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One Tree Hill (TV series)
Encyclopedia
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn
, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network
. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN
to form The CW Television Network
, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster for the show in the USA. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill in North Carolina
and originally follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas Scott
(Chad Michael Murray
) and Nathan Scott
(James Lafferty
). Their relationship evolves from heartless enemies to caring brothers, and the basketball drama, as well as the brothers' on-again/off-again romances with female characters, are significant elements within the series.
The first four seasons of the show focus on the main characters' lives through their high school years. With the beginning of the fifth season, Schwahn decided to skip the timeline four years ahead, showing their lives after college. In the seventh season, he adjusted the timeline fourteen months into the future after the sixth season. The opening credits were originally intertwined with the song "I Don't Want to Be
" by Gavin DeGraw
playing in the background. The theme was removed from the opening in the fifth season; Schwahn said the decision was made to lower production costs, add more time for the storyline, and because he felt that the song was more representative of the core characters' adolescent past, not their present maturity. The credits then only consisted of the title written on a black background. The theme was restored for Season 8, due to audience demand, and was sung by different artists each week.
The series premiered to 2.5 million viewers and rose to 3.3 million in its second week, becoming one of only three shows to rise in their second episode during the 2003–2004 television season. Season one went on to average 3.5 million viewers, while the second season was the highest rated in the series, averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly and a 1.9 Adults 18–49 rating. It has also won Teen Choice Awards
. On May 12, 2009, it was confirmed that Murray and Hilarie Burton
declined to return for the seventh season, although stories on what transpired vary. Their characters (Lucas and Peyton
) had been two of the five main protagonist
s, as well as one of the central love stories, throughout the show.
On May 17, 2011, One Tree Hill was renewed for a ninth
and final season, with a 13-episode order. Bethany Joy Galeotti
and Sophia Bush
are signed on for one final season, while James Lafferty will continue as a part-time series regular. Chad Michael Murray will make a special appearance in the final season. The season will premiere Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 8:00 pm.
(Chad Michael Murray
) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), both of whom start out as enemies but bond as friends and as brothers as the show progresses. With the help of Keith (Craig Sheffer
), who believes Lucas is a talented basketball player, Coach Brian "Whitey" Durham (Barry Corbin
) recruits Lucas on the team. Nathan has the same love for basketball as Lucas. As Lucas falls in love with Peyton Sawyer
(Hilarie Burton
), who happens to be Nathan's girlfriend and later ex, Nathan falls in love with Lucas' best friend, Haley James (Bethany Joy Galeotti
). Lucas later dates and falls in love with Brooke Davis
(Sophia Bush
). Both brothers share the same father, Dan Scott (Paul Johansson
), who is also Keith's brother. Backstory given is that after having a high school relationship with Karen Roe (Moira Kelly
), Dan conceived Lucas but never claimed him as his son; he did claim Nathan. After leaving Karen, he meets and quickly marries Deb Scott (Barbara Alyn Woods
), with whom he conceives Nathan. Although having been married for seventeen years, they divorce and choose different paths. Deb starts having alcoholic problems on and off, until she finally recovers. She also begins a strong friendship, and later partnership, with Karen against Dan's will. However, in the later seasons, the show focuses less on them and the three of them leave the show. Karen marries her college professor, Andy Hargrove (Kieren Hutchison
), Dan realizes his sins and temporarily leaves the town, and Deb returns to Tree Hill after an absence but eventually leaves again.
The first season
deals with the first half of the main teenage characters' junior years (up to the playoffs). Major storylines include the rivalry between Lucas and Nathan, the blossoming of Nathan and Haley's relationship, the setup of the Peyton-Lucas-Brooke love triangle
, along with the parents' own love quadrangle, and the basketball state championship.
The second season
puts aside basketball and explores new romances. These romances consist of Lucas and Anna Taggaro (Daniella Alonso), Jake Jagielski (Bryan Greenberg
) and Peyton, and Felix Taggaro (Michael Copon
) and Brooke. Also featured is the unrequited love of Mouth McFadden (Lee Norris
) for Brooke, the disintegration of Nathan and Haley's marriage, largely due to character Chris Keller, Peyton's temporary drug problem and related issues, and the repercussions of Dan's genetic disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
– especially on Lucas. Karen goes back to school, beginning a relationship with her teacher, Andy Hargrove, in addition to starting the Tric club. Also in this season, a troubled Deb struggles with an addiction.
The third season
puts the focus back on basketball and features the arrival of trouble-maker Rachel Gatina (Danneel Harris
), who stirs drama in the Brooke-Lucas romance, the resurfacing of Peyton's romantic feelings for Lucas, Jake and Peyton's relationship drawing to a close, while Nathan and Haley reconcile and plan a wedding. Chris Keller exits the season permanently. Dan has a major subplot trying to solve the murder attempt made on his life during the previous season's cliffhanger. A major episode involving most of the main cast in a hostage situation at Tree Hill High ("With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept") culminates with Peyton getting shot in the leg and almost dying due to significant blood loss, and Dan murdering Keith.
The fourth season
features the second infamous Peyton-Lucas-Brooke love triangle. Haley's pregnancy is threatened by Nathan's risky forays into gambling and loan sharks. Peyton is stalked by an impostor (referred to as Psycho Derek by the group) posing as her half-brother Derek. Lucas and the real Derek come and save her. Lucas looks for the truth behind his uncle's death, as visions of Keith lead him to suspect Jimmy did not kill him, while Dan is rekindling his romance with Karen. It also sees Lucas and Peyton entering into an official romantic relationship, the Chase Adams (Stephen Colletti
) and Brooke romance, and the growing friendship between Brooke and Rachel. Chris Keller makes an appearance, and the group enjoy a "real prom" after theirs is ruined by incidents such as further interactions with Psycho Derek. The season builds up to Lucas discovering Dan killed Keith, the group's graduation from high school and Haley and Karen having their babies.
The fifth season
jumps forward in time four-plus years. The gap is sometimes shown in flashback as the characters struggle with adulthood and return to the town of Tree Hill for various reasons. Lucas, a published author, is in a committed relationship with his editor, Lindsey Strauss (Michaela McManus
), which becomes a love triangle when Peyton returns from a failed music career in Los Angeles. The marriage of Nathan and Haley goes into crisis as Nathan faces major depression after being seriously injured. Brooke looks for life beyond success in her work life and helps Peyton launch a music label. Lucas and Skills return to the Tree Hill Ravens as coaches and later ask Nathan to help with hot shot player Quentin.
The sixth season
features the progression of the romance between Lucas and Peyton, as they plan a wedding and deal with Peyton's dangerous pregnancy. Brooke takes in a foster child, Sam, and fights her mother for control of her company. A major storyline follows Lucas as his book is optioned for a film, and Julian Baker (Austin Nichols
) is introduced. Mouth and Millicent Huxtable (Lisa Goldstein
) work on their relationship as Nathan and Haley reach for their individual dreams.
The seventh season
is set one year into the future after the sixth season, where Lucas and Peyton have moved away and two new regular characters are introduced: Haley's sister Quinn; and Nathan's agent Clay. Danneel Harris makes a return as Rachel. The first half of the season focuses on Quinn and Clay's developing relationship after the death of Clay's wife, Sarah. Nathan's NBA career is jeopardized due to a growing scandal that also affects Haley. Dan becomes a motivational speaker with the support of his new wife, Rachel Gatina. Brooke releases her new clothing line, and faces conflicts with Julian and Alex, a model she hired for her company. The second half of the season deals with Haley's depression due to her mother's death. At the end of the season, the Tree Hill gang travel to Utah for the premiere of Julian's completed film.
The eighth season
centers around the progression of Quinn and Clay's relationship after surviving a life-threatening attack, the awaited marriage between Brooke Davis and Julian Baker and the birth of Haley's second child. Another love triangle is formed between Chase, Mia and Alex, while Mouth and Millie rekindle their relationship together. As the season continues, Quinn attempts to capture Katie while Julian and Brooke explore adoption options and Nathan prepares to change his career path. A horrific storm reaches Tree Hill and leaves Brooke and Jamie's lives in danger. Katie returns to get revenge on Quinn. Julian's mother arrives and clashes with Brooke.
The ninth
, and final season will have Brooke and Haley balancing family life with running a busy Karen's Cafe, while Nathan travels more as an agent. A possible wedding may occur with Mouth and Millie, or Clay and Quinn. Lucas will also return when Haley reaches out to him for help.
portrays Lucas Scott
. Murray was the first person cast for One Tree Hill and Schwahn originally wanted him to portray Nathan, having seen him portray "bad guys" before. Murray felt a stronger connection to Lucas, however, as both have abandonment issues, which convinced Schwahn to cast him as Lucas instead. Lucas and Nathan start out as enemies but bond as friends and as brothers as the show progresses. The character's best friend is Haley James, and he is a love interest for Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis as well. His love for the two continue to be an issue throughout most of the series. Aside from basketball, his greatest passion is literature; quotes from the books he reads are used on the show. Lucas tries to find a balance between basketball, his genetic heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
, and his love life. Season 6 was Murray's last season on contract as Lucas. He will return for season nine when Haley reaches out to his character for help.
James Lafferty
portrays Nathan Scott
, the son that Dan did claim, although his relationships with both his parents are strained even at the best of times. When Murray declined to portray Nathan, Schwahn considered Lafferty for the role, who was eventually cast in part due to his skill at playing basketball. In Season 1, Nathan and Lucas start out as enemies, but bond as friends and brothers as the show progresses. He initially uses Haley as revenge against Lucas, but not long after emancipating
himself, and with permission from her parents, he marries her because of love. Haley is initially threatened by Nathan's sexual experience, but they soon overcome this. Like his father and Lucas, Nathan has a love for basketball and a dream to play in college. However, his dream is complicated as his career on the court becomes tangled with supporting his family.
Hilarie Burton
portrays Peyton Sawyer
, whose two greatest passions in life are music and art; she uses her art to express the issues that play out in her life. When Burton auditioned for the part of Ed Harris
's daughter in the film Radio, but did not get the role, the casting department remembered her and subsequently asked that she audition for One Tree Hill. Schwahn said, "[Burton] is an old soul. She's great. She's always just thrilled to do the job, even though she's kind of new to acting. She's just a joy to be around." Brooke Davis is Peyton's best friend, and Peyton is close friends with Haley as well. In Season 1, Peyton is a cheerleader and dates Nathan, the most popular basketball star in Tree Hill High. She becomes attracted to Lucas after meeting him, and soon falls in love with him. In Season 2, she and Lucas become distant and she turns to drugs. Seeing that she is in turmoil, Lucas calls Jake for her, someone she had began having romantic feelings for near the end of Season 1; the two begin dating and fall in love. Throughout the series, Peyton is met with one tragedy after another and faces the depths of her love for Lucas. Whether things are good or bad, Lucas is always there for Peyton. Season 6 was Burton's last season as Peyton.
Bethany Joy Galeotti
(formerly Bethany Joy Lenz) portrays Haley James Scott
, the quintessential girl-next-door who is best friends with Lucas Scott. Haley grew up with a large family but often spent her time by Lucas and Karen because she felt they needed her more in their lives. Working as a waitress at Karen's Café, and, more importantly as a tutor at Tree Hill High, has presented Haley with great opportunities, as well as obstacles. Her life is thrown for a loop when Lucas's half-brother Nathan asks her to tutor him. Risking her relationship with Lucas, Haley agrees but on the condition that her best friend is no longer tormented by Nathan and his friends. This moment changes the Scott family dynamic forever and allows a romance between Nathan and her to flourish. Like any relationship, Nathan and Haley experience many ups and downs together throughout the seasons and must deal with the consequences of each others' actions.
Sophia Bush
portrays Brooke Davis
. In high school, Brooke is the beautiful captain of the cheerleading squad and is Peyton's best friend but is also very close with Haley. She is girlfriend to Lucas twice. Though her life seems perfect, she is in pain dealing with her distant parents, her friends' inability to originally take her seriously, and the betrayal of Lucas and Peyton when they "date" behind her back. She eventually overcomes the betrayal, and is determined to live a full, happy life.
Paul Johansson
portrays Dan Scott, a once great basketball player, who is father to both Lucas and Nathan, although he originally shuns Lucas. After his marriage to Deb crumbles and she and Nathan try to rid themselves of him, Dan's evil comes to the forefront. After Dan finds Deb sleeping with his brother, Keith, a war begins between the two brothers. Dan tries to make amends for all of his wrong-doings, but constantly battles his inner demons.
Barry Corbin
portrays coach Brian "Whitey" Durham, the Ravens coach for over 35 years, retiring in Season 4. He and Dan never saw eye-to-eye and often bickered over their differing opinions on the team. Whitey often laments the death of his wife, Camilla, and the fact that he did not spend more time with her while she was alive. He retires after the Ravens finally win him the much-coveted NC State Championship title but later takes a coaching position in a college three hours away from Tree Hill, so that Nathan has the chance to play college basketball. Whitey makes an appearance in the Season 6 finale.
Craig Sheffer
portrays Keith Scott, Dan's older, kinder, under-achieving brother. After Dan chose Deb over Karen, Keith helped Karen to raise Lucas (acting as a surrogate father to him) and fell in love with her; but they only get together in Season 3. He has a recurring drinking problem and an ongoing rivalry with his brother. When Dan mistakes him for the one who tried to kill him in the dealership fire, he shoots him after the siege at Tree Hill High, killing him instantly. After his death, Karen gives birth to their daughter, Lily Roe-Scott. Keith haunts Dan as a teen and as an adult ghost, but later forgives him for what he has done. He guides his nephews (Lucas and Nathan) as a sort of guardian angel
throughout Season 4.
Moira Kelly
portrays Karen Roe, Lucas's mother. Dan abandoned her after she became pregnant in high school, and with a lot of help from Dan's brother Keith (who, in later years is her lover and father of her second child), Karen raises Lucas to strive for his best potential. She is devastated by Keith's death in Season 3. In Season 4, she gets close to Dan again before learning that he was the one who killed Keith. She gives birth to Keith's daughter, whom she names Lily Roe Scott. In Season 5, Karen is traveling the world with Lily. When she returns for Lucas's wedding, she is accompanied by Andy Hargrove. She also makes an appearance at the end of Season 6.
Barbara Alyn Woods
portrays Deb Scott, Dan's wife and Nathan's mother. Originally benefiting from a normal psyche, she later turns neurotic
. Married to Dan for seventeen years has made her bitter and sad, and she eventually divorces him in Season 3, her hatred of him driving her to attempt to kill him at one point. Deb battles a pill addiction in Season 2 and again in Season 4, but overcomes it for good the second time. She also makes a return during Season 5, as Nathan and Hayley have some problems with nannies for their child. They decided that Deb would be the most suitable candidate. Woods will reprise her role as Deb Lee for the final season.
