Entertainment
The Creator of 'The O.C.' and 'Gossip Girl' Gets a New Show: See What Else He's Done
Josh Schwartz's company, Fake Empire, has just sold a new show to ABC. Written by The Neighbors writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, the show will be about 20-something business partners of the opposite sex. The name First Timers is pretty fitting: the show will be the first show sold for writing duo Aptaker and Berger, and they're the same age that Schwartz was when he sold his first show, The O.C. But Schwartz has had a lot of shows since them, from good to bad...
Schwartz to Bring 'First Timers' to TV
Josh Schwartz's company, Fake Empire, has just sold a new show to ABC. Written by The Neighbors writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, the show will be about 20-something business partners of the opposite sex. The name First Timers is pretty fitting: the show will be the first show sold for writing duo Aptaker and Berger, and they're the same age that Schwartz was when he sold his first show, The O.C. But Schwartz has had a lot of shows since them, from good to bad...
'The O.C.'
Schwartz's first show was also his best. Inspired by his eye-opening induction into the lifestyles of the California rich and famous during his time attending the University of Southern California, the show introduced Ryan Atwood as the outsider "from the wrong side of the tracks" and Seth Cohen as his geeky best friend (and stand in for Schwartz). Schwartz was one of the youngest show creators ever at the time, and teenagers quickly took to his show. But it wasn't just the scandal that made the show so appealing — the show had a quirky wit and showcased a lot of indie artists back when the genre wasn't as popular. It was a huge cultural touchstone.
'Rockville, C.A.'
A 2009 web series that was about 90 percent band performance and 10 percent show, Rockville, C.A. followed a bunch of 20-somethings who hung out at a rock club in California and featured early performances from artists like Passion Pit and Lyyke Li. While the show may not have been as scandalous as The O.C., it was able to spin out some compelling narratives as well as some good will-they-won't-they tension in a matter of minutes.
'Gossip Girl'
Since the show was developed from a popular YA book series, the characters were more or less set in stone. And while Gossip Girl was Schwartz's most scandalous show, its humor was more wink-wink than ha-ha and the majority of its characters weren't very compelling. But while Serena will always pale in comparison to Marissa Cooper, Blair was a welcome replacement for Summer Roberts (especially after her whole environmental phase at Brown). Xoxo.
'Chuck'
Although it was often on the brink of cancellation, Chuck was a fun, quick-witted show that dared to ask the question "What if one of the guys on the Best Buy Geek Squad became a spy?" The show started to run out of ideas in its final season, and it's not as much of a cultural touchstone as Gossip Girl or The O.C., but it was always an interesting show to watch.
'The Carrie Diaries'
Conversely, The Carrie Diaries asks the question no one needed an answer to: "What would Sex and the City be like in the '80s?" Heavy on the nostalgia and light on the sexual frankness that made the original so great, the show had about the same substance as a cosmo.
'Hart of Dixie'
The most surprising thing about Hart of Dixie is that it's gone on for three seasons. Between the show's cheap rom-com sensibility and it's hacky Southern stereotypes, there's not a lot to love. But Rachel Bilson and Schwartz have remained good friends since The O.C. and well, where else is she going to get a job?
