Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (often referred to as Laguna Beach ) was an MTV reality show documenting the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, a seaside community located in Orange County, California. It differs from the usual reality show in that it is structured as a rather traditional narrative (more commonly seen in fictionalized television dramas or soap operas) than a straightforward observant documentary-style, which reality TV attempts to portray.
Overview
Development
During initial development of the show, ideas were to create a reality show which followed the lives of several wealthy teens. MTV producers thought about setting the show in Beverly Hills, mimicking the successful fictional '90s FOX television show Beverly Hills 90210 . Producers scouted numerous other affluent Southern California towns including San Marino, Carlsbad, and Malibu before deciding to locate the show in Laguna Beach.
Its name was derived from the then-popular teen drama series The O.C. , which glamorized the life of the wealthy living in Orange County, CA.
Format and structure
Each season documents the lives of a group of young people living in Laguna Beach, California and attending Laguna Beach High School. Casting would interview applicants about school, their social life, and any romantic interests in search of a story to document that would be of interest to the target audience. Cameras were not invited into the school, but a single camera was taken into formal dances usually by a cast member and some footage was used on-air. The only event to which cameras were allowed was graduation because it was in a public venue rather than the school itself.
Each season started with the introduction of new characters, in an order tied by friendship or love interest. The season usually follows the same structure in which romantic relationships played a bigger role toward the beginning and rivalries were played up nearing the finale. The major themes throughout the seasons include romance/unrequited love, friendships and rivalries, and the presence of wealth.
In the case of rivalries, production invited cast members and their friends to a "peace bonfire" on the beach, in which cast members were to clear the air of any drama. The bonfire was documented early in season 1 where Stephen and Kristin fought because of a new boy Kristin was interested in, Sam. In season 2, Jessica and Alex M were to discuss Alex M's relationship with Jessica's ex-boyfriend, Jason, but Alex M did not comply with "not kissing Jason in front of ." In season 3, Rocky and Alex talked about the status of their relationship and later broke up, and Alex went on to ask Lexie for her phone number.
Each season ended with some major event taking place, other than graduation. In seasons 1 and 2, Trey organized fashion shows to help fundraise money for Active Young Americans (season 1) and landslide victims (season 2) with much of the cast either as models or entertainment. In season 3, Chase's band, Open Air Stereo, had its first live show in Los Angeles with much of the cast in attendance. Filming locations include: Yorkton, Saskatchewan as well as Lac la Biche, Alberta.
Ratings
Seasons 1 and 2 of Laguna Beach showed positive ratings. After the third season showed a decline in ratings and lacked a fourth-season story arc, producers considered cancellation. Instead of pulling the popular program, producers moved "The Real Orange County" up the coast to Newport Harbor with a completely new cast.
Spin-offs
- Cast member Lauren Conrad (LC) had her road to independence documented in a spin-off entitled The Hills after season 2. She was shown driving out of Laguna Beach to an apartment in Los Angeles where she met her good friend, Heidi Montag, whom she originally met while at fashion school in San Francisco. There she spends her days attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and interning for various fashion companies. Along with her car and her clothes, Jason came with Lauren to Los Angeles and cameras documented their rocky relationship and eventual breakup. At the end of the third season, Laguna cast member Lo would join Lauren as her new roommate. In early May 2009, MTV announced that "Laguna" cast member Kristin Cavallari would join the cast of "The Hills" for the second half of season 5. The show, originally following Lauren's life, premiered on MTV on May 31, 2006, and ended her storyline on the May 31, 2009 episode. The series will continue to air without her as a cast member, as of September 2009.
- The Real Orange County series moved to Newport Beach, California for a similar, albeit unrelated "fourth season" with a completely new cast from Newport Harbor High School. Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County premiered August 15, 2007 and lasted only one season.
Cast members
Episode guide
Season One
- US Premiere Date : Tuesday, September 28, 2004
- Narrative Voice : Lauren "LC" Conrad
Stephen has fallen for long-time girlfriend, Kristin, much to the dislike of LC, Stephen's close childhood friend. During the times when Stephen and Kristin were at low points in their relationship, Stephen would turn to LC while Kristin went on to hook up with other boys, including Talan. Though these three make a big splash when it comes to romance, much of the trio's close friends had their minds set on other things, including Trey spending time promoting his non-profit organization, Active Young America, Christina trying to make singing a professional career, and all their senior friends preparing for college.
Season Two
- US Premiere Date : Monday, July 25, 2005
- Narrative Voice : Kristin Cavallari
Kristin has emerged as a leader among her clique, which includes Jessica and Alex H, rivaling the ways of Alex M and Taylor. Both cliques, however, shared one thing in common: Jason, Laguna's biggest heart breaker, who goes on to date both Jessica and Alex M. Meanwhile, Stephen comes back to woo ex-girlfriend, Kristin, but also remains loyal to his best girl, Lauren, who moved back home during her second semester. The girls eventually grow out of their rivalry and befriend each other, leading to tearful good-byes when leaving for college.
Season Three
- US Premiere Date : Wednesday, August 16, 2006
- Narrative Voice : Tessa Keller
Tessa's life changed dramatically after sophomore year, leaving her with only Rocky by her side. The two rival Kyndra and her cohorts Cami and Nikki. These girls spend their days rekindling romances, shopping around town, and partying with their close friends, including Cameron and girlfriend Jessica (from season 2). When she really needs it, Tessa can always turn to her best guy-friend, Chase, only when he's not spending time rehearsing with Open Air Stereo who eventually signs a contract with Epic Records. Toward the end of the season, Tessa and Rocky grow apart once Rocky reconciles with former best friend, Breanna (LC's sister), who Tessa doesn't get along with.
Criticisms
- There has been much debate throughout the series over how "real" and "true" the show actually is due to the quality and quantity of the camera angles and the alleged public discovery that many of the show's scenes are manipulated by the show's producers. Cite "production manipulation" in episode 208 ("What Goes Around") in which production allegedly staged a bonfire before inviting cast members to interact with one another and had also instructed Jason with his entrance and dialogue. Also in season one, Stephen enters Kristin's home wearing one outfit and in another shot wearing another.
- The Parents Television Council (PTC) argued that the sexually explicit and profane content in the series makes the show inappropriate for its intended audience. It included the series in its 2004 study on profanity, violence, and sexual content on cable television. Although much of the profane language throughout the series is censored, the PTC pointed out that the context in which the censored words were used made them discernible, which in their view rendered the censorship useless. The PTC also criticized MTV for not including content indicators such as "L" (language) or "S" (sexual content) in addition to its television ratings for the show, a move that prevents viewers from being able to effectively use the V-chip feature found on some televisions to control the broadcast of the show into their homes. MTV airs the show several times during daytime hours in addition to its regular timeslots around 10:00 PM (ET), and the PTC claimed that the adolescents whom MTV is targeting are being exposed to "excessive sexual and profane content through inaccurately rated programs."
See also
- The Hills
- The Audrina Show
- Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County
- The City
- The Suburbs (web series)
- Living on the Edge
- Baldwin Hills (TV series)
- Harlem Heights (TV series)
- The Hicks (web series)
References
- ^
Laguna Beach - MTV Store
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