Photos

Polls

Merchandise

Links

Various

Sponsors

Upcoming Appearances / Movies Openings

Wednesdays 8pm- One Tree Hill (CW)

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 8th Season

Official Website

Videos: Entertainment News

Weekdays 1pm/5pm- One Tree Hill (SoapNet)

CD- The Road Mix: One Tree Hill Soundtrack Vol 3

CD- One Tree Hill Soundtrack Vol 2

CD- One Tree Hill Soundtrack

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 7th Season

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 6th Season

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 5th Season

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 4th Season

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 3rd Season

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete 2nd Season

DVD- One Tree Hill - The Complete First Season

NEWS

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012

FOX won the night with 13.9 million viewers and a 7.9 rating/12 share in households. CBS was second at 10.3 million, 6.6/10, followed by ABC at 8.4 million, 5.2/8. NBC was fourth at 5.3 million, 3.6/6 and the CW was last with 1 million viewers, 0.7/1.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX also won with a solid 4.5 rating, followed by ABC (3.1), CBS (2.4), NBC (1.6) and the CW (0.5).

Ratings hour-by-hour:
8 p.m.:
FOX: "American Idol" (18.9 million viewers, 10.8/17 households)
CBS: "Person to Person" premiere (6.0 million, 4.1/6)
ABC: "The Middle" (8.3 million, 5.0/8)/"Suburgatory" (7.3 million, 4.4/7)
NBC: "Whitney" (4.1 million, 2.7/4)/"Are You There Chelsea?" (3.7 million, 2.5/4)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" (1.3 million, 0.9/1)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.0)

9 p.m.:
CBS: "Criminal Minds" (13.6 million, 8.6/13)
FOX: "Mobbed" (8.8 million, 5.0/8)
ABC: "Modern Family" (12.9 million, 7.6/11)/"Happy Endings" (6.9 million, 4.2/6)
NBC: "Rock Center with Brian Williams" (5.3 million, 3.6/5)
The CW: "Remodeled" (713,000, 0.5/1)
18-49 leader: "Modern Family" (5.5)

10 p.m.:
CBS: "CSI" (11.4 million, 7.312)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (6.7 million, 4.6/8)
ABC: "Revenge" (7.6 million, 5.0/8)
18-49 leader: "CSI" (2.7)

'One Tree Hill's' Austin Nichols draws on real frustration for a heartbreaking performance

Nichols hasn't yet watched the scenes that blew so many of us out of the water (and put Twitter into a tailspin). "I haven't seen it yet!" he tells Zap2it. "I'm unemployed and looking for work, so I've been reading so many scripts. I've just been fully immersed in that. I'll look at the scenes someday."

It's hard to imagine that Nichols wouldn't be clamoring to watch the scenes, which are undoubtedly his best work on "One Tree Hill," if not in the entire span of his career. Perhaps he's avoiding watching the most recent episode because he struggled considerably while shooting it. Nichols tells us that the heartwrenching scene in which Julian tries to recreate the scenario alone in his car was one of the most difficult he's ever done, and he wasn't satisfied with it when the episode wrapped.

"When I left the set that night, I left really frustrated," he confesses. "I thought that I didn't really get the scene right. Since the episode aired I've gotten so many messages from fans saying that it ripped them up, and I'm just so thrilled that it worked, because I was terrified that I didn't nail it."

What helped him pull off Julian's devastation was some very real exasperation on Nichols' part. "It was a hot night, and I really did turn the heater all the way up in the car, but I couldn't get the car very hot. I couldn't get it as hot as I wanted because we shot at night, so I was frustrated about that, and I didn't want to put Sophia through doing hours and hours of shooting in a ninety-degree car. I was really, genuinely pissed off, with the heat, and with feeling like a bad actor, and so tapping into those things helped a lot."

In the end, though, Nichols pulled it off by thinking about some very important people who helped him relate to Julian's experience as a new dad throughout the final season. "One thing that's been very useful to me is that while I don't have kids of my own, my sister has three kids, and they've changed my life tremendously," he tells us. "Being an uncle has been incredibly eye-opening. They're very, very special to me, and I think about them a lot."

The baby-in-the-car story was a key factor in Nichols' and Bush's decisions to renew their "One Tree Hill" contracts for a final season. Executive producer Mark Schwahn pitched them the story before they signed on and they were both excited to explore such a powerful, real situation for characters who tend to exist in a heightened reality. "Julian's always been a rock for Brooke, and that's wonderful, but selfishly, I wanted to explore what's wrong with Julian," Nichols says. "Everyone's got imperfections. I wanted to get into his problems as opposed to just his ability to be a support system."

There was also a degree of responsibility to the story, given that it's a tragedy that many parents face year after year, particularly since laws have been instated requiring children's car seats to be in the back seat as opposed to the rear-facing front-seat carriers that were common for previous generations.

"Every summer you read in the paper or see on TV that it's happened. It happens fairly often, sadly," says Nichols. "I read a few articles before we shot, about cases where this has happened. We all felt really strongly about getting it on the show and talking about it, the idea being that it's not because you're a bad parent or because you don't care about your kid, which is what we tried to show with Julian. That's so far from the truth. It can be as small as 'Well, I got thrown off of my normal routine and my schedule, I got thrown six curveballs, and I'm like 'Okay, okay, no problem, I can do it.'' With Julian, he went to the ATM, he went to the liquor store to get someone a gift, and then he walked out and just went, 'Oh, my God.' It doesn't take very long for you to make a mistake like that. On a hot day, five minutes is a really, really long time."

Julian and Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) haven't had many scenes together over the years Nichols has been on the show, but this incident gave the characters a rare opportunity to bond over a shared experience. The scene in which Haley shared her own dark moments as a parent resonated with many fans (yes, we saw your tweets).

"Julian and Haley have never really had too much cause to spend a lot of time together," Nichols says. "It was nice to work with Joy, she's great, and she cares so much about her performance."

