LOS ANGELES -- Things are about to get explosive in "The O.C.," says show creator Josh Schwartz. And it's only fair, considering the effect the popular teen drama has had on the writer's career.

Somebody at Fox wanted me to do them a favor and pimp The OC, which I don't watch and couldn't care about. I am doing this only so I am in the loop next time they stage some photographs of Ryan Seacrest hitting on women

Schwartz was only 26 -- a recent graduate from the University of Southern California[ed note recent graduate? Was he on the eight year plan?] -- when "The O.C." premiered on Fox in 2003. The show was an instant must-see, spawning imitators and making stars out of actors Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Benjamin McKenzie and Adam Brody.

The show premiered during the summer and people really liked it. A few months later, this little show called Laguna Beach appeared on MTV with modest ratings.

Schwartz himself is now a bona fide Hollywood hit, hobnobbing with heavyweights such as George Lucas, who guest-starred on an "O.C." episode last year.

Until the actors of the show find better gigs, they will pretend to like Josh and invite him to their birthday parties

Schwartz's folks have weekly viewing parties in their Providence, R.I. home. His dad, Steve, calls him during commercials with his running critique.

The neighbors down to street invite friends over to laugh at the show that dumb Schwartz kid is working on. His father stands in the bushes outside and relays to his son what people think of the show

"He's very honest," Schwartz said.

I didn't know my dad could say "That sucks" so many times in one hour

With his chocolate Lab, Maya, competing for his attention, Schwartz, 29, talked with The Associated Press about the season finale of "The O.C." and what's next for his characters and his career.

Dogs are a man's best friend when your show isn't funny anymore.

AP: What's hot in "The O.C." right now?

I don't watch your show, but let's pretend I care what happens.

Schwartz: We're in the home stretch, like the last 10 episodes of the season when the show always kicks it up a notch. I think it's going to resemble those first six episodes of the (first) summer. It's got that kind of vibe to it, kinda crazy, anything goes. We have a lot of returning faces. The kids are getting into colleges, the Cohen family life is about to explode, it's going to be pretty cool. It's all going to get very emotional, very explosive and really fun.

This is about the time when Fox decides what is going to be picked up for the fall, so we look at the first 2/3 of the season and try to make sense of it all by the season finale. Am I being vague because I don't want to give out spoilers or because I don't have anything to say? YOU DECIDE.

AP: You started a genre, and a frenzy, with "The O.C." What is it about the show that really captures the young audience?

You've been called a low-rent 90210, how do you respond.

Schwartz: It's a certain alchemy of great cast and a really fun world. I think the show has a really fun kind of tone. We try to tell emotional stories but we don't ever try to take ourselves too seriously. Hopefully some really good music. Hopefully an entertaining package and people want to watch.

God, I really hope people start watching again. I also hope we don't get cancelled.

AP: Does the show resemble your life?

Schwartz: Not at all. I grew up in Providence, R.I. My family life probably resembled the season one Cohens, before it got dark in the Cohen house. When I grew up, it was a much sunnier home. It's sort of a little bit based on my experiences at USC, as kind of a neurotic Jewish kid from the East Coast who arrives in the land of water-polo players and their girlfriends. I guess that was the original impetus behind the show, and it's sort of evolved from there.

Luckily my life is full of hilarious moments when people made fun of me, that makes the show authentic

AP: What do you think of the imitators of "The O.C.?"

Schwartz: Who would those be, "Laguna Beach?" Now there's this desperate housewives of Orange County show on Bravo. It's crazy. It's weird. And then "Laguna Beach" became a big deal in its own right. The tent's big enough for everybody to come hang out, I guess. The show is certainly influenced by a lot of different things and borne out of that, so it's cool if we can do the same things for other shows.

Thanks for calling them imitators, because I would have left if you mentioned that more people care about Laguna Beach and that whore Kristen Cavalleri than the OC and Mischa Barton. You also made it easy for me to pretend that Housewives of Orange County is imitating The OC when we all know it's imitating Desperate Housewives and Laguna Beach. I don't want to make fun of anybody, because I may be looking for a job soon.

AP: You were surprised by it?

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Posted by J-Unit on March 30, 2006 4:01 PM