Hot Summer TV 2006

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BEACH BUMS

Laguna Beach

There's no need to lie: We're a little nervous about hanging in our favorite Orange County town (sorry, Newport Beach) because the first two seasons' standout bad girl, Kristin Cavallari, isn't around to stir things up. Nor, for that matter, is introspective rival Lauren or inexplicable girl magnet Jason, who both served as Kristin's humble foils. But we're trusting the producers to bring us prettily packaged drama from the beachside town, even if it comes from a whole new cast of ''real'' high schoolers. ''Season 2 was sort of a sequel to season 1,'' says exec producer Tony DiSanto. ''But this year is really starting from scratch.''

Luckily, we can cling to some reassurances. ''You'll recognize the world, the feel, the places,'' says DiSanto. ''They're high school kids, so their stories are universal to some degree.''

Lauren's younger sister, Breanna (and boy-crazy doormat Jessica, who makes an appearance), also provides continuity — otherwise, look for big changes. The guys this time are ''way more into sports beyond surfing,'' says DiSanto. That means a bona fide quarterback and an aspiring rock star. He isn't providing their names — or much other information — because producers are still sussing out story lines. But he does offer this promise: ''There's one or two Kristins in the bunch.''