The most famous initials since “OJ” return to TV screens tonight when the second season of “The O.C.” premieres on Fox in its new time slot at 8 p.m.
Fox’s breakthrough hit from last season is clearly the network’s new heavyweight contender.
It’s looking to slip, midseason, into the most heated time slot on the most heated night of the week – sizing itself up against NBC’s “Joey” and CBS’s “Survivor.”
Both of those series, however, have been disappointing so far, which might provide “The O.C.” with the perfect opportunity to prove it’s legit.
“The O.C.” is the highlight of the Fox lineup that’s firing up over the next several days. Emmy-award-winning sitcom “Arrested Development” headlines a Sunday lineup, premiering at 9:30 p.m. Other shows making their season debuts are “King of the Hill,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Simpsons” and “My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss” from 7 to 10 p.m.
And new shows like “The Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best,” starting with a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and “House,” starting at 9 p.m. Nov. 16, will seek to carry Tuesday night for Fox.
But to get back up to speed, the drama is as high as ever on “The O.C.” as the Cohen family is still trying to get their son, Seth, played by nerdy-yet-cool Adam Brody, to come home. Ryan, their adopted son, played by the much cooler Benjamin McKenzie, is back in Chino with his ex-girlfriend, Theresa, who is pregnant with his baby.
With the main two cogs of the show outside the O.C., the first episode goes to great lengths to bring them back.
The premiere offers plenty of twists, intrigue and cliffhangers to keep you going, and brings you generally up to speed. Even if you missed the boat last season, there’s enough background to bring you on board.
But if that’s not enough, how about the promise of Kim Delaney?
Delaney, formerly of “NYPD Blue” and “CSI: Miami,” will play an ex-flame who reappears in character Sandy Cohen’s life. The Hollywood Reporter says Delaney is scheduled to appear in at least five episodes of the primetime soap.
All signs point to “The O.C.” enjoying its stay on Thursday night. It brings good, shameless melodrama with a sense of humor – somewhat in the style of ABC’s breakout hit, “Desperate Housewives,” but without the camp.
It shouldn’t be written off as another “Beverly Hills: 90210” or “Dawson’s Creek.” It’s smarter and doesn’t take itself as seriously as “Beverly Hills” and it’s more grown-up than “Dawson’s Creek.”
But Fox’s big winner this season – hopefully – will be “Arrested Development.” I can only hope that a virtual sweep at this year’s Emmys will push more people to watch this fantastic show.
The Emmy wins, in fact, may have saved the show. Ratings have never been great for “Arrested Development,” and it’s beyond me to figure out why.
Network executives have an answer in front of them, yet had the nerve to sit around a Beverly Hills hotel over the weekend and talk about the sad state of sitcoms. At the Hollywood Newspaper and Television Society’s annual Newsmakers luncheon last week, they all sat around and wondered what’s going wrong, the Hollywood Reporter, uhh, reported.
“There’s nothing new going on,” Kevin Reilly, NBC’s president of entertainment said. “I think the process of making sitcoms is smothering creativity.”
It’s amazing, when shows like “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “King of Queens” use recycled jokes and make nonstop runs to the stereotype well, that there was ever a question as to the future of “Arrested Development,” where there actually is something new and creative going on.
It’s simply the funniest comedy on TV.
The season premiere proves that the first season wasn’t a fluke as the writers and actors seem to find endless ways to make the bizarre Bluth family’s life even crazier, yet somehow plausible.
Jason Bateman, playing Michael Bluth, has truly found his calling. As the only half-sane member of the family, you can tell he’s always about to blow up, yet he never does. He’s good enough to make you forget the movie “Teen Wolf Too” was ever produced.
It’s not too late to get arrested. You’ll be happy you did.
Columnist Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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