cancelling the show in November, 2006, with already half a season shown. The timing didn't give OC producers enough time to develop an adequate conclusion to the show's run, a problem noticeable in a series finale that was characterized by abridged storylines, sloppy character development, and an overwhelming feeling of being "rushed". Fox could have at least had the decency to give The OC until May to finish out a full season or, that scenario not being feasible, extended the finale to 2 hours. Either choice would have provided a more honorable closure to the show.

2. For the better part of the first 2 seasons, Fox kept moving the show's time slot around, alternating between Wednesday and Thursday nights and 8:00 and 9:00 P.M. Everyone knows that one of the most important factors in killing a TV show is lack of a stable time slot. Yet Fox decided to play musical chairs with its hit teen drama despite the fact that the program's target audience, young viewers, is known to be notoriously fickle in this information age. But in Seasons 3 and 4, when The OC found itself in an un-winnable situation opposite Grey's Anatomy, Fox chose to become inflexible and refused to move OC to a less competitive night or hour. In a way Orange County's favorite characters never had a chance because Fox never them gave them a fighting chance. The show received a roving time slot when it needed stability and, later, stubbornness when it needed flexibility.

With that said, any animosity I have toward Fox has been tempered by the passage of time (although I still dislike Grey's Anatomy for killing my pet show). The past year has also given me a chance to reflect on why TV shows like The OC mean so much to ordinary Americans.

As history moves forward, people invariably reach for pieces of nostalgia that will remind them of certain periods in their life. TV shows are one such reminder. They represent a snapshot of trends—reflecting to viewers the humor, clothing, and relationship structures fashionable during that age. For the people who loved a particular program, it creates a memory bridge to years gone by, a permanent connection between entertainment and history.

And then there's constancy. In an age where the world changes more rapidly than in any previous times, we desire things in life that we can count on to happen for us. We may not know if we’re going to keep our jobs will be outsourced in this globalization age, or if our electronic devices are suddenly obsolete in this information age, or what adverse weather conditions could impact our lives in this age of climate change; but what we do know for sure is that our favorite programs will be on (if there isn’t a writer’s strike) at the same time (usually) on the same day (hopefully) every week. And in some small way, that kind of consistency gives us comfort. At least until that comfort is cancelled on us.