One Tree Hill, The O.C., and 8 iconic TV shows shockingly turning 20 in 2023

Each year, we look back at the entertainment that inspired us in the past while also lamenting the startling passage of time. How has it already been 20 years since our favorite TV shows from high school premiered?! No one sees it coming and yet, the time comes for us all.

In 2023, so many pop culture classics from the year 2003 will be ringing in their shocking 20th anniversaries. From prominent teen sensations The O.C. and One Tree Hill to beloved sitcoms like Arrested Development and That’s So Raven, the early aughts hits are turning 20.

Beyond the bigger titles that we’re still talking about today, some of which have spawned rewatch podcasts, other shows like The Bachelorette, NCIS, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show hit the double decade mark. It seems like just yesterday that these shows were premiering.

Best TV shows turning 20 in 2023

Some of the most influential television shows in pop culture history are hitting the 20-year milestone in 2023. We’re highlighting eight of the biggest shows turning 20, beginning below with the teen drama staple The O.C.

The O.C.

Maybe the most monumental teen soap since Beverly Hills, 90210 said farewell in the year 2000, The O.C. made its premiere on Fox (the same network as 90210) on Aug. 5, 2003. Similarly, the series was a runaway success, dominating pop culture and turning its on-screen teen foursome into overnight stars. Although The O.C. burned bright and fast, ending in 2007 after four seasons, its impact on TV, indie music, and 2000s nostalgia is still felt today.

NCIS

Amazingly, NCIS stands as the only scripted series featured on this list that’s still on the air today. The CBS procedural started airing its 20th season in September 2022, which makes sense given the series rings in its 20th anniversary on Sept. 23, 2023. NCIS has spawned almost 500 episodes, three spinoffs (with one still on the way), and shows no signs of slowing down.

One Tree Hill

Hot on the heels of The O.C.’s premiere in August 2003, The WB got back in the teen drama ring with One Tree Hill on Sept. 23, 2003. The series, at least at first, was a little less soapy and a little more grounded than its contemporary, but OTH quickly became known for its off-the-rails storylines that spanned nine seasons. It’s hard to believe we met the Tree Hill Ravens 20 years ago!

Two and a Half Men

It might not be Friends or The Office, but Two and a Half Men certainly ranks as one of the most successful television sitcoms of all time. After premiering in September 2003 on CBS and having a rocky 12-season run, the Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen comedy concluded with its legacy (mostly) intact. If anything, the series cemented co-creator Chuck Lorre as a sitcom force.

That’s So Raven

This one will hurt for all of us who grew up watching That’s So Raven on the Disney Channel as kids. But the day has come when the series officially turns the big 2-0. Even two decades later, the legacy of the series lives on and stands the test of time. It’s no surprise that Raven returned home for the Disney Channel reboot Raven’s Home, which was renewed for a sixth season.

Arrested Development

After Arrested Development was canceled after three seasons, the Emmy Award-winning comedy immediately earned the “canceled too soon” badge of honor. The series also became a cult favorite that wasn’t ever forgotten. The series went on to produce two more seasons for Netflix in 2013 and 2018-19. In 2023, Arrested Development celebrates 20 years of Bluth quotes and gifs becoming part of the online lexicon.

The Bachelorette

Less than one year after the premiere of The Bachelor on ABC in March 2002, the network dropped The Bachelorette on Jan. 8, 2003. The debut season starred The Bachelor runner-up Trista Sutter, who has been married to her season’s winner Ryan Sutter since December 2003. Twenty years and 19 seasons later, The Bachelorette remains a key piece of the machine that is Bachelor Nation.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – APRIL 14: Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton aririve for the “Simple Life 2” Welcome Home Party at The Spider Club on April 14, 2004 in Hollywood. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) /

The Simple Life

Twenty years ago, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie embarked on a comedic journey of ditching their wealth and privilege to walk a mile in the average Joe’s shoes. Sure, the reality series The Simple Life might have made Paris and Nicole the butt of the joke at first, but history is most definitely in their favor. And boy, did they make reality TV history with The Simple Life.

One Tree Hill, The O.C., and 8 iconic TV shows shockingly turning 20 years old in 2023

By Reed Gaudens | Dec 27, 2022