OTH Final Season Promo. The !s and ?s.

CHRIS KELLER!
LUCAS' HAIR?

My Feelings Exactly

'I don't wanna die yet. At least not until One Tree Hill gets cancelled.'

Best. News. Ever.

I've always said that One Tree Hill has the best music on television, and this is just further proof. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals rock. Seriously. 

A Letter to Mark, Part 2

Dear Mark,

Okay, Quinn is alive. Thanks for that. Now bring Clay back too.

Why does he have to die? I know you think you introduced too many characters last year, but think of all we've already lost - Peyton, Lucas, Deb, Dan, Karen, her husband, Lily and whatever the spawn of Leyton's name is, Grubbs (I assume his tour in London will keep him away awhile. Bummer because I really really liked him), Owen (no way he is coming back from True Blood), Miss Lauren, that British chick, Alexander....

Do we really have to lose Clay?

Here are other ways you could lose characters:
Send Brooke's mom and/or Milli to jail. 
They screwed up. Send them to prison. Brooke's mom is annoying and her character is going no where. Just when you think she is reformed and nice, the next episode she is back to her evil ways. WTF. And Milli? She's boring now. And she isn't with Mouth anymore. So what's the point. Send them away.

Send Skills back to LA
I know this sucks because I LOVE Skills, but he is underused anyway. Has he even been on it this season?!

Send Mia on tour
Is she like a regular now? Annoying. Kate Vogele, go be a singer. Drop in Tree Hill once or twice a season for a concert, a la Tyler Hilton. The Mia/Chase/Alex love triangle is made up of secondary characters that don't matter. Stop wasting my time, Mark. Get rid of her.

So there you have it. Clay is important. Keep him around. PLEASE.

Look at them running. They are best buddies. Keep Clay around for Nathan's sake, would ya?

A letter to Mark

Dear Mark Schwahn and other OTH masterminds,

• Please do not kill off Clay and Quinn. That would totally suck. Reasons why:
• I like them.
• They are stronger regulars than Mia and Chase and Milli and Brooke's mom and Alexander and...
• Haley would go in to super depressed mode if her mom died AND her sister died. 
• Nathan wouldn't have a manager.
• The only 'hot' guys left would be Nathan and Julien.... and then you'll have to introduce a new love interest for Quinn if she lives and then you'll have more characters. Why not just stick with the ones we have?
• If they both die, no one will understand why the bitch killed them because they don't know she looks like his dead wife. (or do they? I can't remember?).
• His house on the beach deserves to be occupied.
• I can only listen to Brooke's voice and Haley's whiny optimism for so long. I need Quinn. 
• Quinn has pretty hair and cute clothes.
• Clay has pretty hair and cute clothes. 
• They actually provide some comic relief because they are funny together.
• I want to see a couple being boyfriend and girlfriend and not in a love triangle or married/engaged.
• Again, because I like them. 

Either way, I hate where this storyline went because if they live, they will either be depressed or angry or, possibly worse, more in love and appreciative of life than ever better. Remember how annoying Peyton was in the end when she thought she was going to die? Ugh.

Ratings vs. Chatter

Which matters more- rankings or engagement?

Check out this article about Optimedia's new Content Power Ratings for television shows, or read this little diddy-

"Optimedia's "Content Power Ratings" combine viewing data from TV, online and mobile devices to measure audience engagement with specific TV shows. While Optimedia has compiled its rankings for two years previous to this one, this year's compilation is the first to include social-media data from Nielsen BuzzMetrics and Facebook fan pages to better track a particular show's "engagement.""

Basically, they are putting emphasis not on the number of viewers, but on the viewers themsleves- on the chatter, the loyalty, dare I say, the fervor of the fans.

Take for example, my favorite show in the universe- LOST. Is it number one in the rankings? No. It is number 34 actually. But it made it to number 2 on the Power Ratings list because of people like me and Matt that love it so much.

Or, think about another favorite of mine- One Tree Hill. Season after season, it is on the chopping block to get cancelled, and season after season, its crazed fans swoop in to save it. The make petitions, they send letters, they tweet about it, whatever it takes. It was/is in the same position this season, and rumor has it the CW is ordering another 12 episode season. Success. (Oddly enough, OTH is not even on this Rankings list, which I think is weird).