Fans may be interested to know that Galeotti, a new parent herself, actually went off-script in the scene in an effort to make the moment feel more genuine. "We did it a whole bunch of times the way it was written," Nichols says. "Then on one take, she kind of just riffed her own story. She went off-script and said, 'I'm just going to speak from my heart. I've been playing this character for nine years, so I'm going to tell this story as I remember it,' and that's ultimately the take that they chose to use."

Of course, Brooke did have some brief doubts about Julian's parenting ability, but once she moved past the initial shock, she's on his side once again. That doesn't mean, though, that Julian is able to move on himself. "This is the kind of thing that never truly leaves you. It's one of those things that sticks, as a parent; you watch yourself so much more closely. He'll continue to beat himself up a bit, though time does heal wounds, and Brooke is incredibly supportive. She struggled with it for a short period, but she definitely doesn't keep it hanging over his head for very long. She understands why it happened and she realizes that she could just as easily make the same mistake. It's a horrible thing to say, but it could happen to anybody."

Don't assume that Brooke and Julian are out of the weeds yet, though. As we saw in the first two minutes of the season premiere, they've got even more dark times ahead, beginning with the potential release of Brooke's assailant from Season 6, Xavier Daniels (Devin McGee). In addition to traumatizing Brooke with a brutal beating, Xavier is also responsible for the death of Tree Hill basketball star Quentin Fields. His release from prison feels incredibly premature -- but then again, Dan got out four years after shooting his brother, so we shouldn't be too surprised.

Nichols says that when he read that Xavier was set for release, he had a strong reaction -- so we can expect Julian to be pretty upset about the whole thing. "It's so funny, the way things blend in real life and on the show," he laughs. "I remember reading that he was coming back, and I was like 'What? God damn it! What the f***?' You get kind of lost in it. 'Why is this guy coming back? Who let him out of jail? He's here to f*** with us again?!'"

After the devastating blow dealt to them with the car situation, Brooke and Julian are already on unstable ground, mentally (though they're doing just fine as a couple). "It's like adding insult to injury. We just had this really intense thing happen to us with our child, and now we get hit right afterward with this ex-con that's going to possibly get out. Sometimes I call the writers and I'm like 'What are you guys doing to us!?' There's always a psycho in town. Tree Hill's always interesting. We can depend on that."

Tune in to "One Tree Hill's" final season Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on The CW, and keep an eye on Zap2it for more from Nichols leading up to Episode 7, which he directed. (Video)

One Tree Hill- February 15 - 8pm CW - New

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012

FOX scored 13 million viewers and a 7.5 rating/12 share in households Wednesday night, beating out CBS (8 million, 5.2/8), NBC (5 million, 3.3/5), ABC (4.8 million, 3.1/5) and The CW (1.1 million, 0.8/1).

FOX, of course, also easily won the 18-49 demographic with a 4.4 rating. CBS followed with 1.9, NBC and ABC tied at 1.5 and The CW finished with a 0.5.

Ratings hour-by-hour:
8 p.m.:
FOX: "American Idol" (18.1 million viewers, 10.5/17 households)
CBS: "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials" (8.7 million, 5.4/8)
ABC: "The Middle" re-run (5 million, 3.2/5)/"Suburgatory" re-run (4.2 million, 2.8/4)
NBC: "Whitney" (4.4 million, 2.9/5)/"Are You There Chelsea?" (4 million, 2.6/4)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" (1.5 million, 1.0/2)

9 p.m.:
CBS: "Criminal Minds" re-run (8.3 million, 5.3/8)
FOX: "Mobbed" (7.9 million, 4.6/7)
ABC: "Modern Family" re-run (7.7 million, 4.7/7)/"Happy Endings" re-run (5.2 million, 3.4/5)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" re-run (4.8 million, 3.2/5)
The CW: "Remodeled" (1.5 million, 1.0/2)

10 p.m.:
CBS: "CSI" re-run (7.4 million, 4.8/8)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" re-run (5.8 million, 3.9/6)
ABC: "Revenge" re-run (3.3 million, 2.3/4)

One Tree Hill Final Season Set Visit: Chad Michael Murray Says Goodbye

So you can imagine how excited we were when we found out original castmember Chad Michael Murray was returning for the final season, and even better, we got to sit down with him to learn all the details about Lucas Scott's Tree Hill homecoming. Plus, we've got exclusive scoop from Bethany Joy Galeotti about this season's Naley drama and how she really feels about Chad returning to the show…

"We get a little bit of an opportunity to see what we really loved in the relationship between Haley and Luke," Murray tells us with a smile. "And it's just kind of a little throwback and a little visit for our fans and for our wonderful following." He's baa-ack!

(Video)

Former onscreen BFF Galeotti gushed: "It was wonderful having Chad back! Chad and I hit it off right away from my first screen test and we've been friends ever since. We've been through a lot of ups and downs, but you know, he's dear to my heart. It was wonderful to have him around."

If there is a round of minigolf or a water balloon fight atop Karen's Café, then our hearts will pretty much explode with happiness and sunshine. Unfortunately, Murray was quick to reveal that his return to OTH is not just for old times' sake. "Lucas needs to come back to combat some drama that is going on in Haley's life," he says.

(Video)

Galeotti teased on that drama: "She's being challenged in ways that you hope to God no one will ever have to be challenged, and finding out if she is going to come out on the other side as a warrior with scars or if the circumstance is going to swallow her whole. It's intense." Knowing Tree Hill, we're gonna say that calling this problem "intense" is surely going to be a major understatement.

After last week's depressing Naley goodbye, we've got some strong speculations that this "drama" has to do with Nathan (James Lafferty) constantly being MIA on business this season. In fact, when we talked with our favorite 11-year-old Jackson Brundage, he explained, "Nathan's away, so Uncle Lucas comes out and takes Jamie and Lydia away to Uncle Lucas and Aunt Peyton's for a couple episodes." Aunt Peyton?! Too bad Hilarie Burton never got to bring back her character for season nine, but at least there will be mention of Mrs. Scott.

