It’s like “The OC” minus the sunsets, with a less funny, less charming Seth Cohen, and boasting a 34 year-old, lame-ish, pseudo-rock star in the place of Peter Gallagher.

That said, it’s oddly compelling. There are cliques, overbearing parents, scenes of alcohol abuse, dashes of drug use, and two kids from the “wrong side of the tracks” (read: they live in an artsy, enormous, high-ceilinged loft in SOHO, instead of in a penthouse on Park Avenue).

Ultimately, the show’s just kind of weird. There’s just a bunch of weirdness. For one, everyone’s attractive, but not quite attractive enough. For two, there were two attempted rapes in the pilot (perpetrated by the same character), both of which the show managed to creepily gloss over as if they were–albeit evil–everyday events, set against intense music and fancy parties, and serving as drama-enhancers in the already melodramatic lives of these rich teens. Also, the actors are bland. This is weird, since you gotta figure every actor between 14 and 44 tried out for the parts. See, there’s just no obvious, pleasant surprise of a fresh talent (like Adam Brody), nor is there a perfectly, comically atrocious actor (like Misha Barton). Instead, there’s just bland people gazing at each other, looking like brooding, self-pitying 24 year-olds who happen to be in high school (even if we never see them there).

But hey, it’s fun to gripe. I mean, I kinda liked the show. And isn’t half the point of these shows to make fun of them? Besides, it’s a teenage drama, and “The OC” is off the air.

Then again, “Friday Night Lights” comes on in 3 weeks, and, really, isn’t that the only thing that matters?