“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…

Talk to half a dozen people and they could offer six differing opinions about which character is most important on One Tree Hill. Lucas. Peyton. Nathan. Haley. Brooke. Dan. But folks behind-the-scenes realize the significant role of another major player: cutting-edge music. Whether it’s to set the mood or accentuate plot points, “nothing makes a scene come alive like the right piece of music,” says series creator Mark Schwahn. The Hollywood Reporter feels the drama “has been more of a friend to the recording industry than any other show on TV in years, maybe decades.” Cleveland’s Kate Voegele was the latest up-and-coming artist to receive a career boost thru exposure on One Tree Hill. Previously, vocalists Gavin DeGraw, Tyler Hilton, Michelle Branch and even co-star Bethany Joy Galeotti have been featured on-screen, though Schwahn is quick to note that in choosing background songs, “we haven’t gone for names. The only thing that matters is that a piece of music fits perfectly in a scene.” CW exec Dawn Ostroff agrees, insisting “They don’t just pick the safe choices. One Tree Hill is almost always ahead of the music curve.” As the drama returns for its 101st new episode Monday, with a 2007-08 full season renewal secured, WB Television president Peter Roth reflected on allowing Schwahn to bring the show back—four years into the future. “It turned out to be our best decision of the year.”

Gnaw on this silver nugget:  Over the last half-century, only ONE actor has played The Lone Ranger on television . . . The CW’s very own Chad Michael Murray.  That surprising bit of trivia emerged this week, after a major film studio announced its plans for a big-screen remake.  Original “masked man” Clayton Moore hung up his spurs and white hat in 1957.  Then nearly five decades later, between his gigs on Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill, Chad filmed a lavish two-hour drama tracing the mysterious western hero’s early life, similar to what Smallville has done with Clark Kent.  Here’s a lengthy clip from that 2001 TV film which some hoped would lead to a new series.  After seeing Chad each week in a modern soap, it’s almost surreal (but definitely fun) to watch him fend off bandits from teen Tonto’s beautiful sister.  For Chad groupies, it’s a must-see bit of nostalgia—he looks great.  This Monday night, of course, Chad and his One Tree Hill friends move into their ideal new timeslot following Gossip Girl.  You can relive the series’ 100th episode—the “eventful” wedding of Lucas and Lindsey—this week, with six fresh episodes beginning April 14.  Hi-ho!

This monumental episode brought back so many memories. We have laughed, cried, perhaps wanted to throw the remote at the TV, but we were never bored with the everyday life of our favorite characters in Tree Hill. Share with us your most memorable moments. Here are some of ours:

• Lucas and Peyton’s first car ride
• Haley tutoring Nathan
• Brooke and Peyton catfights over Lucas
• Nathan and Haley’s wedding
• “The Prom” in Texas
• Burning down Dan’s dealership
• The sad loss of Keith
• Ravens winning the State Championship

One-hundred episodes were never a certainty for perennial bubble-show One Tree Hill. But given a rare chance to reinvent their drama, the cast took a quantum leap over the college years straight into young adulthood and storylines that fans have readily embraced. In tomorrow’s milestone episode, it’s wedding day for Lucas—with two potential brides, plus a surprise twist that’ll give you chills. Click here to see party photos from the 100th celebration. Smiles abound, since The CW has already renewed the series for 22 fall episodes, four of which will be filmed this spring immediately after work on the current season concludes.  The Blog of One Tree Hill also reveals that Danneel Harris (Rachel) will be a series regular in Year 6, and that—yes!—Deb (Barbara Alyn Woods) most definitely returns next month when the show occupies a new timeslot: Mondays at 9pm, after Gossip Girl, beginning April 7. In other news tidbits, Cleveland’s Kate Voegele (Mia) saw her debut album shoot into iTunes’ Top 10, while songs played on her MySpace site increased by a million in one week following her guest stint at Tric. You can enter to win a phone call and OTH prizes from another of the show’s familiar musicians, Gavin DeGraw; and James Lafferty’s 5th annual Charity Basketball Game will pit the “old” Ravens against the “new” Ravens, April 26 at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC. Finally, Tree Hill mania has crossed the ocean, with a combined One Tree Hill / Supernatural event planned for October in the U.K.

