One Tree Hill (TV series)

For other uses, see One Tree Hill (disambiguation).

One Tree Hill
Intertitle
Genre	Drama, Sports
Created by	Mark Schwahn
Starring	Chad Michael Murray James Lafferty Hilarie Burton Bethany Joy Galeotti Sophia Bush Paul Johansson Barry Corbin Craig Sheffer Moira Kelly Barbara Alyn Woods Lee Norris Antwon Tanner Danneel Harris Jackson Brundage Lisa Goldstein Austin Nichols Robert Buckley Shantel VanSanten Jana Kramer
Narrated by	Chad Michael Murray (Seasons 1–6) Paul Johansson (Season 7; eps 1–12) Bethany Joy Galeotti (Season 8)
Opening theme	"I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw (Seasons 1–4; 8)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	158 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Mark Schwahn Michael Tollin Brian Robbins Joe Davola
Production location	Wilmington, North Carolina
Camera setup	Single-camera setup
Running time	39–42 minutes
Original release
Network	The WB (2003–2006) The CW (2006–present)
Release	September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23) – present

One Tree Hill is an American teen, young adult 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 is the official broadcaster for the show in the USA. The show is set in fictional town 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 characters' 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 one year 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, due to production costs and Schwahn feeling that it was more so representative of the main five's adolescent lives. 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 will be sung by different artists each week.

The show has received average ratings, with the second season being the highest rated season, averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly. It has also won Teen Choice Awards. On May 12, 2009, it was confirmed that Chad Michael 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 protagonists, as well as one of the central love stories, throughout the show. Since the two departed, ratings have steadily declined with some episodes reaching below the two million mark; this also ties in with the network's other shows that also suffered a decline in ratings.

The CW officially renewed the show for an eighth season consisting of a minimum 12 episodes on May 18, 2010. Schwahn said this is the last season all the original cast members are contracted for. However, he is hoping the series could go on for more seasons as the network did not announce this as the last season of the show, which they did for Smallville. On October 22, 2010, the show was picked up for a full-season, which will total at 22 episodes.

Plot

Main article: List of One Tree Hill episodes

The main storyline is originally the relationship between the two half-brothers Lucas Scott (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), 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's 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. 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 after realizing that her life, as she knows it, is over.

The first season deals with the first half of the main teenage characters' junior years (up to the first game of the state championship). 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 Brooke-Lucas-Peyton 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 asks 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, without former co-stars Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton. It introduces two new regular characters: Haley's free spirited sister Quinn; and Nathan's agent Clayton. Also, Danneel Harris who portrayed Rachel, appears in a ten-episode arc this season, starting with the second episode. Austin Nichols, who portrays Julian Baker, and Jana Kramer, who portrays Alex Dupree, were promoted to full series regulars. The first half of the season focuses on Quinn's and Clay's developing relationship after the death of Clay's wife, Sarah. Nathan's NBA career gets jeopardized due to a growing scandal that 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. The second half of the season deals with Haley's depression due to her mother's death. Clay is faced with an obsessive Katie, eventually involving Quinn. At the end of the season, the Tree Hill gang travel to Utah for the premiere of Julian's completed film.

The eighth season continues with the development of Quinn and Clay's relationship after a life threatening attack. Haley prepares with the birth of her second child, while Nathan makes a big decision regarding his NBA career. Brooke faces financial problems that effects her company. Julian starts a new project, while Alex and Chase fight to keep their relationship going as Alex takes on another roll in an upcoming movie and has to leave Tree Hill.

Cast and characters

Main article: List of One Tree Hill characters

Original cast

Original main five: Lucas and Peyton (center), Nathan and Haley (left), and Brooke (right).

Chad Michael Murray portrays Lucas Scott. Lucas and Nathan start out as enemies but bond as friends and as brothers as the show progresses. Lucas's best friend is Haley James, and he is a romantic interest for Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis at the same time. He finds himself in love with Peyton in Season 1, but wanting to be with and loving Brooke in Season 2. His love for the two continue to be an issue throughout most of the series, and 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 as Lucas, although, according to Schwahn, a return for Season 8 may be possible.

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. In Season 1, he 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. Like his father, 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. jackie is currently his new girlfriend.

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. Brooke Davis is her best friend, and she is also close friends with Haley. 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, although, according to Schwahn, a return for Season 8 may be possible.

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.

Additional cast

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 fourth 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. Lucas beats up Julian, and hates him, but when the episodes of season six progresses, he and Lucas bond while talking plans over the film. Brooke rebuffs his advances until Peyton gives her blessing because she sees that Brooke has serious interest in Julian. Brooke, However, is still unable to open her heart to anyone until Victoria convinces her to not go in the same way as her mother. Brooke and Victoria reconcile and Brooke flies to L.A. to say "I love you, too" back to Julian. Brooke's confession is successful, as Julian and Brooke's relationship is blossoming at the start of the seventh season. He has since made a break out film, and has proposed to Brooke who has accepted.

