It's been a breath of fresh air to find a teen show where the main family--attractive, rich, fun, and glamorous--is not only Jewish but actually makes our religion appealing.

I'm sad that The O.C. is over. Sure, I admit it's a little campy sometimes what with Marissa swallowing vials of pills, Ryan dealing with his ex-girlfriend who may be pregnant with his baby, a greedy business mogul who would sell his son-in-law (and anyone else) down the river for a buck. But I think the writing is sharp, and far more believable than that unrelentingly witty banter on Dawson's Creek. I like rooting for the underdog teen delinquent, Ryan, who was taken in by his public defender. And, yes, I like that there are cool Jews on a TV show that can talk about being Jewish beyond stereotypical jokes or a local hate crime in town.

The best Jewish rep has to be handsome albeit geeky Seth Cohen, teen son of interfaith couple Sandy and Kirsten (he's Jewish, she's not). Seth has become a TV favorite for his self-deprecating outlook, silly observations, and sharp wit. (Favorite line: " My Jew-fro is frizzing out, I look like Screech.") He is the ideal combination of dork and adorable, a sensitive wise-ass who's the first to make fun of his own sensitivity. Plus, there's his adventurous spirit, which includes the time he cashed in his Bar Mitzvah bonds for a trip to Vegas. Says 20-something The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz about Seth: "I remember when I was a kid I was always looking for someone like that, that was cool, to kind of get behind, and hopefully Seth Cohen will be that to inspire more kids to be proud of their background."

Seth's father, Sandy (played by Peter Gallagher), is also a much needed departure from all the Jewish doctors and business tycoons typically seen in the media. This kind-hearted dad is a lawyer--but wait!--not a money-hungry lawyer looking to screw the man, but a public defender who cares about doing good in the world. (He is rich only thanks to his wealthy, WASPy wife.) With his heart of gold, he opens his home to a troublemaking teen client (Ryan), engages in regular chit-chats with Seth about sex, life and other teen matters, and constantly displays affection for his wife. He is proud to be Jewish, and known for lines such as, "Valentine's Day is not a holiday. Rosh Hashana, that's a holiday. . ." It should also be noted how cool it is to see a Jewish dad who's a hottie--a far cry from the shlubby father of Jewish teen David from Beverly Hills 90210 or the that of Monica and Ross on Friends.

See you later victims and stereotypes

It's not that Judaism is always shown in a soft, shimmering light on The O.C.. There are moments of tension, such as when Sandy's controlling mother comes to visit and drives everyone crazy with her judgmental nature. There are also challenging interfaith moments, like during Passover when Sandy asks Kirsten to make Passover dinner in an effort to please his mother (they usually go to a friend's for Pesach) and she feels lost and put upon.

But the point is that being Jewish is a normal part of the family's life, sometimes good, sometimes annoying--which most of us can relate to. Rather than rolling our eyes at another Jewish TV character being victimized (i.e. like on Beverly Hills 90210 , when brainy Andrea gets chastised by the also Jewish sorority president for wearing her Star of David necklace to a meeting), there is joy in seeing The Cohens happily practice Jewish traditions with no price to be paid. One of my favorite episodes is when Summer, Seth's hot-stuff shiksa girlfriend, tries to memorize "The Four Questions" to impress Seth during Passover dinner. Although her Hebrew pronunciation is abysmal, it is one of the most tender moments of the season.

Instead of witnessing stereotypes of Judaism (like witch-in-training "Willow Rosenberg" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who is admired for her scholarly brains), it's great to see Seth, who cares most about girls, his friendship with Ryan, and trying to develop a cool reputation. Although we know he's incredibly bright, we know basically nothing about his academic achievements. It's just not a factor.

Most of us don't look for TV shows to reflect reality. In fact, many of us turn on the tube to avoid real life for a few hours. It's fun to get caught up in worlds where the characters are totally different than us, whether it's the over-indulged life of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica or the fantastical world of Charmed. But it's great to see a long-ignored piece of our identity--Judaism--reflected back to us and millions of non-Jews as something positive and, well, downright normal. The bottom line: The O.C. has actually managed to bring out more of my Jewish pride over the last year. And I can't recall that ever happening as a result of mainstream TV before.

Michelle Cove is the former editor of JVibe, who is very busy watching TV when she isn't reading volumes of scholarly classics.