Touchdown for 'Friday Night Lights'

    Are your ready for some more Dillon Panthers football?
    “Friday Night Lights” will be back for a third season, thanks to a deal between NBC and DirecTV that splits costs and distribution rights, giving DirecTV customers first dibs at the high school football drama, starring Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.
    The 13-episode season will air first on DirecTV in the fall and then run on NBC in midseason, probably in its current Friday night time slot, said David Nevis, president of Imagine Television, which produces the show. NBC is expected to officially announce the deal in a presentation to advertisers in New York this afternoon.
     Nevins declined to say how much money DirecTV is forking over for the rights but characterized it as “a lot of money, significantly more than if we just did second runs on a cable network.” Nevins remarked that he wished a deal like it had been possible three years ago when Fox was forced to cancel “Arrested Development,” another show with a small but loyal audience.
    “I love these shows, and I think that they’re unique,” Nevins said. “They have an incredibly strong bond with them and seem to appreciate the characters and actors in them at a deep level. My whole goal is to make television that is not boring. For better or for worse, we make these beloved but not-for-everyone TV shows. And I think that the truth is that in this new climate of television, there is more and more room. There are so many programming sources that there’s a hunger for distinctive programming even if it’s not unbelievably mass.”
    While the audience of “Friday Night Lights” ranges only from 6 million to 7 million, its viewers tend to be upscale, which advertisers like, and very passionate and loyal, Nevins pointed out.
    “Five years ago, or probably three years ago, this show would have sunk below the water and disappeared without a trace,” he said. “Now, there’s value in these shows that have incredibly passionate audiences and passionate fans in the public and passionate fans in the press. I just think it’s really interesting that NBC, being one of the big networks, is now able to capitalize on it.”

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Comments

[Joanne]

This is great news! The best show on TV. Glad that there's some vision out there!

[Gayle Walker]

Thank you for this article. I have diligently searched on a daily basis for information about the return (or not) of this wonderful TV show. I just could not believe it would fade away and we would be left in the dark not knowing if Landry and Tyra manage to be together, if Tim finds his niche, if Smash realizes his dream and the lovely boy in the wheelchair finds a path to a good life. And, of course, we need to have the great coach and his wife in our homes, they who have set a standard for marriage and parent-daughter relationships, and then the beautifully wrought young girls whose growing up has been handled so wisely and tenderly. Thanks to NBC, thanks to the writers, and thanks to the actors who have so sensitively made us care about them. Hooray -

[mark]

friday night lights is one of the best shows on tv..Unfortunately not enough people do not want to watch quality shows but would rather watch brainless reality crap..I don't have directtv so I will have to wait untill it runs on NBC..I will wait but not patiently as I will miss the this great show in the fall..

[Buddy G]

Thank God. I now have a reason to keep living

[Julia]

Every Friday I turn on the TV hoping that I will see the "Lights". Thank you for bringing it back!!!! I may now just get DirecTV so I can watch it sooner! Yay!!!! I feel like a kid again...so excited!

[Kim]

This is great news....FNL is a fine show.

[stefano]

THis show is one of the best on tv right now but no one could ever know that cause its on fridays nights at like 9 most people my age arent home on friday nights so i think if they put the show on some other day of the week this show would be watched by many more people

[Dan]

ARE THEY GOING TO FINISH THIS SEASON???

[ed]

Just wanted to say that even an outside chane that this wonderful series could be cancelled is just plain ludicrous. It is, except for american idol and any sport that involves a ball the only thing on tv that I watch. The characters are what make the show. The writing is superb and the actors top notch.

[David Kean]

Thank goodness a great show coming back. How can we have a CSI of every state keep making it back year after year and a show my whole family can watch and is great was not certain if it would make it. Why do we not have more of these shows they are great and I cant wait every week for the show to come on. Thanks for bringing it back.

[Diane G]

I LOVE THIS SHOW! I did not catch the first season but had heard great things about it, so I bought season 1 on DVD, became hooked and I am now watching season 2 on DVD! I have never before been interested one way or another regarding a show being renewed. I am so happy its coming back for a third season.

[Doris]

THIS SHOW ROCKS! Thank you for bringing it back.

[wilydawg]

The thing that amazes me is that Dateline NBC is on like 4 nights a week. Doesn't NBC already have 2 news channels that nobody watches? FNL is a great show, but it is doomed unless they put it in a time slot where the majority of its target market isn't actually AT a football game. Morons...

Good news is the boys are back.

