The Spectrum

Issue date: 9/15/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Contributed Photos/ Amazon.com

DVD sales have rapidly grown ever since the seasons of the most popular TV shows have been released to devoted audiences everywhere. Targeted college students have purchased these DVD collections so that they can stay on top of the latest gossip between hit TV shows such as Friends, The O.C. and MTV's Laguna Beach.

Between studying, sports activities, and their own social life, college students don't always have a half hour to set aside to watch what has happened on their favorite TV drama this week. By recording re-runs on DVD, producers have touched the hearts of loyal fans and have made it easy for them to stay captivated in their favorite TV programs.

Ever since the tenth season of Friends went off air May 2004, fans of the TV success have set aside time to catch the re-runs on DVD.

"I have all ten seasons on DVD and continue to watch them since the final episode last fall. It was a perfect way for me to catch up on what I had missed since the show aired during my cheerleading practice time," said Lindsey Jiampetti, a junior from Somers Point, NJ.

Four months after Friends had ended, MTV launched Laguna Beach, a reality series filming beautiful people in "the real Orange County".

"I had never watched Laguna originally, but since the show has been hyped up so much lately, I just went out and bought the first season on DVD to see what everyone was talking about," said junior, Mallory Angell of Tiverton, Rhode Island. Even though the first episode of Laguna Beach aired in September of 2004, the show really seems to be taking off now, one year later.

The seasons of these TV shows don't need to come to an end in order for shelves to be emptying in your local Walmart or Best Buy. FOX Network's The O.C. is one of the most popular TV shows brought to DVD courtesy of Warner Bros.

"Having all of the episodes on DVD really gave me something to go back to at the end of the day. I love my seasons of The O.C. because the days when I couldn't watch to see if Marissa and Ryan were getting back together, I was able to catch what I had missed once the seasons came out on DVD," said Emily Quin, a senior from Stratford, Connecticut.

This pop-culture phenomenon will continue to soar as long as prime-time soaps such as The O.C. and Laguna Beach continue to air. Thick boxes containing these TV/DVD sets can be found on shelves throughout the dorms on campus, and while walking through the halls, one is likely to catch up on the scripted lives of Marissa and Ryan, or the high school experiences of Kristin and LC.

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