In Tree Hill, North Carolina two half brothers share a last name and nothing else. Brooding, blue-collar Lucas is a talented street-side basketball player, but his skills are appreciated only by his friends at the river court. Popular, affluent Nathan basks in the hero-worship of the town, as the star of his high school team. And both boys are the son of former college ball player Dan Scott whose long ago choice to abandon Lucas and his mother Karen, will haunt him long into his life with wife Deb and their son Nathan.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 8.46.
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James Lafferty
Nathan Scott
Bethany Joy Lenz
Haley James Scott
Sophia Bush
Brooke Davis
Austin Nichols
Julian Baker
Robert Buckley
Clay Evans
Shantel VanSanten
Quinn James
Jackson Brundage
Jamie Scott
Lee Norris
Marvin 'Mouth' McFadden
Lisa Goldstein Kirsch
Millicent Huxtable
Stephen Colletti
Chase Adams
All 186 episodes plotted by IMDb rating
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22 episodes • 2003Avg: 8.2
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | Sep 23, 2003 | 8.3 |
| 2 | The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most | Sep 30, 2003 | 7.9 |
| 3 | Are You True? | Oct 7, 2003 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Crash Into You | Oct 14, 2003 | 8.2 |
| 5 | All That You Can't Leave Behind | Oct 21, 2003 | 8.0 |
| 6 | Every Night Is Another Story | Oct 28, 2003 | 8.8 |
| 7 | Life in a Glass House | Nov 4, 2003 | 8.1 |
| 8 | The Search for Something More | Nov 11, 2003 | 8.4 |
| 9 | With Arms Outstretched | Nov 18, 2003 | 8.2 |
| 10 | You Gotta Go There to Come Back | Jan 20, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 11 | The Living Years | Jan 27, 2004 | 7.8 |
| 12 | Crash Course In Polite Conversations | Feb 3, 2004 | 8.4 |
| 13 | Hanging by a Moment | Feb 10, 2004 | 8.6 |
| 14 | I Shall Believe | Feb 17, 2004 | 8.5 |
| 15 | Suddenly Everything Has Changed | Feb 24, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 16 | The First Cut is the Deepest | Mar 2, 2004 | 7.9 |
| 17 | Spirit In the Night | Apr 6, 2004 | 8.4 |
| 18 | To Wish Impossible Things | Apr 13, 2004 | 8.5 |
| 19 | How Can You Be Sure? | Apr 20, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 20 | What Is and What Should Never Be | Apr 27, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 21 | The Leaving Song | May 4, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 22 | The Games That Play Us | May 11, 2004 | 8.9 |
22 episodes • 2004Avg: 8.1
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Desperate Kingdom of Love | Sep 21, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 2 | The Truth Doesn't Make a Noise | Sep 28, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 3 | Near Wild Heaven | Oct 5, 2004 | 8.2 |
| 4 | You Can't Always Get What You Want | Oct 12, 2004 | 7.8 |
| 5 | I Will Dare | Oct 19, 2004 | 8.7 |
| 6 | We Might as Well Be Strangers | Oct 26, 2004 | 7.8 |
| 7 | Let the Reigns Go Loose | Nov 2, 2004 | 7.8 |
| 8 | Truth, Bitter Truth | Nov 9, 2004 | 8.1 |
| 9 | The Trick Is to Keep Breathing | Nov 16, 2004 | 8.0 |
| 10 | Don't Take Me for Granted | Nov 30, 2004 | 8.4 |
| 11 | The Heart Brings You Back | Jan 25, 2005 | 7.9 |
| 12 | Between Order and Randomness | Feb 1, 2005 | 7.7 |
| 13 | The Hero Dies in This One | Feb 8, 2005 | 8.1 |
| 14 | Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows | Feb 15, 2005 | 7.9 |
