It's been more than eight (!!) long years since "The O.C." signed off the airwaves after its four-season run on Fox, and the Chrismukkah gods must have heard our cries of sorrow: The entire series is now available to stream online, for free, via CW Seed.

The show quietly made its way online on Monday, and fans of Ryan, Seth, Summer, and yes, even Marissa, could barely contain their collective glee. While the series is available on DVD, and individual episodes can be purchased via Amazon and iTunes, this is the first time it's been available via a streaming platform, a head-scratching omission that has now, thankfully, been righted.

While CW Seed may seem like an odd place for the program, which aired on Fox, it likely ended up there instead of on more popular platforms Netflix and Hulu thanks to its rights holder, Warner Bros. Television. The CW, if you'll recall, was the product of a merger between The WB and UPN.

However it happened, we couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to many nights ahead spent with Captain Oats, Sandy Cohen's eyebrows, and copious Death Cab for Cutie references. Welcome to "The O.C." streaming, bitch.

[via: CW Seed]

Photo credit: CW Seed