Check out the more from the Rankings list....

So, what do you think? Should programming be based on straight, traditional numbers ratings? Or should it be based more on a scale with these 'power ratings'? 

For a long time, people have said that numbers matter because more people watching = more people seeing ads = more companies buying ads = more money for the networks. I'm not so sure that equation matches up anymore.

It has started to matter more who is watching, not just how many there are. The 18-49 demo has become a gold mine for advertisers. If you are failing in that demographic, you are failing. Period.

Or (again) think of Lost. The ads for the finale are runnning for something like $900,000. Not bad for the #34 show on television, right?

The internet changed everything. Duh. People are more engaged in their television shows than ever. And I think that has to count for something....

Out with the traditional Nielsen Rankings, in with the Power Rankings!

Oh and PS: I hate American Idol. Do you have to be #1 in everything? Geez.

OMG OTH.

I spent all of last Saturday catching up on One Tree Hill, and thank god I did! Last night's episode was ridiculous. It was one shocking moment after another for every character (excluding Milli and the bartender, who weren't shown at all... wtf). Here, I rank the night's big surprises...

7. Lydia dies. 
Least shocking thing to happen in Tree Hill all night. I mean, they told us it was coming. Tears, Taylor drama, cute photo slideshows, and crafts by Jamie are all to be expected by now. The line, "Hello handsome," that she uttered as she died was ridiculously cheesy though.


6. Brooke acts like... well, Brooke. 

Brooke's freakout about Julian and Alex was completely normal... for Brooke. For normal people? Not so much. Punching people, laying on the floor like a child, and dressing a guy in horrid running gear is NOT normal. 

5. Alex sleeps with the sleezey guy from the movie... and makes a sex tape. 

Last night, I actually said to myself, "I wish someone loved Alex." I am seriously starting to feel bad for her. I wasn't that shocked when she showed up at that jerk's hotel room, and wasn't surprised the guy decided to film her... but did she know? I thought it looked like she did, but in the previews for next weekend she acts like she didn't.... hmmm. 

4. Crazy psycho tennis player

Some people new to Tree Hill might be surprised that this psycho athlete is going to come in and try to steal Clay. But fans of the show know that the little town isn't the same without a crazy roaming the streets (see Nanny Carrie, Dan, Peyton's stalker Dereck...)

3. Julian + Brooke 4 Ever
Brooke acted like a crazy person, as usual, but I was really surprised that Julian (a) forgave her so quickly and (b) kissed her. I mean, it's about time! I'm really sick of all their drama.


2. Victoria plants one on Alexander
I'll admit, I wasn't too surprised Victoria was hooking up with Alexander and not Paul. But I was surprised at the end of the episode when she planted a big smooch on him. Ah, another cougar romance graces Tree Hill...

1. Skills!

Mouth and Lauren getting together? Not a surprise. Skills showing up in Tree Hill? BIG surprise. I literally said, 'Oh my god,' out loud when he walked in. Especially after all of Antwon Tanner's legal troubles, I didn't think he would ever be back from LA. 

Did I miss anything? The preview for next week looks amazing (Skills punches Mouth, Victoria and Alexander caught in the act, crazy tennis girl shows up in Tree Hill...)! Can you believe this show is in danger of being cancelled?! WTF. Stop that by voting for this petition. 

I love One Tree Hill

And don't want it to get cancelled.

Please sign this petition to save it. 

Sorry... some thoughts

Okay, okay, I haven't posted in, like, forever, and I apologize for that. Now that we have hit the holiday season (um, December, where did you come from?!), a ton of shows are gearing up for season/mid-season finales. Here are some thoughts on how far we've come and where we are going...

Desperate Housewives
A plane is crashing in Wisteria Lane. Seriously, who would want to live on this street? Fires, tornadoes, murder, suicide, you name it, they've seen it. This Sunday, for the Desperate mid-season finale, someone is going to die. And not just any someone, this someone is rumored to be on the show from season one. McClusky? Julie? Carlos? Karl? My money is on one of those four... Oh, and Katherine? She is nuts. I hope the plane hits her too.

