Arguably the most-memorable episode of One Tree Hill almost didn’t happen.  The season three story of outcast teen “Jimmy Edwards” holding students hostage at gunpoint before committing suicide was met with strong resistance from the cast, according to a new interview with Hilarie Burton (Peyton).  “None of the actors were into it, none of us wanted to do it,” she tells Fanvasion.  “We got the script and were very upset about it.  We were like, ‘This hasn’t happened in so long.  Why would we bring this up?  We don’t want to encourage or give attention to that kind of behavior.’”  The Columbine tragedy had occurred seven years earlier, when Hilarie was still in high school.  “Then literally while we’re having this conversation with our creator and our bosses, two (shooting) incidents happened.  It was heartbreaking to know that stuff was still going on, it just wasn’t receiving the media attention that it used to.”  A year after the One Tree Hill episode aired, Hilarie said, her brother’s homecoming date was shot in the hand trying to keep a classroom door closed during the Virginia Tech massacre, so the subject hits very close to home.  The popular actress made her comments during an interview about her next film project, The Sacrifice, based on the inspirational novel by Robert Whitlow, which includes a school shooting.

Researchers measure the value of a television program in many ways, and one of the most important questions is” How strongly does a show hold the viewers’ interest?  Nielsen ranked the top two “most engaging” series on each network for the 2007-08 TV season, with One Tree Hill and Reaper scoring highest on The CW.  Simply put, fans of those dramas are riveted to the action from start to finish.  The love affair with Lucas, Peyton and Co. is well established, but Reaper is the only freshman series on any network to appear on the list.  This bodes well for the supernatural dramedy, which is slated to return at midseason.  For folks who haven’t discovered its hybrid charm, Reaper is one of TV’s hidden gems, filled with mystery and more laughs than almost any sitcom.  Also of note, the two series which ranked highest on ABC—Desperate Housewives and Lost—are both coming to WBNX weekends this fall.  

There’s an important election this fall, but for America’s youth their pop-culture vote’s already in progress.  The CW dominated the annual Teen Choice Award nominations, with nearly half of the network’s 27 nods snared by Gossip Girl.  One Tree Hill and Smallville followed with four apiece, while America’s Next Top Model (3), Beauty & the Geek and Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious each scored a slot among the TV categories.  Freshman drama Gossip Girl will compete for Best Drama, Drama Actors and Actresses, Breakout Show, Breakout Stars and Choice Villain.  This is the 10th Anniversary of the Teen Choice Awards and, interestingly, WBNX stars and series swept to victory from the very start—with shows like Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Buffy and Friends and winning big in ’99.  This year’s ceremony will be held Aug. 4, and teens aged 13-19 can vote daily for their favorites.  Yes, it’s a huge popularity contest…but like they say on the Upper East Side, you’re no one until everyone’s talking about you—or voting for you.  Click here to cast your ballot!

Eight popular WBNX series have DVD releases scheduled for this summer.  Here’s a quick rundown of the shows and extras you can expect.  Many of these sets can be pre-ordered now on amazon.com.

Degrassi: The Next Generation, Season 6, with 19 episodes: (now available)
Extras include deleted moments and bloopers, cast auditions, the Degrassi Yearbook and more.

Girlfriends, Season 4, with 24 episodes: (July 29)
No extras announced.

Gossip Girl, Season 1, with 18 episodes: (Aug. 19)
Features include unaired scenes; 3 new featurettes; music videos; gag reel; and a free audio download of the original best-selling book, read by Christina Ricci.

One Tree Hill, Season 5, with 18 episodes: (Aug. 26)
Bonus material includes unaired scenes; 100th episode celebration; OTH musical stars behind-the-scenes; “Fast Forward” discussion with cast and crew about moving the storyline ahead four years; commentary on two episodes by series creator Mark Schwahn and key cast and crew; gag reel; and a bonus offer for a digital copy of the entire season.

Everybody Hates Chris, Season 3, with 22 episodes: (Aug. 26)
Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and commentaries on selected episodes.

Supernatural, Season 3, with 16 episodes: (Sept. 2)
Features include an in-depth look at the series’ special effects; inside the classic 1967 Chevy Impala; segments with creative team members discussing favorite aspects of episodes; Ghostfacers! Confessionals gallery; gag reel; and a digital copy of the entire season.

