WELCOME BACK TO "THE O.C.", BITCH!

When Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) died last May in a tragic season ending cliffhanger, the once red-hot FOX drama "The O.C." got the much needed shot-in-the-arm. Now it seems things may be improving in Newport, Orange County as a number of familiar faces and special guest stars are coming back on November 2 for the show's fourth season.

The competition from "Grey's Anatomy" and "CSI" will be tough. Some experts even believe "The O.C." will finally succumb to its Thursday night ratings woes. Even FOX has not expressed much confidence by ordering a shorter season of only 16 episodes, premiering after the baseball playoffs. But, there is hope.

Josh Schwartz, the series creator, promises a very fresh and emotional new season exploring core characters and their relationships in a very satisfying way, reminiscent of the drama's heyday.

Willa Holland (Kaitlin Cooper) and Autumn Reeser (Taylor Townsend) have been promoted to regular cast memebrs. And a line-up of guest stars will include Chris Brown, the 17-year old recording artist whose current album has gone platinum in the US.