Channel 4 has announced that it has picked up all four seasons of The O.C. and will make the show available free via All 4 later this month.

The cult teen drama ran between 2003 and 2007 and made stars of Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson and Ben McKenzie, earning credit for capturing the zeitgeist of the early noughties.

Channel 4 has stealthily been making acquisitions for its on-demand service over the last year and will release all four seasons of The O.C. for streaming on Friday, January 22.

Other classic series available through All 4 include One Tree Hill, Freaks and Geeks, Scrubs, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel.

At its peak The O.C., which aired on FOX in the US, pulled in almost 13 million viewers.