Smallville, Season 7, with 20 episodes: (Sept. 9)
Extras include featurettes on Supergirl and Jimmy Olson; Smallville Legends mobisodes; commentaries with producers Al Gough and Miles Millar, plus cast members John Glover and Justin Hartley; a comic book; and unaired scenes.

According to Jim, Season 1, with 22 episodes: (Sept. 9)
After seven years and 162 episodes, this family comedy finally gets a DVD release!  No details yet about extras.

Summer vacation?  Many of your CW idols are asking “What’s that?” as they race to the sets of new film projects in nearly every corner of the U.S.  On the West Coast, James Lafferty (Nathan on One Tree Hill) just landed a lead role in the sequel to 2001 hit Donnie Darko, and he’ll be joined in the cast by Ed Westwick (Chuck on Gossip Girl).  Lafferty’s TV co-star, Sophia Bush (Brooke), teams with Jesse Bradford to disrupt Brandon Routh’s tranquil life in Table for Three.  And Tree Hill’s Mouth (Lee Norris) remained in North Carolina for the true story, Blood Done Sign My Name.  Lee plays one of the murderers of a black Vietnam vet whose eventual acquittal leads to small town outrage.  Connecticut welcomes Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively (Serena) to shoot The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, based on a novel to be released Aug. 5.  She portrays teenage Pippa in the drama of a woman heading quietly toward a nervous breakdown.  And Blake’s buddy, Matthew Settle (Rufus), is on-location in Austin, TX, filming Ex-Terminators, a dramedy about scorned wives and revenge.  Reaper’s Bret Harrison (Sam) and Danneel Harris (Rachel on OTH) are among college kids going wild in the New Orleans based comedy, Mardi Gras.  And, as previously noted, the Supernatural hunks have stayed in the horror genre, with Jensen Ackles filming My Bloody Valentine in Pittsburgh, and Jared Padalecki carving up Friday the 13th in Texas.  Seeing each of these stars on the big-screen should only enhance their CW series’ popularity.  They’re young and in-demand…vacations can wait.   

It didn’t take long for fan reaction to Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley) singing the Enation ballad “Feel This” in last week’s One Tree Hill season finale.  Perhaps the series’ most popular character, Haley’s musical passion is shared by her off-screen alter ego—who has pursued a singer/songwriting career for several years.  Here’s where worlds collide.  Bethany is married to Michael Galeotti, keyboardist for the West Coast rock anthem band Enation, featuring Jonathan Jackson (General Hospital, Tuck Everlasting) as its lead singer.  “Feel This” is a song from their third album, and the lyrics were well-suited for the Tree Hill cliffhanger montage.  So Bethany performed a rich solo rendition, backed by Enation, and the extended-play “album” (which includes the group’s live version) debuted at #1 on CD Baby, one of the largest independent music outlets in the world.  The single skyrocketed to #16 on iTunes, and the episode itself became the site’s #1 TV download.  Bethany was a huge hit on the 2005 One Tree Hill summer concert tour that sold out venues in 20 cities.  Something tells me we’ll be seeing her back in the studio when the drama returns this fall.  Check below to see and hear the performance.

Season finales are famous for climactic twists that leave viewers stunned—and longing for the fall’s first new episodes.  This past week provided many unforgettable CW moments, including my Top Five:

Supernatural: Lilith inhabits Ruby, unleashing the hellhounds on Dean…who is dragged to the dark pit moments before Sam taps into the power to save him.  One of the most chilling hours of TV ever.

Reaper: Sam’s father is buried alive in a demon-trap, and later unearthed—still alive!—by Sam’s mother.  We’re left wondering whether Sam’s parents are demons, or whether he’s really the devil’s offspring.  That deal for Sam’s soul is now more mysterious than ever.

Gossip Girl: In an episode bursting with drama, including breakups and the potential summer romances of Dan/Vanessa and Nate/Serena, it was quite a surprise to see Nate’s father ready to flee to the Dominican and escape 25-years in prison—all without saying goodbye to his son.  Funniest scene was Georgina’s banishment to reform school, with an assist from Blair.

One Tree Hill: Dan got plowed under by a speed racer just as his heart-transplant buzzer rang!  But we really didn’t foresee Lucas’s final cell phone question to one of three girls (Lindsey, Peyton or Brooke):  “Wanna get married tonight?”

