By Brittany Ochtinsky

Senior Reporter

Last year, “One Tree Hill” writer and executive producer Mark Schawahn proposed an idea to the brand-new CW Network to get his show renewed for at least the next two years.

If the CW agreed to a fourth season, Schwahn promised a fresh take on the show’s fifth season — leaping forward four years.

The track record of TV shows sending their characters off to college isn’t too promising. “Dawson’s Creek,” “The O.C.” and “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” just couldn’t make the cut.

However, bypassing college completely on “One Tree Hill” creates an air of mystery not only in where the current story line is going, but it also keeps audiences guessing how the characters got to where they are.

Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) is a struggling writer and half-brother Nathan (James Lafferty) is faced with the reality that his dream is over before it even begins.

Haley James Scott (Bethany Joy Galeotti) has to adjust to her role as a teacher at Tree Hill High School, while Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton) wants more out of her career in the music industry and Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) is torn between being a high-profile designer and a regular 21-year-old girl.

Reunited in Tree Hill, North Carolina, the characters piece together their pasts, and the audience gets to play along. Bits and pieces will be revealed over the course of the season through flashbacks, ranging from a few minutes to entire episodes.

New characters have also been introduced to add more conflict and keep the show moving forward.

The standout newcomer is Jackson Brundage, who plays the role of Nathan and Haley’s four-and-a-half year-old son, Jamie. He’s the bright spot in an otherwise dark and tumultuous time in the Scotts’ lives.

And who didn’t enjoy Kevin Federline’s debut in this week’s episode?

While some may have written the show off as having “jumped the shark” before season five even began, “One Tree Hill’s” jump to the future may have been one small step for teen dramas, but one giant leap for all of television.