Why One Tree Hill is SO Under-rated.

Over the years there have been many US TV shows that creep their way into worldwide viewing; Friends, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars. And the launch of Netflix made these shows so much more accessible especially for UK viewers and have even brought back classics to re-live our teens. One show that has been majorly overlooked however until now is One Tree Hill.

I can guarantee at least a handful of people reading this will have to Google the show to know what I'm on about because for such an iconic and successful series, I mean there were 9 seasons for goodness sake, you can't even say it was rubbish, the demand was clearly there, it is not as readily available to re-watch (Unlike Friends or The Big Bang Theory which are genius yet heavily overplayed!).

Now, here's a little overview of what it's all about. The first 4 seasons were focused on the main character's journeys through their Junior and Senior year of High School. Although this could be categorised as your stereotypical teen series with Nathan being captain of the basketball team who falls for his brainiac tutor Haley, who is best friends with Lucas who is Nathan's half-brother and enemy, who wants to get with Peyton, who is Nathan's girlfriend and her best friend Brooke wants to be with Lucas but i swear, it's so much more than that!

S04 Picture Of You
"People are going to label you, it's how you overcome those labels."

As the seasons progress the gang have to deal with psychos who pretend to be your long lost brother, a hostage held by a fellow student that results in shooting himself and a major whodunnit storyline of 'who killed Keith', a teenage pregnancy, a teenage marriage, multiple affairs, a heart disease and Haley pursuing a career in music. So all in all, not your average few years at school ey? Then season 5 fast forwards 4 years as the group struggle to adapt to adulthood and end up returning to Tree Hill and we then follow their journey for 4 more seasons which again involves psycho nanny's, kidnaps, and Brooke's mother dubbed as "Bitch-toria" so a whole rollercoaster of drama and emotions from the outset and throughout.

Okay, so joking aside. OTH actually helped me alot during my teenage years and every episode had a quote or inspiring message behind it that I know every single viewer took to heart. Whether it was realising what truly matters in life, encouraging you to take your life in your hands and do what YOU want to do, or just accepting that essentially shit happens but it's how you move on from it that counts. One Tree Hill was almost like a friend or supporter you never had. I know it sounds completely corny but if you ask any fan of the show, majority of the time it's the message or quote behind each episode that they will remember, not the drama that made good telly and honestly, I think that's what gave the show longevity.

People invested into these characters lives and although non-fans may have thought 'really another season?' if you took the time to watch it, your opinion will change and you will realise that actually, it ended at the right time before it got too far-fetched and stemmed away from it's true purpose as a series.

Even years after it's final season, North Carolina where it is filmed, host conventions dedicated to One Tree Hill for fans to enjoy and reminisce alongside the actors who make a guest appearance.

Now try and tell me it's not under-rated!

Note: One Tree Hill will be available on Hulu from 1st February 2018, yassss.

Katie x