but before that there was the O.C.

There really wasn't. The OC was aimed more at proto-CW groups given how insular and drama focused the interactions were. Seth wasn't really geeky in the slightest, Ryan wasn't actually "big" enough to come across as the credible or believable threat from Chino he was meant to be, Marissa was almost as one-dimensional as the actress that played in and even when they killed her off it didn't really do much to the show because the show was shit. None of this of course stopped the audience harping on about how it was the best thing ever, along with Lost which came out around the same time, and both shows were regular topics of social circles and, unfortunately, housemates back then.

For a few years you [I] couldn't go a day without someone trying to speak to me about this show but because everyone was speaking about it so much passive awareness of the show meant I know far too fucking much about a show I never even watched myself!

Also don't forget it spawned this meme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmd1qMN5Yo0

Unironically "the oc" of the meme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYIb-acZwk4