Don't take my word for, but I could have told you that it is Reality TV and Orange County:
It's MTV + Laguna teens, for real
New show will follow 'The Real World' and may be a counterpoint to of-the-moment 'The O.C.'
By ERIKA I. RITCHIE
LAGUNA BEACH â?? A year ago, eight kids from Laguna Beach were going to high school and hanging out at the beach with friends.
Today, they are getting fashion tips from Paris Hilton and attending MTV awards shows with P. Diddy and Shaquille O'Neal.
That's what having a show on MTV will do for you.
The eight students from Laguna Beach High School turn into cable-television stars tonight when "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" premieres at 10:30, right after the network's top-billed "The Real World." The unscripted show delves into the behind-the-scenes lives of the teens as they prepare to graduate from high school and leave the shelter of the close-knit seaside community.
Since early February, seniors Lauren Conrad, Christina Schuller, Lauren Bosworth, Morgan Olson, Stephen Coletti and Trey Phillips and juniors Talan Torriero and Kristin Cavalleri have lived part of their lives in front of MTV's cameras.
They were filmed at a surprise birthday party, going to the Winter Formal dance andeating fish tacos with their friends. Publicity and hoopla have followed: The group was featured in People magazine last week.
School life is, for the most part, omitted.
Just a day after filming began, the Laguna Beach Unified District canceled its contract with MTV after parents complained that they were blindsided by the agreement. At the time, MTV was taking heat for its part in the Super Bowl halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast was exposed.
Access to the high school was denied.
"We were so blinded by the need to protect the students in an educational environment that we lost focus on the big picture," K Turner, a member of the school board, said at the time. "Every one of us knew it was a sleaze operation."
So the crews filmed the teens around town and in front of the high school and did get into the graduation ceremony at the Irvine Bowl in June.
MTV executives say this show answers Fox's "The O.C." a prime-time soap opera that deals with the lives of the wealthy and oversexed in O.C. It also capitalizes on two hot trends: reality TV and Orange County.
"We thought it would be great to show what kids in these beach communities are really like," said Tony DiSanto, executive producer, whose credits include "Total Request Live," and "Beach House."
"We tried to tell the show more like you would see it as a drama or film. It's a nice counterpart to the fictionalized versions like "The O.C.," DiSanto said. "You've got thousands of hours of footage and you see the story pop out of that."
The show had an impact on the teens. Some have set their sights on show biz, while others are just enjoying their newfound celebrity around town. Here's how the filming affected three of the young stars:
Lauren Conrad (L.C.)
Conrad has left Laguna Beach to study fashion design in San Francisco.
The television exposure, she says, has brought her out of her shell.
"I went from, 'You can't take a picture of me,' to it doesn't faze me to have five cameras in the room," she says. "I think my parents were shocked I went to San Francisco. I'm completely responsible for myself and it's cool to know I can make it on my own."
Kaitlyn Healey, who's been Conrad's best friend since seventh grade, is surprised at her pal's independence.
"She used to be the most shy, reserved person, to where she would be uncomfortable if I left her side," Healey says. "I would never have thought she would have gone. The show has made her a completely different person."
Even with her featured role, Conrad thinks she'll stick to fashion.
"I don't think I'm a good actress," she says. "But I think the show will offer a lot of opportunities."
The TV crew planned to follow Conrad to San Francisco. "They were going to come to my dorm with cameras. Luckily, they ran out of time. I wanted a fresh start," she says.
Christina Schuller (The Preacher's Daughter)
Schuller, 18, didn't know whether being the daughter of Dr. Robert Schuller Jr. and granddaughter of Dr. Robert Schuller, pastors at Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, would get her on the show.
"We thought they would either really want her or not want her at all," says her mother, Donna. "When she got cast, one of the criticisms we got was, 'How could you, of all people, let your daughter be cast.' We thought we, of all people, should be doing this. If we can live our faith and belief in the Bible, why shouldn't we show this. We're very proud of her."
Being labeled "The Preacher's Daughter," Schuller thinks, might lead to stereotypes.
"I'm like every other teenager," she says. "I've grown up with it all my life."
The show has had an impact on Schuller's life.
Plans to study pre-medicine at Southern Methodist University in Dallas were put off in favor of show business.She's taking voice lessons and appearing in local plays."Professionals in the industry told us that if she wanted to go into music and acting, she should not go to Texas at this time," says her mother. "This show has definitely changed the course of her life."
Talan Torriero
(The Quarterback)
When Torriero filled out his 11-page application in January, he hoped he might fit what MTV was looking for.
He played varsity football and volleyball, was in a leadership class and liked art.
"I took a lot of time â?? 2- 1/2 hours â?? to fill it out," he said in February. "I wanted them to know me in person."
Since then he's become starting quarterback of the high school's football team.
"I'm very excited to see it; it's going to be surprising," he says. "So far it really hasn't affected me. My friends just say stuff here and there. I know other guys (on opposing football teams) will find out I'm in the show. They obviously want to kill me because I'm the quarterback, but they're really going to want to kill me more because I'm on the show."
He doesn't think the role will propel him into an acting career: "It was just something I did for fun."
Torriero plans to leave Laguna Beach and explore out-of-state colleges.
"I want to live a different life and broaden my experiences," he says. "That way, when I come back I'll appreciate it more."
