It has officially been 15 years since The OC ended its four-season long run. Although the series was canceled after four seasons owing to the low ratings, it is still close to heart for many of its fans. In fact, the series got positive reactions for the first season, after which the decline began. Fans found the storyline to be very touching and youthful, but some commentators criticized the casting. Although Fox started a campaign to save the series, the company went ahead and canceled it anyway. They wanted to be out of the show while it was still in a good place.
While there isn’t much hope for the show’s renewal, fans can revisit the series by having a look at our list of all the filming locations used in the show. The conceptualization of the show began in 2002 when the makers wanted to focus on a show set in Newport Beach in Orange County. The idea expanded, and soon the production began.
The series aired from 5 August 2003 to 22 February 2007. It was one of the most popular shows in the 2003-2004 time period. The show was then canceled after season 4 despite over 700,000 signatures on an online petition to save the show. Exploring themes of social class, comedy, metaphysics, postmodernism, and melodrama, the series has made a huge impact on many lives. Let’s now take a look at some of the major filming locations for The OC.
The OC Filming Locations
The show is set in Newport Beach, Orange County Region. However, it was majorly shot in the Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County Region. Different sites in the Los Angeles County Region were also used as locations for different regions in the series. The external shots were extensively reused and shot in Los Angeles. The beach shots come from different beaches across America. However, the Cohen home is located in Malibu and was shot on location. Let’s take a look at these locations one by one.
Redondo Beach Pier – Redondo Beach, CA
As mentioned above, though, the supposedly Newport Beach you keep seeing is majorly Redondo Beach, which falls in Los Angeles County and not Orange County. This backdrop of a gorgeous seaside view with the pier has been used extensively in the series. The beach has also made an appearance on the television show Dexter.
The OC; Credits: TripAdvisor
Malibu, California, USA
The Malibu beach was another replacement beach for Newport Beach from the series. This location also used an exterior, and in fact, they have shot Cohen’s home. Ocean Breeze Drive in Malibu is the location for the driveway and house’s front. However, the pool house was built solely for the shooting of the pilot episode and was taken down after.
The OC; Credits: YouTube
Tony’s Restaurant – Redondo Beach, CA
This particular restaurant has been used as an exterior in many scenes. This is particularly shown when Summer’s dad and Marissa’s mom have a discussion about dating. They have some of the show’s best sea views.
Mira Costa High School, 701 S. Peck Avenue, Manhattan Beach, California, USA
This school acted as the location for some shots of Newport High School.
The OC; Credits: Mira Costa High Website
Redondo Beach Coffee Shop – Redondo Beach, CA
In the show, there is the presence of a particular diner called “Pier Diner”, and the Redondo Beach Coffee Shop was used as the location for those scenes. This is also where Ryan punches Luke in the face. The location also acted as an exterior for the Diner.
Fisherman’s Village – Marina Del Rey, CA
This is the region in the show where The Summer Breeze is docked. This appears very few times in the whole series. But it is important because this setting is used for the scene where Seth sails away on an adventure.
Balboa Fun Zone – Newport Beach, CA
There is this particular scene in the series where Ryan and Marissa kiss for the first time on top of a Ferris Wheel. And while this particular location is not the exact Ferris Wheel where they kissed, it comes pretty close to it. And the best part is that it is open and running the whole year round.
The Lifeguard Tower – Playa Del Rey, CA
Although, just like beaches, most of the lifeguard towers are fake that were built on set or shot on different beaches, there is one iconic tower that is still standing. The S49 tower in Season 3, Marissa consoled and chatted with Ryan, is the one on Playa Del Rey in California.
The OC; Credits: Reddit
Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro, California
Remember that scene when Marissa found out that Luke slept with her mother, and her friends tried to cheer her up? They took her to a theatre to watch a film that ended up being a sad film. This resulted in all of them crying their eyes out. The location used for that scene is the Warner rand Theatre in San Pedo, California.
Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios, California
When using externals got too expensive, the show moved to Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios in California to create the interiors and shoot there. Especially for shooting Cohen’s home.
University of California & University of Southern California
The University of California was used to represent Berkeley in the show, and the University of Southern California was used to show Brown University.
Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles
Mount St. Mary’s College was used as the location for Harbor High School. This is the school all the main characters attend. It was originally based on a school in Newport that one of the creators had attended.
The OC; Credits: The Guardian
These are all locations that are most accessible and are each beautiful and nostalgic in their own way. If you want to rewatch the show and remind yourself of a time 15 years ago, or if your interest is raised and you want to see what this show is all about, then you can stream it on Netflix.
For those of you who don’t know, Roseanne was a popular sitcom that thrived in the ’90s with its infamous lead star, Roseanne Barr. ABC decided to give it a fun spin in 2018, following its earlier commercialism and ratings that gave the network a huge boost. The revival show was, however canceled, with Roseanne’s death being scripted in the series. The quintessential question that once bugged the internet was: did Roseanne die in real life?
If you’ve ever wracked your brain wondering why ABC suddenly decided to axe Roseanne from the series (which quite literally had her name on it), you’re in the right place. We explore what brought Roseanne’s impromptu demise in the show and her popularity in real life.
What is “Roseanne”, the show, and why was it revived?
Roseanne was an immensely renowned American sitcom, airing on the ABC network from 1988 to 1997. With the likes of Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, and Sara Gilbert, the show garnered raving reviews and ratings from fans and critics alike. In 2002, TV Guide listed the show in its “50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time”.
The Cast Roseanne. Credits: USA Today.
In 2017, ABC decided to surprise the fans with a Roseanne Revival. The show premiered on March 27th, 2018, in the 10th season, with the original cast intact. It soon gained 27.26 million viewers! ABC wanted to ride on the continued success of the show, which prompted it to announce the 11th season soon after.
So, what’s all the fuss about Roseanne “being dead”?
2018 was the time of the USA Presidential campaign, with Roseanne Barr being a staunch Donald Trump supporter. She was known for being racist, but the water went over the pot when she made a racist
Comment likening former senior advisor to Obama, Valerie Jarett to “Planet of the Apes”, in May of the same year. While Barr justified her stance stating it was a “bad joke”, ABC was quick to call out the “abhorrent, repugnant” remarks of Roseanne Barr, even stating that it was against their values. The network canceled the show, instead deciding to script and air a spin-off starring the Conner family from the original show Roseanne. ABC went ahead with this new show, titled “The Conners,” with a premiere on October 2018.
Roseanne Barr. Credits: Variety.
Modifying the storyline from the 10th season of the show, the writers on The Conners decided to kill the character Roseanne citing an opioid overdose. She was earlier shown to be addicted to painkillers, which gave the writers ample leeway to craft an exit for Roseanne Barr.
How did Roseanne Barr, the actor, respond?
Following the premiere and in her expression of her distaste towards the network, Roseanne Barr tweeted, in all-caps:
“I AIN’T DEAD, B*TCHES”
Perhaps, this was her final attempt to show her disappointment with the show or to salvage her lost reputation. But, whatever the intention, it sure did confuse the fans about her actual presence in the real world.
Furthermore, in her official statement, released together with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, her resentment of the show was clearly made known. It stated that the death of Roseanne Conner, brought forth by an opioid overdose,” lent an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show”. The statement, while expressing disappointment with the decision, still wished the best for the show, which had people “deeply dedicated to their craft and were Roseanne’s cherished colleagues”.
Roseanne Barr. Credits: WIRED
What is Roseanne up to now?
Earlier this year, Roseanne Barr confirmed a comeback comedy special for the year 2023. The special is slated to be a one-hour gig titled “A Roseanne Comedy Special”. It will be aired on the Fox Network. Expressing his excitement, Jason Klarman, president of Fox Nation, confirmed the news by stating:
“We are thrilled to add her comedy special exclusively to the Fox Nation catalog.”
The decision comes in light of Fox Nation deciding to take an avid interest in the direction of lifestyle programming, evident with its association with other celebrities such as Kevin Costner and Piers Morgan. Fox also promises that the show starring Barr would “feature Ms. Barr’s signature comedic take on a variety of topics, with no subject off limits.”
Seems like Roseanne did not die. And, she’ll be back for good pretty soon.