One Tree Hill
Wow-za. The times sure are a-changin' in Tree Hill. At the end of last week's episode, the only person making good decisions was Dan (trying to dump his evil wife/ex-skanky high schooler Rachel). Nathan going to Spain? Skills moving to LA? And maybe taking Mouth with him? Haley touring with Jamie? Seriously people. The show is called One Tree Hill. Emphasis on the 'Tree Hill'! You can't all leave and stick us with just suicidal Alex, over dramatic Brooke, and coke-addict Milli.

Dexter
Best. Season. Ever. I should have been posting on it all along, best seriously, it is so good, I don't even know what to say. John Lithgow is seriously dominating as Trinity (Quad-ity now that he kills four in a cycle?). Michael C Hall is brilliant as always. Even Christine, who has bugged the crap out of me all season, was great in last week's episode when we saw her breaking down to her daddy the serial killer. And the previews for these last two episodes can only be described in one word: INTENSE.

DWTS
Donny won. Who cares. New season coming in March. Let's hope for better.

Glee
Love doesn't express what I feel for this show. Last week's rendition of 'Imagine' with the deaf choir made me cry (not at all joking). Here is my one question: When is everyone going to find out it is Puck's baby?! Mercedes already knows and there is NO way she could keep that secret for this long. She needs to crack so that Finn can dump Quinn and fall madly in love with Rachel (or heck, even Kurt).

And coming soon (I swear): My thoughts on Fringe, FlashForward, The Ruins, and Community.

a plea to Brooke

B Davis,

Please give poor Julian a break. He does NOT like Alex. He likes YOU. Correction, he loves you. Just because he doesn't want to get married right now, or he doesn't want a baby right now, or wants to work on his script with Alex, it does not mean he is cheating on you.

Isn't it a little bit unfair that you get to work your little designer butt of in Tree Hill, yet he can't work on a script with Alex? You live in a small town in North Carolina. If he does not take this chance to work with Alex, he is basically unemployed.

He loved you enough to give up LA; give up a big movie; give up future opportunities that no doubt he would only get in LA/NY... so please, just drop it.

You are being way way way overdramatic and sabotaging your own relationship.

Oh yeah, and grab those birth control pills back out of the trash!

With much fondness for your cute clothes and raspy voice (but not so much your dramatics),

D

Want the good news or the bad news?

Good news first.
TV Guide reports that the following favorites of mine will get a full season:
Community
FlashForward
One Tree Hill
Glee

Rejoice!

And now, the bad news.
TV Guide also predicts that Fringe, one of my absolute, favorite shows, is in danger. Here is my plea to Fox-

PLEASE move Walter and Peter and Olivia and Broyles and that freaky bald dude back to Tuesdays where they belong. Fringe is such a brilliant show, but it can't compete with the Thursday night lineup of Grey's, The Office/30 Rock, CSI, and Supernatural. I know your Thursday night ratings are up, but the shows audience is declining. Have you forgotten that last year, when the show was on Tuesdays, you scored the highest ratings for the 18-49 year old demo of any new show on television?

MOVE. IT. BACK.

Louie's out, OTH and Greek are in

Looks like I can finally stop watching Dancing With the Stars this season. My love, Louie Vito, was kicked off last night in a double elimination. Did he deserve to go? Probably. But now there isn't really anyone left I care about watching. Sorry, kids.

Now I can move on to more important Monday night happpenings, like Greek and One Tree Hill!

Last week on Greek, we got what we loyal fans have been waiting for for ? seasons- Cappie and Casey finally together! What could we possibly look forward to now? A musical number is coming next week, and one of the boys is going to rap.

And OTH finally ended its baby-momma-drama, when Dan outted Renee on his talk show. Next week, the boys go camping, the girls bond, and Quinn and Clay get closer. Oh yeah, and we finally get to find out more about Dan and Rachel's 'relationship.'

At last, my monday night belongs to the scripted series again!

Ask me how much I am loving One Tree Hill this season

I dare you.

