"THE O.C." RETURNS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, ON FOX

AUTUMN REESER AND WILLA HOLLAND JOIN CAST AS SERIES REGULARS POP/R&B TEEN SENSATION CHRIS BROWN AND CHRIS PRATT JOIN AS GUEST-STARS

The fourth season of THE O.C. will premiere Thursday, Nov. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. This season hits the ground running with THE O.C.'s trademark mix of heart, humor, drama, action and romance.

Josh Schwartz, creator and executive producer of THE O.C., says of the new season: "I'm very proud of these episodes and I think they convey real emotion and drama but also, more importantly, humor and heart. I believe our fans will find this focus on our core characters and their relationships really satisfying. The show has been reinvented; rebooted. Personally, it feels like THE O.C. is back. I hope our fans feel the same way."

When the series returns for Season Four, high school seems like a distant memory to the young graduates, who have been thrust into adulthood after the death of their beloved friend Marissa. The Cohens struggle to keep Ryan focused on the future, fighting the forces that threaten to pull him back into his old life. SANDY (Peter Gallagher) returns to the Public Defender's office, and he and KIRSTEN (Kelly Rowan) find themselves the happiest they have ever been with each other while rising to the challenge of keeping their family together.

SUMMER (Rachel Bilson) has left Orange County and is attending Brown University in Rhode Island, where she has reinvented herself as a left-leaning, tree-hugging activist under the sway of CHE (guest-star Chris Pratt); out are Summer's celebrity gossip magazines and in are her "Chicken-lovers of the world unite!" flyers. Meanwhile, SETH (Adam Brody), lonely in the O.C. and working at a local comic book store, turns to watching golf with DR. ROBERTS (Michael Nouri) and hanging out with the Newpsies for social stimulation.

KAITLIN COOPER (new series regular Willa Holland) returns to the O.C. as the No. 1 troublemaker at The Harbor School. Over the summer she has befriended Luke's younger twin brothers, ERIC (Corey Price) and BRAD WARD (Wayne Dalglish), who worship her. Meanwhile, JULIE COOPER (Melinda Clarke) will do anything � even yard work � to avoid dealing with the loss of Marissa. And TAYLOR TOWNSEND (new series regular Autumn Reeser) is hiding out and speaking French in the O.C. after her mysterious romance in Paris.

Chris Pratt will appear in a multi-episode arc starting on the season premiere, playing Summer's environmentalist activist Svengali, Che. Pratt was last seen on "Everwood" as "Bright Abbott." He was recently on the big screen opposite Amy Sedaris in "Strangers with Candy" and will next appear opposite Cary Elwes in "Walk the Talk." Pratt was born in Minnesota and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Pop/R&B teen sensation Chris Brown, 17, begins production on THE O.C. in late October; episodes featuring Brown will air on FOX later in the season. Brown will play WILL TUTT, a lonely band geek at The Harbor School who befriends Kaitlin Cooper. As their friendship grows, a possible romance blossoms in the O.C. Brown debuted on the music scene with the single "Run It!" and became the first male solo artist to release a single that went straight to the top of the Billboard singles chart. Brown's self-titled debut album was an immediate Top-10 hit and is certified platinum. Brown is from Tappahannock, VA, and has a recording contract with Jive Records. He will make his motion picture debut in 2007 in Sony Screen Gems' "Stomp the Yard."

From Wonderland Sound and Vision and College Hill Pictures and in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc., THE O.C. is executive-produced by Josh Schwartz, Bob DeLaurentis, Stephanie Savage and McG. Ian Toynton and John Stevens are co-executive producers. The series stars Peter Gallagher (Sandy Cohen), Kelly Rowan (Kirsten Cohen), Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan Atwood), Adam Brody (Seth Cohen), Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper), Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts), Autumn Reeser (Taylor Townsend) and Willa Holland (Autumn Reeser).