100% agree. It was like a network executive had been watching a episode of 24 and thought the Kim storylines were amazing and was like "wow, this is amazing writing!. She's getting attacked by stalkers, rapists and murderous baby sitters, cougars, all in the span of 24 for hours. How can we bottle that and make a character like that storyline?" and a writer went away and created Johnny based on their feedback.

The entire of season 3 was a trainwreck that you can thank the network for. They were the ones that forced the writers to dial up the drama. They forced them to make Johnny a regular and keep ratcheting up the drama on that one. They turned the Kirsten rehab storyline in to a thriller plot by forcing the writers in to adding that friend that's trying to steel her money (the network felt that audiences wouldn't be interested if it was a simple alcohol addiction plot).

>The OC was good too, although after the first season you kinda got the impression the writers didn't know what to do

I felt the opposite with season 1. It was controlled with some amazing songs and great moments and it was hilarious. Season 1 felt like the writers knew where they wanted to go with it. The wheels started to come off in season 2 as the network started tightening their grip on it and influencing storylines, like forcing the writers to get rid of a gay storyline cause they felt it was too raunchy for network tv. Then it all went to hell in season 3 when the network forced them to turn the whole thing into a soap opera. The audience bolted and the network swiftly cancelled it in season 4, trying to put the blame on everyone else, when it was them that sunk it.

It's kind of like Buffy meets Nancy Drew. It has a main arc like that Buffy but has episodic cases sprinkled in.