FOX Cancels The O.C.

LOS ANGELES, January 4:
FOX is pulling the plug on the Warner Bros. Television youth-skewing drama The
O.C., currently in its fourth
season, with the finale slated to air February 22.

“This feels
like the best time to bring the show to its close,” said Josh Schwartz, the
creator and executive producer of The O.C. “For a certain audience, at a certain time, the show
has meant something. For that we are grateful."

The show was
a tremendous hit for FOX when it first launched in the summer of 2003, peaking
at close to 10 million viewers, but its ratings have slipped since, averaging
just 4 million since the launch of season four in November.