Self-proclaimed queens of drama take the mic: One Tree Hill’s rewatch podcast

One Tree Hill is a beacon of 2000s teen drama. From love triangles to crazy stalkers and kidnappings, this show had it all and took audiences by storm from 2003 to 2012. I was first introduced to the series when my mum’s friend lent me the entire 9 season DVD boxset. I was immediately hooked, crying at the deaths of beloved characters, smiling at the unions of the most shipped couples, and gasping at the twists and turns of the extreme storylines. It is fair to say I fell completely in love with the characters and drama.

One of my favourite things about the podcast is how incredibly honest it is

Now, over 10 years after the show’s finale, its three central female actresses (Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Bethany Joy Lenz) have started a rewatch podcast playfully titled Drama Queens. Each weekly podcast recaps an episode of the show, starting from episode 1 of season 1 and currently entering season 5. The trio watch each episode together on zoom and then hit record and share their thoughts and behind the scenes memories and insights. They are frequently joined by various other members of the cast and crew and have done several live shows since the podcast’s rise in popularity.

One of my favourite things about the podcast is how incredibly honest it is. The trio exhibit a profound love for their characters and show whilst not turning a blind eye to the shortfalls or inappropriate nature of some storylines, especially those of earlier seasons. They are quick to call out the overt sexualisation of their high school characters, sharing the discomfort they felt whilst filming some of the intimate scenes at such a young age and the new perspectives they have watching now as older women with children of their own. Themes of slut shaming, fat shaming, and the lack of representation of people of colour are also flaws in the 2000s show highlighted by the women in the podcast. Additionally, they frequently and openly express their lack of interest or care for certain storylines, commenting on poor directing or underdeveloped plot points in retrospect and laughing at some of the more extreme unrealistic plots.

On the podcast, Bush, Burton, and Lenz make frequent references to the mistreatment they encountered behind the scenes as young women

Even so, you can continuously feel the love they have for their show, their time working on it, the characters they portrayed, and each other. They go into in depth analysis of their characters’ motivations, the reasons why certain relationships work, and the value in more emotionally charged storylines from the death of Peyton’s (Hilarie Burton) mother to Brooke’s (Sophia Bush) discovery of self-worth.

As well as being downright entertaining, the podcast is even more essential in its establishment of a safe space for the women to heal from and address the dark cloud that has fallen over the show in recent years in light of accusations brought against showrunner Mark Schwahn. In 2017, eighteen female cast and crew members of One Tree Hill, including Bush, Burton, and Lenz, signed a collective letter accusing Schwahn of sexual harassment and misconduct behind the scenes. In their letter they voiced how they were “to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally” as well as feeling “physically unsafe.” After the letter was published, male co-stars, including Chad Michael Murray and Lee Norris, released their own supportive statements. A further twenty-five cast and crew members of Schwahn’s subsequent show The Royals also came out in solidarity and support and whilst Schwahn has never responded to the allegations, his career in television has definitively ended.

A masterful balance is maintained of open discourse surrounding their negative behind-the-scenes experiences and gleeful celebration of their favourite scenes 

On the podcast, Bush, Burton, and Lenz make frequent references to the mistreatment they encountered behind the scenes as young women. In one episode they discuss how photos of them in their underwear taken for measurements by the wardrobe department ended up on a pinboard in their boss’s office. They have also spoken about how they were pitted against each other by their male superiors to undermine their friendships. The trio recount being repeatedly silenced by threats that “coming forward to talk about this culture would result in our show being cancelled and hundreds of lovely, qualified, hard-working, and talented people losing their jobs.” However, through the podcast, these women are ensuring their voices are no longer silenced and taking back control of their narratives and memories of the show for themselves and for fans.

Bush, Burton, and Lenz have stated that they want Tree Hill to remain, quoting a line from the show, the place “where everything’s better and everything’s safe” for fans. A masterful balance is maintained of open discourse surrounding their negative behind-the-scenes experiences and gleeful celebration of their favourite scenes, characters, and ongoing love for members of the cast and crew. In doing so, the Drama Queens podcast ensures that listeners and fans can preserve a positive relationship to the show they love, whilst remaining aware of the previously disguised unfair treatment behind the scenes.