There’s trouble brewing in Dillon, Texas, and it’s not just caused by the literal split of the town. There are other splits coming, including a few of our favorite TV couples, who have some rocky roads ahead.
We sat down with Friday Night Lights’ Connie Britton prior to her Conversations session at the SAG Foundation, and she dished what’s in store for the citizens of Dillon in season four, which kicks off production on Sept. 2.
A rather glorious thing happened in March, when TV’s acclaimed if undersampled Friday Night Lights was renewed for not one but two more seasons. Although the series’ NBC return is a small eternity away (summer 2010) and its DirecTV premiere is still “TBD,” we tackled the opportunity to speak with Connie Britton about Tami’s “roller coaster” past, and apparently finite future.
TVGuide.com: I want you to know that my wife got hooked on Friday Night Lights this past season — and I think it’s largely due to the tactile and real performances given by you, Kyle Chandler, et al.
Connie Britton: Aw, that’s so awesome! That’s what I’m talking about, that’s what we need to do.
TVGuide.com: Hey, every head counts. What was your favorite thing about playing Tami last year?
Britton: For me, it felt like a roller coaster. The whole aspect of being principal was really interesting, because when I first heard about that, I was heady with power! I was like, “This is the be-all and end-all,” Kyle was jealous. … It was fantastic. And then they were like, “Yeah, but you’re going to have a huge head-to-head issue with Buddy, and ultimately you’ll lose.” [Laughs] I was like, “No fair!”
For the fans who worked really hard to keep Friday Night Lights on the air, don’t fret. The announcement of the series ending after two more seasons isn’t necessarily set in stone.
Although FNL star Connie Britton recently said the original two-season pickup would likely be the end of the show, she told us, “You never know—if it does do really, really well, maybe they would go on for more seasons.”
So what do the possible final seasons hold for the Taylors and the rest of Dillon?
Connie teased bad news for the couples in Dillon in season four, which goes into production on Sept. 2. FNL veteran Peter Berg is directing the first episode, which will likely have a time lapse similar to season two. Said Connie, “I bet that they will do it from that three-month ending to the beginning of the new school season, which would be September.”
From executive producers Peter Berg (The Kingdom) and Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code), the third season of the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning series Friday Night Lights, currently airing on NBC, is coming to DVD on May 19.
Inspired by the best-selling book and theatrical film of the same name, the show features a great ensemble cast led by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton and provides a heartfelt look at life, love and football in the small West Texas town of Dillon.
All 13 episodes of Season Three of Friday Night Lights will be featured on the four-disc set along with bonus features. Seasons Four and Five (2009-2010 and 2010-2011) will each contain 13 episodes as well, airing on DirecTV in the fall and NBC in spring.
NBC is keeping the lights on for “Friday Night Lights.”
The acclaimed series has been renewed for two more 13-episode runs and will air through the 2010-11 season, the network said Monday.
“Not only do we know the show is staying on, but we know exactly how many episodes we are going to do,” said executive producer Jason Katims. “We’ll be able to think about where we might want to lead to … what kind of stories we want to tell.”
The Texas football-and-family drama starring Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton has struggled in the ratings but has been a critical bright spot for NBC, drawing consistently good reviews and Emmy and Peabody nominations and awards.
NBC is glad to stand behind a high-quality show with “a tremendously loyal fan base,” said Angela Bromstad, president of prime-time entertainment for NBC and Universal Media Studios.
The new seasons of “Friday Night Lights” will play on DirecTV before its network broadcasts, a continuation of the deal NBC struck this season to make the production financially viable.
The drama made its third-season bow on DirecTV this fall and then repeated on NBC starting in January. It airs 9 p.m. EDT Fridays.
The DirecTV showings may have eaten somewhat into the series’ network ratings, Katims said, but he called the move “a pretty brilliant business decision” that kept the show alive without compromising its creativity.
The drama is averaging 4.5 million viewers this season, down 27 percent from its year-ago average of 6.2 million, according to Nielsen Media Research figures. But it’s among the most popular prime-time series for upscale young adults, an audience favored by advertisers.
“The only thing we’d love for ‘Friday Night Lights’ in the next two seasons is to get the awards attention it deserves,” Bromstad said. Although it’s received several Emmy nods and won a trophy for casting, it’s been overlooked in the best drama and acting categories.
NBC is keeping the lights on for “Friday Night Lights.”
The acclaimed series has been renewed for two more 13-episode runs and will air through the 2010-11 season, the network said Monday.
“Not only do we know the show is staying on, but we know exactly how many episodes we are going to do,” said executive producer Jason Katims. “We’ll be able to think about where we might want to lead to … what kind of stories we want to tell.”
The Texas football-and-family drama starring Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton has struggled in the ratings but has been a critical bright spot for NBC, drawing consistently good reviews and Emmy and Peabody nominations and awards.
NBC is glad to stand behind a high-quality show with “a tremendously loyal fan base,” said Angela Bromstad, president of prime-time entertainment for NBC and Universal Media Studios.
The new seasons of “Friday Night Lights” will play on DirecTV before its network broadcasts, a continuation of the deal NBC struck this season to make the production financially viable.
The drama made its third-season bow on DirecTV this fall and then repeated on NBC starting in January. It airs 9 p.m. EDT Fridays.
The DirecTV showings may have eaten somewhat into the series’ network ratings, Katims said, but he called the move “a pretty brilliant business decision” that kept the show alive without compromising its creativity.
The drama is averaging 4.5 million viewers this season, down 27 percent from its year-ago average of 6.2 million, according to Nielsen Media Research figures. But it’s among the most popular prime-time series for upscale young adults, an audience favored by advertisers.
“The only thing we’d love for ‘Friday Night Lights’ in the next two seasons is to get the awards attention it deserves,” Bromstad said. Although it’s received several Emmy nods and won a trophy for casting, it’s been overlooked in the best drama and acting categories.
Source: My Indy TV