Lee Norris
portrays Marvin "Mouth" McFadden, one of Lucas's oldest friends, originating from the Rivercourt. His father is named Joey, and his grandad is named Mel. Mel has Alzheimers and so cannot remember portions of his life, such as the 50 years he was married. Mouth is somewhat unlucky in love, being the victim of Brooke's unrequited love in Season 2, being dumped by Erica when she becomes popular and falling for Rachel, only to get sidelined for the older Cooper. GiGi, his co-sports announcer, has also broken up with him after only seeing him for a few weeks and Shelly Simon runs out on him after he loses his virginity to her. In Season 5, he has a fling with his boss, Alice, before finally settling down with Millicent.
Antwon Tanner
portrays Antwon "Skills" Taylor, one of Lucas' oldest friends, originating from the Rivercourt. He takes on a more prominent role in Season 4 when he fills Lucas's vacancy on the Ravens. In Season 5, he becomes the assistant Head Coach of The Ravens basketball team and lives with Mouth, Junk and Fergie.
Danneel Harris
portrays Rachel Gatina, who moves to Tree Hill in Season 3. After joining the cheerleading squad, she instantly clashes with Brooke as she pursues Lucas, although Brooke and Rachel later become friends. In Season 5, Rachel is a former employee of Brooke's and a heroin addict who takes an overdose after being fired by her friend. Brooke brings Rachel back to Tree Hill to help get her life back on track but Rachel leaves again, taking a load of Brooke's cash with her, after an encounter with Victoria. In the seventh season, Rachel returns to the screens as Dan Scott's new wife.
Jackson Brundage
portrays Jamie Scott, Nathan and Haley's highly intelligent son. Jamie sees Nathan as a role-model. He is first introduced in the fifth season, and continues to act as a comic relief or a psych to other characters when they reveal their problems to him throughout the fifth, sixth and seventh seasons, where he is now age seven.
Lisa Goldstein
portrays Millicent Huxtable, Brooke's assistant for Clothes over Bros. She is involved in a romantic relationship with Marvin "Mouth" McFadden. In the Season 6 premiere, she moves to Omaha with him. She returns to Tree Hill during the fifth episode to work for Brooke in her new store. She reunites with Mouth only to enter a series of mishaps.
Austin Nichols
portrays Julian Baker, Peyton's ex-boyfriend from L.A.. He initially comes to Tree Hill to win Peyton back. He offers to produce a film, based on Lucas's first book. At first, Peyton does not reveal to Lucas that Julian is her ex-boyfriend, but she is forced to do when the plans of the movie takes form. Brooke rebuffs his advances until Peyton gives her blessing because she sees that Brooke has serious interest in Julian. After Brooke opens up to Julian, they begin a relationship.
Robert Buckley
portrays Clay Evans, Nathan's sports agent. He is pretty reckless when it comes to love; however, it is revealed that he is the way that he is because his wife passed away.
Shantel VanSanten
portrays Quinn James, the older free spirited sister of Haley. She returns to Tree Hill for Jamie's seventh birthday. At first, it looks like she is staying for a few days. She reveals to Haley that she left David, her husband, commenting that she feels like she is sleeping next to a stranger.
Jana Kramer
portrays Alex Dupre (Alice Whitehead), an actress turned model who moved to Tree Hill to become the new face of Brooke's fashion line, Clothes Over Bros. She later made sexual advances towards, Julian, Booke's boyfriend. She started out as a recurring character, but was upgraded to series regular status in the second half of season seven, through the end of the ninth, and final season.
Stephen Colletti
portrays Chase Adams, a "clean-teen" introduced in season four as a potential love-interest for Brooke. He returned in season five and recurred until the later half of season eight where he was upgraded to series regular status. In season eight, he became involved in a love-triangle with actress, Alex and musician, Mia.
Tyler Hilton
portrays Chris Keller, first appeared in season two, Chris Keller was seen an arrogant, selfish guy, who constantly referred to himself in the third person. He connects with Haley in the second season through her music, and ultimately succeeds in breaking up Nathan and Haley. He returned for minor roles in seasons three and four. Hilton will return as a series regular for season nine as Mark Schwahn had wanted his return since the season five time jump.
film with the title Ravens, after the show's high school basketball team. However, he was convinced that it would be more interesting as a television series. He said the idea for the story came from his own personal experiences. He was more like the character Mouth McFadden, and also went to school in a small town. He played on a basketball team, but some of his friends just played street ball. Schwahn said that in designing the show, he created Lucas as "this underdog
kid from the wrong side of the tracks" who crosses over to the pretty and popular; he wanted to show what the life of such a person would be like in a basketball atmosphere. He felt basketball was a great platform for telling stories, not just about basketball.
The title of the show and the name of the fictional town where the series takes place is derived from the song "One Tree Hill
", which is actually named after the landmark
in New Zealand. Most of the episodes of the show are titles of songs, bands or albums.
Schwahn named the town "Tree Hill" because while he was writing the idea for the show, he had been listening to the album The Joshua Tree
by U2
. At the start of the show, fans often asked Schwahn why the show was named One Tree Hill when the town was just called Tree Hill. The question is ostensibly answered when Karen tells Lucas in episode 1.22, "There is only one Tree Hill...and it's your home."
explained, "Much of the show is based on the mistakes the teens' parents have made and the way these mistakes manifest themselves in the students' lives." Two of the show's most prominent themes have been basketball and romance.
Schwahn stated of the basketball element, "A lot of times, the basketball games for us are like the crimes, or it's the courtroom, the police precinct, or the medical operating arena – it was like our home turf." He said the other shows rarely focus on "the actual case or medical issue [being dealt with]" and are more about the people. "For us, that's what basketball was. It was never about playing basketball, but it was about what was happening to the people when this game or tournament was approaching."
In Season 2, the basketball drama was completely removed from the series, due to executive sentiment that the show was geared more toward a male audience. David Janollari, then-entertainment president at The WB, partly attributed the show’s sophomore success to it shifting its focus from a male-driven sports plot to expand the stories of its girls. He felt they had time to "step back and learn from audience response" and that Schwahn tailored the show toward the "core audience". Schwahn said, "Girls watch the show in large numbers. [In the first season], the girls [on the show] were sort of appendages to the boys." Show producer Joe Davola
and Schwahn agreed with the "sex sells
" and "skin to win" sentiments. Less time on the basketball court could afford One Tree Hill more time for plots fueled by sex and drugs. Lack of basketball drama, however, meant a decrease in male viewership. In a 2006 interview, Schwahn stated, "In the second TV season, we didn't play any basketball, which was the rest of their junior year, and I felt that the show suffered a little bit." For Season 3, the basketball aspect was added back to a lesser degree, and has since continued to be a part of the series.
have created portmanteaux for each, the most prominent being the Lucas and Peyton
(Leyton or LP), Brooke
and Lucas (Brucas or BL), Nathan
and Haley
(Naley or NH), and Jake and Peyton (Jeyton or JP) fandoms. Nathan and Haley's portmanteau "Naley" has been referenced in the show, and three of the pairings have motifs
. For Lucas and Peyton, "I'll be seeing you" (said by Lucas), "You're always saving me" (said by Peyton), and "I'll wait for you" (said by both) serve as their primary themes. Nathan and Haley use "Always and forever," and Jake and Peyton use "Someday." Brooke and Lucas refer to each other by the nicknames "Boyfriend" and "Pretty girl" to occasionally express their love for each other.
Of the Lucas and Peyton romance, Schwahn stated, "Here's what I'll say about that: From the pilot, we designed a world where Peyton and Lucas were meant to be together..." "I would say that, um, for me, the seeds were planted for him to pick Peyton in the pilot – in [that] first episode... When Lucas is at the Rivercourt at the end of that pilot, you know," stated Schwahn, "I think we feel like this is the girl [who] is his soulmate
. And, you know, the pilot ends with him saying, 'I'll be seeing you.'" To complete their dynamic, Schwahn applied a brooding theme. "They're two kids that carry around the weight of the world quite a bit. Can they agree together to let go of that weight? The theme for Lucas and Peyton is, 'How do you learn to be happy when you've spent so much time carrying grief around?'" He added, "Do you feel guilty for being happy? Is it OK to let it go?..." The pairing have been referred to as star-crossed
, and were additionally given their own theme music to assist their second primary theme – Lucas often rescuing Peyton (from either despair, dangerous situations, or herself). First heard in the school shooting episode "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept
," where Lucas strives to save a dying Peyton, the theme titled "Saving Peyton" was composed
by John Nordstrom.
Making Lucas and Peyton the central love story created an intense fanbase rivalry between their fans and those who would rather he be with/end up with Brooke. "[These] are two very passionate camps. And don't think I don't know it," acknowledged Schwahn. "I think sometimes one camp thinks they're being ignored [in the name of the other]." Schwahn said that although he designed Lucas and Peyton to be together from the start, it did not necessarily mean that there was no chance of Brooke and Lucas having a genuine shot at ending up together, and that he was aware of their portrayers', and real-life ex spouses (Chad Michael Murray
and Sophia Bush
's), "great" chemistry. He was not stubbornly holding on to the idea of Leyton. Schwahn said the Peyton/Lucas/Brooke love triangle
is also by intricate design, and became a staple of the show. "There is a huge fanbase dedicated to Brooke and Lucas, and sometimes [those people] feel a bit betrayed, just as the fanbase dedicated to Peyton and Lucas felt betrayed [in Season 2, and parts of Season 3]," said Schwahn. "That tells me that we've done things correctly – that's the strength of a love triangle."
The sentiment of "fanbase betrayal" was first evident with Season 2's episode "Don't Take Me For Granted," where, after saying there is a girl that is "slipping away" and he needs to confess his love for her, Lucas shows up at Brooke's house instead of Peyton's. Most viewers (including Lucas/Peyton and Brooke/Lucas fans) could not relate the "slipping away" line to Brooke, since Peyton had been the girl Lucas was in love with in Season 1 and had now sort of become a stranger to him. Fans pondered four specific questions: When was Brooke slipping away? Did Lucas just mean he did not want to lose her? Was it a plot device to make it seem like Peyton? Or was it Peyton? Speculation that Murray and Bush's marriage affected Lucas's sudden change of heart, including whether or not Brooke and Lucas would be together, was also rampant. Schwahn stated:
The other prominent pairing, Nathan and Haley, emerged as one of the show's supercouple
s. "I think Nathan and Haley... Well [Mark] Schwahn always says that he had that sort of as an 'ace in the hole' the entire time," stated James Lafferty
, portrayer of Nathan. "As he was writing the pilot script, he was planning on doing that, he really didn't know how it would pan out or what would happen. But, the fans have responded so passionately towards it, and I'm not really sure why." However, Lafferty said there is a genuine relationship between Nathan and Haley. "...It started as something sort of based on betrayal and deceit. It then kind of transgressed over into something based on actual true love", said Lafferty. "So, I think that it's a transition that the fans really bought into, and I think that people really enjoy to watch." Schwahn called the couple "gold" and said, "I love Nathan and Haley, and most of our audience does as well." He explained that Nathan and Haley's fan base is strong because they have always been the most stable couple on the show, opining that it confuses him when people ask when he is going to let them be happy. "They have a lot of obstacles come their way," said Schwahn, "but I see them growing – especially with the jump ahead and aging them a little bit – I see them growing into some really great places, not only as individuals, but as a family."
Music plays a significant part in the plot and the movement of the scenes throughout an episode. Schwahn revealed that each episode title is named after a particular song, band, or album that has something in common with the theme of the episode.
In addition to featuring popular indie music on the show, various artists have guest-starred. The show has used the musical aspirations of two characters (Peyton and Haley) to integrate the guest storylines. The in-universe bar and dance-club 'TRIC' and 'Karen's Café' have been the settings of most of the musical performances.
The show has released three soundtrack albums: One Tree Hill – Music From The WB Television Series, Vol. 1
, Friends with Benefit: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Volume 2
and The Road Mix: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Volume 3
. Proceeds of the second soundtrack go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to tie in with a storyline on the show involving breast cancer. On November 13, 2008, iTunes published a soundtrack called Music From One Tree Hill that contained songs from the sixth season.
Episodes follow a regular structure. An episode usually begins with a recap of events relevant to the upcoming narrative; however, this is sometimes dropped due to time constraints. During the first four seasons, the theme tune is played either immediately after the recap, or after the first few scenes. Whenever an episode features sensitive or violent subjects, or when an episode's running length is close to the total allotted time, there is no opening montage but only One Tree Hill written on a black background. With the beginning of Season 5, the theme song "I Don't Want to Be
" by Gavin DeGraw
was abandoned and only the single black-credit title was used. The theme was restored for Season 8, sung by different artists each week. Schwahn's reasons for having removed the theme are various:
One Tree Hill is known for its numerous voice-overs featuring either literary quotes, or characters reflecting on events of the episode. Most of them have been made by Chad Michael Murray
's character Lucas. However, there have been several occurrences where other characters have done so. Guest stars Bryan Greenberg
, Sheryl Lee
, Torrey DeVitto
and Ashley Rickards
have also given their voice to an episode each. Characters who interact with the main cast such as Bevin, Chase, Shelly and Glenda helped to narrate the joint episodes being portrayed by Bevin Prince
, Stephen Colletti
, Elisabeth Harnois and Amber Wallace. As the show progresses, more and more songs have replaced voiceovers. In the beginning of Season 7, Paul Johansson's character, Dan Scott, has taken over the narrator's role.
In 2008, the show planned a black and white noir
-themed episode, to be written by Chad Michael Murray. Schwahn said, "I think that noir-themed is very risky, because I think that can be very dark and very guy-ish in its approach. I'd say this is more Casablanca
infused."
, the main teenage characters are age sixteen. The first and second
seasons equate to one year, and the third
and fourth
seasons equate to another year. Due to this, the main teenage characters are nearly age eighteen at the end of the fourth season; but instead of the show's timeline always contrasting the real world, it sometimes corresponds to it. The timeline was further complicated in the fifth season
of the series, where the show was "dramatically retooled and set four years into the future – after the characters [had] already graduated from college". The fifth season began shooting on July 30, 2007 and premiered January 8, 2008. With this, the characters were stated to be age twenty two. In 2009, Schwahn decided to alter the timeline again, as the seventh season
is set fourteen months after the show's sixth season
, helping to better explain the somewhat abrupt departures of series leads Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton
.
Explaining the reason he chose to start the series with the teenagers as juniors, Schwahn said, "Lucas and Nathan were important players on the [basketball] team, the most important, and I just couldn't see that happening to freshmen." He also wanted to keep the characters in high school longer, saying, "I know a lot of the shows that we started with, the kids are out of high school now and into college and what have you, and I always thought that there was a loss of energy when that happened. It's hard to have everyone go to the same college and everyone stay together for whatever reason, or you lose some of your principles." Schwahn wanted to reinvigorate the show. "The show in many ways has been refaced and reinvigorated. It's very much a twenty-something show now with some relevant adult characters, and I really like that energy for the show," he said, and elaborated:
Schwahn felt that altering the series in this way allowed the storylines to be a little more complex, and said the actors welcomed the change. One critic said, "The fifth season of One Tree Hill completely reinvented the series... It was a risky move, but one that ultimately paid off."
is prominently inserted into the show as a sponsor. Most of the characters on the show have AT&T Mobility (and earlier, Cingular) cell phones. The company has given One Tree Hill fans the chance to make several choices about the show's plot. One example was whether or not Nathan and Taylor would kiss when they met at the 'Swinging Donkey' bar in Season 2; the fans chose for them not to.
