Lee Norris Signed Autograph 4x6 Photo Young Minkus Boy Meets World One Tree Hill

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Lee Norris Signed Autograph 4x6 Photo Young Minkus Boy Meets World One Tree Hill:
$250.00

This is an original 4x6-inch black and white promotional headshot boldly hand-signed by actor Lee Norris. This photo captures Norris at a very young age, likely from the early 1990s during his breakout years as a child star.

Physical Details:

Dimensions: 4 x 6 inches.
Format: Black and white semi-glossy headshot.
Signature: Hand-signed in black felt-tip marker (\"Lee Norris\").
Condition: Excellent vintage condition; the reverse side is blank.

Transcription of Text:

Front (Bottom Margin): LEE NORRIS
Front (Image): Lee Norris (Hand-signed autograph)
Back: (Blank)

Biography: Lee Norris

Lee Norris (born 1981) is a beloved American actor best known for two iconic television roles that defined different eras of youth programming:

Boy Meets World (1993–1994): Norris first gained national fame playing the quirky, \"nerdy\" best friend Stuart Minkus. His character was so memorable that he returned for the series finale and the spin-off, Girl Meets World.
One Tree Hill (2003–2012): As he transitioned into adulthood, Norris took on the role of Marvin \"Mouth\" McFadden. He remained a series regular for most of the show\'s nine-season run, becoming a fan favorite for his character\'s evolution from a high school sports announcer to a successful journalist.
Other Credits: His early career also included a role in the sitcom Almost Home and the film The Journey of August King.

Stuart Minkus, Mouth McFadden, 90s TV Star, TGIF ABC, Signed Headshot, Vintage Autograph, Teen Drama, TV Memorabilia, 4x6 Photo, Child Actor.

Boy Meets World is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September 1993 and May 2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and family, as he progresses from childhood to adulthood. Episodes chronicle the everyday events of Cory\'s home and school life; his teacher and neighbor George Feeny (William Daniels) delivers life lessons as Cory learns to cope with social and personal issues of adolescence. Cory has strong relationships with his older brother Eric (Will Friedle), younger sister Morgan (Lily Nicksay), and parents, Amy (Betsy Randle) and Alan (William Russ). Cory\'s friendship with Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) and romantic interest in Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) serve as central focuses of episodes. Overarching themes include a focus on family and friendships as well as discovering one\'s identity. Further characters were introduced in later seasons; Jonathan Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn), Eli Williams (Alex Désert), Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence), Angela Moore (Trina McGee-Davis) and Rachel McGuire (Maitland Ward).The Walt Disney Company commissioned the series for its youth-oriented TGIF programming block airing on ABC. Jacobs had previously produced Dinosaurs for the block and was asked to create a new series for a 12-to-14-year-old audience. Savage was under a contract with ABC at the time and Jacobs chose to include him as the central character. Boy Meets World was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Touchstone Television, and premiered on ABC on September 24, 1993. The series concluded on May 5, 2000, as a result of the aging cast and a shift in the network\'s programming directives.Boy Meets World experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic throughout its seven seasons, and it was later syndicated on Disney Channel. Several cast members were nominated for Young Artist Awards. Savage and Fishel reprised their roles as series regulars in the spin-off Girl Meets World, which aired on Disney Channel from 2014 to 2017, and depicted Cory and Topanga as married parents.
PlotIn the first season, Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) is a witty 11-year-old middle school student in Philadelphia, who speaks his mind and has an interest in sports. He shares a love-hate relationship with his sixth-grade teacher and neighbor George Feeny (William Daniels), and often finds himself in trouble during class. Cory\'s relationship with his older brother Eric (Will Friedle) becomes strained when Eric\'s obsession with dating girls, which is a foreign concept to Cory, begins to take precedence over the time they spend together. Cory shares a strong bond with his parents, Amy (Betsy Randle) and Alan (William Russ), and his younger sister Morgan (Lily Nicksay). His classmates include his best friend Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), the intelligent Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris), and the nonconformist Topanga (Danielle Fishel), for whom he gradually begins to develop feelings.In the second season, Cory, Shawn, and Topanga begin high school and are taught by Jonathan Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn), an unorthodox English teacher, while Mr. Feeny becomes their principal. Cory and Topanga admit their feelings for each other and begin dating in the third season, while Eric is not accepted to any colleges or universities following his high school graduation. The fourth season includes Eric revisiting his studies and Alan opening a sporting goods store with Eric as his partner. Eric begins college in the fifth season and moves into an apartment with Jack (Matthew Lawrence), whom he learns is Shawn\'s half-brother. Throughout the season, Shawn develops a relationship with a new student, Angela (Trina McGee), and Amy becomes pregnant. Topanga is accepted to Yale University, but rejects the offer to remain close to Cory, which leads her to propose to him at their graduation.In the sixth season, Cory and his friends begin college, where Mr. Feeny is offered a teaching job. Rachel McGuire (Maitland Ward) moves in with Eric and Jack and they both develop feelings for her; Jack dates her. The new Matthews baby, Joshua, is born prematurely. Cory and Topanga get married in the seventh season and move into an apartment on campus. The series concludes with Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Eric moving to New York City, when Topanga secures an internship at a law firm, while Jack and Rachel join the Peace Corps and Angela moves to Europe for a year with her dad.