Robert Buckley portrays Clay Evans, Nathan's sports agent. He is pretty reckless when it comes to love; however, it is revealed in "I and Love and You" that his true love was his late wife Sarah whom he met in college. As a young, married couple, Sarah was Clay's emotional rock, particularly as his career blossomed. Sarah collapsed and died suddenly, leaving Clay a widower. When Nathan's season ends, he has problems finding another team that will pick up Nathan to play for the team. In the sevent season, engages in a healthy relationship with Quinn, Haley's sister. The two must over come a death in the family and a psycho stalker.

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. She begins a relationship with Nathan's agent, Clay. They keep it a secret for a while, as Nathan tried to sway Clay from dating Quinn due to Clay's many women and one-night stands, but she falls in love with him and their relationship is a success even after Taylor comes to dinner claiming to date Quinn's ex husband, the death of her mother and Katie, who is obsessed with Clay. Both Clay and Quinn are shot by Katie and left for dead at the end of the season 7 finale.

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. After standing naked in front of Julian, Brooke fires her for being 'the high school Brooke'. She also befriends Millicent, despite a bitter start. Alex at first begins to have feelings for Julian, as he is the only one to see her true potential and never ask for anything in return, but she realizes that he is in love with Brooke and nothing will ever happen between the two. In the season 7 finale, Alex is shown having feelings for Chase, who decides to go on a date with her, just in time for him to receive a text message from Mia apologizing and wanting to get back together.

Production

Conception

Schwahn originally planned to make One Tree Hill a feature length film with the title Ravens, after the high school basketball team. However, he said 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 that "There is only one Tree Hill...and it's your home."

Themes

One Tree Hill consists of various themes, such as love, friendship, rivalries, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. Its two most prominent themes have been basketball and romance.

Basketball

Lucas and Nathan during the pilot basketball game, in the episode's climax, and one of the show's most defining scenes.

Basketball is a core aspect of the show, which helps to add a sense of masculinity and attract male viewers. TheCinemaSource.com said, "The only thing you might notice that's strange is that the teen's 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 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, and has since continued to be a part of the series, though not to the same extent as Season 1.

Romance

File:Peyton-Lucas-Brooke promo picture.jpg

Promotional picture of the Peyton (left)-Lucas-Brooke love triangle. One of the show's original staples, promotional images, as well as commercials, of and about the love triangle were used to help market the story and entice viewers.

The show features various couples which have contributed to the popularity of the series. Shipper fandoms 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, complete with fan videos and fanfiction (on sites such as YouTube and Fanfiction.net). 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 couple was 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. The pairing have been referred to as star-crossed.

Making Lucas and Peyton the central love story created an intense fanbase rivalry between 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" first began 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 tell her he has romantic feelings 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 supercouples. "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 said, "I love Nathan and Haley, and most of our audience does as well." He explained:

Nathan and Haley's fan base is so strong, and there's a reason for that. That couple is gold as far as I'm concerned, and I've felt that way since the very beginning. People always ask me about when I'm just going to let them be happy, and it's always an interesting question because I feel like they've always been the most stable couple on the show. They have a lot of obstacles come their way... 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.

Episode format

File:One Tree Hill title.png

For Seasons 5-7, the intertitle and opening theme only consisted of the credits "One Tree Hill" written on a black background, a creative decision by Schwahn. Originally, the black background was usually used for "sensitive nature" episodes.

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. Since 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. 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'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."

Series timeline

One Tree Hill's timeline was set as complex by Schwahn in 2003. In the first season of the series, 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 freshman."

And, I also wanted to keep them in high school longer. 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.

He said he chose closure to their teenage years in Season 4 because they were closing up that part of time of the characters' lives. "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," said Schwahn.

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."

Sponsored plot elements

AT&T 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. The first 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. The second was what Nathan and Haley's second wedding song would be in the finale of Season Three; the fans chose "More Than Anyone" by Gavin DeGraw. The company also allowed the fans to choose which band would perform at the senior prom in Season Four; the fans chose Within Reason, a band from Birmingham, Alabama.

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.

Nike makes multiple appearances in the show. The Tree Hill high school basketball team wore Nike jerseys and shoes. Almost all athletic shoes worn by Nathan during his basketball run were Nike shoes. The characters also make references to Nike athletes, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony. Nike also provided the film crew with their own sweater vests for Season 5.

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, 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. Macy's had a competition to win a walk-on role on the show. The winner would get to spend time with the cast, see the show in production, attend a charity event and appear in one episode. 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.

Music

Music plays a significant part in the plot and the movement of the scenes throughout an episode. Several scenes are tied together seamlessly at the end of each show and the song, which is usually played in its entirety and helps create a singular mood from seemingly unconnected events.