Sunkist
is another sponsor which can be spotted at concerts in episodes such as "When it Isn't Like it Should Be" and "Just Watch the Fireworks", in the characters' fridges, and on the school's vending machines. It held a contest to choose which town the characters would visit in "It Gets the Worst at Night", and Honey Grove, Texas
won.
In Episode 4.04: "Can't Stop This Thing We Started", Rachel takes part in a Maxim
photoshoot which mirrored a real-life photoshoot for Danneel Harris, Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush, and became available in stores on October 14, 2006.
In Episode 4.07: "All These Things That I've Done", America's Next Top Model
winner of a challenge, CariDee English
, got to play a small role as a model named Tia in a fashion show. In Episode 5.17: "Hate is Safer Than Love", Mia, played by Kate Voegele
, agrees to take part in both Rock the Vote
and a Starburst
funded concert. In 2008, The CW, Warner Bros.
and Macy's
partnered to offer eight passionate fans the chance for a walk-on role on the show and to spend a weekend with the cast, billed as the "Ultimate Fan Weekend in Wilmington".
without Seinfeld
... and Elaine
". It elicited skepticism from fans who consider the show's heart to be the dynamic between their characters, Lucas and Peyton. A TVGuide.com poll found that nearly half of respondents, however, were willing to take a "wait and see" approach to a revamped version of the series. In April, Schwann told a crowd in Paris that all of the actors had signed on for Season 7, except for Murray and Burton. "They're in negotiations right now and I know they've been offered great things, and hopefully they'll decide to come back," he said. "If they don't, that's always a possibility...[the show] has made it through some of the riskier moves we've done." In May, CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff
stated, "We tried to get them to stay; we would have been thrilled if they wanted to." She said that since Murray and Burton were moving on, Tree Hill now had to reinvent itself a bit – as it did in 2007, with the four-year flash-forward. "A show going into its seventh year is very open to reinventing itself," said Ostroff. "And one thing I have to give [series creator] Mark Schwahn a lot of credit for is that he has kept the show so fresh all these years."
Burton told Entertainment Weekly
she may return for guest appearances if asked, and cleared up the matter of what happened behind the scenes in regards to her contract. "...[W]hen I hear that there’s turmoil or negotiations based on money, it kind of hurts my feelings, because it’s not what’s been going on at all," she said. "I think my fan base in particular knows that money isn’t necessarily a big motivator for me, that’s why I work in the world of independent film." She said she had known "for a little while" that she was leaving, and that she made that decision. "For me, it was definitely an emotional decision. And a professional decision as well. I got really, really lucky. One Tree Hill was my very first television audition; it was a fairytale," said Burton. "I feel really lucky to have that level of success right out of the gate." Burton further stated:
Criticism regarding how their characters, Lucas and Peyton, were written out of the series mainly focused on a lack of explanation about where they went/were going, and the exit not having been morbid enough for a star-crossed
couple. Although the episode is initially grim, this changes by its end; given Lucas and Peyton's history, combined with the show's penchant for shocker finales, it was not expected that the two would be free of any type of tragedy. MTV even composed tragic scenarios as to how they would have written the couple off the series, but also said, "OK, OK. Maybe after all they've been through in six seasons, these two deserved their happy ending. Lucas and Peyton, you were this generation's Joey
and Pacey
: the overly dramatic couple we couldn't help but root for. We'll miss you." The exit was picked as one of the "12 most essential episodes of One Tree Hill" in 2009 by fans at starnewsonline.com. Schwahn said, "I know there are a lot of fans who are going to watch to see how we explain Peyton and Lucas’s absence.... They’re traveling, they’re spending time with [Lucas’s mom] Karen and [her husband] Andy, they’re raising their child, he’s working on his book." Schwahn said he found it realistic that Lucas and Peyton would be out just living their lives. "I’ve been very upfront with the studio and network in saying, 'Look, the audience may not accept a new version of the show. But we’ve reinvented it a few times before. I don’t want to be dismissive of [Murray and Burton]. But when you see the first couple of episodes [in the new season], you’re either in for this new show or not,'" he stated. "So every week, to talk about Lucas and Peyton actually feels like it hurts us more than it helps us. Obviously, they were a huge part of One Tree Hill. But you move forward. To fill the void of Murray and Burton's departures, Robert Buckley
and Shantel VanSanten
were cast as Nathan's agent Clay and Haley's sister Quinn respectively. Austin Nichols
, who plays Julian Baker, was also upgraded to series regular status.
Plans for Murray and Burton to return to the series in Season 8 were confirmed. Schwahn said that the actors' busy schedules could possibly prevent a return in time for Brooke's wedding, but hoped they could return later in the season. On December 7, 2010, Kristin Dos Santos stated that Murray and Burton would definitely not be back for Brooke's wedding, but that they were still expected to return. In January 2011, Burton confirmed at the Winter TCAs that she would not be returning. The CW revealed that Chad Michael Murray will return for a guest appearance in the final season, while Hilarie Burton will not return as she was not asked back.
and Dawson's Creek
, but with a more masculine appeal, while a significant number of fans of the series have especially been involved in One Tree Hill versus The O.C. debates. Comparisons between Lucas and Ryan Atwood
, brooding blond male lead characters coming into a new situation where they are clearly outsiders, have a rich jock nemesis, and first fall in love with the jock's popular girlfriend (Peyton/Marissa Cooper
), have been prominent; comparisons between Brooke and Summer Roberts
, dark-haired vixens who are best friends with the popular female lead, have also been made. Chad Michael Murray
was even chosen for the part of Ryan Atwood but declined, had previously guest-starred on Dawson's Creek as a minor character, and is subject to even One Tree Hill referencing Dawson's in the first episode. "Where Dawson's was about relationships, especially between boys and girls, One Tree Hill tries to be about masculinity, especially as negotiated through sports," stated Tracy McLoone of PopMatters
. McLoone said despite this, it would likely be pinned as a girl's show. "This doesn't mean boys won't watch it, just that they won't talk about it." Allison McCracken of flowtv.org
, on the other hand, called it a "boys soap opera" (soap operas specifically designed for the male audience). "The new boy-centered soap employs 'feminine' generic serial elements to explore male adolescence and relationships between males, often focusing around brothers or fathers & sons," she said. "The boy soap is as pleasurable a text for female viewers as television offers today."
Chris Carle of IGN
said, "One Tree Hill, like The O.C. is helping to infuse network television with a much-needed renaissance of teen drama. The series is a bit less fun and more dramatic than Fox
's, and the themes and storylines hold a little more gravity than The O.C.'s sometimes soap opera dynamic, but it's a solid show." Keith Helinski of Moviefreak.com disagreed with The O.C. comparisons. "Ever so often I hear people refer to the show as The WB’s version of The O.C., but I disagree. Summerland
is more like The O.C. with similar scenarios and settings, while One Tree Hill is more suited as a Dawson’s Creek knock off," he said. "In fact, story lines, characters, and even the themes are so similar that one would think One Tree Hill is like Dawson’s Creek: The Next Generation."
The Wall Street Journal
said, "The WB's One Tree Hill, a slick prime-time drama about a small town packed with hunky teenagers and simmering family secrets, is one of the fastest-growing shows on network television." The Star-Ledger
commented, "One Tree Hill is a welcome surprise...Every choice it makes from pacing to photography to music seems just about right, and the casting is inspired." Alynda Wheat of Entertainment Weekly
called the show a "guilty pleasure" and said they had not had one "this guilty" since Melrose Place. "Their relationships change so quickly you'd need a spreadsheet to keep up," she stated. "As Brooke put it to Peyton, I think Nathan likes Tutor Girl, but I think Tutor Girl likes Lucas. And I know I like Lucas, and I don't know who the hell you like anymore." However, Wheat criticized the lack of parents in most of the teenage characters' lives. "Any time order threatens to reign, the writers ship out the parents – to Italy, a boating accident, whatever," said Wheat. Daniel Fienberg of zap2it.com
said that though the show has all the elements that make for a good show about teenagers/young adults, "it's also a show that has stubbornly refused to be categorized merely as a guilty pleasure" such as with its critically acclaimed school shooting episode "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept," and that "its myriad artistic pretensions – Lucas's 'Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'-spewing narration, Peyton's (Hilarie Burton) pedantic lectures on indie rock, countless expositional monologues lifted from a Philosophy 101 lecture—have often rendered it merely bad, rather than so-bad-its-good". Fienberg did, however, compliment the school shooting episode. Cynthia Boris of DVDVerdict.com, on the other hand, said, "One Tree Hill doesn't claim to be anything more than it is. They acknowledge that they're a teen fantasy complete with an appropriately emo WB soundtrack."
Ginia Bellefante of The New York Times
criticized the show's lack of insight into consequences surrounding teenage pregnancy
. "In the wake of the discussion surrounding Juno
and the horror over Jamie Lynn Spears
, the show displays an almost aggressive aversion to moralizing about teenage pregnancy," she stated. "Refusing to lay out the grim consequences of premature motherhood, it seems as if it wants to make fans on either end of the political spectrum stick their heads in fiery hampers." Author Emily B. Anzicek said that pregnancy seems to be the only possible physical consequence for the residents of One Tree Hill and that discussion of STD
s is non-existent, criticizing the "potential threat" due to the amount of promiscuity, such as several characters having sex with people they hardly know. "Of all the episodes in the first three seasons, there are two mentions of condoms. One happens when Deb catches Brooke and Lucas at the drug store buying condoms and whipped cream," said Anzicek. "The second happens in season two when Brooke throws a wedding reception for Nathan and Haley and decorates the room with condoms blown up like balloons." Anzicek said the teenagers, who are only supposed to be sixteen and seventeen at this time, are presented as very sexually-experienced, especially Brooke, and that the one exception is Haley.
Ian Arbuckle of Chud.com complimented the series on its musical aspect. "Pop music is built on repetition of themes and structures. Pop television follows a similar pattern, revisiting old plots with new characters in a sort of 'Here comes the new show, same as the old show' mode," he said. "One Tree Hill is firmly couched in both the pop television and pop music traditions." Chris Carle of IGN said, "Like the series itself, the offering is a little more adult (read: adult contemporary) and a little less fresh than other similar soundtracks. It's not without its standouts, but overall the selection is plucked from the lighter fare on alt rock radio."
Regarding the show's flexibility, Arbuckle stated, " One Tree Hill doesn't focus exclusively on the teenagers, but also stretches out to include dedicated subplots for their parents and other adults." He said there is not much of a maturity gap between the two sides. "[In]stead, to keep the structure somewhat separate, the respective focuses are on different emotions. For the teens, it's love; for the adults, it's revenge." For example, one of the audience's main concerns has been "Who should Lucas end up with?" "If you're a huge fan of One Tree Hill, chances are you've had a debate at some point about who Lucas Scott should ultimately settle down with," stated Don Williams of BuddyTV.com. "[ These shippers
] can be an extremely rabid bunch. There are some fans who want Lucas with Peyton, others who'd like to see him go back to Brooke, and even a few who think that Lindsey was his perfect match."
The show's first season has been well regarded. "One Tree Hill: The Complete First Season is a surprisingly rewarding experience," stated Neal Solon of DVD Verdict
. "Throughout its first season, One Tree Hill distinguishes itself from other teen dramas by dealing with more than just the backstabbing, backbiting, and backwards morals of today's youth," he said. "Certainly, the show contains its fair share of this petty drama, but it also explores the reasons behind it." For example, the effect the parents' mistakes have had on the teenagers. Solon felt that the Season 1 finale is partly "so strong" because its creators did not know if the WB would renew the show. "The last few episodes bring some form of closure to the major story arcs, while leaving the door wide open for further development should the show continue. It is an artfully employed strategy that paid off," he said. Also reviewing Season 1, Paul Cooke of DVDActive.com stated, "If you take the time to invest some emotional capital in the lives of the characters, you usually will find yourself absorbed in their trials and tribulations. One Tree Hill is no different, in fact, it may be notch above some of the other teen angst shows." Cooke added, "All of the actors are pleasant to look at, the storylines are interesting and the music is fresh and enjoyable. How could someone not enjoy this show? Do yourself a favour, and visit One Tree Hill."
Though Season 2 is the show's highest-rated season, it is also one of its most criticized. The loss of basketball, confusion over who is Lucas's true love, the backstabbing and plotting without anything making the show unique, and Dan being turned into an almost cartoon-ish villain are among the complaints. "Dan is a jealous man, and the writers come dangerously close to making him nothing more than an evil man," stated Arbuckle. Amy Kane of Film.com
called the character "the most ridiculous villain never to twirl a mustache". Though calling the plot-level elements satisfying, Arbuckle also criticized the dialogue, saying it begins to break down. "The series' writers never have a good grip either of the rhythms of teenage slang (including painful forays into ebonics
) nor the erudite beats of businessmen," he said. He credited male viewers watching partly for the physically attractive girls. In contrast, TheCinemaSource.com said of the show's third season, the dialogue is "clever and sarcastic from the last word of a scene to the very first of the next. Whoever writes Dan's witty comeback lines is hilarious". One of the more complimented additions to Season 2 has been the creation of character Anna Taggaro, credited by AfterEllen.com as the first recurring bisexual
character of color on television; though whether the character is "truly bisexual" or simply gay is debated among fans.
"As the show progressed, the focus changed [somewhat] to melodrama from backstabbing, scheming, murder attempts, love affairs/triangles." The Season 5 timeline skip, showing the characters in their lives after high school and college, was successful. It is thought to have successfully avoided jumping the shark
, and viewership returned to an all-time high. Ginia Bellefante of The New York Times, on the other hand, said, "Not one of the newly minted 22-year-olds on One Tree Hill blogs or dresses coolly or speaks cleverly or gives any indication of having learned anything at all in college." She characterized the portrayal of 20-somethings as "so wildly inauthentic and unfamiliar as to make watching it feel like foreign correspondence" but added that "One Tree Hill is a no-arrogance, no-entitlement zone, and I’m (shamefully) happy to pull up and park."
The CW attracts a fraction of the audience its broadcast competitors do. "So the strategy is super-serving a young coveted demographics
. The network's sweet spot is women 18–34 and with a viewer median age of 33, it boasts the youngest audience among its broadcast competitors by almost a dozen years." Averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly, Season 2 was One Tree Hill's highest-rated season. In its second season, the show emerged as one of The WB’s hits, particularly among the young demographics the network courts. "Of all the shows that they’ve launched in the last two years, this one has the most traction," said Stacey Lynn Koerner, at the time an executive vice president at Initiative, a media planning agency. "It does have an audience it’s connecting with – a loyal audience that comes back week in and week out." Among women 12 to 34, the show was winning its Tuesdays 9 pm time slot, and in all of prime-time television, it was the No. 1 show among teenage girls.