Characters
Main article: List of Boy Meets World characters Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), the protagonist, who experiences challenging scenarios and life lessons as he grows up
George Feeny (William Daniels), Cory\'s teacher, and later principal, who imparts life lessons and advice to his students
Amy Matthews (Betsy Randle), Cory\'s mother
Eric Matthews (Will Friedle), Cory\'s scatter-brained older brother
Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), Cory\'s best friend who comes from a troubled family
Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris) (season 1, guest season 5), an intelligent student in Cory\'s sixth grade class
Morgan Matthews (Lily Nicksay, seasons 1–2; Lindsay Ridgeway, seasons 3–7), Cory\'s younger sister
Alan Matthews (William Russ), Cory\'s father, a grocery store manager who later runs a camping goods store
Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) (seasons 2–7, recurring season 1), Cory\'s classmate and friend, who he develops a relationship with and later marries
Jonathan Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn) (seasons 2–4), Cory\'s high school English teacher who is easy-going and inspires his students
Eli Williams (Alex Désert) (season 3), another teacher at Cory\'s high school and Jonathan\'s best friend from college
Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence) (seasons 5–7), Shawn\'s long-lost half-brother
Angela Moore (Trina McGee-Davis) (seasons 6–7, recurring season 5), Shawn\'s on-again-off-again girlfriend and Topanga\'s best friend and college roommate
Rachel McGuire (Maitland Ward) (seasons 6–7), Topanga and Angela\'s friend at college and Eric and Jack\'s roommateProduction
Development and casting
A mid shot of a man with curly brown hair, looking towards the camera and smiling. He is holding a microphone at a press event.
Ben Savage, pictured in 2015, serves as the program\'s central focus.Boy Meets World was created to air on the TGIF programming block which had been airing on ABC since 1989. The series was created by Michael Jacobs, who produced Dinosaurs for the same block. Jacobs was approached by a Disney executive after the conclusion of Dinosaurs, to write a new series for the 12 to 14-year-old demographic.[1] Jacobs noticed how other sitcoms focused on the oldest child of a family, which led him to create Boy Meets World with the middle child as the central character.Ben Savage was already under a contract at ABC at 11 years old when Jacobs chose to include him in the series, which became known as The Ben Savage Project. Jacobs wanted to work with William Daniels, but Daniels was apprehensive about acting in a sitcom and initially rejected the offer before asking for the pilot to be re-written.[1] Daniels had threatened to quit, and told Jacobs he did not want the role of Mr. Feeny to make fun of teachers, but knew the character would be respected when Jacobs stated it was based on a mentor of his.[2] Rider Strong was the first actor to audition for the role of Shawn and was successful. Strong\'s older brother Shiloh Strong was shortlisted to play Eric alongside Jason Marsden and Will Friedle; Friedle secured the role, however, a different actor portrayed Eric in the unaired pilot.[1] Danielle Fishel was not the original actor cast as Topanga, but she assumed the role before the character\'s first episode; Jacobs also threatened to fire Fishel during the filming week.[3]Boy Meets World was renewed for a fifth season in April 1997.[4] In the fifth season, Matthew Lawrence joined the cast as Jack Hunter, Eric\'s college roommate.[5] Daniels\' wife Bonnie Bartlett portrays the recurring role of Dean Bolander, the dean of the university, in the later seasons of the show.[2]
Writing and filmingDuring the writing of the pilot, network executives removed the episode\'s references to Shakespeare, considering these elements as too mature for the audience. The episode was poorly received at the table read, and Jacobs re-wrote the pilot overnight.[1][2] Part of the rewrite was to ensure that Mr. Feeny was portrayed in a way that was respectful of teachers and did not make fun of them, at Daniels\' request.[2] Strong later commented on the difficult atmosphere of filming on-set, which he described as a \"damaging\" Environment that was cultivated by Jacobs, who had high expectations of the cast.[3][6] Director David Trainer stated that Jacobs used \"emotional manipulation\" on the younger cast.[3]The chemistry between Savage and Fishel led to producers developing a romantic relationship between Cory and Topanga. Jacobs was told by an ABC executive that marrying the pair would be irresponsible, before a favorable Internet poll led to the decision being approved. As the series progressed, Eric\'s characterization became more foolish and unintelligent to accommodate Friedle\'s comedic abilities.[1]Jeff Sherman, who was a producer and writer on the show, advocated to include issues such as vandalism and child abuse in the series, regardless of it being a comedy. An episode in the first season, \"The Fugitive\", discusses the idea of running away from home.[1] Bob Tischler served as an executive producer alongside Jacobs towards the end of the show\'s run.[7]
ConclusionBoy Meets World was renewed for a sixth season in April 1998.[8] Sabrina the Teenage Witch, another series airing on Friday nights, was the only other show to be renewed that year. By this time, the ratings for Boy Meets World had decreased by 14% from the last season, and the TGIF ratings had decreased by 17% overall.[8]In 2000, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, moved from airing on ABC to the WB; by this stage, it was expected that Boy Meets World would also end its run, causing doubt about the future of the block.[9] By April, production on the seventh season of Boy Meets World had concluded, and Savage was already planning on attending college.[9] The series did not produce a \"large-scale\" series finale, and there was a possibility the show could return.[9] In the same month, ABC officially announced that the seventh season would be the final season of the show.[7] The hour-long series finale aired on May 5, 2000, in which Cory and Topanga consider moving to New York.[7]
Series overview
Main article: List of Boy Meets World episodes
Season Episodes Originally released Viewers
(millions) Rank
First released Last released
1 22 September 24, 1993 May 13, 1994 8.5[10] #37
2 23 September 23, 1994 May 19, 1995 11.5[11] #36
3 22 September 22, 1995 May 17, 1996 10.1[12] #48
4 22 September 20, 1996 May 2, 1997 8.7[13] #51
5 24 October 3, 1997 May 15, 1998 11.6[14] #55
6 22 September 25, 1998 May 14, 1999 10.9[15] #58
7 23 September 24, 1999 May 5, 2000 8.7[16] #73
Broadcast
Syndication and streamingBoy Meets World reruns began airing on various Fox, WB, UPN, and independent affiliates from September 8, 1997 to September 1, 2000. During the latter month, Disney Channel assumed syndication rights, with the series running on the cable channel until 2007. ABC Family (now Freeform) aired Boy Meets World from June 21, 2004 to August 31, 2007 and again from April 12, 2010 to December 2, 2015.[17] It has since returned to Freeform as of February 5, 2024.[18][19] The series also began airing on MTV2 since November 14, 2011.[20] On May 5, 2014, the show temporarily returned to Disney Channel after a seven-year absence to promote the sequel spinoff Girl Meets World.[21]On September 29, 2017, Boy Meets World became available for streaming on Hulu along with fellow Disney–ABC television properties Dinosaurs and Home Improvement, in addition to fellow TGIF programs Family Matters, Full House, Hangin\' with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Step by Step.[22] On April 11, 2019, it was confirmed that Disney+, a new streaming service owned by Disney, would be carrying the series upon its November 2019 Meets World experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic.[7] During the airing of the fifth season in 1997–98, Boy Meets World was the winner of its timeslot among children, teenagers and adults aged 18–49, while placing second in its timeslot overall.[8] The series was on average receiving a 14% decrease in ratings from the previous season. It was described as the number 2 series for children on primetime television.[8] By the airing of the seventh season, the ratings had continued to decline as the audience for the TGIF block decreased.[7]