[Deb W]

I have not had a favorite show on television for a loooong time. I can't wait for this show to come on. I was in withdrawls and recevied Season 1 for Christmas (per my request) and I just purchased Season 2. HURRY UP! Get this show back on! FYI: I just saw the movie "Music and Lyrics" and I was so excited to see "Jason" unwheelchair bound doing the "POP" video at the start of the movie. He has some really good moves!

[NaSaBemWaFaviNaGeeTiMaBaTTAAA]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOW! This is great. For real, this is the best show. I wish I was Tim Riggins and my girlfriend wishes I was Matt Saracen. But Oh well, this is a great show and I can't wait. And I wasn't talking bad about my girlfriend. And you shouldn't either, cause you wish you had her. She is going to hate me for this!

[leslie]

I'm so excited that the boys will be back!! I like each and everyone one of them. Positively the best show on television. Kyle Chandler has always chosen quality projects. Can't wait to find out what is going to happen next season GO DILLION PANTHERS...

[John]

I have to agree with another comment. The target audience is usually at the high school football games on Friday night. It did better in its previous time slot. Strange as it seems. Of course it could be used as a summer run like Army wives is on another network. That way we would have someting decent to watch in the summer, and fall fridays could be used for mindless reality shows

[Debbie]

Congrads to the fans of "Friday Night Lights" - the fans of Moonlight are working hard to find a new home for it as well and it would be wonderful if such a deal could be struck for Moonlight second season ! :-)

Thanks Direct TV for seeing value in shows that the networks are overlooking as Moonlight is the first show in years literally that I watched. My TV is now again an output device for the DVD player. Please change that Direct TV with adding Moonlight to your schedule and I will gladly subscribe and spread the word!

[Susan]

This is such great news! I love FNL. But I agree about the time slot. Friday nights are probably not the best time slot for this show - for all the reasons listed above. Thanks for working out a deal to bring this great show back to TV!

[melissa g]

Friday night lights is one of the best shows on tv with some of the best acting ive ever seen but to have a show about football players and about football and high school drama why would you be showing it on friday nights when theres high school football games going on ? i really hope this show keeps going on because i cant get enough im an addict and im in love.

[Jaime]

FNL is amazing! It is one of the best TV shows (by far) on TV and a potential classic. I watch two TV shows and this is one of them. The story lines and the characters are lovable, believable, and endearing.
Go Panthers!

[paula mcgrail]

Thank God! This is the best show on TV in a long long, long, time. I have been despondent since it has been off the air. I think I will get direct TV as well. I agree with the previous post, how many times a week can Dateline be on? The reality shows are pathetic. The half hour comedy sitcom are brutal followed by the horrific gameshows. The one show that saved me during my FNL separation was Breaking Bad, very good tv which leaves me to believe they will cancel it. See you soon Timmy! ahhh.

[Chris]

I agree that Friday Nights may not be the best time to air this show. However, if it were a spring show, then Friday nights are great for it. The thing that killed it during season one was that they put it against American Idol. You can't have a show against American Idol and expect it to survive. Then, they move it to Fridays during season 2. Their whole viewing population is at a football game at that time. Move it to a different night (maybe Thursdays before ER) and keep it away from American Idol. This show is a wonderful show and should be around for at least 10 years.

[tinytvfan]

Agree with everyone here: Friday Night Lights is the best show on tv and deserves a better time slot. Long Live FNL!!!

[Renee]

I don't have DirecTV and cannot wait until January for new episodes of FNL? Does anyone know if episodes will be available for download anywhere in the fall? I will still watch in January when it moves to NBC (to keep the numbers up), but there's no way I can wait that long. I'm already going through withdrawal.

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose

[Johnny Bartee]

This is a bad dog that should have been put down long ago. It's only redeeming quality is that it keeps union crew in Austin working. Other than that PLEASE let it die the death it deserves.

[Kristen]

I searched for FNL online after my sister had mentioned that she heard it was a good show. I do not have television, so I found it on the NBC web page. I was hooked after watching the first episode. I am sad to hear I will have to wait until next winter to watch whatever comes next for the Dillon residents. I love watching a healthy marriage go through its ups and downs. I love how the heart of every character shines through their circumstances. And I love how Christianity is portrayed in a fairly realistic fashion. FNL is my escape from my own reality and I don't feel like I've been slimed after watching it. Please keep it coming!!

[CJ]

Fantastic - drop the reality fat shows and get back to the heart of America. Nice work, I'll buy DirectTV just to watch...

[C.O]

My worries have now been relieved! I'm so glad that they are bring this show back and I agree with everyone else, it needs to be moved to a better time and day. I can wait until the fall and have the best of both worlds, my Dillion panther football and my NFL! What more could a girl want!?!