▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁Fox , ▁a ▁terrest rial ▁television ▁network . ▁Fox ▁tested ▁a ▁new ▁times lot ▁by ▁air ing ▁the ▁second ▁episode ▁on ▁Wed nes day ▁at ▁ 9 : 0 0   p . m . ▁E T ▁against ▁ABC ' s ▁Lost ▁and ▁CBS ' s ▁C riminal ▁M inds . ▁With ▁Lost ▁about ▁to ▁enter ▁a ▁three - month ▁hi atus , ▁Fox ▁hoped ▁that ▁changing ▁the ▁times lot ▁for ▁The ▁O . C . ▁would ▁attract ▁back ▁view ers ▁it ▁had ▁lost ▁since ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁season ; ▁however , ▁the ▁move ▁was ▁un success ful ▁and ▁the ▁show ▁returned ▁to ▁its ▁Th urs day ▁times lot . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Mar issa ▁Cooper ▁in ▁the ▁third - season ▁finale , ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁only ▁season ▁without ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" core ▁four " ▁characters ▁of ▁Mar issa , ▁Ryan ▁At wood , ▁S eth ▁C ohen , ▁and ▁Summer ▁Roberts ; ▁however , ▁executive ▁producer ▁Steph anie ▁Sav age ▁said ▁that ▁Mar issa ' s ▁death ▁" set ▁up ▁a ▁new ▁direction ▁for ▁the ▁show ". ▁The ▁show ' s ▁cre ator , ▁Josh ▁Schw art z , ▁promised ▁this ▁season ▁would ▁be ▁different , ▁saying ▁it ▁would ▁" focus ▁on ▁[ the ] ▁core ▁characters ▁and ▁their ▁relationships ". ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁point ▁in ▁worry ing ▁about ▁ratings ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁" w anted ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁show ▁back ▁to ▁an ▁earlier ▁place ,