Cultural impactAngela\'s interracial relationship with Shawn was a relative rarity for a major network television show targeting youths at the time. Trina McGee-Davis once remarked that the typical reaction she received from young fans regarding the relationship was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging, often inquiring as to when the characters would reconcile after a breakup. She expressed her personal wish that her character\'s relationship would serve as an example of color blindness for the world, in lieu of a less positive reaction a similar relationship had received on Ally McBeal at the time.[25]Eric and Shawn both wore a popular 1990s hairstyle called curtained hair.[26]The show also addresses the cultural issues of child abuse (\"Dangerous Secret\"), sexual harassment (\"Chick Like Me\", \"Everybody Loves Stuart\"), and underage drinking/alcohol use (\"If You Can\'t Be with the One You Love…\").[27][28]
Awards and nominations
List of awards and nominations received by Boy Meets World Award Year Recipient(s) Category Result Ref.
Nickelodeon Kids\' Choice Awards 1999 Boy Meets World Favorite Television Show Nominated
2000 Boy Meets World Favorite Television Show Nominated
Ben Savage & Rider Strong Favorite Television Friends Won
Young Artist Awards 1994 Ben Savage Youth Actor Leading Role in a Television Series Nominated [29]
Rider Strong Best Youth Comedian Nominated
Lily Nicksay Best Actress Under Ten in a Television Series or Show Nominated
Boy Meets World Best New Television Series Nominated
1995 Will Friedle Best Performance: Young Actor in a TV Comedy Series Nominated [30]
Jason Marsden Nominated
1996 Danielle Fishel Best Performance by a Young Actress: TV Comedy Series Nominated [31]
Justin Thomson Best Performance by a Young Actor: Guest Starring Role TV Series Won
Erin J. Dean Best Performance by a Young Actress: Guest Starring Role TV Series Nominated
1997 Ben Savage Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Leading Young Actor Nominated [32]
Rider Strong Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Supporting Young Actor Nominated
Danielle Fishel Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Supporting Young Actress Nominated
1998 Ben Savage Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Leading Young Performer Nominated [33]
1999 Jarrett Lennon Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Guest Starring Young Actor Won[a] [34]
2000 J. B. Gaynor Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Guest Starring Young Performer Won [35]
YoungStar Awards 1998 Ben Savage Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series Nominated [36]
Danielle Fishel Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series Won
2000 Danielle Fishel Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series Nominated
Other media
Home video releasesWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (as Buena Vista Home Entertainment) released the first three seasons of Boy Meets World on DVD in 2004 and 2005.[37]On August 4, 2008, it was announced that Lionsgate Home Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series. They subsequently re-released the first three seasons on DVD on September 7, 2010, with the same special features from the original releases.[38] Season 4 was released on December 7, 2010.[39] Season 5 was released on May 3, 2011.[40] Season 6 was released on July 5, 2011.[41] Season 7 was released on October 4, 2011, completing the series\' run on DVD.[42]On November 5, 2013, Lionsgate released Boy Meets World: The Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1. The 22-disc set features all 158 episodes of the series as well as new and previously included bonus features from the original sets.[43]
Sequel series
Main article: Girl Meets WorldIn November 2012, Disney Channel announced that it had greenlit a pilot for a sequel/spin-off series, Girl Meets World. This series picks up nearly fifteen years after Boy Meets World ended, and follows Cory and Topanga\'s daughter Riley (Rowan Blanchard) as she navigates the challenges of her adolescent years along with her best friend Maya (Sabrina Carpenter).Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel reprised their roles as Cory and Topanga, while several other cast members from Boy Meets World made recurring appearances, most prominently Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter), Matthew Lawrence (Jack Hunter), Will Friedle (Eric Matthews), Danny McNulty (Harley Keiner), Lee Norris (Stuart Minkus), and William Daniels (Mr. Feeny). Michael Jacobs returned as showrunner. Girl Meets World ran three seasons before ending in 2017.[44]
Rewatch podcast
Main article: Pod Meets WorldFishel, Friedle and Strong began hosting a podcast in 2022 in which they rewatch and commentate on every episode of Boy Meets World. The podcast, entitled Pod Meets World, is published by iHeartRadio and launched on June 27.[45] Savage chose not to take part in the project despite being invited. In 2023, Fishel, Friedle and Strong revealed that Savage had actually cut off all contact with them in 2020, without explanation.[46] The podcast featured guests Daniels, McGee, Randle, Russ, Lawrence, and Ward.[45]Lee Michael Norris (born September 25, 1981) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on Boy Meets World and its spin-off Girl Meets World,[1] as well as Marvin \"Mouth\" McFadden on One Tree Hill.[2]Norris appeared as a recurring character in the first two seasons of the Boy Meets World spinoff series Girl Meets World, reprising his role as Minkus, in which he is now a billionaire and the father of a teenage son named Farkle Minkus (Corey Title Role Notes
1995 The Journey of August King Silver Boy
1996 A Step Toward Tomorrow Perry
2006 Surf School Larry
2007 Zodiac Mike Mageau
2010 blood Done Sign My Name Roger Oakley
2014 Gone Girl Officer
2020 Greyhound Messenger #2
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1991–1993 The Torkelsons Chuckie Lee Torkelson Main role
1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Kid #1 Episode: \"Transylvania, January 1918\"
1993–1998 Boy Meets World Stuart Minkus Main role (season 1), guest (season 5); 23 episodes
1995 American Gothic Benji Healy Episode: \"Dead to the World\"
1996 A Mother\'s Instinct Jeremy / Joey TV movie
1997 Any Place But Home John Wesley
Hope Billy October
2000 Dawson\'s Creek Actor #2, Random Student #2 Episodes: \"Barefoot at Capefest\" & \"To Green, with Love\"
2003–2012 One Tree Hill Marvin \'Mouth\' McFadden Recurring role (seasons 1 & 2), main (seasons 3–9); 171 episodes
2007 October Road Ian Episode: \"Pilot\"
2012 Paulilu Mixtape Young Dad Episode: \"Anne Geddes: Beneath the Diaper\"
2014–2017 Girl Meets World Stuart Minkus Recurring role; 5 episodes
2017 The Walking Dead Todd Episodes: \"The Damned\" & \"Monsters\"
2019 A Christmas Wish Ryan TV movieOne Tree Hill is an American teen 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, played by Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty, who compete for positions on their school\'s basketball team and the drama that ensues from the brothers\' respective romantic relationships.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 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 lead characters and had provided one of the series\' 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 and Sophia Bush 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, a reboot of the series by Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush and Danneel Ackles was announced as in development at Netflix.