| 15 | Unopened Letter to the World | Feb 22, 2005 | 8.4 |
| 16 | Somewhere a Clock is Ticking | Mar 1, 2005 | 8.5 |
| 17 | Something I Can Never Have | Apr 19, 2005 | 8.0 |
| 18 | The Lonesome Road | Apr 26, 2005 | 8.1 |
| 19 | I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning | May 3, 2005 | 8.4 |
| 20 | Lifetime Piling Up | May 10, 2005 | 7.6 |
| 21 | What Could Have Been | May 17, 2005 | 7.7 |
| 22 | The Tide That Left and Never Came Back / The Leavers Dance | May 24, 2005 | 8.5 |
22 episodes • 2005Avg: 8.5Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Like You Like an Arsonist | Oct 5, 2005 | 8.5 |
| 2 | From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea | Oct 12, 2005 | 8.0 |
| 3 | First Day on a Brand New Planet | Oct 19, 2005 | 8.0 |
| 4 | An Attempt to Tip the Scales | Oct 26, 2005 | 8.3 |
| 5 | A Multitude of Casualties | Nov 2, 2005 | 8.1 |
| 6 | Locked Hearts and Hand Grenades | Nov 9, 2005 | 7.8 |
| 7 | Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends | Nov 16, 2005 | 8.2 |
| 8 | The Worst Day Since Yesterday | Nov 30, 2005 | 8.0 |
| 9 | How a Resurrection Really Feels | Dec 7, 2005 | 8.8 |
| 10 | Brave New World | Jan 11, 2006 | 8.0 |
| 11 | Return of the Future | Jan 18, 2006 | 8.0 |
| 12 | I've Got Dreams to Remember | Jan 25, 2006 | 8.2 |
| 13 | The Wind That Blew My Heart Away | Feb 1, 2006 | 9.0 |
| 14 | All Tomorrow's Parties | Feb 8, 2006 | 8.7 |
| 15 | Just Watch the Fireworks | Feb 15, 2006 | 8.8 |
| 16 | With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept | Mar 1, 2006 | 9.7 |
| 17 | Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them | Mar 29, 2006 | 9.0 |
| 18 | When It Isn't Like It Should Be | Apr 5, 2006 | 8.5 |
| 19 | I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me | Apr 12, 2006 | 8.2 |
| 20 | Everyday Is a Sunday Evening | Apr 19, 2006 | 8.4 |
| 21 | Over the Hills and Far Away | Apr 26, 2006 | 8.4 |
| 22 | The Show Must Go On | May 3, 2006 | 9.3 |
21 episodes • 2006Avg: 8.5Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Same Deep Water as You | Sep 27, 2006 | 8.3 |
| 2 | Things I Forgot at Birth | Oct 4, 2006 | 7.7 |
| 3 | Good News for People Who Love Bad News | Oct 11, 2006 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Can't Stop This Thing We've Started | Oct 18, 2006 | 8.0 |
| 5 | I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness | Oct 25, 2006 | 8.6 |
| 6 | Where Did You Sleep Last Night? | Nov 8, 2006 | 7.9 |
| 7 | All These Things That I've Done | Nov 15, 2006 | 7.9 |
| 8 | Nothing Left to Say But Goodbye | Nov 22, 2006 | 8.3 |
| 9 | Some You Give Away | Nov 29, 2006 | 9.6 |
| 10 | Songs to Love and Die By | Dec 6, 2006 | 8.8 |
| 11 | Everything In Its Right Place | Jan 17, 2007 | 8.0 |
| 12 | Resolve | Jan 24, 2007 | 8.2 |
| 13 | Pictures of You | Feb 7, 2007 | 9.2 |
| 14 | Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers | Feb 14, 2007 | 8.5 |
| 15 | Prom Night at Hater High | Feb 21, 2007 | 8.7 |
| 16 | You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love | May 2, 2007 | 8.9 |
| 17 | It Gets the Worst at Night | May 9, 2007 | 8.5 |
| 18 | The Runaway Found | May 16, 2007 | 8.3 |
| 19 | Ashes of Dreams You Let Die | May 30, 2007 | 8.5 |
| 20 | The Birth and Death of the Day | Jun 6, 2007 | 8.8 |
| 21 | All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone | Jun 13, 2007 | 9.3 |
18 episodes • 2008Avg: 8.2
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days | Jan 8, 2008 | 8.7 |