Murray described being back on set as a "breath of fresh air" and explains that his sole reason for returning was to give the fans a proper goodbye. "To be able to come back and give Lucas a little bit of life in the last moments of this world, I think it's a really cool blessing and I think it's a really cool surprise for our following."

The one and only Lucas Scott makes his reappearance in episode seven airing Feb. 22, and be sure to watch tonight's all-new episode of One Tree Hill on the CW at 8 p.m.

How thrilled are you for Lucas and Haley to be reunited?! What do you think is going to happen with Nathan?

One Tree Hill- February 8 - 8pm CW - New

Fast national ratings for Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012

Elsewhere, Marg Helgenberger's "CSI" farewell gave the show its best ratings of the season, but "Are You There, Chelsea?" took a hit for NBC.

FOX delivered 15.7 million viewers and a 9.0 rating/14 share in households for the night, winning by a comfortable margin over CBS (11.9 million, 7.6/12). ABC (4.4 million, 2.9/5) finished a distant third with a night of repeats. NBC took fourth with 4 million viewers and a 2.7/4, and The CW (1.1 million, 0.7/1) trailed.

FOX also easily led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 5.2 rating. CBS came in second with a 2.9. ABC's 1.5 was good enough for third, topping NBC (1.3) and The CW (0.5).

Wednesday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (19.5 million viewers, 11.1/17 households)
CBS: "Criminal Minds" rerun (7.9 million, 5.3/8)
ABC: "The Middle" rerun (5.25 million, 3.4/5)/"Suburgatory" rerun (4.2 million, 2.7/4)
NBC: "Whitney" (4.5 million, 3.0/5)/"Are You There, Chelsea?" (3.9 million, 2.6/4)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" (1.5 million, 1.0/2)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.4)

9 p.m.
CBS: "Criminal Minds" (13.7 million, 8.6/13)
FOX: "Touch" series premiere (11.9 million, 7.0/11)
ABC: "Modern Family" rerun (6.5 million, 4.1/6)/"Happy Endings" rerun (4 million, 2.6/4)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" rerun (3.75 million, 2.6/4)
The CW: "Remodeled" rerun (659,000, 0.4/1)
18-49 leader: "Touch" (3.9)

10 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" (14 million, 8.9/15)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" rerun (4 million, 2.7/4)
ABC: "Revenge" rerun (3.1 million, 2.3/4)
18-49 leader: "CSI" (3.3)

One Tree Hill- February 1 - 8pm CW - New

Fast national ratings for Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012

FOX won the night easily, with 21.6 million viewers and a 12.2 rating/19 share in households. CBS was second with 11.2 million, and a 7.1/11, followed by ABC at 8.1 million, 5.0/8 and NBC with 5.7 million, 3.8/6. The CW trailed with 1.1 million and 0.7/1.

In the adults 18-49 demo, FOX also dominated with a 7.2, though that was down 26% over last year's 9.7. It was followed by ABC (3.0), CBS (2.5), NBC (1.5) and the CW (0.5).

Wednesday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.3 million, 12/19)
CBS: "NCIS" rerun (9.1 million, 5.9/9)
ABC: "The Middle" (8.2 million, 5.0/8)/ "Suburgatory" (7.0 million, 4.3/7)
NBC: "Whitney (4.3 million, 2.8/4)/"Are You There, Chelsea?" (4.3 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" (1.5 million, 1.0/2)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.9)

9 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.95 million, 12.3/18)
CBS: "Criminal Minds" (12.8 million, 8.0/12)
ABC: "Modern Family" (11.8 million, 7.0/11)/"Happy Endings" (6.2 million, 3.8/6)
NBC: "Harry's Law" (6.4 million, 4.2/6)
The CW: "Remodeled" rerun (605 K, 0.4/1)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (7.5)

10 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" (11.8 million, 7.4/12)
ABC: "Revenge" (7.6 million, 5.1/8)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (6.4 million, 4.3/7)
18-49 leader: "Revenge" (2.3)

One Tree Hill- January 25 - 8pm CW - New

Fast national ratings for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012

Elsewhere, NBC's new comedy block of "Whitney" and "Are You There, Chelsea?" had an OK start, and the final season premiere of "One Tree Hill" was down from its 2010-11 debut but in line with last season's average.

CBS drew 8.9 million viewers and a 6.0 rating/9 share in households for the night, narrowly beating ABC (8.8 million, 5.7/9) for the top spot. NBC (7.75 million, 5.2/8) was not far behind in third. FOX came in a fairly distant fourth with a little more than 3 million viewers and a 1.9/3, and The CW (1.3 million, 0.9/1) trailed.

ABC led the 18-49 demographic throughout the night and finished with a 3.1 rating. CBS took second with a 2.3, half a point better than NBC's 1.8. FOX averaged 1.1 and The CW 0.6.

Wednesday hour by hour:

8 p.m.
ABC: "The Middle" (9.6 million, 5.8/9)/"Suburgatory" (9 million, 5.4/8)
CBS: "Criminal Minds" rerun (8.9 million, 5.8/9)
NBC: "Whitney (6.1 million, 4.0/6)/"Are You There, Chelsea?" series premiere (6.4 million, 4.2/6)
FOX: "Mobbed" rerun (2.7 million, 1.8/3)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" season premiere (1.75 million, 1.1/2)
18-49 leader: "The Middle" (3.0)

9 p.m.
CBS: 2012 People's Choice Awards (9.85 million, 6.7/10)
ABC: "Modern Family" (12.3 million, 7.4/11)/"Happy Endings" (7.1 million, 4.4/7)
NBC: "Harry's Law" (8.65 million, 5.7/9)
FOX: "Mobbed" (3.3 million, 2.0/3)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" encore (824,000, 0.6/1)
18-49 leader: "Modern Family" (5.1)

10 p.m.
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (8.4 million, 5.7/9)
CBS: 2012 People's Choice Awards (7.9 million, 5.4/9)
ABC: "Revenge" (7.5 million, 5.2/8)
18-49 leader: "Revenge" (2.3)

One Tree Hill's Final Season Premiere: What'd You Think?