Series overviewSet in the fictional North Carolina coastal town of Tree Hill, the main storyline in the early seasons is the relationship between two half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, who start out as enemies but bonded as the show progresses. The show starts out with Lucas becoming a member of the Tree Hill Ravens (the high school basketball team) with the help of his uncle Keith. Nathan, the team captain, is threatened by this and it becomes the basis of their rivalry, also fueled by Lucas\'s romantic interest in Nathan\'s girlfriend, Peyton Sawyer. Later on, Brooke Davis, Peyton\'s best friend, tries to date Lucas, while Nathan attempts to date Lucas\'s best friend Haley James. The character of Lucas and Nathan\'s father, Dan Scott, is occasionally explored throughout. There is a focus on his relationships with Karen Roe, Lucas\'s mother, and Deb Scott, Nathan\'s mother, and his decision to stay with Deb rather than Karen, thus abandoning Lucas. These experiences eventually bond the brothers as the series progresses and life unfolds for both of them.
Episodes
Main article: List of One Tree Hill episodes
Season Episodes Originally released Rank Average viewership
(in millions)
First released Last released Network
1 22 September 23, 2003 May 11, 2004 The WB 136 3.84
2 23 September 21, 2004 May 24, 2005 129 4.34
3 22 October 5, 2005 May 3, 2006 137 3.06
4 21 September 27, 2006 June 13, 2007 The CW 133 2.94
5 18 January 8, 2008 May 19, 2008 122 2.92
6 24 September 1, 2008 May 18, 2009 110 2.84
7 22 September 14, 2009 May 17, 2010 115 2.28
8 22 September 14, 2010 May 17, 2011 129 1.78
9 13 January 11, 2012 April 4, 2012 159 1.48
Cast and characters
Main article: List of One Tree Hill characters Main cast (opening credits)
Recurring guest star (3+ episodes)
Guest star (1–2 episodes)Original main five characters: Lucas and Peyton (center), Nathan and Haley (left) and Brooke (right)
Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Chad Michael Murray Lucas Scott Main Guest
James Lafferty Nathan Scott Main[a]
Hilarie Burton Peyton Sawyer Main
Bethany Joy Lenz Haley James Scott Main
Paul Johansson Dan Scott Main[b] Guest Main
Sophia Bush Brooke Davis Main
Barry Corbin Brian \"Whitey\" Durham Main Guest
Craig Sheffer Keith Scott Main Guest Guest
Moira Kelly Karen Roe Main Guest
Barbara Alyn Woods Deb Scott Main Recurring Main[c] Guest
Lee Norris Marvin \"Mouth\" McFadden Recurring Main
Antwon Tanner Antwon \"Skills\" Taylor Recurring Main[d] Recurring
Danneel Harris Rachel Gatina Recurring Main Guest Recurring
Jackson Brundage Jamie Scott Main
Lisa Goldstein Millicent Huxtable Recurring Main
Austin Nichols Julian Baker Recurring Main
Robert Buckley Clay Evans Main
Shantel VanSanten Quinn James Main
Jana Kramer Alex Dupre Main[e]
Stephen Colletti Chase Adams Recurring Guest Recurring Main[f]
Tyler Hilton Chris Keller Recurring Guest Main
Production
ConceptionSchwahn originally planned to make One Tree Hill a feature length film with the title Ravens, the name of the show\'s high school basketball team. However, he became convinced that it would be more interesting as a television series.[14] He said the idea for the story came from his own personal experiences. As in the setting of the show, Schwahn went to school in a small town and played on a basketball team. He described himself as similar to the character of Mouth McFadden. 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 the life of such a person in a basketball context, feeling that basketball was a great platform for telling stories.[15]The title of the show and the name of the fictional town where the series takes place are derived from the song \"One Tree Hill\", which is named after the landmark in New Zealand. Most of the show\'s episodes are titles of songs, bands or albums.[16] 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.[14] In the early days, 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.\"[17] The same sentence is said by Haley to Jamie on the roof of Karen\'s Cafe in episode 9.13, the series finale.[18]
Music
Main article: One Tree Hill discographyMusic plays a significant part in the plot and the movement of the scenes throughout the show.[19] Schwahn revealed that each episode is named after a particular song, band or album that has something in common with the theme of the episode.[16] Popular indie music has been featured on the show, and various artists have guest-starred.[20]Three soundtrack albums from the show have been released: 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. A portion of the proceeds of the second soundtrack go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), tying in with a storyline on the show involving breast cancer.[21][22] On November 13, 2008, iTunes published a soundtrack called Music From One Tree Hill, which contained songs from the sixth season.[20]
Episode formatEpisodes follow a regular structure. An episode normally begins with a recap of events relevant to the upcoming narrative, although this is sometimes dropped to satisfy 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. From the beginning of season 5, the theme song, \"I Don\'t Want to Be\" by Gavin DeGraw, was abandoned, and only the single white-on-black title was used. The theme was restored for season 8, sung by different artists each week. Schwahn\'s reasons for removing the theme were 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.[3]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, other characters have done so several times. Guest stars Bryan Greenberg, Sheryl Lee, Torrey DeVitto, and Ashley Rickards have also done voice-overs for single episodes. 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.[23] As the show progresses, songs continue to replace voiceovers occasionally. At the beginning of season 7, Paul Johansson\'s character, Dan Scott, has taken over the narrator\'s role.In 2008, a black and white episode on a film noir theme was planned, 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.\"[3]