Below are the seasonal rankings
(based on average total viewers per episode) of One Tree Hill on The WB
and The CW
:
announced that it would be picking up reruns of The O.C.
and One Tree Hill. The deal made with the show's production company, Warner Brothers, states that SOAPnet holds on to the option of picking up the fifth season for syndication
which SOAPnet did, airing fifth season episodes beginning in January 2009.
To date, two box set collectors editions of the series have been released. Edition one, was released in August 2009, and it contained the complete seasons 1 through to 6, focusing on the shows core characters. In August 2010, the second collectors edition was released, now contains seasons 1 through to 7, of the show.
Mark Schwahn
Mark Schwahn is an American screenwriter, director and producer. He is best known as creator, head writer and executive producer of The CW Network drama series One Tree Hill.-Career:...
, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
to form The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster for the show in the USA. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and originally follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas Scott
Lucas Scott
Lucas Eugene Scott is a fictional character and formerly the main protagonist from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Chad Michael Murray. Lucas is a talented basketball player and writer. He is rival to half-brother Nathan Scott, before the two eventually become close friends...
(Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
) and Nathan Scott
Nathan Scott
Nathan Royal Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by James Lafferty. He was the second protagonist during the first six seasons; but following Lucas Scott's departure, Nathan has become the main character and central figure of the show. Nathan is Lucas...
(James Lafferty
James Lafferty
James Martin Lafferty is an American actor, director and producer. He currently portrays Nathan Scott on the CW television drama One Tree Hill. In addition to his role on the young adult drama, Lafferty is also known for his appearance as Justin in S...
). Their relationship evolves from heartless enemies to caring brothers, and the basketball drama, as well as the brothers' on-again/off-again romances with female characters, are significant elements within the series.
The first four seasons of the show focus on the main characters' lives through their high school years. With the beginning of the fifth season, Schwahn decided to skip the timeline four years ahead, showing their lives after college. In the seventh season, he adjusted the timeline fourteen months into the future after the sixth season. The opening credits were originally intertwined with the song "I Don't Want to Be
I Don't Want to Be
"I Don't Want to Be" is a song by Gavin DeGraw appearing on his 2003 debut album Chariot. It was released as a single in Australia in 2004, and in the UK in 2005....
" by Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
playing in the background. The theme was removed from the opening in the fifth season; Schwahn said the decision was made to lower production costs, add more time for the storyline, and because he felt that the song was more representative of the core characters' adolescent past, not their present maturity. The credits then only consisted of the title written on a black background. The theme was restored for Season 8, due to audience demand, and was sung by different artists each week.
The series premiered to 2.5 million viewers and rose to 3.3 million in its second week, becoming one of only three shows to rise in their second episode during the 2003–2004 television season. Season one went on to average 3.5 million viewers, while the second season was the highest rated in the series, averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly and a 1.9 Adults 18–49 rating. It has also won Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. On May 12, 2009, it was confirmed that Murray and Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Ross Burton is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons...
declined to return for the seventh season, although stories on what transpired vary. Their characters (Lucas and Peyton
Peyton Sawyer
Peyton Elizabeth Scott is a fictional character from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Hilarie Burton. A talented visual and musical artist, Peyton has a heavily-guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life...
) had been two of the five main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s, as well as one of the central love stories, throughout the show.
On May 17, 2011, One Tree Hill was renewed for a ninth
One Tree Hill (season 9)
The ninth and final season of One Tree Hill, an American television series created by Mark Schwahn for The WB Television Network. The series was officially renewed by The CW for a ninth season on May 17, 2011. Two days later it was announced that season nine will be the final season. It will...
and final season, with a 13-episode order. Bethany Joy Galeotti
Bethany Joy Galeotti
Bethany Joy Galeotti is an American actress, musician, director, writer, and producer.Galeotti is best known for her on screen portrayals of Michelle Bauer Santos on Guiding Light and Haley James Scott on One Tree Hill...
and Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
are signed on for one final season, while James Lafferty will continue as a part-time series regular. Chad Michael Murray will make a special appearance in the final season. The season will premiere Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 8:00 pm.
Plot
The main storyline is originally the relationship between the two half-brothers Lucas ScottLucas Scott
Lucas Eugene Scott is a fictional character and formerly the main protagonist from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Chad Michael Murray. Lucas is a talented basketball player and writer. He is rival to half-brother Nathan Scott, before the two eventually become close friends...
(Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), both of whom start out as enemies but bond as friends and as brothers as the show progresses. With the help of Keith (Craig Sheffer
Craig Sheffer
Craig Eric Sheffer is an American film and television actor. He is known for his leading role as Norman Maclean in the film A River Runs Through It and of Keith Scott on the television series One Tree Hill.-Early life:...
), who believes Lucas is a talented basketball player, Coach Brian "Whitey" Durham (Barry Corbin
Barry Corbin
Leonard Barrie Corbin, known as Barry Corbin , is an American actor with more than one hundred film, television and video game credits.-Early life:...
) recruits Lucas on the team. Nathan has the same love for basketball as Lucas. As Lucas falls in love with Peyton Sawyer
Peyton Sawyer
Peyton Elizabeth Scott is a fictional character from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Hilarie Burton. A talented visual and musical artist, Peyton has a heavily-guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life...
(Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Ross Burton is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons...
), who happens to be Nathan's girlfriend and later ex, Nathan falls in love with Lucas' best friend, Haley James (Bethany Joy Galeotti
Bethany Joy Galeotti
Bethany Joy Galeotti is an American actress, musician, director, writer, and producer.Galeotti is best known for her on screen portrayals of Michelle Bauer Santos on Guiding Light and Haley James Scott on One Tree Hill...
). Lucas later dates and falls in love with Brooke Davis
Brooke Davis
Brooke Penelope Baker is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Sophia Bush. Throughout her experiences, Brooke grows from a wild and generally carefree girl to a more mature and grounded young woman...
(Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
). Both brothers share the same father, Dan Scott (Paul Johansson
Paul Johansson
Paul Joseph Otto Johansson is an American-born Canadian actor, writer and director, best known for playing Dan Scott on the WB/CW television series, One Tree Hill, and for his role as Nick Wolfe on the short lived Highlander: The Series spin-off Highlander: The Raven...
), who is also Keith's brother. Backstory given is that after having a high school relationship with Karen Roe (Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly is an American actress. She is best known for playing single mother Karen Roe on the teen drama One Tree Hill. She also directed two episodes of the series: "Resolve" and "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"...
), Dan conceived Lucas but never claimed him as his son; he did claim Nathan. After leaving Karen, he meets and quickly marries Deb Scott (Barbara Alyn Woods
Barbara Alyn Woods
Barbara Alyn Woods is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in One Tree Hill, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Striptease.-Filmography:...
), with whom he conceives Nathan. Although having been married for seventeen years, they divorce and choose different paths. Deb starts having alcoholic problems on and off, until she finally recovers. She also begins a strong friendship, and later partnership, with Karen against Dan's will. However, in the later seasons, the show focuses less on them and the three of them leave the show. Karen marries her college professor, Andy Hargrove (Kieren Hutchison
Kieren Hutchison
Kieren Robert Hutchison is a New Zealand actor. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand.-Career:Hutchison is best known for playing the roles of Jonathon McKenna in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, Andy Hargrove on One Tree Hill, Kerry Connelly on Wildfire and Jake Preston on Monarch Cove...
), Dan realizes his sins and temporarily leaves the town, and Deb returns to Tree Hill after an absence but eventually leaves again.
The first season
One Tree Hill (season 1)
Season one of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, began airing on September 23, 2003 on the WB television network. The season concluded on May 11, 2004, after 22 episodes....
deals with the first half of the main teenage characters' junior years (up to the playoffs). Major storylines include the rivalry between Lucas and Nathan, the blossoming of Nathan and Haley's relationship, the setup of the Peyton-Lucas-Brooke love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
, along with the parents' own love quadrangle, and the basketball state championship.
The second season
One Tree Hill (season 2)
Season two of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on September 21, 2004 on the WB television network. The season concluded on May 24, 2005, after 23 episodes....
puts aside basketball and explores new romances. These romances consist of Lucas and Anna Taggaro (Daniella Alonso), Jake Jagielski (Bryan Greenberg
Bryan Greenberg
Bryan E. Greenberg is an American actor and musician, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the The WB TV series One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on the short-lived ABC drama October Road...
) and Peyton, and Felix Taggaro (Michael Copon
Michael Copon
Michael Sowell Copon is an American actor, model, producer, and singer. He is known for his role of Felix Taggaro in the television series One Tree Hill, playing Vin Keahi in the television series Beyond the Break, and starring in Power Rangers: Time Force.-Early life:Copon was born in Chesapeake,...
) and Brooke. Also featured is the unrequited love of Mouth McFadden (Lee Norris
Lee Norris
Lee Michael Norris is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on Boy Meets World and Marvin "Mouth" McFadden on One Tree Hill.-Early life:...
) for Brooke, the disintegration of Nathan and Haley's marriage, largely due to character Chris Keller, Peyton's temporary drug problem and related issues, and the repercussions of Dan's genetic disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause...
– especially on Lucas. Karen goes back to school, beginning a relationship with her teacher, Andy Hargrove, in addition to starting the Tric club. Also in this season, a troubled Deb struggles with an addiction.
The third season
One Tree Hill (season 3)
Season three of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on October 5, 2005. The season concluded on May 3, 2006, after 22 episodes. It is the final season that aired on the WB television network...
puts the focus back on basketball and features the arrival of trouble-maker Rachel Gatina (Danneel Harris
Danneel Harris
Danneel Ackles , better known by her stage name Danneel Harris, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Shannon McBain on One Life to Live and Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill.-Early life:Elta Danneel Graul was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was raised in the small...
), who stirs drama in the Brooke-Lucas romance, the resurfacing of Peyton's romantic feelings for Lucas, Jake and Peyton's relationship drawing to a close, while Nathan and Haley reconcile and plan a wedding. Chris Keller exits the season permanently. Dan has a major subplot trying to solve the murder attempt made on his life during the previous season's cliffhanger. A major episode involving most of the main cast in a hostage situation at Tree Hill High ("With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept") culminates with Peyton getting shot in the leg and almost dying due to significant blood loss, and Dan murdering Keith.
The fourth season
One Tree Hill (season 4)
Season four of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on September 27, 2006. The season concluded June 13, 2007, after 21 episodes...
features the second infamous Peyton-Lucas-Brooke love triangle. Haley's pregnancy is threatened by Nathan's risky forays into gambling and loan sharks. Peyton is stalked by an impostor (referred to as Psycho Derek by the group) posing as her half-brother Derek. Lucas and the real Derek come and save her. Lucas looks for the truth behind his uncle's death, as visions of Keith lead him to suspect Jimmy did not kill him, while Dan is rekindling his romance with Karen. It also sees Lucas and Peyton entering into an official romantic relationship, the Chase Adams (Stephen Colletti
Stephen Colletti
Stephen August Colletti is an American actor and television personality. He was featured on the MTV reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. He also co-hosted MTV's Total Request Live...
) and Brooke romance, and the growing friendship between Brooke and Rachel. Chris Keller makes an appearance, and the group enjoy a "real prom" after theirs is ruined by incidents such as further interactions with Psycho Derek. The season builds up to Lucas discovering Dan killed Keith, the group's graduation from high school and Haley and Karen having their babies.
The fifth season
One Tree Hill (season 5)
Season five of One Tree Hill, an American television series, began on January 8, 2008. This is the second season to air on the CW television network. Season five regular cast members include Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Sophia Bush, Paul Johansson, Lee...
jumps forward in time four-plus years. The gap is sometimes shown in flashback as the characters struggle with adulthood and return to the town of Tree Hill for various reasons. Lucas, a published author, is in a committed relationship with his editor, Lindsey Strauss (Michaela McManus
Michaela McManus
Michaela McManus is an American actress, best known for her portrayals of Lindsey Strauss on the television series One Tree Hill and A.D.A...
), which becomes a love triangle when Peyton returns from a failed music career in Los Angeles. The marriage of Nathan and Haley goes into crisis as Nathan faces major depression after being seriously injured. Brooke looks for life beyond success in her work life and helps Peyton launch a music label. Lucas and Skills return to the Tree Hill Ravens as coaches and later ask Nathan to help with hot shot player Quentin.
The sixth season
One Tree Hill (season 6)
Season six of One Tree Hill, an American television series, began on September 1, 2008 and concluded on May 18, 2009 with a total of 24 episodes. This is the third season to air on The CW Television Network television network...
features the progression of the romance between Lucas and Peyton, as they plan a wedding and deal with Peyton's dangerous pregnancy. Brooke takes in a foster child, Sam, and fights her mother for control of her company. A major storyline follows Lucas as his book is optioned for a film, and Julian Baker (Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols is an American film, television actor and director who is perhaps best known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series One Tree Hill. He is also known for his roles in films such as The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon...
) is introduced. Mouth and Millicent Huxtable (Lisa Goldstein
Lisa Goldstein (actress)
Lisa Erin Goldstein is an American television, film and theatre actress. She is currently known for her role as Millicent Huxtable on One Tree Hill.-Personal life and education:...
) work on their relationship as Nathan and Haley reach for their individual dreams.
The seventh season
One Tree Hill (season 7)
The CW officially renewed One Tree Hill for a seventh season on February 25, 2009. It premiered on September 14, 2009. Season seven is the first season not to include its original cast members, Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton...
is set one year into the future after the sixth season, where Lucas and Peyton have moved away and two new regular characters are introduced: Haley's sister Quinn; and Nathan's agent Clay. Danneel Harris makes a return as Rachel. The first half of the season focuses on Quinn and Clay's developing relationship after the death of Clay's wife, Sarah. Nathan's NBA career is jeopardized due to a growing scandal that also affects Haley. Dan becomes a motivational speaker with the support of his new wife, Rachel Gatina. Brooke releases her new clothing line, and faces conflicts with Julian and Alex, a model she hired for her company. The second half of the season deals with Haley's depression due to her mother's death. At the end of the season, the Tree Hill gang travel to Utah for the premiere of Julian's completed film.
The eighth season
One Tree Hill (season 8)
The CW officially renewed One Tree Hill for an eighth season on May 18, 2010, with a 13-episode order. The season premiered on September 14, 2010 and airs in its new timeslot, Tuesdays at 8/7c...
centers around the progression of Quinn and Clay's relationship after surviving a life-threatening attack, the awaited marriage between Brooke Davis and Julian Baker and the birth of Haley's second child. Another love triangle is formed between Chase, Mia and Alex, while Mouth and Millie rekindle their relationship together. As the season continues, Quinn attempts to capture Katie while Julian and Brooke explore adoption options and Nathan prepares to change his career path. A horrific storm reaches Tree Hill and leaves Brooke and Jamie's lives in danger. Katie returns to get revenge on Quinn. Julian's mother arrives and clashes with Brooke.
