It’s official. After a weeks of keeping our fingers crossed, the powers-that-be at NBC and DirecTV have hammered out an agreement for two more seasons of Friday Night Lights.
Friday Night Lights revolves around a high school football team, its players and surrounding community. The large ensemble cast boasts performers like Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford, Minka Kelly, Taylor Kitsch, Adrianne Palicki, Jesse Plemons, Aimee Teegarden, Gaius Charles, Blue Deckert, Scott Porter, Derek Phillips, Brad Leland, Liz Mikel, Stacey Oristano, Nieko Mann, Kate Krause, Kevin Rankin, Louanne Stephens, Josh McVaney, Pablo D. Flores, Katherine Willis, Joey Truty, and Jeremy Sumpter.
Though the drama has a devoted core audience and is often praised by critics, it’s struggled to attract a widespread audience. Lights was barely renewed for its first and second seasons. Faced with cancelling the show last March, NBC made a deal with DirecTV to share the cost of producing a third season. As part of the pact, the satellite TV provider began airing the episodes last Fall and NBC started running them in January, once the DirecTV airings had finished.
By all accounts, DirecTV has been happy with Lights’ performance but they keep mum about their specific audience numbers. NBC has been running Lights on Friday evenings and they’ve been attracting a paltry four million viewers and a 1.3/4 in the prized 18-49 demographic. Without the DirecTV partnership, it’s obvious that the Lights would be cancelled.
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Supposedly the renewal deal was essentially wrapped up last week but then some more financial issues needed to be hammered out — regarding how much DirecTV would pay to run the episodes first and commercial free. According to Variety, It looked like the deal was off at one point but then everyone thought better of it and a deal was finalized. It’s believed that DirecTV ends up paying for a bit less than half of the show’s $2 million per-episode budget.
Execs at Universal Media Studios and Imagine (who own the show) were especially eager for the deal to go through because the double season renewal would bring the series’ episode total to 76, a decent number for a syndication package.
Under the new deal, DirecTV will once again have the rights to air the show first, with a second window for NBC. The series will continue to be shot in Austin, Texas which helps keep costs down through tax incentives. The fourth and fifth seasons, made up of 13 episodes each, will be filmed back-to-back which will help to reduce production costs even more than usual.
The double renewal may create a time issue for Jason Katims. Lights’ executive producer and showrunner has already committed to oversee NBC’s Parenthood remake. Should that be greenlighted to series, he’ll do double duty and oversee both shows. He says, “It will be a challenge, but I love Friday Night Lights so much, I would never walk away from it.”
He’s excited about the prospect of knowing that he has a full 26 episode commitment to play with, a luxury that is unheard of today.”That helps infuse the show with energy and gives us a very clear path where we want to go with the characters,” Katims said.
Chandler, Britton, and other key castmembers are set to return since they’re covered under long-term contracts. Kelly, Kitsch, Palicki and Gilford, whose characters are graduating from high school, won’t likely return as regulars but will be given arcs to finish out their time on the show.
Gilford recently told EW that he was excited about the show’s renewal but said that Katims told him that his character’s fate is up in the air. The actor is hoping that he can stick around. Gilford has a few possible scenarios in mind but acknowledges it would be a challenge. “They have to make sure it’s done in a way that will still keep the show about what the show’s supposed to be about, which is the high school football team.”
Related links
Friday Night Lights on iTunes || FNL book & movie || Kyle Chandler on DVD
Image courtesy NBC.
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FNL is back! Wow, what a terrific birthday gift. After watching the past 4 seasons with my son, who was playing HS football for those same years, I have many fond memories of sharing the time with him and discussing the similarities betweeen the Dillon Panthers and his HS team. Watching the show has helped me understand the “mentality” of HS football just a little better. With the age of DVR and the technical capability of being able to record the shows enables us to watch whenever we can, I always wondered if they would have a greater following if the show came on a different night (i.e. most of the people interested in FNL are out at HS football games on Friday nights). Oh well, as long as it’s coming back, I don’t care which night it comes on. Love that Kyle Chandler!
Friday Night Lights is one of the best shows on TV. I agree that it needs to be advertised more. I don’t even know when the show is starting in the Fall on DirecTV.
FNL ROCKS!! My husband and I,our son in high school, our son in college (and ALL his friends) and even my in-laws watch this show! We love love love it, what we don’t like is that we have to wait until December to start viewing the season. It’s hard to avoid people that have Direct TV that talk about what’s happening though! Wish NBC aired first or have them air at the same time on both venues! That way people with DTV and Cable could all share in the awesomeness that is FNL!!
Hoosier Texan!
I agree with all the other watchers, this is the best show on TV when it’s showing. Can’t wait to watch the two new seasons, it’s just a BIG disappointment when the last show of the season airs and we have to wait and see if it will be continured. Not sure how NBC rates these shows but i think they need to get some differant raters. Is there anyway to get it on at the same time as DTV. Thanks for a great show NBC just keep it going.
Fans from the great Northwest!
I’m mad, does this mean I have to subscibe to DirectTV to wathc FNL? I’m upset w/ NBC for canceling this show. It is a great show!!! Now what? Where I watch it from here? I don’t have direct and don’t want it…the whole DirectTV is a joke!!
I am a 65 yr. old women, I love Friday Night lights! When will I be able to watch it on N.B.C? My husband loves football, me, not so much. Friday Night Lights has given me a appreciation for football, with the coolest football plays I have ever seen. Keep it up, PLEASE
Chris
l love this show best in the last 10 yrs
I am 60 yrs old. To me, this is the best family show that I have every seen. I will never miss an episode. I just finished watching season 3 on DVD for a 2nd time. The writing and the characters are fantastic. Funny thing about this show and it’s the ‘Hook’, it’s about people’s lives and football is secondary. But I do live for the football sceens..
Is Friday Night Lights on the 101 this fall. I LOVE this show;watched it all last fall and then again in the spring. So much better than most of the shows on the big three networks. Just cannot understand why it has so much trouble attracting an audience, besides the fact it is given a crappy time slot. Thank goodness for Tivo~
Is someone going to answer these questions or concerns, I agree that I don’t want DTV either and also want to know when the show will be aired. CAN SOMEONE please answer the question posted.
Walt
NBC,THANK U SO MUCH 4 KEEPING FNL’S!!! I’m 44 yrs old & this takes me back 2 my High school days. I went 2 all of my High school football games for 4 yrs. I NEVER even missed one game. U R THE GREATEST NETWORK ON TV!!! 85% of the shows I watch is on ur network. I just love NBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Walt: The show is returning to DirecTV later this month. Right now, it looks like NBC will air it next Summer.
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