Series timelineOne Tree Hill starts in 2003 and has a complicated timeline, which varies between contrasting with and corresponding to the real world. In the first season, the main teenage characters are aged sixteen. The first and second seasons cover one year, and the third and fourth seasons another,[24] so the main teenage characters are nearly eighteen at the end of the fourth season. The timeline was further complicated in the fifth season when the show was \"dramatically retooled and set four years into the future – after the characters [had] already graduated from college\".[25][26] The fifth season began shooting on July 30, 2007, and premiered January 8, 2008.[26] In it, the characters were stated to be aged twenty-two.[27] In 2009, Schwahn altered the timeline again, setting the seventh season fourteen months after the sixth, thus giving a better explanation for the somewhat abrupt departures of series leads Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton.[28]Explaining the decision 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.\"[3] 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,[3] 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?[24]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.[3] By the end of the seventh season, Schwahn and the production team assumed that the network had given the show its last season and decided to create a \"mini\" series finale in case the show was not renewed. For the season eight finale, the episode spanned an entire year, showing the progression of Brooke\'s pregnancy over the course of the episode.[29][30] It was announced by the network a day after the finale that the show was to be renewed for a ninth and final season.[8] The show features a further time jump of one year in the season opener and a further flash forward in the series finale, showing Jamie playing a high school basketball game on the Tree Hill Ravens, his jersey hanging on the wall with a plaque that reads \"All Time Leading Scorer\".[31]
Departures of Murray and BurtonIn 2009, Murray and Burton were confirmed as having declined to return to the series.[5][6][7] For months, it was speculated that they would not be returning for the seventh season. 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, and encouraging fans to rally behind him, intensified speculation.[5] 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.[32] To some fans, who considered the heart of the show to be the dynamic between Lucas and Peyton, One Tree Hill without the two characters would not work.[33] A TVGuide.com poll found that nearly half of respondents were, however, willing to take a \"wait and see\" approach to a revamped version of the series.[33] 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.\"[5] 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 Mark Schwahn a lot of credit for is that he has kept the show so fresh all these years.\"[34]Burton told Entertainment Weekly that there was a possibility that she would return for guest appearances if asked, and clarified what happened behind the scenes regarding her contract, stating, \"[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.\"[32] Burton had known for some time that she was leaving, adding, \"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. I feel really lucky to have that level of success right out of the gate.\" Referring to a video she had sent to her fans, she said: 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.[32]Criticism of how their characters, Lucas and Peyton, were written out of the series focused mainly on a lack of explanation about where they went, and the exit not having been moroffer enough for a star-crossed couple.[35][36] Although the episode featuring their departure is initially grim, the episode\'s tone is drastically different by the end. Some expected a tragic ending because of Lucas and Peyton\'s star-crossed history and the show\'s penchant for shocking finales. MTV developed tragic scenarios for how to write the couple out of the series but concluded by saying, \"Maybe after all they\'ve been through in six seasons, these two deserved their happy ending\".[36] Fans were also glad the couple was finally given the happily-ever-after they felt the two deserved. Their exit was picked as one of the \"12 most essential episodes of One Tree Hill\" in 2009 by fans at starnewsonline.com.[37]Schwahn said that he knew that many people would tune in to see how the show would explain Lucas and Peyton\'s absence, and that the explanation was that they were traveling. He was aware that people might not accept the new version of the show, but said that it needed to move on.[35] 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.[5] 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 he hoped they could return later in the season.[38] 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.[39] In January 2011, Burton confirmed that she would not be returning.[40] In August 2011, The CW revealed that Murray would return for a guest appearance in the final season.[12] Burton did not return, as she was not asked back that time around.[41]
Sponsorships and cross-promotionOne Tree Hill regularly incorporated paid sponsors and cross-promotion into the show\'s set, narrative, and fan interactions. In 2008, Nielsen Media Research reported that One Tree Hill was the only scripted show ranked among the top 10 in terms of number of product placements.[42] Some instances include Sunkist products visible at concerts, in the characters\' fridges, and on the school\'s vending machines.[43][44] In a fifth-season episode, Mia agrees to take part in both Rock the Vote and a Starburst-funded concert.[45]One Tree Hill also partnered with sponsors to invite fan participation in the show. During the second season, AT&T sponsored a poll where fans could determine the outcome of a storyline by texting whether or not Nathan should kiss Haley\'s sister, Taylor.[46] In 2007, One Tree Hill filmed their prom episode in Honey Grove, Texas, as the result of a Sunkist-sponsored competition where fans could submit videos inviting the cast and crew to their town.[47] 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 a weekend with the cast, billed as the \"Ultimate Fan Weekend in Wilmington\".[48]In an attempt to promote Life Unexpected to One Tree Hill viewers, the CW aired a crossover event involving both programs on October 12, 2010.[49] Beginning with the One Tree Hill episode \"Nobody Taught Us to Quit\", and continuing in the Life Unexpected episode \"Music Faced\", Haley James Scott and Mia Catalano travel to Portland to perform at a music festival hosted by K-100, the radio station where Life Unexpected\'s Cate Cassidy works. The characters meet and bond as a result.
