Laguna Beach

Yes, fans. It's that time of year. Laguna Beach is back and better than ever.

Well, at least it's back! With the kids on the first two seasons moving on to bigger and better things (if you can consider Kristin Cavallari's new "career" bigger and/or better), or having graduated to their own series, it's about time for Orange County, Calif., to crank out some new pretty, preppy and petty new stars on Laguna Beach.

From the looks of the previews, the producers have done a fine job of that. The hit show, which premieres tonight at 10, will keep it in the family -- at least in the case of one star. Breanna Conrad, sister of Laguna alum Lauren Conrad, a.k.a. "LC," will be a principal cast member.

After she graduated high school, Lauren moved to L.A. and was given her own spinoff, The Hills, which proved a surprising hit in its own right. Bringing along some Laguna star power and drama in the form of on-off beau Jason Wahler didn't hurt.

In any case, Breanna and classmates are ready to run it back for Laguna Beach's third season. It didn't take creator Liz Gateley long to unearth a new generation of SoCal girls who stress about boys and have daggers out for rival girls (for reasons viewers, and even cast members themselves, often forget).

Not to worry, there's also a new stock of clueless dudes, ones for whom the maintenance of abdominal muscles seems life's primary objective. One of the new guys is the lead singer of a band that appears to be awful, reminding one once more how far MTV has fallen from presenting actual music to glossy nighttime soap operas under the guise of "reality."

But hey, it works. Run with it!

There isn't too much gossip to report at the moment (even for The Gossip), but here's a Laguna Beach Season 3 spoiler you never saw coming: The popular girls tend to be mean.

With their respective boyfriends, that is. Although the former Laguna Beach stars, whose ongoing feud is well-documented, have definitely broken up numerous times, in a manner of speaking. We're saying there's no love lost between the Cali cuties!

In any case, Kristin Cavallari (right) has split with boyfriend Brody Jenner, People magazine confirms, while Lauren Conrad (below) has ended things with Jason Wahler, her beau on both Laguna Beach and The Hills, according to Teen People.

"Yes, Brody and I broke up. It's just hard right now because I am working all the time. We're still good friends though," Cavallari, 19, said.

The off-and-on couple, who met through Laguna Beach co-star Talan Torriero, originally broke up in the fall, but got back together shortly after.

In between spending time with Jenner, 22, Cavallari was spotted several times with rebound-tang crazed Nick Lachey, but friends say it was never anything serious. Cavallari described her romance with Jenner, the son of Olympian Bruce Jenner and a Guess model, as her first mature relationship.

"He's good-looking and he makes me laugh for hours," she told Teen People.

Cavallari, whose fame has rocketed since the second season of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, recently wrapped her film Fingerprints, and is now shooting Spring Breakdown. Both are slated for release next year.

Meanwhile, Lauren "LC" Conrad, 19, confirms she is no longer with Jason â€" even after she made the dubious decision to stay in California with him, rather than take an internship in Paris, on the season finale of The Hills.

On Laguna Beach, LC ended things with Jason, 20, after catching him kissing his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Smith, 18.

But for some reason, the two got back together shortly thereafter, and he was a regular presence on The Hills, her Laguna spin-off.

Lauren's younger sister, Breanna Conrad, 16, heads up an all-new cast of Laguna Beach, which makes its premiere August 16 on MTV.

If history is any indication, the much-anticipated Season 3 should provide tons of drama, some scandalous hooking up, underage drinking, a lot of gossip and ample hanging out at the beach.