The ninth
One Tree Hill (season 9)
The ninth and final season of One Tree Hill, an American television series created by Mark Schwahn for The WB Television Network. The series was officially renewed by The CW for a ninth season on May 17, 2011. Two days later it was announced that season nine will be the final season. It will...
, and final season will have Brooke and Haley balancing family life with running a busy Karen's Cafe, while Nathan travels more as an agent. A possible wedding may occur with Mouth and Millie, or Clay and Quinn. Lucas will also return when Haley reaches out to him for help.
Cast
Chad Michael MurrayChad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
portrays Lucas Scott
Lucas Scott
Lucas Eugene Scott is a fictional character and formerly the main protagonist from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Chad Michael Murray. Lucas is a talented basketball player and writer. He is rival to half-brother Nathan Scott, before the two eventually become close friends...
. Murray was the first person cast for One Tree Hill and Schwahn originally wanted him to portray Nathan, having seen him portray "bad guys" before. Murray felt a stronger connection to Lucas, however, as both have abandonment issues, which convinced Schwahn to cast him as Lucas instead. Lucas and Nathan start out as enemies but bond as friends and as brothers as the show progresses. The character's best friend is Haley James, and he is a love interest for Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis as well. His love for the two continue to be an issue throughout most of the series. Aside from basketball, his greatest passion is literature; quotes from the books he reads are used on the show. Lucas tries to find a balance between basketball, his genetic heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause...
, and his love life. Season 6 was Murray's last season on contract as Lucas. He will return for season nine when Haley reaches out to his character for help.
James Lafferty
James Lafferty
James Martin Lafferty is an American actor, director and producer. He currently portrays Nathan Scott on the CW television drama One Tree Hill. In addition to his role on the young adult drama, Lafferty is also known for his appearance as Justin in S...
portrays Nathan Scott
Nathan Scott
Nathan Royal Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by James Lafferty. He was the second protagonist during the first six seasons; but following Lucas Scott's departure, Nathan has become the main character and central figure of the show. Nathan is Lucas...
, the son that Dan did claim, although his relationships with both his parents are strained even at the best of times. When Murray declined to portray Nathan, Schwahn considered Lafferty for the role, who was eventually cast in part due to his skill at playing basketball. In Season 1, Nathan and Lucas start out as enemies, but bond as friends and brothers as the show progresses. He initially uses Haley as revenge against Lucas, but not long after emancipating
Emancipation of minors
An emancipated minor is a minor who is allowed to conduct a business or any other occupation on their own behalf or for their own account outside the influence of a parent or guardian. The minor will then have full contractual capacity to conclude contract with regard to the business. Whether...
himself, and with permission from her parents, he marries her because of love. Haley is initially threatened by Nathan's sexual experience, but they soon overcome this. Like his father and Lucas, Nathan has a love for basketball and a dream to play in college. However, his dream is complicated as his career on the court becomes tangled with supporting his family.
Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Ross Burton is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons...
portrays Peyton Sawyer
Peyton Sawyer
Peyton Elizabeth Scott is a fictional character from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Hilarie Burton. A talented visual and musical artist, Peyton has a heavily-guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life...
, whose two greatest passions in life are music and art; she uses her art to express the issues that play out in her life. When Burton auditioned for the part of Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
's daughter in the film Radio, but did not get the role, the casting department remembered her and subsequently asked that she audition for One Tree Hill. Schwahn said, "[Burton] is an old soul. She's great. She's always just thrilled to do the job, even though she's kind of new to acting. She's just a joy to be around." Brooke Davis is Peyton's best friend, and Peyton is close friends with Haley as well. In Season 1, Peyton is a cheerleader and dates Nathan, the most popular basketball star in Tree Hill High. She becomes attracted to Lucas after meeting him, and soon falls in love with him. In Season 2, she and Lucas become distant and she turns to drugs. Seeing that she is in turmoil, Lucas calls Jake for her, someone she had began having romantic feelings for near the end of Season 1; the two begin dating and fall in love. Throughout the series, Peyton is met with one tragedy after another and faces the depths of her love for Lucas. Whether things are good or bad, Lucas is always there for Peyton. Season 6 was Burton's last season as Peyton.
Bethany Joy Galeotti
Bethany Joy Galeotti
Bethany Joy Galeotti is an American actress, musician, director, writer, and producer.Galeotti is best known for her on screen portrayals of Michelle Bauer Santos on Guiding Light and Haley James Scott on One Tree Hill...
(formerly Bethany Joy Lenz) portrays Haley James Scott
Haley James Scott
Haley Bob James Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Bethany Joy Galeotti. Haley is initially introduced as Lucas Scott's best friend and eventual sister-in-law after her marriage to Nathan Scott in her junior year of high school...
, the quintessential girl-next-door who is best friends with Lucas Scott. Haley grew up with a large family but often spent her time by Lucas and Karen because she felt they needed her more in their lives. Working as a waitress at Karen's Café, and, more importantly as a tutor at Tree Hill High, has presented Haley with great opportunities, as well as obstacles. Her life is thrown for a loop when Lucas's half-brother Nathan asks her to tutor him. Risking her relationship with Lucas, Haley agrees but on the condition that her best friend is no longer tormented by Nathan and his friends. This moment changes the Scott family dynamic forever and allows a romance between Nathan and her to flourish. Like any relationship, Nathan and Haley experience many ups and downs together throughout the seasons and must deal with the consequences of each others' actions.
Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
portrays Brooke Davis
Brooke Davis
Brooke Penelope Baker is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Sophia Bush. Throughout her experiences, Brooke grows from a wild and generally carefree girl to a more mature and grounded young woman...
. In high school, Brooke is the beautiful captain of the cheerleading squad and is Peyton's best friend but is also very close with Haley. She is girlfriend to Lucas twice. Though her life seems perfect, she is in pain dealing with her distant parents, her friends' inability to originally take her seriously, and the betrayal of Lucas and Peyton when they "date" behind her back. She eventually overcomes the betrayal, and is determined to live a full, happy life.
Paul Johansson
Paul Johansson
Paul Joseph Otto Johansson is an American-born Canadian actor, writer and director, best known for playing Dan Scott on the WB/CW television series, One Tree Hill, and for his role as Nick Wolfe on the short lived Highlander: The Series spin-off Highlander: The Raven...
portrays Dan Scott, a once great basketball player, who is father to both Lucas and Nathan, although he originally shuns Lucas. After his marriage to Deb crumbles and she and Nathan try to rid themselves of him, Dan's evil comes to the forefront. After Dan finds Deb sleeping with his brother, Keith, a war begins between the two brothers. Dan tries to make amends for all of his wrong-doings, but constantly battles his inner demons.
Barry Corbin
Barry Corbin
Leonard Barrie Corbin, known as Barry Corbin , is an American actor with more than one hundred film, television and video game credits.-Early life:...
portrays coach Brian "Whitey" Durham, the Ravens coach for over 35 years, retiring in Season 4. He and Dan never saw eye-to-eye and often bickered over their differing opinions on the team. Whitey often laments the death of his wife, Camilla, and the fact that he did not spend more time with her while she was alive. He retires after the Ravens finally win him the much-coveted NC State Championship title but later takes a coaching position in a college three hours away from Tree Hill, so that Nathan has the chance to play college basketball. Whitey makes an appearance in the Season 6 finale.
Craig Sheffer
Craig Sheffer
Craig Eric Sheffer is an American film and television actor. He is known for his leading role as Norman Maclean in the film A River Runs Through It and of Keith Scott on the television series One Tree Hill.-Early life:...
portrays Keith Scott, Dan's older, kinder, under-achieving brother. After Dan chose Deb over Karen, Keith helped Karen to raise Lucas (acting as a surrogate father to him) and fell in love with her; but they only get together in Season 3. He has a recurring drinking problem and an ongoing rivalry with his brother. When Dan mistakes him for the one who tried to kill him in the dealership fire, he shoots him after the siege at Tree Hill High, killing him instantly. After his death, Karen gives birth to their daughter, Lily Roe-Scott. Keith haunts Dan as a teen and as an adult ghost, but later forgives him for what he has done. He guides his nephews (Lucas and Nathan) as a sort of guardian angel
Guardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
throughout Season 4.
Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly is an American actress. She is best known for playing single mother Karen Roe on the teen drama One Tree Hill. She also directed two episodes of the series: "Resolve" and "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"...
portrays Karen Roe, Lucas's mother. Dan abandoned her after she became pregnant in high school, and with a lot of help from Dan's brother Keith (who, in later years is her lover and father of her second child), Karen raises Lucas to strive for his best potential. She is devastated by Keith's death in Season 3. In Season 4, she gets close to Dan again before learning that he was the one who killed Keith. She gives birth to Keith's daughter, whom she names Lily Roe Scott. In Season 5, Karen is traveling the world with Lily. When she returns for Lucas's wedding, she is accompanied by Andy Hargrove. She also makes an appearance at the end of Season 6.
Barbara Alyn Woods
Barbara Alyn Woods
Barbara Alyn Woods is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in One Tree Hill, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Striptease.-Filmography:...
portrays Deb Scott, Dan's wife and Nathan's mother. Originally benefiting from a normal psyche, she later turns neurotic
Neurosis
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic...
. Married to Dan for seventeen years has made her bitter and sad, and she eventually divorces him in Season 3, her hatred of him driving her to attempt to kill him at one point. Deb battles a pill addiction in Season 2 and again in Season 4, but overcomes it for good the second time. She also makes a return during Season 5, as Nathan and Hayley have some problems with nannies for their child. They decided that Deb would be the most suitable candidate. Woods will reprise her role as Deb Lee for the final season.
Lee Norris
Lee Norris
Lee Michael Norris is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on Boy Meets World and Marvin "Mouth" McFadden on One Tree Hill.-Early life:...
portrays Marvin "Mouth" McFadden, one of Lucas's oldest friends, originating from the Rivercourt. His father is named Joey, and his grandad is named Mel. Mel has Alzheimers and so cannot remember portions of his life, such as the 50 years he was married. Mouth is somewhat unlucky in love, being the victim of Brooke's unrequited love in Season 2, being dumped by Erica when she becomes popular and falling for Rachel, only to get sidelined for the older Cooper. GiGi, his co-sports announcer, has also broken up with him after only seeing him for a few weeks and Shelly Simon runs out on him after he loses his virginity to her. In Season 5, he has a fling with his boss, Alice, before finally settling down with Millicent.
Antwon Tanner
Antwon Tanner
Antwon Tanner is an American actor, mostly known for his role as Antwon "Skills" Taylor on the CW drama series One Tree Hill.-Biography:...
portrays Antwon "Skills" Taylor, one of Lucas' oldest friends, originating from the Rivercourt. He takes on a more prominent role in Season 4 when he fills Lucas's vacancy on the Ravens. In Season 5, he becomes the assistant Head Coach of The Ravens basketball team and lives with Mouth, Junk and Fergie.
Danneel Harris
Danneel Harris
Danneel Ackles , better known by her stage name Danneel Harris, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Shannon McBain on One Life to Live and Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill.-Early life:Elta Danneel Graul was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was raised in the small...
portrays Rachel Gatina, who moves to Tree Hill in Season 3. After joining the cheerleading squad, she instantly clashes with Brooke as she pursues Lucas, although Brooke and Rachel later become friends. In Season 5, Rachel is a former employee of Brooke's and a heroin addict who takes an overdose after being fired by her friend. Brooke brings Rachel back to Tree Hill to help get her life back on track but Rachel leaves again, taking a load of Brooke's cash with her, after an encounter with Victoria. In the seventh season, Rachel returns to the screens as Dan Scott's new wife.
Jackson Brundage
Jackson Brundage
Jackson Timothy Brundage is an American child actor. He currently portrays Jamie Scott on The CW's One Tree Hill. He has performed in film, television, and voice over.-Personal life:...
portrays Jamie Scott, Nathan and Haley's highly intelligent son. Jamie sees Nathan as a role-model. He is first introduced in the fifth season, and continues to act as a comic relief or a psych to other characters when they reveal their problems to him throughout the fifth, sixth and seventh seasons, where he is now age seven.
Lisa Goldstein
Lisa Goldstein (actress)
Lisa Erin Goldstein is an American television, film and theatre actress. She is currently known for her role as Millicent Huxtable on One Tree Hill.-Personal life and education:...
portrays Millicent Huxtable, Brooke's assistant for Clothes over Bros. She is involved in a romantic relationship with Marvin "Mouth" McFadden. In the Season 6 premiere, she moves to Omaha with him. She returns to Tree Hill during the fifth episode to work for Brooke in her new store. She reunites with Mouth only to enter a series of mishaps.
Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols is an American film, television actor and director who is perhaps best known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series One Tree Hill. He is also known for his roles in films such as The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon...
portrays Julian Baker, Peyton's ex-boyfriend from L.A.. He initially comes to Tree Hill to win Peyton back. He offers to produce a film, based on Lucas's first book. At first, Peyton does not reveal to Lucas that Julian is her ex-boyfriend, but she is forced to do when the plans of the movie takes form. Brooke rebuffs his advances until Peyton gives her blessing because she sees that Brooke has serious interest in Julian. After Brooke opens up to Julian, they begin a relationship.
Robert Buckley
Robert Buckley
Robert Earl Buckley is an American actor, best known for his roles on the television series Lipstick Jungle and One Tree Hill....
portrays Clay Evans, Nathan's sports agent. He is pretty reckless when it comes to love; however, it is revealed that he is the way that he is because his wife passed away.
Shantel VanSanten
Shantel VanSanten
Shantel Yvonne VanSanten is an American actress and model. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Quinn James On film, she stars in You and I, Something Wicked, and The Final Destination...
portrays Quinn James, the older free spirited sister of Haley. She returns to Tree Hill for Jamie's seventh birthday. At first, it looks like she is staying for a few days. She reveals to Haley that she left David, her husband, commenting that she feels like she is sleeping next to a stranger.
Jana Kramer
Jana Kramer
Jana Rae Kramer is an American actress and country music singer.-Career:Kramer played Noelle Davenport on Friday Night Lights and Portia Ranson on 90210. She played a sorority girl interested in Turtle in Entourage...
portrays Alex Dupre (Alice Whitehead), an actress turned model who moved to Tree Hill to become the new face of Brooke's fashion line, Clothes Over Bros. She later made sexual advances towards, Julian, Booke's boyfriend. She started out as a recurring character, but was upgraded to series regular status in the second half of season seven, through the end of the ninth, and final season.
Stephen Colletti
Stephen Colletti
Stephen August Colletti is an American actor and television personality. He was featured on the MTV reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. He also co-hosted MTV's Total Request Live...
portrays Chase Adams, a "clean-teen" introduced in season four as a potential love-interest for Brooke. He returned in season five and recurred until the later half of season eight where he was upgraded to series regular status. In season eight, he became involved in a love-triangle with actress, Alex and musician, Mia.
