“One Tree Hill” might not have exemplary scores on Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, but it is number four on IMDb’s list of The CW series based on popularity. This series set the tone for teen dramas and was influential to series like “Gossip Girl,” “Riverdale,” and “All American.” “One Tree Hill” was influential in the early aughts, helping popularize music as central to teen television and youth culture, along with shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “The O.C.”
This racy series wasn’t afraid of delving into strife, grief, and trauma, including storylines dealing with infidelity, teen marriage, teen pregnancy, adoption, parental loss, depression, stalking, assault, and sexual assault. Although the premise of the series was about two half-brothers vying for their father’s attention and love, the heart of the series was the friendships between the three central female characters who ultimately chose sisterhood over competing for boys.
To survive its main characters graduating high school, “One Tree Hill” took chances and played with narrative. The series jumped past college, reuniting the characters back in their hometown, and avoided the college slump, where many teen dramas falter and lose their audience. This tactic was so successful that “Riverdale” opted to emulate its The CW predecessor by skipping college and working with the time gap created by the pandemic. “One Tree Hill” pushed the boundaries of teen TV, letting its characters grow up fast, setting the pace for teen dramas on The CW.