Now that we've finished biting our nails, we're eager to hear your speculations and predictions for the next 12 episodes. Plus, we've got the scoop on how this season's drama is going to play out…

"It was the B and B episode, as I like to call it: the beds and babies. So it was a good way to kick off the year." Well put, Stephen Colletti, and once again bravo for your bedroom scenes tonight. Truly a great start to a jam-packed, full throttle, can't believe my eyes, final season of One Tree Hill.

First off, we need to reflect upon those first two minutes that sent us into a whirlwind of extreme panic and curiosity. The season's teaser showed each character in their lowest lows, and we have no idea how they got there or why Tree Hill is in such a panic (again!).

When we talked with Colletti, he explained that the flash-forward drama will be seen in separate episodes. "They're all spread out and not all of them are related. It's not just one thing that triggers everything to blow up; there are different things happening in people's lives."

Colletti revealed, "You'll see some of those scenes obviously pop back up later in the season to tie everything together, but none of it is going to be in the finale." Thank you, TV Gods! We're hoping to end this season with happiness and joy, not craziness and guns.

Oh, and was anyone else completely freaking out every time B. Davis was driving late at night with her precious cargo in the backseat?! When Julian said, "be careful," we were pretty much hyperventilating with fear until the episode ended and all was safe… for now.

What did you think of tonight's monumental episode? What do you think is going to happen for each of our friends? And who the heck is under the sheet?!

Tragedy, Transformation and Troubled Couples: What to Expect From One Tree Hill's Last Season

Nathan and Haley: When the show picks up, Haley is back to being a working mom now that she and Brooke have reopened Karen's Café. But as Bethany Joy Galeotti tells us, things quickly unravel from her "very glam, small-town entrepreneurial mom life."

"Nathan is away, so that's taking a huge toll on their relationship," Galeotti says. Galeotti explains that she wonders who she is without her husband and how to keep him in her life while he's gone.

As the preview shows, Nathan's absence proves to be serious, but the actress assures us she's content with how Haley's journey ends. "I'm happy with Haley, what she's been through and where she's come. After seeing her whole journey, to have been there through everything and know that home is still home, I think it's a good ending."

Brooke and Julian: Brooke has certainly had it rough — romantically and physically (barely escaping death when she was attacked three seasons ago). But she finally met and married her true love, Julian. Although the couple is solid as ever, Sophia Bush says they're rattled to the core by an accident involving one of their twin newborns. "Sometimes it's just one little cog that gets off in the wheel and your life falls apart," she says. Austin Nichols, who plays Julian, adds: "[The] accident could happen with any parent. Julian puts a lot of blame on himself for this."

Even though it's hard to imagine putting Brooke through another tragedy, Bush says if her character was coasting, it would be boring and somewhat unrealistic. "No matter how together you are, no matter how professional you are, and no matter how many good things happen, we've all been through things that are almost unspeakable," she says. "It's important for me to have played someone who is flawed and who has been hurt and who has been betrayed, even though she's a great person."

Clay and Quinn: As Rob Buckley, who plays Clay, told us: "Have we ever seen Clay not have issues?" So the couple is about to hit their roughest patch yet. "You're going to get a good chance to see if we got what it takes to go the distance," Buckley says. Shantel vanSanten, who plays Quinn, adds: "This season really tests Clay and [Quinn's] relationship and not in a way that we're in comas or it's life-threatening, but it really tests the strength of our love for another and the foundation that we started our relationship from."

If Clay and Quinn do outlast their impending turmoil, vanSanten says she doesn't necessarily believe a wedding is in the offing. "I don't know if I want us to get married. I want us to be quirky and unconventional ... and I think that if we make it through, there is a place where forever exists for them."

Chase, Alex ... and Chris Keller: With Chase back from Air Force basic training, he and Alex are rekindling their long-distance romance, until one of them gets cold feet. "They're both about to take some big steps in their lives ... and then maybe someone being a little reluctant," Stephen Colletti says. "Alex will go away for a little while ... so you'll see Chase having to deal with the absence of Alex." But, luckily, there's one singleton in town for him to hang with — Chris Keller, who returns to One Tree Hill after a long absence. "We totally bromance out," Tyler Hilton jokes about the friendship between Chris and Chase. "He never has guy friends and he just thinks Chase is the coolest, which is hilarious ... but he's still ornery as all hell."

Mouth and Millicent: Perhaps the cutest, most endearing couple in Tree Hill, they'll be hit with some major hardships this season. "Mouth has undergone a physical transformation," Lee Norris tells us. "[He's] clearly going through something and it's going to affect [Millicent] so I'd say you'll see a bit of both ups and downs." But Norris did make sure to tell us that although he can't say which pair has this season's wedding, "Mouth and Millicent will both find happiness."

And what about the couple's new morning show? Still going strong in the final episode. "I was filming [Mouth's last] scene, a broadcast with their TV show, and after I got a little choked-up," Norris says. "I thought this ties the ribbon for me on the whole experience."

One Tree Hill- January 18 - 8pm CW - New

Are happy 'One Tree Hill' couples are a thing of the past? Antagonism runs rampant

If you want some dish on the premiere, we've posted every spoiler we're allowed to share right here -- but we do have lots more scoop from Thursday night's "One Tree Hill" panel in Los Angeles. Cast members Paul Johansson, Tyler Hilton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Sophia Bush, Shantel VanSanten, Robert Buckley, Jackson Brundage, Stephen Colletti, and Lee Norris joined exec producer Mark Schwahn (and moderator Meg Masters) for a fantastic Q&A that revealed plenty about the next season.

