"California, here we come…right back where we started from!" If that Phantom Planet song brings back fond memories of The O.C. you might be happy with some news from none other than Rachel Bilson aka Summer Roberts. Bilson, along with The O.C.'s Melinda Clarke has launched a brand new podcast called Welcome To The O.C., Bitches! and the duo is using the podcast to look back on the series episode by episode with special guests from the show along the way. The throwback nostalgia has, of course, made some ask if Bilson would be up for a revival and it turns out she's pretty open to the idea.
The duo was interviewing each other on "Entertainment Tonight" to promote their podcast, which is currently ranked second on the Spotify and Apple podcast list, and they both got candid about a revival of the show. Perhaps all of the nostalgia of doing the podcast is putting this out in the universe but Bilson, in particular, seemed very down for a real revival on television:
"I know we talked about definitely getting together personally, as a reunion, but a reboot would be awesome. I think that's in the hands of [creators and executive producers] Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. There's still a ways to go, so maybe they'll figure it out."
Bilson added that everyone was on board with the idea and Clarke chimed in with the signature "Never say never." A revival of The O.C. isn't all that far-fetched at this point. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage created The O.C. and continued their love of putting together an attractive ensemble cast of young up-and-comers when they created Gossip Girl. That series is getting the revival treatment on HBO Max and that is part of the reason talks of a revival of The O.C. have been sparked. The O.C. is currently streaming on HBO Max and it continues to be watched by fans who enjoyed it during its original run and a new generation discovering it for the first time. If Schwartz and Savage had a solid idea and the cast was willing to participate, fans would be eager to return to the land of fun, sun, and juicy drama.
In the meantime, Bilson and Clarke are revisiting the show via their podcast by watching all 92 episodes of the show which aired from 2003-2007 on Fox. Bilson played Summer Roberts on the series, a popular girl who starts out vapid but becomes more grounded when she falls for the nerdy Seth Cohen (Adam Brody). Melinda Clarke portrayed Julie Cooper, the mother of Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), another character who started off in a not so likable light but ultimately was revealed to be much more vulnerable than her devious, shallow, and selfish personality would indicate. I listened to the first episode last night and it's a true deep dive for fans of the show as Bilson and Clarke focus on all the pop culture moments that made the show a true phenomenon during its run. The duo drops behind the scenes secrets and commentary from their time on the show and they promise that special guests will pop up along the way to help give us all of our nostalgia needs.
Would YOU want to see a revival of The O.C.? In the meantime, check out the Welcome To The O.C., Bitches! podcast on Spotify or wherever you fulfill your podcast needs along with seeing it on video via YouTube.