Tyler Hilton
Tyler Hilton
Tyler James Hilton is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Hilton began his professional career in music in 2000. Rolling Stone Magazine compared him to his contemporary, Howie Day, while others have compared Hilton to Elton John, both vocally and instrumentally...
portrays Chris Keller, first appeared in season two, Chris Keller was seen an arrogant, selfish guy, who constantly referred to himself in the third person. He connects with Haley in the second season through her music, and ultimately succeeds in breaking up Nathan and Haley. He returned for minor roles in seasons three and four. Hilton will return as a series regular for season nine as Mark Schwahn had wanted his return since the season five time jump.
Conception
Schwahn originally planned to make One Tree Hill a feature lengthFeature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
film with the title Ravens, after the show's high school basketball team. However, he was convinced that it would be more interesting as a television series. He said the idea for the story came from his own personal experiences. He was more like the character Mouth McFadden, and also went to school in a small town. He played on a basketball team, but some of his friends just played street ball. Schwahn said that in designing the show, he created Lucas as "this underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
kid from the wrong side of the tracks" who crosses over to the pretty and popular; he wanted to show what the life of such a person would be like in a basketball atmosphere. He felt basketball was a great platform for telling stories, not just about basketball.
The title of the show and the name of the fictional town where the series takes place is derived from the song "One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (song)
"One Tree Hill" is a song by rock band U2. It is the ninth track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. It was released as the fourth single from the album in New Zealand and Australia in March 1988, while "In God's Country" was released as the fourth single in North America...
", which is actually named after the landmark
One Tree Hill, New Zealand
One Tree Hill is a 182 metre volcanic peak located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is an important memorial place for both Māori and other New Zealanders...
in New Zealand. Most of the episodes of the show are titles of songs, bands or albums.
Schwahn named the town "Tree Hill" because while he was writing the idea for the show, he had been listening to the album The Joshua Tree
The Joshua Tree
The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release The Unforgettable Fire, U2 aimed for a harder-hitting sound on The Joshua...
by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. At the start of the show, fans often asked Schwahn why the show was named One Tree Hill when the town was just called Tree Hill. The question is ostensibly answered when Karen tells Lucas in episode 1.22, "There is only one Tree Hill...and it's your home."
Themes
One Tree Hill consists of various themes, such as love, friendship, rivalries and betrayal, and explores the reasons behind them. Neal Solon of DVD VerdictDVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
explained, "Much of the show is based on the mistakes the teens' parents have made and the way these mistakes manifest themselves in the students' lives." Two of the show's most prominent themes have been basketball and romance.
Basketball
Basketball is a core aspect of the show, which helps to add a sense of masculinity and attract male viewers. When regarding the show's early seasons, TheCinemaSource.com said, "The only thing you might notice that's strange is that the teens' school lives are heavily focused on basketball and cheerleading. If they do happen to be in a classroom, the only teacher they have is Coach Whitey."Schwahn stated of the basketball element, "A lot of times, the basketball games for us are like the crimes, or it's the courtroom, the police precinct, or the medical operating arena – it was like our home turf." He said the other shows rarely focus on "the actual case or medical issue [being dealt with]" and are more about the people. "For us, that's what basketball was. It was never about playing basketball, but it was about what was happening to the people when this game or tournament was approaching."
In Season 2, the basketball drama was completely removed from the series, due to executive sentiment that the show was geared more toward a male audience. David Janollari, then-entertainment president at The WB, partly attributed the show’s sophomore success to it shifting its focus from a male-driven sports plot to expand the stories of its girls. He felt they had time to "step back and learn from audience response" and that Schwahn tailored the show toward the "core audience". Schwahn said, "Girls watch the show in large numbers. [In the first season], the girls [on the show] were sort of appendages to the boys." Show producer Joe Davola
Joe Davola (TV producer)
Joe Davola is an American television producer, director and writer.He frequently collaborates with Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins on many of their projects for their production company the Tollin/Robbins Productions...
and Schwahn agreed with the "sex sells
Sex in advertising
Sex in advertising or sex sells is the use of sexual or erotic imagery in advertising to draw interest to a particular product, for purpose of sale. A feature of sex in advertising is that the imagery used, such as that of a pretty woman, typically has no connection to the product being advertised...
" and "skin to win" sentiments. Less time on the basketball court could afford One Tree Hill more time for plots fueled by sex and drugs. Lack of basketball drama, however, meant a decrease in male viewership. In a 2006 interview, Schwahn stated, "In the second TV season, we didn't play any basketball, which was the rest of their junior year, and I felt that the show suffered a little bit." For Season 3, the basketball aspect was added back to a lesser degree, and has since continued to be a part of the series.
Romance
The show features various couples which have contributed to the popularity of the series. Shipper fandomsShipping (fandom)
Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the belief that two fictional characters, typically from the same series, are in an intimate relationship, or have romantic feelings that could potentially lead to a relationship. It is considered a general term for fans' emotional involvement with...
have created portmanteaux for each, the most prominent being the Lucas and Peyton
Peyton Sawyer
Peyton Elizabeth Scott is a fictional character from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Hilarie Burton. A talented visual and musical artist, Peyton has a heavily-guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life...
(Leyton or LP), Brooke
Brooke Davis
Brooke Penelope Baker is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Sophia Bush. Throughout her experiences, Brooke grows from a wild and generally carefree girl to a more mature and grounded young woman...
and Lucas (Brucas or BL), Nathan
Nathan Scott
Nathan Royal Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by James Lafferty. He was the second protagonist during the first six seasons; but following Lucas Scott's departure, Nathan has become the main character and central figure of the show. Nathan is Lucas...
and Haley
Haley James Scott
Haley Bob James Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Bethany Joy Galeotti. Haley is initially introduced as Lucas Scott's best friend and eventual sister-in-law after her marriage to Nathan Scott in her junior year of high school...
(Naley or NH), and Jake and Peyton (Jeyton or JP) fandoms. Nathan and Haley's portmanteau "Naley" has been referenced in the show, and three of the pairings have motifs
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
. For Lucas and Peyton, "I'll be seeing you" (said by Lucas), "You're always saving me" (said by Peyton), and "I'll wait for you" (said by both) serve as their primary themes. Nathan and Haley use "Always and forever," and Jake and Peyton use "Someday." Brooke and Lucas refer to each other by the nicknames "Boyfriend" and "Pretty girl" to occasionally express their love for each other.
Of the Lucas and Peyton romance, Schwahn stated, "Here's what I'll say about that: From the pilot, we designed a world where Peyton and Lucas were meant to be together..." "I would say that, um, for me, the seeds were planted for him to pick Peyton in the pilot – in [that] first episode... When Lucas is at the Rivercourt at the end of that pilot, you know," stated Schwahn, "I think we feel like this is the girl [who] is his soulmate
Soulmate
A soulmate is believed by some to be the person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate...
. And, you know, the pilot ends with him saying, 'I'll be seeing you.'" To complete their dynamic, Schwahn applied a brooding theme. "They're two kids that carry around the weight of the world quite a bit. Can they agree together to let go of that weight? The theme for Lucas and Peyton is, 'How do you learn to be happy when you've spent so much time carrying grief around?'" He added, "Do you feel guilty for being happy? Is it OK to let it go?..." The pairing have been referred to as star-crossed
Star-crossed
"Star-crossed" or "star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of lovers whose relationship is often thwarted by outside forces. The term encompasses other meanings, but originally means the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or that the stars are working against the relationship...
, and were additionally given their own theme music to assist their second primary theme – Lucas often rescuing Peyton (from either despair, dangerous situations, or herself). First heard in the school shooting episode "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept
With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept (One Tree Hill episode)
"With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept " is the 16th episode of One Tree Hills third season. It first aired on The WB television network in the United States on March 1, 2006. It was written by Mark Schwahn and directed by Greg Prange...
," where Lucas strives to save a dying Peyton, the theme titled "Saving Peyton" was composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
by John Nordstrom.
Making Lucas and Peyton the central love story created an intense fanbase rivalry between their fans and those who would rather he be with/end up with Brooke. "[These] are two very passionate camps. And don't think I don't know it," acknowledged Schwahn. "I think sometimes one camp thinks they're being ignored [in the name of the other]." Schwahn said that although he designed Lucas and Peyton to be together from the start, it did not necessarily mean that there was no chance of Brooke and Lucas having a genuine shot at ending up together, and that he was aware of their portrayers', and real-life ex spouses (Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
and Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
's), "great" chemistry. He was not stubbornly holding on to the idea of Leyton. Schwahn said the Peyton/Lucas/Brooke love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
is also by intricate design, and became a staple of the show. "There is a huge fanbase dedicated to Brooke and Lucas, and sometimes [those people] feel a bit betrayed, just as the fanbase dedicated to Peyton and Lucas felt betrayed [in Season 2, and parts of Season 3]," said Schwahn. "That tells me that we've done things correctly – that's the strength of a love triangle."
The sentiment of "fanbase betrayal" was first evident with Season 2's episode "Don't Take Me For Granted," where, after saying there is a girl that is "slipping away" and he needs to confess his love for her, Lucas shows up at Brooke's house instead of Peyton's. Most viewers (including Lucas/Peyton and Brooke/Lucas fans) could not relate the "slipping away" line to Brooke, since Peyton had been the girl Lucas was in love with in Season 1 and had now sort of become a stranger to him. Fans pondered four specific questions: When was Brooke slipping away? Did Lucas just mean he did not want to lose her? Was it a plot device to make it seem like Peyton? Or was it Peyton? Speculation that Murray and Bush's marriage affected Lucas's sudden change of heart, including whether or not Brooke and Lucas would be together, was also rampant. Schwahn stated:
That's a much debated line... 'I feel like she's slipping away.' Obviously, I planted it there and specifically then cut from his words to a close up of Peyton because I wanted to tell the audience, "Well, he's talking about Peyton. Clearly, he's talking about Peyton." As we know, that wasn't ultimately where his journey led him and it's been debated online and in certain circles that he never really said who it was. So there are camps that root for Lucas and Peyton and camps that root for Brooke and Lucas, and camps that root for others, which is all good for the show.
The other prominent pairing, Nathan and Haley, emerged as one of the show's supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
s. "I think Nathan and Haley... Well [Mark] Schwahn always says that he had that sort of as an 'ace in the hole' the entire time," stated James Lafferty
James Lafferty
James Martin Lafferty is an American actor, director and producer. He currently portrays Nathan Scott on the CW television drama One Tree Hill. In addition to his role on the young adult drama, Lafferty is also known for his appearance as Justin in S...
, portrayer of Nathan. "As he was writing the pilot script, he was planning on doing that, he really didn't know how it would pan out or what would happen. But, the fans have responded so passionately towards it, and I'm not really sure why." However, Lafferty said there is a genuine relationship between Nathan and Haley. "...It started as something sort of based on betrayal and deceit. It then kind of transgressed over into something based on actual true love", said Lafferty. "So, I think that it's a transition that the fans really bought into, and I think that people really enjoy to watch." Schwahn called the couple "gold" and said, "I love Nathan and Haley, and most of our audience does as well." He explained that Nathan and Haley's fan base is strong because they have always been the most stable couple on the show, opining that it confuses him when people ask when he is going to let them be happy. "They have a lot of obstacles come their way," said Schwahn, "but I see them growing – especially with the jump ahead and aging them a little bit – I see them growing into some really great places, not only as individuals, but as a family."
Music
- Main article: One Tree Hill discography
Music plays a significant part in the plot and the movement of the scenes throughout an episode. Schwahn revealed that each episode title is named after a particular song, band, or album that has something in common with the theme of the episode.
In addition to featuring popular indie music on the show, various artists have guest-starred. The show has used the musical aspirations of two characters (Peyton and Haley) to integrate the guest storylines. The in-universe bar and dance-club 'TRIC' and 'Karen's Café' have been the settings of most of the musical performances.
The show has released three soundtrack albums: One Tree Hill – Music From The WB Television Series, Vol. 1
One Tree Hill (soundtrack)
-One Tree Hill:One Tree Hill - Music From The WB Television Series, Vol. 1 is a compilation album, compiled of songs featured in the teen drama One Tree Hill...
, Friends with Benefit: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Volume 2
Friends With Benefit
Friends with Benefit: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Volume 2 was released on February 7, 2006 and a portion of the proceeds has been donated to The National Breast Cancer Foundation....
and The Road Mix: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Volume 3
The Road Mix
The Road Mix: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Volume 3, the third soundtrack compiled of music featured on the teen drama One Tree Hill was released on April 3, 2007.-Track listing:...
. Proceeds of the second soundtrack go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to tie in with a storyline on the show involving breast cancer. On November 13, 2008, iTunes published a soundtrack called Music From One Tree Hill that contained songs from the sixth season.
Episode format
I Don't Want to Be
"I Don't Want to Be" is a song by Gavin DeGraw appearing on his 2003 debut album Chariot. It was released as a single in Australia in 2004, and in the UK in 2005....
" by Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
was abandoned and only the single black-credit title was used. The theme was restored for Season 8, sung by different artists each week. Schwahn's reasons for having removed the theme are various:
It’s interesting about the theme song. Not only is it costly – and that never sort of drives what we do creatively, but I think fans don’t understand that there’s money on the table every time they hear the theme song. That sounds like a bullshit producer response, too, but that’s a part of it because every year our budget is pretty challenged. Knowing that, when I looked at the jump ahead, the four year jump, I felt like "I Don’t Wanna Be" was very much an anthem for their adolescent lives. It was very much about who am I going to be and who am I and who am I going to be someday. Not to mention that it was 42 seconds of screen time that I knew I could use for story. So a lot went into the decision to drop the theme song, it wasn’t done lightly.
One Tree Hill is known for its numerous voice-overs featuring either literary quotes, or characters reflecting on events of the episode. Most of them have been made by Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
's character Lucas. However, there have been several occurrences where other characters have done so. Guest stars Bryan Greenberg
Bryan Greenberg
Bryan E. Greenberg is an American actor and musician, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the The WB TV series One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on the short-lived ABC drama October Road...
, Sheryl Lee
Sheryl Lee
Sheryl Lee is an American actress. She came to international attention for her performances as Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks and in the 1992 film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me...
, Torrey DeVitto
Torrey DeVitto
Torrey Joel DeVitto is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her roles as Zoe in the 2006 horror film I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, Karen Kerr in the short lived television series Beautiful People, Carrie in The CW series One Tree Hill, and most recently...
and Ashley Rickards
Ashley Rickards
Ashley Nicole Rickards is an American actress. She has been in various films and television shows portraying a wide variety of characters, most notably Fly Away, in which she portrayed Mandy, a severely autistic girl. She is also the lead character, Jenna Hamilton, in MTV's Awkward...
have also given their voice to an episode each. Characters who interact with the main cast such as Bevin, Chase, Shelly and Glenda helped to narrate the joint episodes being portrayed by Bevin Prince
Bevin Prince
Bevin Anne Prince is an American actress best known for her role of Bevin Mirskey on the CW's hit show One Tree Hill.- Early life :...