First of all, if Season 8 was about major milestones for many of the couples and about everyone finding a relatively happy ending in Tree Hill, Season 9 puts the happy couple thing aside.

Don't get us wrong -- the couples are still together and going strong. Early on, though, their happiness is tested, big time, by a series of scary events.

"This is my favorite season," says Schwahn. "The last couple seasons we wanted to be sort of organic, and do things with our couples. More relationship driven stuff, and stuff that was, as I always say, reality plus ten percent. We did some psychos, but really, we did a lot of couples stuff. We haven't had really good antagonists on the show in a while. It was nice, the energy of having Chris Keller and the energy of having Dan Scott... they're fun to work with as people, but to have antagonists was really fun. The new energy was fun, it was kind of old school."

Bush teases that the show has made some significant changes. "We're very excited to see what you guys think, because it's our show, but it's very different," she says. "It's very intense."

Don't get too scared, though -- you won't feel betrayed by the show you've loved. "It's very much a 'One Tree Hill' season," Schwahn says. "It's still 'One Tree Hill.' There's a little heartache, there's some hopefulness, there's some bittersweetness. There are allies you don't expect. There's all that, but at the same time... knowing that it was our final season in the writers' room, it was like, these are our last stories to tell, so let's raise the high wire a little well. We felt beholden to the fans that have been with the show since day one, but we also felt beholden to the fans who have been there since day one, but we also felt a new creative energy."

Back to those antagonists.

Dan returns in a blaze of... well, a blaze of something, as his diner burns to the ground and he turns to Haley for a little reprieve. Back in the lives of his son and his grandchildren, he's sure to cause his share of tension. The question remains as to whether he's genuinely a changed man, or whether he's just going to take the first opportunity to incite devastation yet again.

By way of a tease, Johansson explains that there's no direct flight from LA to the set in Wilmington, so over the years on the series, Johansson had plenty of layovers at airports. "After the first season, I would stop in the layover, and people would just hate me," he says. "People would grab their kids and pull them away. Third and fourth season, people were kind of scared - they'd pull their kids, like 'Don't look at him!' Fifth and sixth seasons, people were coming to me for advice. Now, I just want you to know, I'm so glad that Mark brought me back for this season, because you have no idea what people will do now."

Johansson, an Emmy winning director, also gets behind the camera this season, with the cast unanimously agreeing that he's one of their all-time favorite directors.

Meanwhile, Chris Keller manages to get himself hired to help Haley out with Red Bedroom through a little bit of Keller-esque trickery. Keller is so true to who he was when we last saw him on the show, it feels like we never missed a beat.

"He just let me read the first few pages and I was like, 'What? I'm in the car with who and we're saying what and there's guns and what the hell?' I felt the same way as you guys. 'Mark, what kind of rabbit hole are you taking us down, friend?' It worked out wonderfully... I think this is my favorite season."

"Not only has the show jumped forward, but I haven't been on for a while, so it's 30 years later in Chris Keller time," Hilton jokes. "I think I'm in my 70s, like a Gandalf kind of a**hole." He doesn't reveal where Keller has been over the last ten or so years, but he does promise: "I don't think people that hate him will be disappointed... I'm in every episode, so there are layers. I don't just come in to piss Haley off."

Schwahn and the cast raved about the "egoless" Hilton. Bush even noted that cast members came in on their day off to watch him do his first scenes. "You knew that you were getting something that was reinvigorating our show with this energy because of the relationships and the history that Chris Keller has with everyone on this show. It's hilarious."

"It was like going back to high school after five years," Hilton says.

We didn't reveal anything about Mouth's storyline in the premiere because... Mouth isn't in the premiere. When his story kicks off in Episode 2, we find him to be a whole new man. A whole lot of man. "He has a very big storyline," Colletti teases.

"This is Mouth like you've never seen him before," Norris says. "Mouth gained about sixty pounds this year." The weight gain - and particularly the reason for the weight gain ("Mouth ate Skills!" they cracked) - is the basis of his storyline for a large portion of the season. "It's handled really well. You want to handle that with respect. It's something that I never thought I'd get to do on 'One Tree Hill.'"

Norris asserts that the storyline was born after he and Schwahn played a game. "I think what happened is after I beat you, you decided to make me sit in the makeup chair for four hours every day," he joked.

There are certainly some major unexpected changes and some creative leaps this season, and after checking out the first episode, we feel confident that fans will feel satisfied with the general direction of the show. What we're really waiting for, though, is that ending.

After nine years on the show, Bush's and Galeotti's characters have had a particularly harrowing journey, complete with many soaring romances and devastating losses. When ask whether she's happy with how Haley turns out, Galeotti says simply, "Absolutely."

Bush had a bit more to say about the final couple of episodes. "For all of the intensity that comes with the season, you get to the end, and I remember - I was given 12, which was our second to last episode, as a director, and that made me cry. Everything makes me cry. I was like, 'Really? You want me to do it? Okay.' So I got the script, and again, I'm crying, going 'This is so great. Everyone's going to be so happy.' I cried every day on set, like 'This is perfect, cut! Sorry!' I was a wreck. And I thought, you know what, if I'm sobbing this much... I think that everybody's going to be able to feel it in their hearts, the way that we all did."

For the record, yes: Bush had tissues on hand and had to use them (and share them with fans) on more than one occasion. We cried, too. It's an OTH thing.

One Tree Hill Final Season Scoop: What Does the Beginning of the End Look Like?

And that is pretty much One Tree Hill's final season in a nutshell: shock and tears. Based on the first episode and what creator Mark Schwahn had to say about the end of OTH, fans will be in for quite a rollercoaster ride...