In addition to featuring popular indie music on the show, 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 season with most performances is Season 3, which also saw the release of a second soundtrack for the show. The show has a long list of artists who have participated in the show, including Gavin DeGraw, Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch, The Wreckers, Tyler Hilton, Jimmy Eat World, The Honorary Title, Fall Out Boy, Angels & Airwaves, Nada Surf, Jack's Mannequin, Michelle Featherstone, Lupe Fiasco, Bear Lake, and Within Reason. Season 5 featured Kate Voegele in an important character role as Mia Catallano, The Honorary Title and Kevin Federline in another character role as Jason. Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley), Bryan Greenberg (Jake Jagielski) and Tyler Hilton (Chris Keller) have also performed on the show. Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz appeared in an episode after the band's performance as himself, in a storyline where he becomes a love-interest for Peyton. Other well-known bands whose songs have featured on the show include: Oasis, Radiohead, Stereophonics, Placebo, Mclusky, Snow Patrol, Frightened Rabbit, Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, Bon Iver, Keane, Starsailor, Travis, Feeder, Dashboard Confessional, Pink, The Cure, Switchfoot, Audioslave, Wakey Wakey, Lifehouse and Foo Fighters.

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.

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. For example, episode 1.02 ("The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most") is named after a Dashboard Confessional song of the same name. In this episode, Lucas realizes that basketball, which had once been his safe place, is now the place that he has come to fear the most after joining the Ravens.

One Tree Hill made history by having Led Zeppelin's song "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" in its Season 3 finale. Led Zeppelin has never licensed their songs on network TV (the only other time was on HBO's cable series The Sopranos). One Tree Hill is the first non-cable network television series to ever have a licensed Led Zeppelin song on their show.

From Season 1 through to Season 7, up to 1,577 songs have played on the show. featuring both local and overseas artists.

Syndication

On February 7, 2007, SOAPnet 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.

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 Seinfeld 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:

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 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." 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 (Julian) was also upgraded to series regular status.

It has been confirmed there are plans for Murray and Burton to return to the series in Season 8. Schwahn has said that the actors busy schedules may prevent a return in time for Brooke's wedding, but hopes they can return later in the season.

Reception

Critical reception

The show has received generally mixed reviews. Critics have compared it to The O.C. 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 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."

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 DVDVerdict.com. "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. 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." 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" and added that "One Tree Hill is a no-arrogance, no-entitlement zone, and I’m (shamefully) happy to pull up and park."

Ratings

The show has received generally average ratings. 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. The series originally had "a disastrous debut" with only 2.5 million viewers. 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 p.m. time slot, and in all of prime-time television, it was the No. 1 show among teenage girls.

A landmark episode in the third season, "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept," which featured two tragic deaths during a school shooting, aired on March 1, 2006, ranking in record ratings for the season, with a 2.5/4 in households, 3.6 million viewers, and a 1.5/4 in adults 18-49 in the United States. The May 3, 2006 season finale pulled in a 2.3/4 rating, with a 1.4 rating for adults 18–49, the show's biggest audience in that season with the exception of the episode on March 1.

On May 18, 2010, The CW officially renewed the show for an eighth season consisting of 12 episodes minimum. The show has also been moved to Tuesday nights as a lead in for Life Unexpected.

Below are the seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of One Tree Hill on The WB and The CW:

Season	Timeslot	Season premiere	Season finale	TV seasons	Rank	Viewers (in millions)
1	Tuesday 9/8c	September 23, 2003	May 11, 2004	2003–2004	#173	3.5
2		September 21, 2004	May 24, 2005	2004–2005	#117	4.3
3	Wednesday 8/7c	October 5, 2005	May 3, 2006	2005–2006	#139	2.8
4	Wednesday 9/8c	September 27, 2006	June 13, 2007	2006–2007	#136	2.9
5	Tuesday 9/8C (January 8 – March 18) Monday 9/8C (April 14 – May 19)	January 8, 2008	May 19, 2008	2007–2008	#184	2.9
6	Monday 9/8c	September 1, 2008	May 18, 2009	2008–2009	#170	2.8
7	Monday 8/7c	September 14, 2009	May 17, 2010	2009–2010	#118	2.3
8	Tuesday 8/7c	September 14, 2010	TBR	2010–2011	TBD	TBD

International broadcast

One Tree Hill first aired on Australian television in late 2003 in primetime network television. Starting out strong with around 1 million viewers per week, the series slowly lost momentum and was pushed from "Network Ten" to a Foxtel cable channel. This lasted until Season 5, when One Tree Hill made its return to network television on "Ten HD". Primetime success followed, but the collapse of "Ten HD" ultimately resulted in its move back to Network Ten's schedule, this time on weekends with an ever-changing time slot. Currently, One Tree Hill is achieving record daytime "Network Ten" ratings, consistently out-rating other series with a strong average of 105,000 viewers. The Season 6 finale pulled in over 130,000 viewers. One Tree Hill is set to make its network television prime time return in early 2011 on a new network in Australia called Eleven (TV channel). It will front a new line up of shows, and plans to begin airing the Season 7 while airing repeats during the day.

One Tree Hill is aired in the United Kingdom on the digital channel E4 and channel 4 in the post watershed slot where it constantly rates high.

DVD releases

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.

Complete season	Release dates
	Region 1 (United States, Canada)	Region 2 (United Kingdom)	Region 4 (Australia)
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	February, 2011
8th	TBA	TBA	TBA

External links

• Official website
• One Tree Hill at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show
• One Tree Hill Season 8: Latest Reviews & news
• One Tree Hill Season 8 : A Drama Full Of Love, Compassion And Learning