ThemesOne Tree Hill consists of various themes, such as love, friendship, rivalries and betrayal, and explores the reasons behind them.[50][51] Neal Solon of DVD Verdict stated, \"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.\"[50] Two of the show\'s most prominent themes have been basketball and romance.
Basketball
Lucas and Nathan during the basketball game at the climax of the pilot episode. The pilot is considered one of the show\'s \"most essential\" episodes.[37]Basketball is a core aspect of the show,[24] helping to create an atmosphere of masculinity and attract male viewers.[52][53][54] TheCinemaSource.com said of the show\'s early seasons, \"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.\"[55]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 court case or medical problem being dealt with, but 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.\"[24]In season 2, the basketball drama was completely removed from the series, as executives felt that the show was geared more toward a male audience.[56] David Janollari, then entertainment president at The WB, attributed the show\'s sophomore success partly to its shift in focus from a male-driven sports plot to expanding 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 were sort of appendages to the boys.\" Show producer Joe Davola and Schwahn agreed with \"sex sells\" and \"skin to win\" sentiments for storyline directions. Less time on the basketball court could afford One Tree Hill more time for plots fueled by sex and drugs.[56] Lack of basketball drama, however, meant a decrease in male viewership. In a 2006 interview, Schwahn said, \"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.\"[24]
RomanceSchwahn made Lucas and Peyton\'s love story a central theme of the show, saying he \"designed a world where Peyton and Lucas were meant to be together\"[57] and that \"the seeds were planted for [Lucas] to pick Peyton in the pilot – in [that] first episode ... When Lucas is at the Rivercourt at the end of that pilot, you know. 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.\'\"[58]Lucas and Peyton have been referred to as star-crossed.[35][59] Schwahn described the theme of their relationship as \"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? Do you feel guilty for being happy? Is it OK to let it go?\'\"[60] The couple was also given theme music to enhance the scenes where Lucas rescues Peyton (from despair, dangerous situations, or herself). The theme, titled \"Saving Peyton\", was composed by John Nordstrom and first heard in the school shooting episode \"With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept\", in which Lucas strives to save a dying Peyton.[61]Making Lucas and Peyton the central love story created a rivalry between their fans and those who would prefer him to be with or end up with Brooke. \"[These] are two very passionate camps. And don\'t think I don\'t know it,\" stated Schwahn. \"I think sometimes one camp thinks they\'re being ignored.\" Schwahn said that although he designed Lucas and Peyton to be together from the start, this did not preclude Brooke and Lucas ending up together, and that he was aware of the \"great chemistry\" between their portrayers, real-life ex-spouses Murray and Bush. He was not stubbornly holding on to the idea of [Lucas and Peyton]. He also denied some speculation according to which Murray and Bush\'s divorce affected the writing in regard to the love triangle\'s resolution, confirming that every decision concerning Brooke and Lucas\' relationship (and thus also their definitive break-up) was made independently and regardless of the actors\' private issues.[62] Schwahn said the Peyton-Lucas-Brooke love triangle is also by design and became a staple of the show.[24] \"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.\"[60]One debate concerned the season 2 episode \"Don\'t Take Me For Granted\", in which Lucas says that a girl is \"slipping away\" and he needs to confess his love for her, but shows up at Brooke\'s house instead of Peyton\'s. Most viewers (including Lucas–Peyton and Brooke–Lucas fans) had trouble interpreting the \"slipping away\" line as a reference to Brooke, since Peyton had been the girl Lucas had been in love with in season 1 and the two had since become estranged. Sources cited fans as pondering four questions: When was Brooke slipping away? Did Lucas simply 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 and forced change of heart was also discussed.[63] 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.[64]The show\'s other prominent romantic pairing, Nathan and Haley, also garnered considerable fan and media attention[65] along with Lucas and Peyton. James Lafferty, Nathan\'s portrayer, said, \"Well Schwahn always says that he had that sort of as an \'ace in the hole\' the entire time. 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.\"[65] However, Lafferty has said that 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. So, I think that it\'s a transition that the fans really bought into, and I think that people really enjoy to watch.\"[65] Schwahn called the couple \"gold\"[66] and said, \"I love Nathan and Haley, and most of our audience does as well.\"[60] He said that Nathan and Haley\'s fan base is strong because they have always been the most stable couple on the show, admitting 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 [the four years that elapse between seasons 4 and 5] ahead and aging them a little bit – I see them growing into some really great places, not only as individuals, but as a family.\"[66]
Reception
Critical receptionCosmopolitan, Digital Spy and Entertainment Weekly listed the series as one of the greatest teen dramas of all time,[67][68][69] while TheWrap named it one of the shows that can be watched at any age.[70]The first season received mixed reviews.[71] Critics compared it to The O.C. and Dawson\'s Creek, but with a more masculine appeal.[53][54][72][73] \"Where Dawson\'s was about relationships, especially between boys and girls, One Tree Hill tries to be about masculinity, especially as negotiated through sports\", wrote Tracy McLoone of PopMatters,[53] who predicted that, despite this, it would probably be pinned as a girl\'s show. \"This doesn\'t mean boys won\'t watch it, just that they won\'t talk about it.\"[53] Allison McCracken of flowtv.org, on the other hand, called it a \"boy soap opera\", saying, \"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\" and \"the boy soap is as pleasurable a text for female viewers as television offers today.\"[54] 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.\"[74] Keith Helinski of Moviefreak.com disagreed with The O.C. comparisons, feeling that Summerland is similar to The O.C. with its \"scenarios and settings, while One Tree Hill is more suited as a Dawson\'s Creek knock off.\"[75] The Wall Street Journal called the show \"a slick prime-time drama about a small town packed with hunky teenagers and simmering family secrets,\"[76] while The Star-Ledger said it was \"a welcome surprise ... Every choice it makes from pacing to photography to music seems just about right, and the casting is inspired.