Pick of the week

THE OC PRIVILEGED CALIFORNIAN TEENS

This polished US drama is everything you could want from an escapist guilty pleasure. It follows the beautiful people of Orange County (aka the OC) who ooze power and privilege as they live their lives of luxury under the California sun. The focus is on the younger generations, but these teens – including Mischa Barton’s spoilt princess Marissa Cooper (above) – are wise and quick-witted beyond their years, and many are pleasingly aware of the shallow community in which they reside. The show was a huge global hit, but gradually petered out in later series, before it was cancelled in 2007 after a lacklustre fourth season.