Why One Tree Hill Ended After Season 9

One Tree Hill was one of the most popular prime-time teen dramas in recent memory, so why was the series cancelled after season 9? The show created by Mark Schwahn debuted on The WB during September 2003 and survived the network’s rebranding to The CW before coming to a conclusion in April 2012.

Over the better part of a decade, One Tree Hill aired 187 episodes. The series centered on two estranged half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott (Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty), who battled it out for positions on their school’s basketball team. At first, Lucas and Nathan were enemies but a bond began to grow as they became more involved in each other’s lives. Their various romances also took center stage, especially in the early seasons that focus on high school. The rest of the main cast was rounded out by Haley James (Bethany Joy Lenz), Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), and Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush).

One Tree Hill held onto a loyal fan-following who became incredibly invested in the lives of the core characters as the show explored complex ideas such as teen pregnancy, family relationships, grief, gun violence, and addiction. As the series entered season 5, there was a four-year time jump to skip the characters’ lives at college. This allowed for the show to reinvent itself with a fresh set of storylines with a matured cast. But after One Tree Hill‘s impressive run, The CW decided to pull the plug after the shortened ninth season.

Ratings played a major role in the show’s cancellation decision. There was a small increase in viewership with the time jump but, after that, the number gradually decreased year to year. The audience drop wasn’t dramatic, but when compared to other shows was nevertheless a bit discerning. It also didn’t help that One Tree Hill‘s timeslot was changed season by season, making it harder to keep a loyal viewer set.

One Tree Hill‘s declining ratings be accredited to the various casting changes. Even though the core cast remained on the series following the time jump, they were no longer heavily involved in each other’s lives. Of course, that goes with getting older but it was hard for viewers to accept the distance between the characters. The result was too many subplots, causing the series to become convoluted at times. More impactfully, prior to season 7, Murray and Burton decided to exit the series, leaving a monumental void (Murray returned for one episode in the final season, but Burton never came back).

In 2017, some of the female writers from One Tree Hill shared that they were sexually harassed by the show’s creator, Mark Schwahn. Burton and co-star, Danneel Harris, revealed that they were victims of his harassment as well. Burton claimed that she was ready to move on from the series to pursue other opportunities, but there’s no denying the toxic environment as a fair reason to step away. Whether or not Schwahn’s behavior was a well-known problem, by season 9, One Tree Hill had run its course and cancellation was inevitable.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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