\"[76] Alynda Wheat of Entertainment Weekly called the show a \"guilty pleasure\" and said they had not had one \"this guilty\" since Melrose Place, adding that the characters\' relationships change quickly.[72] 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.[72] AOL TV placed the show in its list of TV\'s Biggest Guilty Pleasures.[77] Daniel Fienberg of Zap2it said that while 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 and 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.[78] Cynthia Boris of DVD Verdict, 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.\"[79] Ginia Bellefante of The New York Times criticized the show\'s lack of insight into the consequences of teenage pregnancy, stating that \"the show displays an almost aggressive aversion to moralizing about teenage pregnancy\" and that by \"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\".[27] 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 STDs 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.[80] Ian Arbuckle of CHUD.com complimented the series on its musical aspects and flexibility, feeling that \"One Tree Hill is firmly couched in both the pop television and pop music traditions\" and that the show \"doesn\'t focus exclusively on the teenagers, but also stretches out to include dedicated subplots for their parents and other adults.\"[19] 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.\"[74] Arbuckle stated that the show adds division between the teenagers and adults by having the teenagers focus on love and the adults focus on revenge.[19] One of the audience\'s main concerns had been which girl Lucas would end up with.[81] Writing for DVD Verdict, Neal Solon commended the series\' first season for being about more than betrayal and questionable morals, and instead highlighting the impact of the parents\' mistakes on the teenagers\' lives, which was something he identified as lacking in other teen shows.[50] He felt that the season 1 finale was strong partly 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.[50]Although the second season was the show\'s highest-rated,[82] it was criticized in terms of quality. The complaints included the loss of basketball, confusion created about the Peyton–Lucas–Brooke love triangle,[64] stereotypical backstabbing and plotting[51] and Dan being turned into an almost cartoon-ish villain. Arbuckle said, \"Dan is a jealous man, and the writers come dangerously close to making him nothing more than an evil man.\"[19] Amy Kane of Film.com called the character \"the most ridiculous villain never to twirl a mustache\".[83] Although Arbuckle called the plot-level elements satisfying, he criticized the dialogue, saying that the writers fail to convince with the slang or Black English of the teenagers, or the language of businessmen.[19] He credited male viewers with watching partly for the physically attractive girls.[19] One of the more complimented additions to season 2 was character Anna Taggaro,[51][84] credited by AfterEllen.com as the first recurring bisexual character of color on television; some fans, however, debated whether the character was bisexual or gay.[84]TheCinemaSource.com said the show\'s third season dialogue is \"clever and sarcastic from the last word of a scene to the very first of the next\" and complimented \"Dan\'s witty comeback lines\".[55]By the fourth season, the show had shifted to melodrama.[85]The fifth season\'s timeline skip, showing the characters in their lives after high school and college, was successful,[3] and is thought to have successfully avoided jumping the shark; viewership also returned to an all-time high.[86] BuddyTV\'s Don Williams said, \"The fifth season of One Tree Hill completely reinvented the series. ... It was a risky move, but one that ultimately paid off.\"[3] Conversely, Ginia Bellefante of The New York Times stated, \"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 twenty-somethings as \"so wildly inauthentic and unfamiliar as to make watching it feel like foreign correspondence\", but added that the show was \"a no-arrogance, no-entitlement zone\" and that she was content to continue watching it.[27]
U.S. television ratingsThe series premiere was watched by 2.5 million viewers and achieved a 1.9 Adults 18–49 rating on September 23, 2003. The following week, it rose to 3.3 million and a 2.4 demographic, becoming one of the three shows to rise in its second episode in the 2003–2004 TV season.[4]The CW only attracts a fraction of the audience its competitors do. \"So the strategy is super-serving a young coveted demographic. 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.\"[87] Averaging about 4.3 million viewers weekly, season two was One Tree Hill\'s highest-rated season.[88] During this season, the show emerged as one of The WB\'s hits. \"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.\" The show was particularly popular among the young viewership. It became the first choice of prime-time television for teenage girls and was reported in January 2005 to be the program in Tuesday\'s 9 pm time slot most viewed by women aged 12 to 34.[56]The series finale was the highest rated among women 18–34 (1.4/4) for The CW in more than a year. It was The CW\'s best Wednesday night in adults 18–34 since premiere week which took place on September 14, 2011, and best adults 18–49 and women 18–49 ratings since December 7, 2011. Comparing to a year earlier, One Tree Hill\'s last episode was up 50% in adults 18–34, 40% in women 18–34 and 33% in adults 18–49.[89] The first hour of the finale event, a series of interviews with the cast, garnered approximately 1.37 million viewers, with 1.42 million tuning in for the actual series finale.[90]Below are the seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of One Tree Hill on The WB and The CW.
Season Timeslot Network Season premiere Season finale TV season Overall rank Network rank Viewers (in millions) Rating
1 Tuesday 9:00 p.m. The WB September 23, 2003 May 11, 2004 2003–2004 #136[91] #8[92] 3.84 1.5[93]
2 September 21, 2004 May 24, 2005 2004–2005 #129[94] #2[95] 4.34 1.9[96]
3 Wednesday 8:00 p.m. October 5, 2005 May 3, 2006 2005–2006 #137[97] #9[98] 3.06 1.2[99]
4 Wednesday 9:00 p.m. The CW September 27, 2006 June 13, 2007 2006–2007 #133[100] #8[101] 2.94 1.3[102]
5 Tuesday 9:00 p.m. (episodes 1–12)
Monday 9:00 p.m. (episodes 13–18) January 8, 2008 May 19, 2008 2007–2008 #122[103] #6[104] 2.92 1.3[105]
6 Monday 9:00 p.m. September 1, 2008 May 18, 2009 2008–2009 #110[106] #4[107] 2.84 1.42[108]
7 Monday 8:00 p.m. September 14, 2009 May 17, 2010 2009–2010 #115[109] #7[110] 2.28 1.1[111]
8 Tuesday 8:00 p.m. September 14, 2010 May 17, 2011 2010–2011 #129[112] #9[113] 1.78 0.8[114]
9 Wednesday 8:00 p.m. January 11, 2012 April 4, 2012 2011–2012 #159[115] #3[116] 1.48 0.99[117]
Awards and accoladesOver its nine-year run, One Tree Hill was nominated for and won various awards, most commonly being honored by the Teen Choice Awards.
