Kevin Sorbo Lands in The O.C.

To the random channel surfer, "The O.C." might seem like its too "Beverly Hills 90210" or "Melrose Place" with kids for more mature audiences. But, the show is probably more "Dawson’s Creek" meets "Seventh Heaven" when you want to look at it in terms of genre contemporaries. However, Orange County has something for everyone, even the cult fanboy. Adam Brody stars as Seth Cohen, the "Star Wars," "Battlestar Galactica," anime, manga, and comics fan so many of us are or know. George Lucas even made an appearance in a scene with Brody’s character near the end of Season Two.

The show is a fun family drama, so it’s no wonder that former "Hercules" and "Andromeda" star Kevin Sorbo wants a piece of the action. Why not? Former "Xena" villain Melinda Clarke (who also appeared in an episode of Joss Whedon’s "Firefly" filmed for FOX) has been a series regular since the pilot. Sorbo made a big impression in his first episode called "The Earth Girls Are Easy" in which he was introduced via a subplot involving Clarke’s character Julie Cooper. Sorbo had not been doing too much since the end of "Andromeda," but now he has blown "O.C." viewers away with a startling revelation in the final seconds of the show’s fall finale.

Sorbo’s character Frank is actually Frank Atwood, Ryan’s absentee father. Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) is the show’s main subject, as it centers around the boy the Cohen family adopted because his mother was a drunk and his brother a delinquent. The lost teenager has grown into a strong-minded young man over the course of the series, and now his father showing up out of the blue threatens to rattle him as badly as the loss of his long-time love Marissa (played by Barton until her character’s sudden death last season). Already, Sorbo’s arrival and his character’s emergence show promise for can’t-miss episodes ahead.

The next new episode, "The My Two Dads," will feature Sorbo as Frank Atwood when father and son clash in reunion, and it will air Thursday, January 4th, at 9PM Eastern Time on FOX.