Article: MTV's `Laguna Beach' drowns in self-absorption.(Arts and Lifestyle)

Byline: Sarah Rodman

"Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County." Series premiere tonight at 10:30 on MTV.

One star (out of four)

MTV is breaking ground again.

With "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," the erstwhile music network has created a new kind of programming: the out-of-touch-with-reality show.

The producers prefer the term "reality drama," since "Laguna Beach" (premiering tonight at 10:30) fuses the soapy conventions of such shows as "The O.C." with the verite approach of "The Real World."

The series is shot on digital video, giving it a slick professional look, and such reality staples as confessionals are ...

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