History Trivia / TheOC

** Creator/TateDonovan has been rather critical of the show's younger actors in interviews following his departure from the show. In a recent interview with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke on their podcast though, he expressed regret for his comments.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/AdamBrody and Creator/RachelBilson were engaged in real life.

** Creator/AdamBrody has been critical of the direction of the show's writing after Season 1, particularly the handling of [[spoiler:Marissa's death]] as a way of writing the character out, and admitted that he was ready to move on from the series by its final season.

** A retroactive version, Lucy Hale is generally known for playing intelligent pale-skinned characters, but in her scenes as Kaitlin's rumor, she plays a valley girl with a tan.

* CreatorBreakdown - Josh Schwartz was jaded by pressure from some fans and ExecutiveMeddling and seemingly zoned out during Season 3. After the cancellation of the show, he later admitted in interviews that the whole first half of season 3 was a mess, and acknowledged that they spent way too much time on Johnny's character. He also was critical of the addition of Charlotte Morgan, complaining that she was only added in season 3 because Fox demanded it, and that he and the writers had no clue what to do with the character.

* McLeaned: [[spoiler:Marissa Cooper]] was killed off at the end of season 3, as the actress wanted off the show.

** Creator/Adam Brody has been critical of the direction of the show's writing after Season 1, particularly the handling of [[spoiler:Marissa's death]] as a way of writing the character out, and admitted that he was ready to move on from the series by its final season.

** Adam Brody has been critical of the direction of the show's writing after Season 1, particularly the handling of [[spoiler:Marissa's death]] as a way of writing the character out, and admitted that he was ready to move on from the series by its final season.

** Creator/MischaBarton publicly blamed the show for her personal issues. Shortly after the show's cancellation, she said it was no surprise the show had been canceled, since they killed her off.

** Creator/TateDonovan has been rather critical of the show's younger actors in interviews following his departure from the show.

* CreatorBreakdown - Josh Schwartz was jaded by pressure from some fans and ExecutiveMeddling and seemingly zoned out during Season 3.

** Creator/MischaBarton publicly blamed the show for her personal issues. Shortly after the show's cancellation, she said it was no surprise the show had been cancelled, since they killed her off.

* CreatorBreakdown - Creator/JoshSchwartz was jaded by pressure from some fans and ExecutiveMeddling and seemingly zoned out during Season 3.

* PlayingAgainstType: Peter Gallagher's previous roles consisted mostly of slimy, unscrupulous assholes; here, he plays the highly idealistic public defender Sandy Cohen who takes a troubled teen into his household.

* ActorAllusion: At Kaitlin's school, Marissa pretends to be an exchange student from London. Creator/MischaBarton was born in London to British parents. OohMeAccentsSlipping also applies and is lampshaded.

* ExecutiveMeddling - Resulted in the end of the Marissa/Alex lesbian relationship. Also, apparently a big factor for the quality decline in Season 3, as Fox wanted something 'promotable' to happen every week. The writers once got a note that said, "This is Fox, not Fox Searchlight".

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/AmandaRighetti was 20 playing 25-year-old Hailey Nichol. This also resulted in her being younger than Creator/AdamBrody, who was playing her teenaged nephew.

** Creator/MischaBarton publicly blamed the show for her personal issues. Shortly after the show'a cancellation, she said it was no surprise the show had been cancelled, since they killed her off.

** Creator/BenjaminMackenzie, Creator/AdamBrody, Creator/RachelBilson & Autumn Reeser were all in their early to mid-twenties playing teenagers. Lampshaded in "The L.A."

* {{Defictionalization}}: Before the series, "OC" was sometimes used in print as shorthand for "Orange County," but very rarely in speech, and never prefixed with a "the." Many Orange County residents scoffed at the show's title, but over the years, some of them really do refer to the region "the OC" without irony.

* ActorAllusion: At Kaitlin's school, Marissa pretends to be an exchange student from London. Mischa Barton was born in London to British parents. OohMeAccentsSlipping also applies and is lampshaded.
* BillingDisplacement: Peter Gallagher & Kelly Rowan are billed first in the opening credits for all 4 seasons, despite their characters being less prominent than the teenagers. When Melinda Clarke & Rachel Bilson were added as regulars, Clarke was again billed ahead of Bilson despite the same applying.

** Mischa Barton publicly blamed the show for her personal issues. Shortly after the show'a cancellation, she said it was no surprise the show had been cancelled, since they killed her off.
** Tate Donovan has been rather critical of the show's younger actors in interviews following his departure from the show.
* CreatorBreakdown - Josh Schwartz was jaded by pressure from some fans and ExecutiveMeddling and seemingly zoned out during Season 3.

** Benjamin Mackenzie, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson & Autumn Reeser were all in their early to mid twenties playing teenagers. Lampshaded in "The L.A."

** Averted with the Coopers. Mischa Barton was 17 playing 16 and Willa Holland was 14 playing 14.

* DuelingShows: With Series/OneTreeHill. The latter lasted longer, but The OC is usually thought to be the better of the two.

* FakeAmerican[=/=]FakeNationality: Kelly Rowan is Canadian.
* McLeaned: [[spoiler:Marissa Cooper]] was killed off at the end of season 3, as the actor wanted off the show.

** Willa Holland replaced Shailene Woodley as Kaitlin Cooper; lampshaded when Ryan didn't recognize her after she returned.

* ThePeteBest: Shailene Woodley is not as remembered in the role of Kaitlin Cooper as her replacement, Willa Holland.
* PlayingGertrude: Amanda Righetti was 20 playing 25 year old Hailey Nichol. This also resulted in her being younger than Adam Brody, who was playing her teenaged nephew.
* RomanceOnTheSet: Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson were engaged in real life.
* StarMakingRole: For Rachel Bilson; to a lesser degree for Benjamin [=McKenzie=] & Autumn Reeser. For Willa Holland.

* CelebrityParadox: In "The Secret", Luke was mocked for his father's homosexuality by his classmates, saying that his father's favorite shows were "[[Series/DawsonsCreek Dawson's Crack]]" and "[[{{Series/Everwood}} Everwoody]]". 3 seasons later, the actor who played a main character in Everwood (Creator/ChrisPratt) shows up as Summer's new friend at Brown.

* CelebrityParadox: In "The Secret", Luke was mocked for his father's homosexuality by his classmates, saying that his favorite shows were "[[Series/DawsonsCreek Dawson's Crack]]" and "[[{{Series/Everwood}} Everwoody]]". 3 seasons later, the actor who played a main character in Everwood (Creator/ChrisPratt) shows up as Summer's new friend at Brown.

* CelebrityParadox: In "The Secret", Luke was mocked for his father's homosexuality by his jock friends, saying that Luke might be gay as well and watch teen dramas such as Series/DawsonsCreek and {{Series/Everwood}}. 3 seasons later, the actor who played a main character in Everwood (Creator/ChrisPratt) shows up as Summer's new friend at Brown.