Since this show is mostly about the couples and the drama that comes to their lives, we thought we'd break down what to expect when OTH returns to our TV lives (next Wednesday!) for one last time:

Haley, Nathan and the Kids: There are some truly adorable Naley moments in the season-nine premiere, even though the married couple isn't necessarily in the same room. And based on the episode's ominous voice over, Nathan (James Lafferty) is going to have some demons to battle this season.

Brooke and Julian: These two are still blissfully in love and enjoying being parents to their new twins. And by "enjoying," we mean barely getting any sleep and slowly going insane. But Brooke (Sophia Bush) manages to find quiet time with her boys by driving around Tree Hill in the middle of the night, reminiscing about growing up. Longtime fans will love to see how far B. Davis has come.

Clay and Quinn: Clay (Robert Buckley) starts season nine with a pretty big problem to deal with, but at least his gal Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) is right by his side. And she goes above and beyond normal girlfriend duties to help him deal with his issue. But there's a moment in the end of the episode that hints at a future situation for Clay…and it's no cakewalk.

Chase and Alex: Let's put it this way: these two are doing so well that we get to see Stephen Colletti with very few clothes on. More than once. And trust us, we're not complaining. Homeboy has been doing some pushups. But Alex brings a problem into the bedroom that causes their sex life to stall, and that problem is Chris Keller.

Other OTH final season tidbits:

Schwahn says season nine is his favorite ever, and there is a lot of "old-school One Tree Hill" throughout the 13 episodes. But don't worry, there's still plenty of crazy new drama to experience. "It's different and intense," Bush said. "We got to do exciting things and go outside the box." And how. In the first few moments of the season premiere there's a fire, a gun, a couple at the point of breaking up, someone in the back of a cop car and someone taking lots of anger out on inanimate objects.

Mouth puts on lots of weight, but the interesting story is the reasoning behind the poundage. But poor Lee Norris had to spend an extra four hours in the makeup chair each day to look the part.

Sophia Bush directed the second-to-last episode, and she told the audience that she cried reading the script and shooting the episode. Basically, start stocking up on tissues now.

Tyler Hilton is back full force in the first episode, and we didn't realize how much we missed Chris Keller until the season premiere. Yes, he still speaks in third person.

Yes, someone will be dying this season, but of course Schwahn and the cast kept their lips zipped on who would be biting the big one. The only clue we get about the death is in the opening moments of the episode.

One Tree Hill's final season starts Wednesday on the CW.

Have you started mourning the end of OTH? Or are you still in denial, like us? Don't be ashamed, it's nice and warm in denial.

'One Tree Hill' Season 9 is 'darker and more naked': Five things to expect from the emotional premiere

We'll give you a full rundown of the Q&A in a later article, but we couldn't go to sleep without filling you in on some key details from the powerful episode. Here are five things you can expect from the season premiere:

1. A major death. The first minute of the episode made our hearts skip a beat, and not in a happy, romantic way. We saw images of nearly every one of our favorite characters hitting their absolute lowest points. Amongst the brutal snapshots, we see Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) identifying a body in a morgue. Obviously, we can't tell you who dies, but we will tell you that it is a character who is very significant to the series and who we've known for years. (And, as Paul Johansson noted, it's "not Chad.")

2. Chris. Keller. Is. Glorious. Tyler Hilton is back with a flirty vengeance, and it's like he never left. We don't get a whole lot of information about how he's spent the last decade, but we do get 100% genuine Chris Keller douchiness. He speaks in third person. He makes a play for Haley. (B-minus for effort, though, and she's obviously not having it.) He drops some not-so-constructive criticism on Alex's music. And. Yes. He sings. Sophia Bush dished that on Tyler's first day back on set, many cast members stopped by even though they weren't working that day, and they could feel that his presence was "reinvigorating" the show.

3. Daddy issues galore. As previously revealed, Brooke's father Ted (Richard Burgi) comes back into town after being named the twins' godfather. (We're not quite sure why, especially because they choose to name Haley the godmother over Victoria, but... this is Tree Hill.) She's beyond overjoyed to see him, despite the countless times he's let her down, and it was a strong reminder of the teenage girl she once was, desperately wanting her parents to notice her. And, speaking of awesome fathers, Dan is back in the picture. When his diner burns down (in, um, an "accident") he shows up asking Haley for a little kindness.

4. Clay is a man on the move. Clay's big storyline this episode? He's sleepwalking, which is causing a lot of worry for Quinn. While the scenes do seem lighthearted, based on the teaser, we're thinking this is going to develop into some heavy stuff for the couple. "We really saw in Season 7 and 8 that I shine as an actor in sleeping scenes," Rob Buckley said, very seriously. "So Mark is really good at throwing storylines in our strike zone, so you'll notice I did a lot of power napping and sleeping in that episode, and there's a lot more really heavy sleeping to come."

5. Nathan and Haley remain adorable. Nathan has his buzz cut back, but we're not only talking about his super-hotness. We'll admit it -- this might be a trying episode for the hardcore Naley shippers, because the Scotts are never actually in the same room together. Still, they prove that they're more than capable of withstanding a little strain. It just goes to show how much they've grown and how much they've built since Haley went on tour while they were in high school. When we visited the set in September, Bethany Joy Galeotti told us, "Nathan and Haley are the homefront of the show. Mark wrote a lot toward those personalities." They prove her right in this episode.

"It's a little darker this season," Mark Schwahn told us at the Q&A.

Sophia chimed in with, "Darker, and more naked."

We'd say that accurately describes the episode. While it definitely feels like "One Tree Hill," it's a stronger, more confident version of the show. It's very apparent that eliminating the "we could get canceled at any moment!" factor has driven everyone involved with the production to turn it up to eleven.

Aside from the crushing teaser, Season 9 begins at a comfortable pace, with joyful, hopeful moments aplenty. (Trust us, we were waiting for a car to go off a bridge at any moment.) Somehow, Tree Hill feels more real to us than ever, and the characters feel even more defined. Mark tells us that this is his favorite season yet, and we have a feeling it'll be ours, too.

