One Tree Hill (TV series)

One Tree Hill
Series intertitle, seasons 1–4 and 8
Genre
Created byMark Schwahn
Showrunners
  • Mark Schwahn (seasons 1–9)
  • Mark B. Perry (season 1)
Starring
Narrated by
  • Chad Michael Murray
  • Paul Johansson
  • Bethany Joy Lenz
  • Sophia Bush
  • James Lafferty
Opening theme"I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons9
No. of episodes187 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Maureen Milligan
  • David Blake Hartley
  • Kelly R. Tenney
  • Les Bulter
  • David Strauss
  • Mike Herro
  • Karin Gist
  • Adele Lim
  • R. Lee Fleming Jr.
  • Lynn Raynor
  • John A. Norris
  • Roger Grant
Production locationWilmington, North Carolina
Camera setupSingle-camera setup
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseSeptember 23, 2003 (2003-09-23) –
April 4, 2012 (2012-04-04)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

One Tree Hill is an American drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB.[1] After the series' third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW, and from September 27, 2006, the series was broadcast by The CW in the United States until the end of its run on April 4, 2012. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, and initially follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who compete for positions on their school's basketball team and the drama that ensues from the brothers' romance.

Most of the filming took place in and around Wilmington, North Carolina. Many of the scenes were shot near the battleship USS North Carolina and on the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus. The first four seasons of the show focus on the main characters' lives through their high school years. Within these seasons, we see the characters build unexpected relationships as they face the challenges of growing up in a small town. However, at the beginning of the fifth season, Schwahn advanced the timeline by four years to show their lives after college. This season featured a new storyline supported by flashbacks to their college years. Later, Schwahn made it jump a further fourteen months from the end of the sixth to the start of the seventh season.[2] The opening credits were originally accompanied by the song "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw. The theme was removed from the opening in the fifth season; Schwahn said that this was to lower production costs, to add more time for the storyline, and because he felt that the song was more representative of the core characters' adolescent past than their present maturity.[3] The opening then consisted only of the title against a black background. The theme was restored for season 8, in response to audience demand, and was sung by a different artist each episode.

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.[4] The series received numerous award nominations, winning two Teen Choice Awards.

On May 12, 2009, it was confirmed that Murray and Hilarie Burton (Peyton) had declined to return for the seventh season, although accounts of what transpired vary. Their characters (Lucas and Peyton) had been two of the five main protagonists, and had provided one of its central love stories, throughout the show.[5][6][7] On May 17, 2011, The CW renewed One Tree Hill for a ninth[8] and final season, placing an order for 13 episodes.[9] Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley) and Sophia Bush (Brooke) were signed as full-time regulars for one final season,[10] and Lafferty appeared as a part-time regular.[11] Murray returned for a special appearance during the final season,[12] which premiered on January 11, 2012.[13] The show is the fourth-longest-running series on The CW network, or the networks that came together to make it up (The WB and UPN), after Supernatural, 7th Heaven and Smallville.

In August 2024, it was reported that a revival of the series was in development, with Bush and Burton returning while conversations with other cast members were ongoing.[14]

  1. ^ "One Tree Hill Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 11, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  2. ^ Ausiello, Michael. "Scoop: 'Ghost Whisperer,' 'Tree Hill' do time warp (again)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  3. ^ Williams, Don (August 21, 2008). "Exclusive Interview: 'One Tree Hill' Creator Mark Schwahn, Part 1". BuddyTV. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  4. ^ Breaking News – 'One Tree Hill,' 'Eve' Top Freshman Growth The Fruton Critic. Retrieved: November 3, 2010.
  5. ^ Martin, Denise (May 12, 2009). "Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton leaving 'One Tree Hill'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  6. ^ Lynn, Megan (April 2, 2009). ""One Tree Hill" Stars Staying Put?". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  7. ^ Lynn, Megan (May 12, 2009). "Stars Out at "One Tree Hill"". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference OTH season 9 renewal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Seidman, Robert (May 19, 2011). "Next Season of 'One Tree Hill' Announced as Its Final Season". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  10. ^ Masters, Megan (April 26, 2011). "Tree Hill Exclusive: Bethany Joy Galeotti Signs On for Season 9; Lafferty Back Part-Time?". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 28, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  11. ^ MacKenzie, Carina (July 19, 2011). "'One Tree Hill': James Lafferty's reduced role in Season 9". Zap2it. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Murray returns to OTH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Seidman, Robert (November 2, 2011). "The CW Announces 2012 Midseason Schedule". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  14. ^ "'One Tree Hill' Sequel Series Led by Sophia Bush & Hilarie Burton in Works at Netflix". August 30, 2024.