The O.C. - The Complete Series Collection (2003)

Unlike past teen dramas such as DAWSON'S CREEK, THE O.C. never takes itself too seriously. Always retaining a sense of humor and self-parodying element, the show displays a keen understanding of its place within pop culture. This self-consciousness comes through in constant references to popular music, fashions, television shows, and even occasionally to THE O.C. itself. The show's fish-out-of-water protagonist, Seth Cohen, is by far the most pop-culture savvy of the bunch, repeatedly expressing his love for indie bands like Bright Eyes, the Shins, and Death Cab for Cutie, and as a result expanding these band's real-life audiences. A half Jewish, comic-book obsessed boy living in Southern California, Seth has never been what one would call "popular." All of this changes however, with the arrival of Ryan Atwood (Benjamin Mackenzie), a kid from the wrong side of the tracks (in this case, Chino), who is taken in by the Cohen family after Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher) rescues him from juvenile detention. This release captures every episode from the four seasons of the show.