, Stephen Colletti
Stephen Colletti
Stephen August Colletti is an American actor and television personality. He was featured on the MTV reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. He also co-hosted MTV's Total Request Live...
, Elisabeth Harnois and Amber Wallace. As the show progresses, more and more songs have replaced voiceovers. In the beginning of Season 7, Paul Johansson's character, Dan Scott, has taken over the narrator's role.
In 2008, the show planned a black and white noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
-themed episode, to be written by Chad Michael Murray. Schwahn said, "I think that noir-themed is very risky, because I think that can be very dark and very guy-ish in its approach. I'd say this is more Casablanca
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
infused."
Series timeline
One Tree Hill's timeline was set as complex by Schwahn in 2003. In the first season of the seriesOne Tree Hill (season 1)
Season one of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, began airing on September 23, 2003 on the WB television network. The season concluded on May 11, 2004, after 22 episodes....
, the main teenage characters are age sixteen. The first and second
One Tree Hill (season 2)
Season two of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on September 21, 2004 on the WB television network. The season concluded on May 24, 2005, after 23 episodes....
seasons equate to one year, and the third
One Tree Hill (season 3)
Season three of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on October 5, 2005. The season concluded on May 3, 2006, after 22 episodes. It is the final season that aired on the WB television network...
and fourth
One Tree Hill (season 4)
Season four of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on September 27, 2006. The season concluded June 13, 2007, after 21 episodes...
seasons equate to another year. Due to this, the main teenage characters are nearly age eighteen at the end of the fourth season; but instead of the show's timeline always contrasting the real world, it sometimes corresponds to it. The timeline was further complicated in the fifth season
One Tree Hill (season 5)
Season five of One Tree Hill, an American television series, began on January 8, 2008. This is the second season to air on the CW television network. Season five regular cast members include Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Sophia Bush, Paul Johansson, Lee...
of the series, where the show was "dramatically retooled and set four years into the future – after the characters [had] already graduated from college". The fifth season began shooting on July 30, 2007 and premiered January 8, 2008. With this, the characters were stated to be age twenty two. In 2009, Schwahn decided to alter the timeline again, as the seventh season
One Tree Hill (season 7)
The CW officially renewed One Tree Hill for a seventh season on February 25, 2009. It premiered on September 14, 2009. Season seven is the first season not to include its original cast members, Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton...
is set fourteen months after the show's sixth season
One Tree Hill (season 6)
Season six of One Tree Hill, an American television series, began on September 1, 2008 and concluded on May 18, 2009 with a total of 24 episodes. This is the third season to air on The CW Television Network television network...
, helping to better explain the somewhat abrupt departures of series leads Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Burton
Hilarie Ross Burton is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons...
.
Explaining the reason he chose to start the series with the teenagers as juniors, Schwahn said, "Lucas and Nathan were important players on the [basketball] team, the most important, and I just couldn't see that happening to freshmen." He also wanted to keep the characters in high school longer, saying, "I know a lot of the shows that we started with, the kids are out of high school now and into college and what have you, and I always thought that there was a loss of energy when that happened. It's hard to have everyone go to the same college and everyone stay together for whatever reason, or you lose some of your principles." Schwahn wanted to reinvigorate the show. "The show in many ways has been refaced and reinvigorated. It's very much a twenty-something show now with some relevant adult characters, and I really like that energy for the show," he said, and elaborated:
The reason that this compels me is, first of all, I can drop into a world that feels new and, yet, familiar. What I mean by that is this: you know the characters and you've been with them for four years, but you don't know what happened for the last four, and you can drop the audience into new situations. The [actors] can play closer to their age, and we've done a lot of what we would do in college in high school, in terms of that accelerated behavior. The other cool thing it does, and this was not by design, I'm not smart enough to design it this way, but the fact that Lucas and his mom and his dad, Dan, the fact that there was history, that we can always reach back and grab a piece of something over the last four years, like what happened with Dan and Karen, what happened before Lucas joined the team, etc. Like we dropped the audience into this world, but there was so much life before that, that you could always go back and grab a piece when you needed it. If Lucas is with a girl that we've never met, or with Peyton, or with Brooke, or living with Haley and Nathan or whatever, how did that happen and what choices framed that?
Schwahn felt that altering the series in this way allowed the storylines to be a little more complex, and said the actors welcomed the change. One critic said, "The fifth season of One Tree Hill completely reinvented the series... It was a risky move, but one that ultimately paid off."
Sponsors
AT&TAT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
is prominently inserted into the show as a sponsor. Most of the characters on the show have AT&T Mobility (and earlier, Cingular) cell phones. The company has given One Tree Hill fans the chance to make several choices about the show's plot. One example was whether or not Nathan and Taylor would kiss when they met at the 'Swinging Donkey' bar in Season 2; the fans chose for them not to.
Sunkist
Sunkist (soft drink)
Sunkist is a brand of primarily orange flavored soft drinks launched in 1979.Sunkist was first licensed by Sunkist Growers to the General Cinema Corporation, the leading independent bottler of Pepsi-Cola products at the time...
is another sponsor which can be spotted at concerts in episodes such as "When it Isn't Like it Should Be" and "Just Watch the Fireworks", in the characters' fridges, and on the school's vending machines. It held a contest to choose which town the characters would visit in "It Gets the Worst at Night", and Honey Grove, Texas
Honey Grove, Texas
Honey Grove is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. Honey Grove is regarded as "The Sweetest Town in Texas." The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census....
won.
In Episode 4.04: "Can't Stop This Thing We Started", Rachel takes part in a Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
photoshoot which mirrored a real-life photoshoot for Danneel Harris, Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush, and became available in stores on October 14, 2006.
In Episode 4.07: "All These Things That I've Done", America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
winner of a challenge, CariDee English
CariDee English
CariDee English is an American fashion model and TV personality who won Cycle 7 of America's Next Top Model in December 2006. Her prize was a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics, a modeling contract with Elite Models, and a six-page fashion editorial and cover for Seventeen magazine...
, got to play a small role as a model named Tia in a fashion show. In Episode 5.17: "Hate is Safer Than Love", Mia, played by Kate Voegele
Kate Voegele
Kate Elizabeth Voegele is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is signed to Interscope Records. She is also known for her part as Mia Catalano in the CW TV series One Tree Hill.-Career:...
, agrees to take part in both Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
and a Starburst
Starburst (confectionery)
Starburst is the brand name of a cuboid-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated...
funded concert. In 2008, The CW, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
partnered to offer eight passionate fans the chance for a walk-on role on the show and to spend a weekend with the cast, billed as the "Ultimate Fan Weekend in Wilmington".
Departures of Murray and Burton
In 2009, Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton were confirmed as having declined to return to the series. For months, rumors circulated on the Internet that the two would not be returning for the show's seventh season, when, in February, The CW announced a series renewal without specifying which cast members had renewed their contracts. A video of Murray, seemingly unaware he was being filmed, saying the show was not bringing him back because they wanted to save money, with Murray encouraging fans to rally behind him, intensified speculation. A video of Burton saying she would stay if she had creative control also surfaced, fueling speculation that The CW did not want to keep Burton on the show without Murray. There was speculation that Murray gave The CW a difficult time about resigning and The CW made the decision to stop negotiating with him. To some fans, One Tree Hill without Murray and Burton sounded "kind of like SeinfeldSeinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
without Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
... and Elaine
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
". It elicited skepticism from fans who consider the show's heart to be the dynamic between their characters, Lucas and Peyton. A TVGuide.com poll found that nearly half of respondents, however, were willing to take a "wait and see" approach to a revamped version of the series. In April, Schwann told a crowd in Paris that all of the actors had signed on for Season 7, except for Murray and Burton. "They're in negotiations right now and I know they've been offered great things, and hopefully they'll decide to come back," he said. "If they don't, that's always a possibility...[the show] has made it through some of the riskier moves we've done." In May, CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff
Dawn Ostroff
Dawn Tarnofsky-Ostroff was the former President of Entertainment of The CW Television Network. She was in charge of all creative efforts of the network and oversees such areas as current programming, series development, scheduling, research, marketing and publicity.-Career:Ostroff began her career...
stated, "We tried to get them to stay; we would have been thrilled if they wanted to." She said that since Murray and Burton were moving on, Tree Hill now had to reinvent itself a bit – as it did in 2007, with the four-year flash-forward. "A show going into its seventh year is very open to reinventing itself," said Ostroff. "And one thing I have to give [series creator] Mark Schwahn a lot of credit for is that he has kept the show so fresh all these years."
Burton told Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
she may return for guest appearances if asked, and cleared up the matter of what happened behind the scenes in regards to her contract. "...[W]hen I hear that there’s turmoil or negotiations based on money, it kind of hurts my feelings, because it’s not what’s been going on at all," she said. "I think my fan base in particular knows that money isn’t necessarily a big motivator for me, that’s why I work in the world of independent film." She said she had known "for a little while" that she was leaving, and that she made that decision. "For me, it was definitely an emotional decision. And a professional decision as well. I got really, really lucky. One Tree Hill was my very first television audition; it was a fairytale," said Burton. "I feel really lucky to have that level of success right out of the gate." Burton further stated:
The purpose of that video was to dispel the rumors that were being circulated. I was on your end of it for a very long time when I worked at MTV, and I understand how the rumor mill works. Everybody wants a sensational story. People even back then were blaming it on money, and [on me] being high maintenance.... Those rumors were really hurtful. Of anybody on the show, I was the one who was very excited about doing all the extracurricular stuff – the mall tours, the radio tours, going to the upfronts... I loved my involvement with this show, and I really just wanted my fan base to know that I wasn’t turning my nose up at this wonderful opportunity I’ve had for the last six years. There’s an ugly trend where actors think they’ve surpassed the show that made them or the film that made them and badmouth it. I will never say a bad word about One Tree Hill. The entire shape of my world changed because of that show, so I’ll always be very affectionate toward it.
Criticism regarding how their characters, Lucas and Peyton, were written out of the series mainly focused on a lack of explanation about where they went/were going, and the exit not having been morbid enough for a star-crossed
Star-crossed
"Star-crossed" or "star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of lovers whose relationship is often thwarted by outside forces. The term encompasses other meanings, but originally means the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or that the stars are working against the relationship...
couple. Although the episode is initially grim, this changes by its end; given Lucas and Peyton's history, combined with the show's penchant for shocker finales, it was not expected that the two would be free of any type of tragedy. MTV even composed tragic scenarios as to how they would have written the couple off the series, but also said, "OK, OK. Maybe after all they've been through in six seasons, these two deserved their happy ending. Lucas and Peyton, you were this generation's Joey
Joey Potter
Josephine "Joey" Lynn Potter is a fictional character portrayed by Katie Holmes in the American television drama Dawson's Creek.-Character biography:...
and Pacey
Pacey Witter
Pacey J. Witter is a fictional character on the American television series Dawson's Creek, portrayed by actor Joshua Jackson.-Biography:...
: the overly dramatic couple we couldn't help but root for. We'll miss you." The exit was picked as one of the "12 most essential episodes of One Tree Hill" in 2009 by fans at starnewsonline.com. Schwahn said, "I know there are a lot of fans who are going to watch to see how we explain Peyton and Lucas’s absence.... They’re traveling, they’re spending time with [Lucas’s mom] Karen and [her husband] Andy, they’re raising their child, he’s working on his book." Schwahn said he found it realistic that Lucas and Peyton would be out just living their lives. "I’ve been very upfront with the studio and network in saying, 'Look, the audience may not accept a new version of the show. But we’ve reinvented it a few times before. I don’t want to be dismissive of [Murray and Burton]. But when you see the first couple of episodes [in the new season], you’re either in for this new show or not,'" he stated. "So every week, to talk about Lucas and Peyton actually feels like it hurts us more than it helps us. Obviously, they were a huge part of One Tree Hill. But you move forward. To fill the void of Murray and Burton's departures, Robert Buckley
Robert Buckley
Robert Earl Buckley is an American actor, best known for his roles on the television series Lipstick Jungle and One Tree Hill....
and Shantel VanSanten
Shantel VanSanten
Shantel Yvonne VanSanten is an American actress and model. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Quinn James On film, she stars in You and I, Something Wicked, and The Final Destination...
were cast as Nathan's agent Clay and Haley's sister Quinn respectively. Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols is an American film, television actor and director who is perhaps best known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series One Tree Hill. He is also known for his roles in films such as The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon...
, who plays Julian Baker, was also upgraded to series regular status.
Plans for Murray and Burton to return to the series in Season 8 were confirmed. Schwahn said that the actors' busy schedules could possibly prevent a return in time for Brooke's wedding, but hoped they could return later in the season. On December 7, 2010, Kristin Dos Santos stated that Murray and Burton would definitely not be back for Brooke's wedding, but that they were still expected to return. In January 2011, Burton confirmed at the Winter TCAs that she would not be returning. The CW revealed that Chad Michael Murray will return for a guest appearance in the final season, while Hilarie Burton will not return as she was not asked back.
Critical reception
The show has received mixed reviews. Critics have compared it to The O.C.The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
and Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, but with a more masculine appeal, while a significant number of fans of the series have especially been involved in One Tree Hill versus The O.C. debates. Comparisons between Lucas and Ryan Atwood
Ryan Atwood
Ryan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
, brooding blond male lead characters coming into a new situation where they are clearly outsiders, have a rich jock nemesis, and first fall in love with the jock's popular girlfriend (Peyton/Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Mischa Barton. Marissa was among the original "core four" characters on The O.C. until her death in the season three finale, "The Graduates."...
), have been prominent; comparisons between Brooke and Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Rachel Bilson.-Background:Summer Roberts grew up in Newport Beach, California, with her wealthy father, Dr. Neil Roberts...
, dark-haired vixens who are best friends with the popular female lead, have also been made. Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
was even chosen for the part of Ryan Atwood but declined, had previously guest-starred on Dawson's Creek as a minor character, and is subject to even One Tree Hill referencing Dawson's in the first episode. "Where Dawson's was about relationships, especially between boys and girls, One Tree Hill tries to be about masculinity, especially as negotiated through sports," stated Tracy McLoone of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
. McLoone said despite this, it would likely be pinned as a girl's show. "This doesn't mean boys won't watch it, just that they won't talk about it." Allison McCracken of flowtv.org
Flow (journal)
Flow is an online journal of television and media studies, published by the Department of Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. It was conceived by graduate students Christopher Lucas and Avi Santo and launched in October 2004....
, on the other hand, called it a "boys soap opera" (soap operas specifically designed for the male audience). "The new boy-centered soap employs 'feminine' generic serial elements to explore male adolescence and relationships between males, often focusing around brothers or fathers & sons," she said. "The boy soap is as pleasurable a text for female viewers as television offers today."