| 2 | Racing Like a Pro | Jan 8, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 3 | My Way Home is Through You | Jan 15, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 4 | It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) | Jan 22, 2008 | 7.9 |
| 5 | I Forgot to Remember to Forget | Jan 29, 2008 | 8.6 |
| 6 | Don't Dream It's Over | Feb 5, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 7 | In Da Club | Feb 12, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 8 | Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want | Feb 19, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 9 | For Tonight You're Only Here to Know | Feb 26, 2008 | 8.6 |
| 10 | Running to Stand Still | Mar 4, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 11 | You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side | Mar 11, 2008 | 8.2 |
| 12 | Hundred | Mar 18, 2008 | 9.1 |
| 13 | Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace | Apr 14, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 14 | What Do You Go Home To? | Apr 21, 2008 | 7.9 |
| 15 | Life is Short | Apr 28, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 16 | Cryin' Won't Help You Now | May 5, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 17 | Hate is Safer Than Love | May 12, 2008 | 8.2 |
| 18 | What Comes After the Blues | May 19, 2008 | 8.8 |
24 episodes • 2008Avg: 8.3
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Touch Me I'm Going to Scream | Sep 1, 2008 | 8.7 |
| 2 | One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning | Sep 8, 2008 | 8.5 |
| 3 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. | Sep 15, 2008 | 9.2 |
| 4 | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Sep 22, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 5 | You’ve Dug Your Own Grave, Now Lie in It | Sep 29, 2008 | 8.3 |
| 6 | Choosing My Own Way of Life | Oct 13, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 7 | Messin' with the Kid | Oct 20, 2008 | 8.3 |
| 8 | Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe | Oct 27, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 9 | Sympathy for the Devil | Nov 3, 2008 | 8.0 |
| 10 | Even Fairy Tale Characters Would be Jealous | Nov 10, 2008 | 8.1 |
| 11 | We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me) | Nov 17, 2008 | 6.5 |
| 12 | You Have to Be Joking (Autopsy of the Devil's Brain) | Nov 24, 2008 | 8.5 |
| 13 | Things a Mama Don't Know | Jan 5, 2009 | 8.6 |
| 14 | A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene | Jan 12, 2009 | 8.2 |
| 15 | We Change, We Wait | Jan 19, 2009 | 8.1 |
| 16 | Screenwriter's Blues | Feb 2, 2009 | 8.3 |
| 17 | You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three Tonight | Mar 16, 2009 | 8.4 |
| 18 | Searching for a Former Clarity | Mar 23, 2009 | 8.0 |
| 19 | Letting Go | Mar 30, 2009 | 8.1 |
| 20 | I Would for You | Apr 20, 2009 | 8.0 |
| 21 | A Kiss to Build a Dream On | Apr 27, 2009 | 7.8 |
| 22 | Show Me How to Live | May 4, 2009 | 8.4 |
| 23 | Forever and Almost Always | May 11, 2009 | 8.9 |
| 24 | Remember Me as a Time of Day | May 18, 2009 | 9.2 |
22 episodes • 2009Avg: 8.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad) | Sep 14, 2009 | 7.6 |
| 2 | What Are You Willing to Lose | Sep 21, 2009 | 7.4 |
| 3 | Hold My Hand as I'm Lowered | Sep 28, 2009 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Believe Me, I'm Lying | Oct 5, 2009 | 7.7 |
| 5 | Your Cheatin' Heart | Oct 12, 2009 | 7.5 |