For all the people out there worried about what would happen to the show post-Leyton (thats Lucas/Peyton), I hope you have been watching and letting the North Carolinians prove you wrong. Think new characters, new storylines, and truckloads of drama.

Here's an update of where we are this season, along with some scoop on what's to come.

Nathan: He achieves his dream to play in the NBA, but now must face some baby-daddy controversy. So did he or didn't he? Renee is starting to convince everyone- even Haley- but at the end of last week's episode we see her meeting with Dan, so who knows.

(SPOILER): James Lafferty told TV Guide that the drama will wrap up soon and won't threaten his marriage. "This is a story line that presents a real hurdle, a mountain for them to climb and they have to get through it together," Lafferty says. "Together they have to carry the whole family unit through the situation, and there's an immense amount of trust. At no point did I actually think it would break them up."

Dan: This story just keeps getting stranger and stranger. The over-bearing dad turned mayor turned murderer turned devoted, dying grandpa is now alive and well... and is a self-help guru with his own show... married to Rachel. WTF.

OTH warned us that this was the big, crazy story this season and they were right. So far we've learned that Rachel is still as conniving as ever, as Dan's ratings-hungry producer and wife (gag); and that Mr. Scott Sr. is still on the outs with his family. But the big question has been, is he really good? Has he really changed? At the end of last week's episode we saw him with Nathan's potential baby-momma Renee, so my guess is he's still evil.

Clay: Nathan's yummy agent is making his rounds with the Tree Hill ladies. First newcomer Alex, and now, maybe Quinn? Haley's married (soon to be divorced) sister stayed the night at his place and is now using his pad as a permanent getaway from the drama over at Naleyville. But will the two become friends or more than friends?

(SPOILER): Buckley tells E! that the two have a 'unique relationship,' but no news on whether that will develop into romance or not. But if they do get together, expect some drama from a disgruntled client. Nathan has made it very clear that he wants Clay to stay away from his sister-in-law.

Brooke: She's got a new line, a new BF (Julian), and new models (Alex and... Milli), but she's also got her old jealousey issues. Remember how crazy she was when she thought something was going on between Lucas and Peyton? (Okay, maybe she turned out to be right about that one, but still...) Brooke has got to cool it with her Julian/Alex jealous rage. Is he going to cheat on her? I have no idea. But her playing the role of suspicious girlfriend is annoying.

Marvin: (I hate calling him that, btw.) He got pulled off the air for not betraying his friend, and now his homely gf is becoming a tequila-drinking model. Poor guy.

My rant: OTH has been pretty good about intigrating new characters into the cast, especially in recent seasons, but there is one character that just doesn't stick- Mia. It's not like she is isolated from the rest of the group- she has had great relationships with Peyton and Haley- but there is something about her that still makes her seem like a special guest star. Is it because she is semi-famous in her own right (as musician Kate Vogele)? Tyler Hilton as Chris Keller fit into the cast just fine (bring him back!).
Whatever it is, she just doesn't fit. They have paired her off with Chase, aka Stephen Colleti, another character who doesn't seem to have found his footing, despite being on the show now for four seasons (yes, it has been that long), but I think it is only making it worse. The whole flight school plotline in last week's episode was disconnected from the overall story and was just plain boring.

OTH premieres tonight!

How will I be spending my Monday evening?

Watching TV, duh.

Tonight kicks off phase 2 of my crazy Monday, adding One Tree Hill at 7pm to my must-watch list (which already includes Greek at 8pm). Phase 3 will occur next week, with the premiere of DWTS (and still no DVR in my house. Help).

In case you haven't been following, here are some things to note about the premiere...

-we are joining the Tree Hill gang one year after the finale

-the episode centers around adorbale little Jamie's birthday party

-Nathan is a successful NBA star, with a hot agent/friend, played by Robert Buckley.

-speaking of Nathan and Buckley, we will see four sets of pecs in the premiere.

-Haley is recording her own songs and is the new owner of Red Door Records now that Peyton is off globe-trotting.

-Brooke and Julian have been dating long distance for a year now and are in love <3

-Haley's sister is one of the new faces on the block.

-Nathan and Haley are happy, for now. But a sex/preganancy scandel will jeopardize that.

