Teen Drama Links for September 10, 2024

Sep 10, 2024

I originally planned to write this week about my 10-year Wilmington anniversary.

In early September 2014, I officially moved to Capeside and Tree Hill. I can’t believe a decade has now passed.

But instead of diving into that, I must address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the new tree on the hill.

Namely, the news that Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, and Danneel Harris are developing a “One Tree Hill” revival. As it stands, the trio would executive-produce this proposed Netflix series (with Jensen Ackles of “Dawson’s Creek,” among others, also producing). Burton and Bush are committed to starring in the show, Harris is in talks to do so as well, and at least one trade outlet says Chad Michael Murray will not be involved. There has been no information about James Lafferty or Bethany Joy Lenz participating.

The legalities of it all and how the intellectual property rights were worked out is not yet clear. Warner Bros. Television owns the original show and is said to be backing this sequel series. Mark Schwahn is the creator of the original show and created many of the characters. He is said not to be involved — perhaps obviously, given all this — but how will he not be credited and compensated? Darren Star wasn’t involved in The CW’s “90210,” but he still received a credit (and, presumably, payment) for creating the original “Beverly Hills, 90210” series and its characters. Perhaps needless to say, but I have a lot of unanswered questions.

But regardless of who is and isn’t involved, I can’t scream this loudly enough: I DO NOT WANT THIS.

I could go into a laundry list of reasons why. But there’s no need, when I’ve already written essays like this and this, which spell it all out. Everything I wrote there about why I am against these revivals applies here.

No matter how you try to, uh, spin it, I am not on board. I don’t care if you’re calling it a spinoff or a reboot or a sequel or what. Sure, terminology matters, as I wrote a few months ago. But it doesn’t change the bottom line.

And that’s that we need to leave things, even our favorite things — especially our favorite things — alone.

And lest you think I’m the only one who feels that way, just read this.

Also, let’s remember that it was not that long ago that Burton abandoned the show’s rewatch podcast and declined to watch the last three seasons. Now she wants to EP and star in a sequel? The nerve!

And the nerve for Burton and Bush to write on Instagram that this is about how they want to “own our history” and “reclaim our turf.” It was never your turf. It is not yours to own or reclaim. It belongs to the creator — and those that worked with him to bring his vision to life. Yes, that includes the actors. But to suggest that this piece of art belongs to the actors who said someone else’s words? The egotism is off the charts.

But ever since the rewatch podcast was announced back in 2021, Bush and Burton have been pushing this bogus narrative about “reclaiming” a TV series that never belonged to them in the first place. This latest news continues their false crusade to take ownership of something they never owned and never should own. Own your performances, sure. Not the series.

Also, here’s a question: What the hell year it will be in this show and how will it make sense storyline-wise? “One Tree Hill” started in 2003, but its first four seasons only covered two years. Then there was a four-year time-jump, then a time-jump of more than a year after season 6, and then several others jumps of varying lengths — including in the very last moments of the series finale, which skipped several years ahead. So, even though the show ended in 2012 on the real-world calendar, it was long past 2012 on the show. So, now 12 years later, it should be long past 2024. Will Burton and Bush and Harris and whoever else even realize this?

Does it matter? Of course it does. Details matter. Everything matters. The art matters. It’s what got us here.

It’s why these things, “One Tree Hill” included, are best left preserved.