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Breakout TV Show One Tree Hill Nominated
Choice TV Show – Drama/Action Adventure One Tree Hill Nominated
Choice Breakout TV Star – Male Chad Michael Murray Won[118]
Choice Breakout TV Star – Male James Lafferty Nominated
Choice Breakout TV Star – Female Hilarie Burton Nominated
Choice Breakout TV Star – Female Bethany Joy Lenz Nominated
Choice TV Sidekick Bethany Joy Lenz Nominated
Choice TV Actor – Drama/Action Adventure Chad Michael Murray Nominated
Choice TV Actress – Drama/Action Adventure Hilarie Burton Nominated
2005 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Show: Drama One Tree Hill Nominated
Choice TV Actor: Drama Chad Michael Murray Nominated
Choice TV Actress: Drama Hilarie Burton Nominated
Choice TV Actress: Drama Sophia Bush Nominated[119]
Choice TV Breakout Performance – Male Tyler Hilton Nominated
Choice TV Chemistry Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty Nominated
Choice TV Parental Units Moira Kelly Nominated
2006 Image Awards Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series Janice Cooke Nominated
Prism Award Performance in a Drama Series Storyline Chad Michael Murray Nominated[120]
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Drama/Action Adventure Chad Michael Murray Nominated[121]
Choice TV Actress: Drama/Action Adventure Sophia Bush Nominated[121]
Choice TV Drama/Action Adventure Show One Tree Hill Nominated[121]
2008 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Show: Drama One Tree Hill Nominated[122]
Choice TV Actor: Drama Chad Michael Murray Won[122][123]
Choice TV Actress: Drama Hilarie Burton Nominated[122]
Choice TV Actress: Drama Sophia Bush Nominated[122]
2010 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actress: Drama Sophia Bush Nominated[124]
Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer Bethany Joy Lenz Nominated[125]
Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer James Lafferty Nominated[125]
Choice TV: Parental Unit James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Lenz Nominated[125]
2017 Teen Choice Awards Choice Throwback TV Show One Tree Hill Won[126]
2018 Teen Choice Awards Choice Throwback TV Show One Tree Hill Nominated
DistributionOn February 7, 2007, Soapnet announced that it would broadcast reruns of The O.C. and One Tree Hill. The deal, made with the show\'s production company, Warner Bros. Television, stated that Soapnet retained the option of picking up the fifth season for syndication. Soapnet did so, starting to air season 5 episodes in January 2009.[127]In India, One Tree Hill premiered on Star World India on February 27, 2013. Star World India aired seasons 1 to 7 of the show at 10 pm on weekdays and season 8 and 9 at 7 pm on weekdays. One Tree Hill ended its run on Star World India on November 14, 2013.[128] In Australia, One Tree Hill premiered on the Nine Network in December 2003, but the channel pulled the show after 3 episodes due to low ratings. It was subsequently picked up by Network Ten, with the channel airing seasons 1–2 and 4–6 with re-runs airing on both Network Ten and its Digital channel \"Eleven\". The show was aired in its entirety (seasons 1–9) on the paid service, Foxtel on the Arena channel. In Philippines, One Tree Hill premiered on RPN on March 7, 2007.The entire series was available on internet streaming service Netflix until October 1, 2017.[129]It was announced on January 17, 2018, that the entire One Tree Hill series would be available on Hulu starting February 1, 2018.[130]
Home mediaSeasons 1–9 of One Tree Hill were released on DVD in regions 1, 2 and 4, with commentary on selected episodes by cast and crew members, deleted scenes, gag reels and featurettes. Four box set collectors\' editions were released: the first in August 2009 containing the complete seasons 1–6, and the second in August 2010 containing seasons 1–7 and in 2011 seasons 1–8. On May 12, 2012, the upcoming availability of a complete box set of the entire series was announced; it was released on June 11, 2012. This box set was initially for sale in the UK only;[131] however, the set became available in Australia on October 31, 2012.[132]
Complete season Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 January 25, 2005[133] September 5, 2005[134] February 1, 2006[135]
2 September 13, 2005[136] April 10, 2006[137] September 6, 2006[138]
3 September 26, 2006[139] October 23, 2006[140] July 4, 2007[141]
4 December 18, 2007[142] April 7, 2008[143] June 4, 2008[144]
5 August 26, 2008[145] October 6, 2008[146] April 1, 2009[147]
6 August 25, 2009 October 5, 2009[148] February 3, 2010[149]
7 August 17, 2010[150] October 11, 2010[151] May 4, 2011[152]
8 December 20, 2011[153] November 7, 2011[154] February 1, 2012[155]
9 April 10, 2012[156] June 11, 2012[157] September 12, 2012[158]
Box set (seasons 1–9) June 11, 2012[131] June 11, 2012[131] October 31, 2012[132]
RebootOn August 30, 2024, it was announced that actresses Hilarie Burton Morgan, Sophia Bush and Danneel Ackles – who portrayed Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis and Rachel Gatina in the original series, respectively – were developing a reboot of the series with Netflix. Bush and Burton are set to reprise their roles in the series and also serve as executive producers. Ackles and her husband Jensen are also billed as executive producers through their Chaos Machine production company. The new series \"take[s] place 20 years later following best friends Brooke and Peyton who are now parents to teens and facing challenges not unfamiliar to what they tackled in the original series like love, insecurities and grief\".[159]