-Dan is not only healthy, but he is now a self-help guru. God, help us all.

Illegal 'Skills' and scoop on OTH

One Tree Hill doesn't premiere until Monday, September 14th, but the drama has already started for one fan favorite.

On August 21st, our beloved Skills (Antwon Tanner) pleaded guilty to selling more than 10 social security numbers and bogus cards. He told the judge that while he was just a middleman, he was aware that his actions were illegal. He could face up to 10 years in prison, but it is more likely he will serve one year. :(

So what does this mean for Jamie's favorite babysitter and Mouth's wingman? Most of the taping for OTH's new season has already wrapped, so his character might not be affected...yet. But it is highly unlikely that producers would want him to remain on the show and he will probably get written off sometime this season. Maybe he will go 'travel' with Lucas and Peyton...

Now that I have broken your heart, how 'bout some scoop on the new season?
-Another time jump. This time just about a year later.
-Jamie's birthday party is the main event in the premiere
-Haley is recording her own songs
-Dan is healthy (darn.)
-Brooke and Julian <3
-A sex/pregnancy scandel will rock the Scott household
-And if that still isn't enough for you, check out this clip from the season opener

New faces in Tree Hill

A lot of OTH fans are mourning the loss of Peyton and Lucas.

I am not one of them.

For some reason, I never really cared for either of them (Lucas especially), and this last season, they were so annoying that I am glad to see the saps go.

The shake-up obviously means new faces on the block, including Robert Buckley as Nathan’s agent… And Shantel VanSanten as Quinn, Haley’s sister.

Also (rumored to be) returning is Rachel- yes! I love bringing back old characters! Who else do I hope comes back eventually? Derek the stalker, Chris Keller aka Tyler Hilton, Jake (hot.), Bevin… the list goes on. Or, now that there are two James sisters in town, how about older sister Taylor (Lindsey McKeon, pictured below)? Back in Season 2, we found out Nathan lost his v-card to this Miss James!

Fall Schedule!

So all this week I have been adding fall premiere dates to my calendar and it is starting to get overwhelming! These are just the shows I want to watch (I guess my HIMYM love will have to be pushed off for hiatus’. I just don’t have time!)

Sunday, 8/9
ABDC, MTV 8pm

Sunday, 8/16
Mad Men, AMC 9pm

Monday, 8/31
Greek, ABC Family 8pm

Wednesday, 9/9
Glee, Fox 8pm

Monday, 9/14
OTH, CW 7pm

Thursday, 9/17
Community, NBC 8:30pm
Fringe, Fox 8pm

Monday, 9/21
DWTS, ABC 7pm

Thursday, 9/24
Flashforward, ABC 7pm
Grey’s, ABC 8pm

Sunday, 9/27
Brothers and Sisters, ABC 9pm
Desperate Housewives, ABC 8pm
Dexter, Showtime 8pm


So you might be thinking, “Geez, Danielle. How in the world am I going to make this work?” Well, I will tell you. This is what I suggest.

Mondays
Watch OTH at 7, followed by Greek at 8pm. DVR or catch DWTS online in time for the results shows on Tuesdays. CW and ABC Family both have sucky video players and it is hard to find episodes online.

Tuesdays
DWTS day. I never cared much about the results show, but you can watch the show from the night before on DVR or online before you find out who gets kicked off!

Wednesdays
Have a nice peaceful evening with Glee at 8pm. Oh, and catch up from some of that leftover Sunday television!

Thursdays
I’ll give first preference to the new shows- Flashforward at 7pm and Community at 8:30pm because they will need the ratings to survive. Although, that does give you an awkward half hour break… sheesh. If you have to watch one thing that night pick Grey’s at 8pm because it is by far the most popular and what people will be talking about. DVR Fringe or watch it online. It has too much suspense for commercials anyway!

Sundays
Personally, I am watching ABDC at 8pm, followed by Brothers and Sisters at 9pm. I love Desperate but MTV’s video player is so slow. I can easily find Desperate online somewhere. The same goes for cable shows Mad Men and Dexter. Catch them later in the week.