It all goes down January 11 at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. But you knew that already.

One Tree Hill- January 11 - 8pm CW - New

'One Tree Hill': Bethany Joy Galeotti assures us that 'Naley' is still going strong

We visited while cast member Austin Nichols was directing the 7th episode of the season, and our first day on set afforded us the chance to watch Bethany Joy Galeotti (ex-Michelle, Guiding Light) film emotional scenes with her returning pal Chad Michael Murray. Yes, Lucas and Haley's BFFdom has endured despite his absence (and the fact that he never returned any of her letters -- a fact that plagued Murray a bit when he read the script).

In the scenes we watched, Haley wasn't in the most stable frame of mind, but Joy assures us that it's not all doom and gloom for Haley this season. When we catch up with her in the premiere, she's enjoying her growing family and the new/old business she shares with Brooke (Sophia Bush). "This season Haley has decided to, as we saw at the end of Season 8, reopen Karen's Café. She renovated Clothes Over Bros after Brooke had her financial catastrophe, and so she and Brooke went into business together. Haley is diving into that.She's got a daughter, she's got a son, her husband is traveling, it's sort of a very glam, small-town entrepreneurial mom life for Haley."

However, unlike Season 8, this final season of "OTH" isn't all about the laughs. "Things very quickly start to unravel," Joy admits. At first, it's manageable -- another local café owner, played by "Dancing With The Stars" alum Chelsea Kane, gives Brooke and Haley some not-so-friendly competition, and hijinks ensue.

Then, real trouble comes a-knocking, as it always does in Tree Hill. And by "trouble" we mean Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), who returns to the series full-time this season after a few years with guest star billing. "Haley's trying to deal with having Dan around and deciding whether she's going to let this person back in her life and into her family's life. And Nathan is away, and that's taking a huge toll on their relationship. It's a lot about Haley finding out what her limits are," says Joy.

Let's get to what you all really want to hear about: Naley, Naley, Naley! As part of his agreement for Season 9, James Lafferty requested that his episode commitment be reduced to make room for some other projects, so Nathan spends a portion of the season away from Tree Hill as he struggles to (almost single-handedly) manage his and Clay's agency. In the season premiere, we learn that he's been traveling a lot, and producer Steve Goldfried tells us he returns "around the second episode."

If you're getting vicarious separation anxiety, never fear, Naley fans. Joy assures us that this season is not about giving Haley an opportunity to make a life for herself without Nathan. In fact, most of Haley's story revolves around Nathan when things take a terrifying and unexpected turn. (Cue ominous music. Or just listen to his super-chilling voice-over in this promo.)

"I don't think this is about Haley's journey as an independent woman," Joy says. "That's who she's become, is her family. When you're in a marriage or in a relationship where that person is bound to you, that's life-changing. You're never the same. I don't feel that this is a time for her to be finding out who she is without him. I think it's more, 'Who am I in the absence of someone who belongs next to me, all the time? How do I continue to keep him a part of my life, even though we're not seeing each other face-to-face all the time?'"

We've been promised (and specifically asked to reassure the fans!) that Nathan and Haley do share a lot of scenes together -- they were shot out of order from other parts of episodes to ensure that they squeeze as much Naley time in as possible during James' limited time on set.

After nine years on the show, Joy tells us that she's gotten used to the come-and-go of various cast members, so James' absence wasn't as hard on her as Nathan's was on Haley. "It is kind of weird [that he's away]! I mean, James and I never really talked much. I love him to death, but we weren't two people that clicked and were like best friends," she says. "We have a mutual respect for each other and I would love to work with him again, but I don't feel the absence of a friend like I did with Chad when Chad left, or with Hilarie [Burton]. That's very different."

Of course, that's not to say he wasn't missed. "The presence of what James brings to the set and his professionalism... his own flavor that he brings, what he brings to the scenes and all that. I miss seeing his face around. He's a good guy," she says. "Of course he's missed."

As most fans are aware, the actors weren't contracted to return to "One Tree Hill" for Season 9, so each actor made their decisions on an individual basis. For Joy, the decision to return was really about getting to say an official, epic goodbye to the series that spanned so much of her life. "It was a really tough decision, but I have a few friendships here that I wasn't ready to walk away from yet. Season 8 ended with like a booze-on-stage-8 kind of party. I was kind of like 'This can't be how we say goodbye. At least let's come back for 13 more episodes.'"

Making the decision even tougher was Joy's pride and joy, her daughter Maria, who was born last February. Joy tells us that juggling motherhood and acting has been a precarious balancing act.

"I wouldn't let anybody tell you differently. It is not an easy task being a working mom. I am extremely blessed that my schedule is not nine to five every day. I have three days or three weeks off at a time, but then I do come in and work 14 hour days sometimes. It's definitely hard, but I'm grateful that I have the time off that I do. I'm grateful that I can still nurse and be there when she wakes up and most of the time when she goes to sleep."

Fun fact: Joy loves to change up her hair each season, and Haley's Season 9 'do was specifically designed to be as close as possible to Joy's natural look so that she could spend less time in the hair & makeup chair and more time with baby Maria.

On camera, there are three new babies on the show -- meaning that there are often six babies on set -- which hasn't exactly made things easier on Joy. "Somebody shoot me now," she jokes. "They're all adorable, but I'm like, 'I've got my own, thanks.' It makes me start lactating. The baby starts crying and I'm like, 'Where's my baby?!'"

We've got more from our chat with Joy to share with you soon, including her hopes for Haley's ending and her own post-OTH plans. In the meantime, we'll leave you with Joy's description of Season 9:

"Near death experiences. Jealousy. Psychotic breakdowns. Post-traumatic stress. Comedy. Action. Drama, drama, drama. And romance. You've got to throw romance in there somewhere."

You know, in case you weren't already on the edge of your seat. January 11, 8 p.m. EST on The CW. Be there.

