Was 2003 Pop Culture's Greatest Year? E! Says The O.C. Proves It

E!’s new documentary series Greatest Year in Pop Culture is making a bold claim: 2003 was the peak, and The O.C. is the proof. The show premiered August 5, 2003, and creator Josh Schwartz says Newport was the perfect embodiment of everything happening culturally that year — the fashion, the music, the whole California dream aesthetic.

But The O.C.’s real legacy might be the reality TV empire it accidentally launched. Schwartz says the producers of Laguna Beach told him directly that their show wouldn’t exist without his. From there, the domino effect gave us The Hills and The Real Housewives of Orange County, a franchise that’s still going strong today.

The episode is also packed with behind-the-scenes trivia. Mischa Barton beat Olivia Wilde for Marissa Cooper — Wilde later played Alex. Ben McKenzie got Ryan Atwood only after Garrett Hedlund landed the role of Troy. Adam Brody nearly lost Seth Cohen after a rough first audition. And Arcade Fire is the one band that refused to license their music to the show. The full episode is streaming now on E!.

So we have to ask: was 2003 really pop culture’s greatest year, or is another year more deserving?