Back successful 2004, a squad of MTV producers turned up astatine a Southern California precocious schoolhouse connected the hunt for the close radical of charismatic teens to beforehand their latest brainchild: A real-life, docu-soap mentation of Fox's runaway-hit play The O.C.
"We're sitting determination successful class, and implicit the regular announcements they announce, 'Okay everyone, MTV's here. They're going to formed a world amusement connected Laguna Beach. If you're interested, motion up successful the quad astatine break,'" Christina Sinclair (née Schuller) recalled to Time successful 2014. "And I deliberation for immoderate 18 twelvemonth old, that's a imagination travel true. It's similar Grease—when they accidental they're going to movie their prom and it's going to beryllium connected nationalist television. Oh my gosh, I person to bash it!"
In a pre-Kardashians, pre-Real Housewives world, what the web was after was reasonably groundbreaking—a glossy-looking, caller signifier of world TV that simply followed a radical of intriguing subjects astir waiting for them to marque bully television.
And, aft weeks of scouting, erstwhile they stumbled upon outspoken blonde inferior Kristin Cavallari, her dreamy elder fellow Stephen Colletti and his champion person Lauren Conrad, the perpetual girl-next-door who'd been harboring a concealed crush, 1 improvement exec sent backmost connection to the network: They had it.
Months later, connected Sept. 28, 2004, Laguna Beach debuted, captivating some 3 cardinal viewers with the exploits of the well-off teens who inhabited the picturesque coastal California municipality and mounting the signifier for each Bravolebrity that would follow with The Real Housewives of Orange County premiering successful 2006 arsenic Laguna was wrapping its 3rd season.
By then, manner pupil Conrad had already headed to The Hills, anxious to capable up the blank leafage earlier her, a determination that unearthed a existent taste improvement that introduced the satellite to the likes of Speidi, Justin Bobby and that ever-iconic phrase: "You cognize what you did!"
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Suddenly we were each buying up Team Heidi and Team Lauren tees from Kitson and then-presidential campaigner Barack Obama was joking astir however he'd usage his powers to extremity the feud betwixt Conrad and Heidi Montag. It was, successful a word, wild. No wonderment Conrad recently confessed to Hills costar Whitney Port that she "just kinda needed a cleanable interruption for a infinitesimal to kind of emotionally recover."
We, however, necessitate nary specified respite. And with Laguna Beach making its mode to Netflix Nov. 11, respects indispensable beryllium paid. So plaything by the surf shop, bust retired your favourite achromatic conduit dress and cheque retired what your favourite MTV alums person gotten up to successful the past 18-plus years. Because portion everyone's changed and they've grown, you're ever gonna person that radical of friends that you tin travel backmost to.