'The Notebook' musical headed to Broadway

Galeotti has been working on the show with her writing partner Ron Aniello for years, and the pair even staged a reading in Wilmington, North Carolina in 2009. But they got a vote of confidence from Nicholas Sparks himself, who said on "The Early Show" Dec. 14 that a musical version of his book would hit the Great White Way at some point in the future.

The bad news: We don't think Ryan Gosling is involved in any way. He's too busy being nominated for Golden Globes and being the unofficial Sexiest Man of the Year.

The good news: It's "The Notebook." You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to fall hopelessly in love. Gosling or no, if you're a lady, you're genetically predisposed to love the crap outta this.

Bethany Joy Galeotti finding post-series life 'such a change'

The cast has scattered as the Wednesday, Jan. 11, premiere of the CW drama series' ninth and final season nears. It promises new dilemmas for Haley James Scott (Galeotti) and her husband Nathan (James Lafferty), thanks in no small part to his ever-scheming father Dan (Paul Johansson).

"I was less emotional than I thought I'd be on the last day," Galeotti tells Zap2it, "but I think it came out in other ways. I'd be at home doing my laundry and not be able to find something, and I'd burst into tears. It's hard to see photos from the set and think, 'I'm never going to be in a room with all the same people again.'

"I'm sure I'll go back to Wilmington," adds Galeotti, who also made her debut as a director during the show's run. "I'm sure I'll work with some of those guys again, but that particular combination doesn't exist anymore, and it's hard to think about that. After you spend nine years of your life seeing the same faces every day, it's such a change."

While she's settling into being more of a full-time wife and mother back home in Battle Ground, Wash. -- where she and husband Michael also own and operate a restaurant -- Galeotti intends to keep fulfilling the musical yen "One Tree Hill" helped satisfy by sending Haley on a concert tour.

With longtime friend Amber Sweeney, she still performs in the duo Everly, and she's looking forward to a July concert in Los Angeles where she expects to reunite with "One Tree Hill" co-stars Shawntel Van Santen and Daphne Zuniga. Galeotti adds that Jana Kramer, who also got to merge her acting and her music on the show, also may sing at the event.

"We've got another performance coming up for Nicholas Sparks' celebrity golf weekend in April in New Bern [N.C.]," Galeotti reports. "I think we're going to be more of a boutique type of band, not pursuing things full-steam-ahead, not going on tour and being rock stars. We both have our own things we want to keep on the front burner, but this is something we can do to still be able to enjoy doing music."

Had her life not taken the course it did, Galeotti may well have tried out for FOX's "American Idol," NBC's "The Voice" or another televised music competition. "I think they're fun,'" she reflects, "Usually if I watch 'American Idol,' I'll pick it up after the audition process. I feel like so much of it is the gimmick of watching a train wreck, and I think it breeds negativity and gossip. I don't like that.

"I think 'The Voice' is a great show," Galeotti notes. "I really enjoy that, and I also like 'The Sing-Off,' though I haven't seen too much of it. I would definitely encourage any young artist toward those, since everything's different now. You kind of have to take the opportunities that come to you, so I would say, why not?"

'One Tree Hill' Season 9 preview: What to expect on our last visit

(Hey, CW... you can just send us the whole season right now. We won't tell anyone anything. We swear.*)

The very first footage of Season 9 has now hit the web, and it's only available for Facebook fans. The video begins with a voice over courtesy of one Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush). "I grew up in Tree Hill," she says, as we see poignant images of the iconic rivercourt and the house where she was raised. "I spent most of my life here. It's what I wished for."

We later hear her say, "I like Tree Hill like this. Warm. Safe. Loved.... It doesn't mean there haven't been hardships, but I'm here, and here is good."

But as we know, there is nothing safe about Tree Hill in its final season -- at least not for the gang we've grown to love over the better part of a decade. Tragedy strikes the Scott family early, with Nathan (James Lafferty) missing in action for a significant portion of the season.

A shot of Nathan tied up (and shut up) may be the biggest clue, as he muses, "People say hell is endless. They say it's our worst nightmare. The face of our darkness. Whatever it is, I say hell is empty, and all the devils are here."

The juxtaposition of Brooke's affection for Tree Hill with Nathan's nightmarish reality is chilling.

Nathan's situation, of course, tests Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) as a mother, a wife, and a friend. Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) returns to help her out, for a highly anticipated appearance featuring some rather unfortunate hair. (Zap2it was lucky enough to watch him film his scenes, so be on the lookout for some CMM-centric scoop later this month!)

Adding to the serious lack of warm-safe-love in Tree Hill, we can expect a return appearance from Brooke's assailant, Xavier (Devin McGee), who went to prison after killing Quentin in Season 6. Details of the storyline are being kept under wraps, but on-set sources tell us that Bush and Austin Nichols' performances this season are their best ever.

We can additionally expect to see Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) put through the ringer as pressure begins to weigh on him and a downward spiral begins. We've been teased with the news of a Tree Hill wedding this season, and while Clay and Quinn may seem the most obvious couple headed down the aisle, once the season begins, you may be betting on Mouth (Lee Norris) and Millie (Lisa Goldstein).

We're hearing that Alex (Jana Kramer) only appears in two episodes this season, so the romantic scenes we see between her and Chase (Stephen Colletti) may not be particularly telling of their relationship's direction. While there may not be a ton of romance in his life, we can expect plenty of bromance for Chase when Chris Keller (Tyler Hilton) makes his triumphant return. Their bond is strong, y'all. And possibly completely one-sided.

And finally, of course, there is Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), the Scott patriarch who tends to signal tragedy, trauma, and terrible memories for everyone in town -- except, of course, for Jamie (Jackson Brundage). Dan has survived far longer than we expected him to on this series. Will Season 9 lead him to true redemption?

As if you didn't have it marked in your calendar, we'll remind you one more time: January 11. Stock up on wine and Kleenex. It's going to be a heck of a ride.

*Lie.

News Archive