Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2008 > March > 06 > Entry
‘Lights’ flickering back on?
Did all those little plastic footballs swamping NBC’s Burbank offices do the trick?
According to the trade rag Deadline Hollywood Daily, NBC is just a signature away from closing a deal with satellite service DirecTV to share production costs and first-run distribution of “Friday Night Lights.”
It’s unclear exactly how this proposed third season would work, and we haven’t been able to reach producers in California this morning (in fairness, it’s 7:30 a.m. as we write this!). But any opportunity we find to be optimistic about our beloved Dillon Panthers, we’ll take.
Speculation is that “FNL” would run concurrently on DirecTV and one of NBC’s cable networks, probably USA, where “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” was positioned most of last season. But it’s also possible “Lights” also will air on NBC’s broadcast schedule. Before the DirecTV deal floated to the surface, NBC had been fishing for partnership with the CW and TNT.
“Lights” has been in limbo since its shortened 15-episode season ended in early February, thanks to the writers strike. The last episode aired in February, but the Austin-based production had been shut down since the first week of December.
Will we have to switch from cable to satellite to see a third season of our Austin-as-Dillon drama? I doubt it. If this deal goes through, I bet we’ll see the show on cable — with the potential for joining NBC’s schedule as a replacement series if a new fall show turns toes up next season.
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By Elaine
March 6, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this
How can the network justify leaving us hanging in the middle of the season? I hardly ever watch network TV because of all the garbage and they seem like a waste of my time. I do love FNL and look forward to it each week. I'm no kid either.....at 60 I know what I like and what works for me.
Hope this breakdown in communication takes a U-turn and returns to the network.
Elain