| 6 | Deep Ocean Vast Sea | Oct 19, 2009 | 7.8 |
| 7 | I and Love and You | Oct 26, 2009 | 8.9 |
| 8 | I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight | Nov 2, 2009 | 8.1 |
| 9 | Now You Lift Your Eyes to the Sun | Nov 9, 2009 | 7.7 |
| 10 | You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son | Nov 16, 2009 | 7.8 |
| 11 | You Know I Love You, Don't You | Nov 30, 2009 | 7.9 |
| 12 | Some Roads Lead Nowhere | Dec 7, 2009 | 8.4 |
| 13 | Weeks Go by Like Days | Jan 18, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 14 | Family Affair | Jan 25, 2010 | 8.1 |
| 15 | Don't You Forget About Me | Feb 1, 2010 | 8.2 |
| 16 | My Attendance Is Bad But My Intentions Are Good | Feb 8, 2010 | 8.0 |
| 17 | At the Bottom of Everything | Feb 15, 2010 | 7.9 |
| 18 | The Last Day of Our Acquaintance | Feb 22, 2010 | 8.6 |
| 19 | Every Picture Tells a Story | Apr 26, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 20 | Learning to Fall | May 3, 2010 | 7.7 |
| 21 | What's in the Ground Belongs to You | May 10, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 22 | Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You | May 17, 2010 | 8.5 |
22 episodes • 2010Avg: 8.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asleep at Heaven's Gate | Sep 14, 2010 | 8.1 |
| 2 | I Can't See You, But I Know You're There | Sep 21, 2010 | 7.9 |
| 3 | The Space in Between | Sep 28, 2010 | 8.1 |
| 4 | We All Fall Down | Oct 5, 2010 | 7.7 |
| 5 | Nobody Taught Us to Quit | Oct 12, 2010 | 8.0 |
| 6 | Not Afraid | Oct 19, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 7 | Luck Be a Lady | Nov 2, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 8 | Mouthful of Diamonds | Nov 9, 2010 | 7.7 |
| 9 | Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace | Nov 16, 2010 | 8.3 |
| 10 | Lists, Plans | Nov 30, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 11 | Darkness on the Edge of Town | Dec 7, 2010 | 9.1 |
| 12 | The Drinks We Drank Last Night | Jan 25, 2011 | 8.7 |
| 13 | The Other Half of Me | Feb 1, 2011 | 8.4 |
| 14 | Holding Out for a Hero | Feb 8, 2011 | 7.6 |
| 15 | Valentine's Day Is Over | Feb 15, 2011 | 7.6 |
| 16 | I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here | Feb 22, 2011 | 7.7 |
| 17 | The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get | Mar 1, 2011 | 7.8 |
| 18 | Quiet Little Voices | Apr 19, 2011 | 7.7 |
| 19 | Where Not to Look for Freedom | Apr 26, 2011 | 7.8 |
| 20 | The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul | May 3, 2011 | 7.8 |
| 21 | Flightless Bird, American Mouth | May 10, 2011 | 8.0 |
| 22 | This Is My House, This Is My Home | May 17, 2011 | 8.5 |
13 episodes • 2012Avg: 8.4
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Know This, We've Noticed | Jan 11, 2012 | 8.2 |
| 2 | In the Room Where You Sleep | Jan 18, 2012 | 7.6 |
| 3 | Love the Way You Lie | Jan 25, 2012 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Don't You Want to Share the Guilt? | Feb 1, 2012 | 8.1 |
| 5 | The Killing Moon | Feb 8, 2012 | 8.1 |
| 6 | Catastrophe and the Cure | Feb 15, 2012 | 8.0 |
| 7 | Last Known Surroundings | Feb 22, 2012 | 8.2 |
| 8 | A Rush of Blood to the Head | Feb 29, 2012 | 8.5 |
| 9 | Every Breath Is a Bomb | Mar 7, 2012 | 8.1 |
| 10 | Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will | Mar 14, 2012 | 9.1 |
| 11 | Danny Boy | Mar 21, 2012 | 9.4 |
| 12 | Anyone Who Had a Heart | Mar 28, 2012 | 8.3 |
| 13 | One Tree Hill | Apr 4, 2012 | 9.3 |
