CW won’t hold court for critics until tomorrow, but I talked with CW president Dawn Ostroff tonight about her thoughts on locally filmed drama “One Tree Hill” and the chances of it continuing beyond eight seasons.
Ostroff echoed a refrain I’ve heard from her from years: Never say never, and don’t underestimate “OTH” showrunner Mark Schwahn.
Me: “Is this the final season for “One Tree Hill”?”
Ostroff: “I have to be honest. Mark Schwahn is amazing. He has pulled rabbits out of the hat over and over and over again. The viewers are still there and passionate for us. And it’s not just what they watch on air. They’re streaming it (online). They’re DVRing it… It becomes a matter of, will he be able to do enough this season to keep the viewers real excited about it. If he does, and if they are, we’re happy picking it up again… We’d be game if it is still working.”
So there you go. Do with that what you will.
Many of the locals close to the show have hinted that this season would be its final year, pointing to expiring contracts for much of the original cast and crew. But we’ve heard that before. Could this show survive without Sophia Bush? Without James Lafferty? Without Bethany Joy Galeotti? We may yet find out.
Of course, “One Tree Hill” is also returning to Tuesdays this fall, airing at 8 p.m. on The CW. Ostroff said part of the reason she moved “90210″ out of that slot was because it faced tough competition from the likes of “NCIS,” “The Biggest Loser” and “American Idol.” But she thinks “One Tree Hill” can handle it.
The fact that fans always find it and support it no matter where it is on the schedule makes “OTH” a versatile piece of their lineup, she said. “I swear we’ve had that show in 20 time periods,” Ostroff said.
Plus, it’s a good fit with returning drama “Life Unexpected,” which follows it at 9 p.m. “There’s a lot of similarity,” Ostroff said. “They’re both shows with a lot of heart.”
As for how successful she thought the last season was story-wise, coping with the loss of Hilarie Burton and Chad Micael Murray, she doesn’t think Schwahn has any regrets.
“I think he was very happy with the changes he made. I think he liked what he wound up doing.”