The O.C. season 1

The O.C.
Season 1
DVD cover
No. of episodes	27
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	August 5, 2003 (2003-08-05) – May 5, 2004 (2004-05-05)
Season chronology
Next → Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of The O.C. commenced airing in the United States on August 5, 2003, concluded on May 5, 2004, and consisted of 27 episodes. It tells the story of "the Cohen and Cooper families, and Ryan Atwood, a troubled teen from the wrong side of the tracks" who is thrust into the wealthy, harbor-front community of Newport Beach, Orange County, California and "will forever change the lives of the residents".^[1]

The first seven episodes of The O.C. aired in the US on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on FOX, a terrestrial television network. Following a seven-week mid-season hiatus, the remainder of the season aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm. The season was released on DVD as a seven disc boxed set under the title of The O.C.: The Complete First Season on September 26, 2004, by Warner Bros. Home Video.^[2] On June 17, 2008, the season became available to purchase for registered users of the US iTunes Store.

In the United Kingdom, the season premiere aired at 9:00 pm. Sunday March 7, 2004, on Channel 4 with the second episode airing immediately after, on sister station E4.^[3] After taking a hiatus over the summer, the show returned in early September to a 1:00 p.m. slot as part of T4.^[4] In Canada it aired on CTV Television Network and in Australia it was first broadcast on Nine Network, but dropped it after three episodes. Network Ten subsequently picked up the show, airing it in its entirety.^[5]