The Reason MTV Canceled Laguna Beach After Only Three Seasons
"Laguna Beach" was one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of the 2000s. The MTV reality series followed a group of young, privileged teenagers from Orange County, California as they navigated the ups and downs of life, per Distractify. Over the course of the show, these students dealt with issues pertaining to friendships, romantic relationships, backstabbing, unrequited love, and much more. In addition to seeing the teenage drama unfold, viewers also got a peek into the teens' lavish lifestyles, which included stunning homes, parties on the beach, trips to Cabo, events like fashion shows, and even expensive cars.
The cast of the show included breakout stars like Lauren Conrad, who went on to design her own line of clothing, Kristin Cavallari, who currently owns her own jewelry line, and Stephen Colletti, who went on to star on TV shows like "One Tree Hill" (per Us Weekly). Other noteworthy cast members included Talan Torriero, Jason Wahler, Lo Bosworth, Jessica Smith, and Trey Phillips.
The show ran from 2004 until 2006 on MTV before the network finally pulled the plug. However, many of the cast members continued on with MTV as they settled into life after high school.
Season 3 didn't live up to the hype
After two seasons of "Laguna Beach," all of the original cast members had graduated from high school and moved on. Some went to college, others tried their luck by moving to Los Angeles. This is when "The Hills" was born. The show followed Lauren Conrad and her best friend Heidi Montag as they lived and worked in L.A. During its run, the series also featured Brody Jenner, Jason Wahler, Audrina Patridge, and others.
Meanwhile, MTV attempted to continue with another season of "Laguna Beach." The show shifted to a new group of teenagers, including Tessa Keller, Kyndra Mayo, Chase Johnson, Cameron "Cami" Edwards, and even Lauren Conrad's younger sister, Breanna Conrad (via Orange County Register). However, the third season of the series didn't live up to the first two seasons. With ratings down, MTV pulled the plug on the series halfway through filming for Season 4, according to Daily Pilot.
The network later moved the show to a new location with new people for the spin-off "Newport Harbor," but that series only lasted for 12 episodes.
Fans still love Laguna Beach
Although "Laguna Beach" Season 3 and "Newport Harbor" were flops for MTV, "The Hills" continued to be a fan favorite. The show ran from 2006 until 2010. Nearly a decade later, the network opted to revive the show for "The Hills: New Beginnings." The cast included former stars Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge, Brody Jenner, Stephanie Pratt, Whitney Port, and Jason Wahler. Mischa Barton, Ashley Wahler, and others also joined the cast. The revival lasted for two seasons before it was canceled, per People Magazine.
Meanwhile, fans continue to be obsessed with the original "Laguna Beach" cast. In 2020, the cast reunited over Zoom to catch up on their lives since the show ended, per Entertainment Weekly. And when Kristin Cavallari and Stephen Colletti launched their "Back To The Beach" podcast in 2022, people took notice (via Variety). The former high school sweethearts rewatched Season 1 of the series and gave behind-the-scenes facts about the show. They also had former cast members as guests along the way.
While fans may never see another show like "Laguna Beach" come along, they can watch the show on streaming sites such as Netflix and Paramount Plus.