Chris Carle of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said, "One Tree Hill, like The O.C. is helping to infuse network television with a much-needed renaissance of teen drama. The series is a bit less fun and more dramatic than Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's, and the themes and storylines hold a little more gravity than The O.C.'s sometimes soap opera dynamic, but it's a solid show." Keith Helinski of Moviefreak.com disagreed with The O.C. comparisons. "Ever so often I hear people refer to the show as The WB’s version of The O.C., but I disagree. Summerland
Summerland (TV series)
Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory , raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident...
is more like The O.C. with similar scenarios and settings, while One Tree Hill is more suited as a Dawson’s Creek knock off," he said. "In fact, story lines, characters, and even the themes are so similar that one would think One Tree Hill is like Dawson’s Creek: The Next Generation."
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
said, "The WB's One Tree Hill, a slick prime-time drama about a small town packed with hunky teenagers and simmering family secrets, is one of the fastest-growing shows on network television." The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
commented, "One Tree Hill is a welcome surprise...Every choice it makes from pacing to photography to music seems just about right, and the casting is inspired." Alynda Wheat of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the show a "guilty pleasure" and said they had not had one "this guilty" since Melrose Place. "Their relationships change so quickly you'd need a spreadsheet to keep up," she stated. "As Brooke put it to Peyton, I think Nathan likes Tutor Girl, but I think Tutor Girl likes Lucas. And I know I like Lucas, and I don't know who the hell you like anymore." However, Wheat criticized the lack of parents in most of the teenage characters' lives. "Any time order threatens to reign, the writers ship out the parents – to Italy, a boating accident, whatever," said Wheat. Daniel Fienberg of zap2it.com
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
said that though the show has all the elements that make for a good show about teenagers/young adults, "it's also a show that has stubbornly refused to be categorized merely as a guilty pleasure" such as with its critically acclaimed school shooting episode "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept," and that "its myriad artistic pretensions – Lucas's 'Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'-spewing narration, Peyton's (Hilarie Burton) pedantic lectures on indie rock, countless expositional monologues lifted from a Philosophy 101 lecture—have often rendered it merely bad, rather than so-bad-its-good". Fienberg did, however, compliment the school shooting episode. Cynthia Boris of DVDVerdict.com, on the other hand, said, "One Tree Hill doesn't claim to be anything more than it is. They acknowledge that they're a teen fantasy complete with an appropriately emo WB soundtrack."
Ginia Bellefante of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
criticized the show's lack of insight into consequences surrounding teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy of a female under the age of 20 when the pregnancy ends. It generally refers to a female who is unmarried and usually refers to an unplanned pregnancy...
. "In the wake of the discussion surrounding Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
and the horror over Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Marie Spears is an American actress and singer. The younger sister of pop star Britney Spears, she rose to prominence for her appearances on Nickelodeon shows All That and for playing Zoey Brooks on Zoey 101....
, the show displays an almost aggressive aversion to moralizing about teenage pregnancy," she stated. "Refusing to lay out the grim consequences of premature motherhood, it seems as if it wants to make fans on either end of the political spectrum stick their heads in fiery hampers." Author Emily B. Anzicek said that pregnancy seems to be the only possible physical consequence for the residents of One Tree Hill and that discussion of STD
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s is non-existent, criticizing the "potential threat" due to the amount of promiscuity, such as several characters having sex with people they hardly know. "Of all the episodes in the first three seasons, there are two mentions of condoms. One happens when Deb catches Brooke and Lucas at the drug store buying condoms and whipped cream," said Anzicek. "The second happens in season two when Brooke throws a wedding reception for Nathan and Haley and decorates the room with condoms blown up like balloons." Anzicek said the teenagers, who are only supposed to be sixteen and seventeen at this time, are presented as very sexually-experienced, especially Brooke, and that the one exception is Haley.
Ian Arbuckle of Chud.com complimented the series on its musical aspect. "Pop music is built on repetition of themes and structures. Pop television follows a similar pattern, revisiting old plots with new characters in a sort of 'Here comes the new show, same as the old show' mode," he said. "One Tree Hill is firmly couched in both the pop television and pop music traditions." Chris Carle of IGN said, "Like the series itself, the offering is a little more adult (read: adult contemporary) and a little less fresh than other similar soundtracks. It's not without its standouts, but overall the selection is plucked from the lighter fare on alt rock radio."
Regarding the show's flexibility, Arbuckle stated, " One Tree Hill doesn't focus exclusively on the teenagers, but also stretches out to include dedicated subplots for their parents and other adults." He said there is not much of a maturity gap between the two sides. "[In]stead, to keep the structure somewhat separate, the respective focuses are on different emotions. For the teens, it's love; for the adults, it's revenge." For example, one of the audience's main concerns has been "Who should Lucas end up with?" "If you're a huge fan of One Tree Hill, chances are you've had a debate at some point about who Lucas Scott should ultimately settle down with," stated Don Williams of BuddyTV.com. "[ These shippers
Shipping (fandom)
Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the belief that two fictional characters, typically from the same series, are in an intimate relationship, or have romantic feelings that could potentially lead to a relationship. It is considered a general term for fans' emotional involvement with...
] can be an extremely rabid bunch. There are some fans who want Lucas with Peyton, others who'd like to see him go back to Brooke, and even a few who think that Lindsey was his perfect match."
The show's first season has been well regarded. "One Tree Hill: The Complete First Season is a surprisingly rewarding experience," stated Neal Solon of DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
. "Throughout its first season, One Tree Hill distinguishes itself from other teen dramas by dealing with more than just the backstabbing, backbiting, and backwards morals of today's youth," he said. "Certainly, the show contains its fair share of this petty drama, but it also explores the reasons behind it." For example, the effect the parents' mistakes have had on the teenagers. Solon felt that the Season 1 finale is partly "so strong" because its creators did not know if the WB would renew the show. "The last few episodes bring some form of closure to the major story arcs, while leaving the door wide open for further development should the show continue. It is an artfully employed strategy that paid off," he said. Also reviewing Season 1, Paul Cooke of DVDActive.com stated, "If you take the time to invest some emotional capital in the lives of the characters, you usually will find yourself absorbed in their trials and tribulations. One Tree Hill is no different, in fact, it may be notch above some of the other teen angst shows." Cooke added, "All of the actors are pleasant to look at, the storylines are interesting and the music is fresh and enjoyable. How could someone not enjoy this show? Do yourself a favour, and visit One Tree Hill."
Though Season 2 is the show's highest-rated season, it is also one of its most criticized. The loss of basketball, confusion over who is Lucas's true love, the backstabbing and plotting without anything making the show unique, and Dan being turned into an almost cartoon-ish villain are among the complaints. "Dan is a jealous man, and the writers come dangerously close to making him nothing more than an evil man," stated Arbuckle. Amy Kane of Film.com
RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services based in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The company is the creator of RealAudio, a compressed audio format; RealVideo, a compressed video format; RealPlayer, a media player; RealDownloader, a download...
called the character "the most ridiculous villain never to twirl a mustache". Though calling the plot-level elements satisfying, Arbuckle also criticized the dialogue, saying it begins to break down. "The series' writers never have a good grip either of the rhythms of teenage slang (including painful forays into ebonics
Ebonics
Ebonics is a term that was originally intended to refer to the language of all people descended from enslaved Africans, particularly in West Africa, the Caribbean, and North America...
) nor the erudite beats of businessmen," he said. He credited male viewers watching partly for the physically attractive girls. In contrast, TheCinemaSource.com said of the show's third season, the dialogue is "clever and sarcastic from the last word of a scene to the very first of the next. Whoever writes Dan's witty comeback lines is hilarious". One of the more complimented additions to Season 2 has been the creation of character Anna Taggaro, credited by AfterEllen.com as the first recurring bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
character of color on television; though whether the character is "truly bisexual" or simply gay is debated among fans.
"As the show progressed, the focus changed [somewhat] to melodrama from backstabbing, scheming, murder attempts, love affairs/triangles." The Season 5 timeline skip, showing the characters in their lives after high school and college, was successful. It is thought to have successfully avoided jumping the shark
Jumping the shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
, and viewership returned to an all-time high. Ginia Bellefante of The New York Times, on the other hand, said, "Not one of the newly minted 22-year-olds on One Tree Hill blogs or dresses coolly or speaks cleverly or gives any indication of having learned anything at all in college." She characterized the portrayal of 20-somethings as "so wildly inauthentic and unfamiliar as to make watching it feel like foreign correspondence" but added that "One Tree Hill is a no-arrogance, no-entitlement zone, and I’m (shamefully) happy to pull up and park."
U.S. television ratings
The series premiere was watched by 2.5 million viewers and achieved a 1.9 Adults 18–49 rating on September 23, 2003. However, the following week it rose to 3.3 million viewers and a 2.4 demo, becoming only one of three shows to rise in its second episode in the 2003–2004 TV season.The CW attracts a fraction of the audience its broadcast competitors do. "So the strategy is super-serving a young coveted demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
. The network's sweet spot is women 18–34 and with a viewer median age of 33, it boasts the youngest audience among its broadcast competitors by almost a dozen years." Averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly, Season 2 was One Tree Hill's highest-rated season. In its second season, the show emerged as one of The WB’s hits, particularly among the young demographics the network courts. "Of all the shows that they’ve launched in the last two years, this one has the most traction," said Stacey Lynn Koerner, at the time an executive vice president at Initiative, a media planning agency. "It does have an audience it’s connecting with – a loyal audience that comes back week in and week out." Among women 12 to 34, the show was winning its Tuesdays 9 pm time slot, and in all of prime-time television, it was the No. 1 show among teenage girls.
Below are the seasonal rankings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
(based on average total viewers per episode) of One Tree Hill on The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
and The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
:
| Season | Timeslot | Network | Season premiere | Season finale | TV seasons | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 One Tree Hill (season 1) Season one of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, began airing on September 23, 2003 on the WB television network. The season concluded on May 11, 2004, after 22 episodes.... |
Tuesday 9/8c | The WB | September 23, 2003 | May 11, 2004 | 2003–2004 | style="text-align:center" | 3.5 |
| 2 One Tree Hill (season 2) Season two of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on September 21, 2004 on the WB television network. The season concluded on May 24, 2005, after 23 episodes.... |
September 21, 2004 | May 24, 2005 | 2004–2005 | #117 | 4.3 | ||
| 3 One Tree Hill (season 3) Season three of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on October 5, 2005. The season concluded on May 3, 2006, after 22 episodes. It is the final season that aired on the WB television network... |
Wednesday 8/7c | October 5, 2005 | May 3, 2006 | 2005–2006 | #139 | 2.8 | |
| 4 One Tree Hill (season 4) Season four of One Tree Hill, an American teen drama television series, began airing on September 27, 2006. The season concluded June 13, 2007, after 21 episodes... |
Wednesday 9/8c | The CW | September 27, 2006 | June 13, 2007 | 2006–2007 | #136 | 2.9 |
| 5 One Tree Hill (season 5) Season five of One Tree Hill, an American television series, began on January 8, 2008. This is the second season to air on the CW television network. Season five regular cast members include Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Sophia Bush, Paul Johansson, Lee... |
Tuesday 9/8C (January 8 – March 18) Monday 9/8C (April 14 – May 19) |
January 8, 2008 | May 19, 2008 | 2007–2008 2007–08 United States network television schedule The following article details the developing fall prime time schedules for the United States' six major English language broadcast networks. Following are lists of what programs have been either renewed or canceled by their networks, the new programs picked up by the networks, and then a schedule... |
#184 | 3.3 (Tues) 2.7 (Mon) | |
| 6 One Tree Hill (season 6) Season six of One Tree Hill, an American television series, began on September 1, 2008 and concluded on May 18, 2009 with a total of 24 episodes. This is the third season to air on The CW Television Network television network... |
Monday 9/8c | September 1, 2008 | May 18, 2009 | 2008–2009 2008–09 United States network television schedule The following is the 2008–2009 network television schedule for the six major English language broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2008 through May 2009. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and... |
#170 | 2.8 | |
| 7 One Tree Hill (season 7) The CW officially renewed One Tree Hill for a seventh season on February 25, 2009. It premiered on September 14, 2009. Season seven is the first season not to include its original cast members, Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton... |
Monday 8/7c | September 14, 2009 | May 17, 2010 | 2009–2010 2009–2010 United States network television schedule The following is the 2009–2010 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2009 through May 2010. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new... |
#130 | 2.3 | |
| 8 One Tree Hill (season 8) The CW officially renewed One Tree Hill for an eighth season on May 18, 2010, with a 13-episode order. The season premiered on September 14, 2010 and airs in its new timeslot, Tuesdays at 8/7c... |
Tuesday 8/7c | September 14, 2010 | May 17, 2011 | 2010–2011 2010–2011 United States network television schedule The following is the 2010–2011 network television schedule for the five major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2010 through May 2011. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new... |
1.8 | ||
| 9 One Tree Hill (season 9) The ninth and final season of One Tree Hill, an American television series created by Mark Schwahn for The WB Television Network. The series was officially renewed by The CW for a ninth season on May 17, 2011. Two days later it was announced that season nine will be the final season. It will... |
Wednesday 8/7c | January 11, 2012 | April 4, 2012 | 2011–2012 |
Syndication
On February 7, 2007, SOAPnetSOAPnet
SOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
announced that it would be picking up reruns of The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
and One Tree Hill. The deal made with the show's production company, Warner Brothers, states that SOAPnet holds on to the option of picking up the fifth season for syndication
Web syndication
Web syndication is a form of syndication in which website material is made available to multiple other sites. Most commonly, web syndication refers to making web feeds available from a site in order to provide other people with a summary or update of the website's recently added content...
which SOAPnet did, airing fifth season episodes beginning in January 2009.
Home release
Seasons 1–7 of One Tree Hill have been released on DVD in regions 1, 2 and 4. DVD releases typically include commentary by cast and crew members on a select number of episodes, deleted scenes, gag reels and some featurettes. Information on DVD release is available in each individual season article.To date, two box set collectors editions of the series have been released. Edition one, was released in August 2009, and it contained the complete seasons 1 through to 6, focusing on the shows core characters. In August 2010, the second collectors edition was released, now contains seasons 1 through to 7, of the show.
| Complete season | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
|
| 1st | January 25, 2005 | September 5, 2005 | February 1, 2006 |
| 2nd | September 13, 2005 | April 10, 2006 | September 6, 2006 |
| 3rd | September 26, 2006 | October 23, 2006 | July 4, 2007 |
| 4th | December 18, 2007 | April 7, 2008 | June 4, 2008 |
| 5th | August 26, 2008 | October 6, 2008 | April 1, 2009 |
| 6th | August 25, 2009 | October 5, 2009 | February 3, 2010 |
| 7th | August 17, 2010 | October 11, 2010 | May 4, 2011 |
| 8th | December 20, 2011 | November 7, 2011 | February 1, 2012 |
| 9th | |||