Wednesday, September 10 01:03 PM

Sun Won't Set on 'The O.C.' Anytime Soon

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - FOX's summertime gamble on "The O.C." has paid off, so the network is letting the series ride.

Two weeks before most new series have even aired their first episodes, FOX has ordered the back nine episodes of "The O.C.," which will give the show a full season's complement of 22 installments. The series ends its summer run next week and will return Thursday, Oct. 30.

" 'The O.C.' is, without a doubt, the big story of the summer," FOX Entertainment President Gail Berman says. "The success of this show has proved to be a tremendous first step towards FOX's stated goal of a year-round programming strategy."

The show debuted Aug. 5 to an audience of about 7.5 million people and has grown every week since; Tuesday's (Sept. 9) episode drew about 9.2 million viewers. The series routinely wins its timeslot in the teen and young-adult demographic groups FOX tracks.

After its hiatus -- due to the major league baseball playoffs -- "The O.C." will move to the very tough 9 p.m. Thursday timeslot, opposite the No. 1 show on TV, CBS' "CSI," and NBC's "Will & Grace." FOX will probably be pretty happy if the show can hold its current audience against the two hits.