Smallville: Who knew that the showdown between Clark and Lex would bring the Fortress of Solitude crashing down upon them?  Was Lex actually willing to sacrifice his life to save the world from “the traveler?”

For savvy TV fans this is the biggest week of the entire season.  Not only do we learn what shows have made the Fall 2008 schedule, but we’ll also GASP! again and again at the season finale shockers.  Beginning tomorrow, The CW will roll out ten series eye-poppers over the next eight nights.  Turn off the cell-phones, unplug the computer and don’t answer the door.  This is gonna be good.  Beauty & The Geek offers an unexpected romantic battle—presumably over Tommy, whose “geekiness” escapes us—before awarding the big payoff.  Wednesday, will Tyra choose Top Model’s first-ever “plus size” winner?  After seven years, Michael Rosenbaum bids farewell to Smallville, but only after Lex finally learns Clark’s secret in a huge showdown at the Fortress!  And Dean Winchester?  Yikes! Guess who’s come to collect on his Supernatural soul-deal?  The Sunday comedies leave on a high note, with Everybody Hates Chris and The Game poised to return next season.  On Gossip Girl, will Lily go thru with her grand wedding—or run to Rufus?  And what are the “bigger” secrets Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina) promises are yet to come?  One Tree Hill, as usual, tosses every character into the drama blender, with one person’s survival, well…suspect, at best.  But next week’s Reaper finale may contain the most chilling revelation of all.  Yeah, this sprint-to-the-finish makes the TV marathon worthwhile.  Feel free to vent nightly, as needed…

“I killed someone.”  And with those final words last night, Serena took Gossip Girl to a wild new level of intrigue.  Best episode of the season?  Oh yeah.  Michelle Trachtenberg, as Georgina Sparks, in just two weeks has become a soap villainess in the vein of legendary “mean queens” Joan Collins and Heather Locklear.  Her sweet smile masks a sordid agenda, which for starters has included drugging, outing, creating duel identities, boyfriend-stealing…oh, and secretly videotaping the crime Serena confessed to Blair.  For blackmailing, of course.  This show is the gold standard for escapist dramas: fast-paced storylines and jaw-dropping moments.  Later in the evening, One Tree Hill offered up one fiery exchange when Nate told his (supposedly) dying father, the convicted murderer Dan, that he was no longer a part of their family.  An irate Dan then hurled his drink into the wall, giving us a glimpse of the old villain this show really needs him to be.  With Brooke fussing over the baby, Lucas pining for Lindsey, Peyton and Haley recording music, and Mouth and Millicent being Mouth and Millicent, Dan is the one polarizing character that ignites strong emotion.  We crave more scenes like the hilarious, biting encounter last week between Dan, his ex-wife Deb and the creepy clown.  There are only two episodes remaining this season for each of these can’t-miss Monday serials, and you just know the theatrics will be amped up even further.   

We’ve reached that annual summit where magazine editors feel compelled to tell us which celebrities are this year’s Most Beautiful or Sexiest—since we can’t determine that for ourselves.  People has offered a teaser of its upcoming Top 100 list, and loses credibility with the selection of Rumer Willis.  It does note that Bruce and Demi’s kid is best friends with the sizzling Jessica Szohr (Vanessa on Gossip Girl), so she scores points for that.  By the way, how perfectly did Vanessa and Nate blend on this week’s episode?  To avoid hogging seven individual spots, People lumps together the entire young, beautiful cast of Gossip Girl; no arguments here…it’s the best-looking group on plasma.  TV Guide was hit-and-miss with their choices.  Patrick Dempsey as Sexiest Man?  McPlease!  Runners-up for the overall sexiest titles included Jared Padalecki from Supernatural, and a trio of Gossip-ers:  Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford and Leighton Meester.  In sub-categories, Erica Durance (Lois on Smallville) was crowned Sexiest Sci-Fi Gal; Supernatural’s Sam and Dean (Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) are Sexiest Siblings; and Blake Lively (Serena) has the Sexiest Pout.  Others receiving nominations are Tom Welling, Ray Wise (the devil on Reaper), Penn Badgley, and One Tree Hill co-stars Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty.  Are there any CW stars you feel were overlooked?  Sound off…