Media watchers are developing new ways to measure the value of television shows, since the viewers’ involvement now extends far beyond a scheduled hour sitting in front of the tube.  There is, of course, time-shifted viewing (DVRs, etc.), web and mobile downloading, the intangible buzz hit shows generate, online activity, PR and word-of-mouth mentions—important factors which demonstrate how “engaged” fans are with a particular series.  Not surprisingly, The CW’s freshman drama Gossip Girl rests in the upper-echelon of Optimedia’s new Content Power Ratings report, ranking an impressive 15th among all network and cable programs!  Seems appropriate, given that Upper East Siders’ stealthy premise is based on “new media” communication.  Also scoring high on the Power Index is One Tree Hill, sandwiched between such hot properties as The Sopranos and Nip/Tuck. The study indicates that more-captivated viewers also tend to better recall ads they saw in their favorite shows.  And the good news for fans is, network renewal doesn’t depend solely upon TV ratings anymore.  So keep surfing, texting and watching.  It all makes a difference.

CW devotees are breathing much easier with this week’s early announcement that six series will definitely return for the fall season: Smallville, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, America’s Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, and rookie sensation Gossip Girl. That leaves 7½-hours yet to fill, and it’s very possible that one or more current shows will also make the cut—such as The Game, Reaper or Aliens in America. One slot could be taken if the network likes the pilot it just ordered for How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls, about a young ex-tabloid reporter hired to be the live-in tutor/life coach for a cosmetic mogul’s granddaughters. Will reality fare Beauty & The Geek, Pussycat Dolls or Crowned get another life? The still-untitled fashion magazine competition is a firm “go,” but which of the network’s other look-see projects will dazzle the programmers? Answers come within ten weeks, as the 2008-09 Upfront Presentation is set for May 15. Tracking potential development slates, The Futon Critic lists four dramas and two comedies on the CW radar:

• The Collection: a dramedy based on the life of famed designer Isaac Mizrahi
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: romantic misadventures of a female advice columnist
• Undercover: an updated version of 21 Jump Street
• Maria Sharapova project: drama set inside the world of women’s pro tennis
• Sherri Shepherd project: comedy about a married woman—and her husband’s “other family”
• Nanny Dallas: dramedy about four nannies and the rich families they service

Though 13 episodes were previously ordered for star-laden midseason comedy Eight Days a Week, the writer’s strike seems to have thrown the series in limbo. Hopefully it’s a candidate for this fall. Remember, new ideas for shows are pitched almost daily, so the above choices can quickly expand. What are your thoughts or predictions for The CW’s third season schedule?

I think we can all safely agree that new fashion tycoon Brooke Davis grew up with “mother issues.” Never seen prior to this Season 5 leap year on One Tree Hill, Victoria apparently has great business acumen, but lacks any semblance of parenting skills.  Daphne Zuniga returns to the drama next Tuesday, and will surely offend someone within her first moments on screen.  It’s one of those juicy villainous roles that actresses love.  Off-camera, she and Sophia Bush bonded immediately and are great friends—easily passing for mother and daughter.  However, we’ve found an actress that Daphne really resembles: Sarah Lancaster!  Fans of Everwood will remember her as Ephram’s one-time girlfriend “Madison.”  Whaddaya think, are they a match?

After last night’s episode of One Tree Hill, does anyone believe Nathan and Haley are rid of temptress nanny Carrie? Trust me, you don’t wanna bet the house on it. Behind that beautiful face lurks a dangerous mind with serious issues. On the bright side, pizza guy Tim (Brett Claywell) touched off the first of many reunions with familiar characters, including Rachel, Chase, Bevin, Dan, Karen and Andy—in fact, paths begin to intersect next Tuesday. And some of the homecomings are anything but happy. The continued absence of Deb is a mystery yet to be explained, but given the immense popularity of Barbara Alyn Woods and the sizzling drama she’s delivered for four years, fans are hoping for a bombshell cameo. Who can forget her trademark one-liners, such as telling newlywed Haley to “Shut your selfish little mouth!” or warning estranged-hubby Dan, “She’s young enough to be your daughter—and in this town, she just might be!” Ironically, Barbara’s real-life daughter, Natalie, will play Karen’s 4-year-old, Lily, in the upcoming 100th episode set to air on March 18. It was the final script shot prior to the writers’ strike, and online reports say there were three different cliffhanger endings filmed—so even the cast couldn’t leak the final scene. We’ve got nine new episodes coming up, and if you think the first nine have been laced with squeal-worthy moments…just wait.