Hey I'm Charl. I also write on dooyoo as Charby, so please read my reviews there too if you're a mem...
Hey I'm Charl. I also write on dooyoo as Charby, so please read my reviews there too if you're a member. Thanks for all rates and comments, and I try to return rates when I have the time.
Member since:01.03.2006
Reviews:81
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I’d always heard that One Tree Hill was good, but never decided to watch it, as I assumed that it was very similar to other American teen shows of the era, such as the OC and Dawson’s Creek. Since I wasn’t a fan of these shows, I thought that the same would be true for One Tree Hill. That is, of course, until my friend bought me the first series for Christmas, and to my surprise and delight I found that I really enjoyed it, and watched the whole series relatively quickly. I am now watching it through again, and so thought that now would be a good time to write a review on it, before I get round to buying and watching the second series.
One Tree Hill is a teen drama set in the town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, and is about five teenage high school students and their parents. A large part of the series revolves around half-brothers Nathan Scott and Lucas Scott, who both have a talent for playing basketball. Despite being born only two months apart, the brothers were raised apart and hate each other, partly due to their overbearing father Dan Scott, who refuses to acknowledge Lucas as his son. This situation was pretty bearable until Lucas’s uncle convinces the school’s basketball coach to let him join the team, and a
fierce rivalry ensues between the two Scott boys, fuelled by Dan’s overly competitive drive and control over his ‘favourite’ son. The other main characters include Nathan’s girlfriend Peyton, whom Lucas has a soft spot for, her best friend Brooke, a very beautiful cheerleader, and Hayley, who is Lucas’s best friend. Throughout the series, these five characters’ lives intermingle, despite the fact that Lucas and Hayley have never been part of the popular crowd, and the other three, as cheerleaders and a basketball legend, definitely are. The other main characters include Nathan’s parents, Dan’s brother and Lucas’s uncle Keith, and Lucas’s mother Karen.
Since this is a drama, most of the plot revolves around exactly that: drama. Whether it’s romance, revenge, anger, or, more often that not, basketball, there’s always something happening in Tree Hill, and so most of the episodes are fairly packed with interesting storyline. A lot of the common themes are those which are important to teenagers, such as popularity, grades, love, sex, and of course, basketball and cheerleading, which means that this show will appeal to most people in this age group. I do think, however, that since everyone was a teenager once, and a lot of the storylines and issues are relevant to people of all ages, that you don’t have to be in high school to enjoy watching this programme. As a 19 year old, I really enjoyed watching it, despite barely being a teenager anymore, and reckon that I would still enjoy it if I were a few years older. The characters are mainly likeable, despite many of them occasionally doing despicable things, though there are some who you are meant to dislike, despite those rare occasions that they do something good. The programme is fairly simple, and is an easy and enjoyable watch.
Now, I’ve talked about why I like the show, as I do really enjoy it, but I also feel that I have to talk about some of the aspects of One Tree Hill Series One which I think are poorer.
Firstly, there’s Chad Michael Murray, who plays Lucas. I am in now way criticising the actor, as he is good at his job and his portrayal of the character, as well as being frightfully good looking, but I found it hard to believe that this man was a high school student. I know that many TV programmes, though I’ve noticed mainly American ones, cast actors in their twenties as teenagers characters, but despite this trend’s popularity, I often find it hard to believe. Chad Michael Murray was 22 years old when the first series was filmed, and it’s clear to me that he’s over twenty years old. The same also goes for the other four main actors, as they all look as if they should be of University age rather than in high school, which weakened the show for me, as I couldn’t see many of the characters as being innocent or young, when they really didn’t look it.
Secondly, the whole Dan/Karen/Lucas fiasco. It seems that every other episode there is another revelation about what ‘really happened’ with Dan and Karen when she got pregnant with Lucas in High School. I’m not saying that these plot twists and bombshells aren’t interesting, just at times it feels as if everything’s been stretched out a bit too much. Having not seen the second series or any further, it makes me wonder if there are any more secrets that I don’t know, and how long it will take for them to get out if there are any. I suppose that I can’t overly criticise the show on this point, as if everything was explained straight away then the storyline wouldn’t be as exciting, but to me the whole situation sometimes feels a bit unnatural.
Anyway, despite my few gripes with the series, One Tree Hill Series One is a great DVD boxset to own, and is very entertaining television. I have watched it twice through since receiving it, and am excited about buying the next series and watching it as well. The first five series of the show are available to buy on DVD, and the sixth series will no doubt be released at some point in the not too distant future. This series and all the others are available from all good DVD stores, and online at Amazon, HMV, Play.com and all the usual places. I’ve looked around and it seems that £15 per series is pretty much the standard price, which I do believe is worth it, but if you’re not willing to pay that much then hopefully you’ll be able to get it for a bit cheaper on the wonderful site that is Ebay.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Giuseppe Tornatore - Original Language: Italian - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana
Great review. I've seen this a few times, i know what you mean how its like the oc and smallville, this ones best i think. i agree they dont look young enough! Very helpful review xx
MizzMolko 25.06.2009 21:07
I really must give this show a chance one day! Eleanor x
Tree Hill is a small town. Maybe too small for half-bothers Lucas and Nathan Scott, who ... more
share the same father but two very different lives. Nathan is the golden boy, Lucas the abandoned illegitimate son - and now both of them are on the same high schoo...
One Tree Hill: Season 1marks the beginning of a genuinely engrossing series that ... more
maintains, for a long while, an unusual focus on a single, powerful conflict defining the destinies of two characters. Adolescent half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray)...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Same town. Same team. Same father. Different lives. Half-brothers rival each other on and ... more
off the basketball court in the wildly popular high-school drama...All episodes from Season 1 included. Episodes comprise: 1. Pilot 2. The Places You Have Come t...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
One Tree Hill: Season 1marks the beginning of a genuinely engrossing series that ... more
maintains, for a long while, an unusual focus on a single, powerful conflict defining the destinies of two characters. Adolescent half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray)...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
![One Tree Hill - Season 1 [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78517592.jpg "One Tree Hill - Season 1 [DVD]")
Jun 18th, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
