Rough Fall Forecast for "O.C."
 

One O.C. cliffhanger airs Thursday night; one O.C. cliffhanger begins next fall.

Fox announced Thursday it was renewing the former flavor of the month for a fourth season, returning it to its usual night and time, and, in the process, asking the aging teen soap to hold its own against CBS' CSI, ABC's Grey's Anatomy and NBC's new would-be star, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, in what should be prime time's most competitive hour.

This past season, The O.C. has averaged just 5.7 million viewers. But Fox is fond of those 5.7 million, seeing as how they're largely teens and young adults.

In a press conference Thursday, Fox Entertainment president Peter Liguori allowed that the network did consider--"very briefly"--rezoning The O.C., and moving it off Thursdays at 9 p.m. "[But] the O.C. has an incredibly loyal audience," Liguori said. "We feel the audience will be there."

Additionally, Liguori said he believes the O.C.'s Thursday night, third-season finale--a buzzed-about shocker--will drive interest in the show's fourth-season return.