Three years after Mischa Barton’s stint as troubled Marissa Cooper onThe OCended, her acting career had hit a bit of a roadblock.

After a handful of small roles in films likeSt Trinians,You and Iand 2008’sAssassination of a High School President, she never quite managed to emulate the mainstream success she’d enjoyed a few years prior.

In 2009, she was cast as the lead on the CW’s teen seriesThe Beautiful Life, which promised drama, scandal and high fashion antics of New York’s elite. Incidentally, it was also directed by Ashton Kutcher.

Barton played supermodel Sonja Stone who returns to New York after ‘mysteriously disappearing’ to give birth to her secret daughter. But her top model influence is waning with newer and younger models entering ‘the scene’.

Watch the trailer for The Beautiful Life – just excuse the 2000s Youtube quality:

For all intents and purposes, it should have been the perfect teen binge show, yet the series utterly and completely bombed. And this was a travesty.

The viewership was dismal and the reviews even worse.

“Even the well-chronicled off-screen misadventures of star Mischa Barton don’t make ‘TBL’ any more interesting,” quippedDaily News.

“‘TBL’ is little more than a title in search of an actual show — less TV to talk about, per the CW’s ad campaign, than TV to groan at,” offered Variety .

USA Today’s review was a little more diplomatic: “Boring is never pretty. On the not-precisely-scintillating plus side,The Beautiful Lifeisn’t the worst new show of the season,” they wrote.

Yes that is Nico Tortorella from Younger you see with Mischa Barton. Image: The CW.

Although the show was pulled after just two episodes, the first five of a rumoured six produced episodes were later uploaded on YouTube and you must binge them right now.

Think of it asGossip Girlmixed withAmerica's Next Top Model.That's surely worth the 3.5 hour time commitment to see Barton at her angsty, Marissa Cooper-esque best. The #throwback fashion is pretty great too - ruffles, bandage dresses and skinny jeans feature very prominently.

Familiar faces like Nico Tortorella (who currently plays Josh onYounger),Aquamarine's Sara Paxton and even Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson appear ion the show.

If you find yourself hankering for a trashy television fix, look no further thanThe Beautiful Life,the TV series that never was.

Yes, the acting might be a bit stiff, the characters snarky and the storylines predictable, but it makes for some fantastically fluffy, nostalgic viewing that will have you craving a whole season.

Do you remember watching The Beautiful Life? What did you think of it? Tell us in a comment below.