Hope you weren’t planning to have a life this fall!

Nanny Carrie is a psycho bitch.

Excuse my language, but seriously. That is all I can say about that episode. 

Except that I am also so happy Lucas picked Peyton, but would like a little more explanation. I mean, he ignores her and denies her for like ever and then suddenly they are happy-go-lucky in love? That won't last. 

And Brooke getting jumped at the end was not nice. 

Between Nanny Carrie, Victoria, Nathan's hostility for his mom's new bf, Dan, and Brooke's jumper, there was a whole lotta evil in that one hour episode, wasn't there?

Fall TV is BAAACK! soon....

So I was out of town with NO TV (can you believe it?) for the last week, and I come back to them airing fall previews! Sweet surprise! 

Here are some dates-

The Hills, MTV, Thursday, August 18th, 9pm

Greek, ABC Family, Tuesday, August 26th, 8pm

Gossip Girl, CW, Monday, September 1st, 7pm

One Tree Hill, CW, Monday, September 1st, 8pm

90210, CW, Tuesday, September 2nd, 7pm

Dancing with the Stars, ABC, Monday, September 22nd, 7pm

Grey's Anatomy, ABC, Thursday, September 25th, 8pm

Desperate Housewives, ABC, Sunday, September 28th, 8pm

Dexter, Showtime, Sunday, September 28th, 8pm

Brothers & Sisters, ABC, Sunday, September 28th, 9pm

Pushing Daisies, ABC, Wednesday, October 1st, 7pm

Lost, ABC, Early 2009

My OTH play-by-play

So here’s something new. I take notes while I watch a show, and then post them here. It ensures that I don’t miss anything- and makes me feel like I’m being productive while I watch TV.

Here is a play-by-play of tonight’s One Tree Hill, sprinkled with some direct quotes from my lovely friends who watch it with me.

-Opening Scene: Dan’s tombstone being lowered next to Keith’s, direct quote by my friend- ‘Is he kidding?’ Ha. I can’t believe it says ‘loving brother and father.’ They cannot put that next to Keith’s grave.
-Nathan is right- a ticking clock or not, Dan is still insane and should not be allowed near Jamie.
-Brucas is coming! Lucas comes over at 7am to go to the doctor with her? Come on!
-Haha Peyton comes out of her room in her PJs. I only wish she would have been wearing something hotter to make Luke love her…
--Commercial break--

-Yey for Mouth for getting on air time. Sweet.
-Haley says, “What if he really is dying?’ My friend says, ‘Darn…?’
-Okay, what was with that fake background at Dan’s house? Watch the episode and tell me that is not weird.
--Commercial break--

-First impressions- Brooke’s going to date the doctor.
-Someone please tell Millie that ‘Marvin’s’ name is Mouth.
-Hearing pregnancy rumors for Bethany Joy. True or False?
--Commercial break--

-Skills and Jamie are so cute playing video games. Scenes with those two are always my favorite.
-Ugh. Poor Mouth messing up on the air.
-‘I think my favorite character on the show is the little kid’ my friend says as Skills, Lucas, Nathan, and Jamie talk basketball strategy.
-‘Peyton, you’re so awkward’ my friend says when Peyton shows up in Lindsay’s office.
--Commercial break--

-‘No little kid says thiese things’ we say when Jamie talks to Q about his dad playing basketball again
- Um, why didn’t Brooke find someone else to watch the baby? She has a gazillion friends in tree hill…
-‘I’m in love with a girl’ by Gavin DeGraw for Q’s big return to the Ravens? Interesting choice.
--Commercial break--

- Just noticing: Q has really feminine features.
- Mouth’s teleprompter trick has me saying ‘awww’ and makes me wish I had some boy to thank me for believing in him.
-Oh that’s why they never show Mill and Mouth kissing- because it is awkward. Bummer.
-Jamie’s card to Dan is so cute… but he is too smart and too sweet for a five year old. And I cant believe Haley threw his card away! So sad.
-Lucas to Lindsay: Video chat?... Decline. haha
- Baby Angie finally smiles. Aww!

--Next week—
Whoa now. Hot previews. If that is even a dream ill be so pissed.