Friday Night Lights: I Knew You When (season premiere)
That said, NBC will be back with these same Friday Night Light episodes -- season three -- at mid-season. Therefore, for people like me with the DirecTV dish, we're getting the shows in advance. TV Squad has decided to review the season premiere -- including spoilers -- so please, if you want to wait and be surprised, be forewarned. On the other hand, if you want to know what's happened since the end of last season, follow me after the jump.
Continue reading Friday Night Lights: I Knew You When (season premiere)
Let's get ready for some football ... on Friday Night Lights - VIDEO
(And if you're a true Colts fan, you'd better watch too -- especially if you're a Nielsen viewer. Or else, um, you might jinx him and cause the team to lose the Super Bowl.)
As you may have heard, FNL will air exclusively on DirecTV this fall (and repeat on NBC in early 2009. Yeah, it's a pain if you don't get DirecTV (like me), but subscribers will be happy to learn they'll be able to watch commercial-free.
Continue reading Let's get ready for some football ... on Friday Night Lights - VIDEO
Friday Night Lights panel: the DirecTV deal, two departures, and a new school year - TCA Report
NBC and its various cable stations are making their presentations today and tomorrow. Since it is Sunday, the critics got a little bit of a break and didn't have to start until noon, when a lunch session was held for Friday Night Lights. This session had a little bit of added juice, due to the unique deal NBC struck to have DirecTV shoulder the cost of producing the series in exchange for the rights to air new episodes on the satellite service first, before they air on NBC. Thirteen episodes will be produced and will air in October on DirecTV's 101 Network, and they'll air in February on the Peacock network.
Not surprisingly, there were as many questions about the new arrangement as there were about the creative aspects of the show. Show-runner Jason Katims and DirecTV entertainment head Eric Shanks fielded most of those questions, and the cast of the show fielded the rest.
TNT's Leverage teaser - VIDEOS
I've said it before, I'm a sucker for a series that casts actors from my favorite shows. It's really all it takes to get me to watch something at least once. I suppose that means I'm going to have to give Leverage at least a three episode run. Look at that cast photo. Christian Kane from Angel, Gina Bellman from Coupling, and Aldis Hodge from Friday Night Lights. And as a bonus, Timothy Hutton. That's a pretty good start.
If that's not enough, one of the executive producers is John Rogers. TNT lists him as being from Cosby, but I remember him for writing and producing one of the best pilots that didn't go to series that I've ever seen, Global Frequency.
Continue reading TNT's Leverage teaser - VIDEOS
Changes coming to Friday Night Lights
It's a question that popped up even before our pals in Dillon had their premiere. What are they going to do when these kids start graduating? Well, we have an answer now, and I'm not sure it's going to be embraced by everyone. EW's Michael Ausiello reports that Gaius Charles (Smash) and Scott Porter (Street) have been moved to recurring status.
Producer Jason Katims released a statement that says both characters will get four episode arcs to move them into the next chapter of their lives. Presumably, those would be chapters that won't be captured by the handheld Friday Night Lights cams. The cynic in me can't help thinking that this has as much to do with the shaky nature of the FNL renewal as it does with being able to work these characters into the show. After all, the idea of budget cuts after the strange Direct TV deal isn't an outlandish one. That being said, the explanation is reasonable. They were going to have to address the graduation dilemma eventually.
Continue reading Changes coming to Friday Night Lights
Brea Grant speeds her way to Heroes
This recurring character is said to be introduced in a scene set at a museum. Hiro meets the woman at the museum and asks her if she has powers and is using them to steal art. As expected, Joy will lie to our beloved hero Hiro and leave the scene with a few paintings. Is she part of the villains or is she one of the good guys and somehow lost her way? Only time will tell!
Continue reading Brea Grant speeds her way to Heroes
Gossip Girl cast among People's most beautiful
Gossip Girl is getting a lot of exposure these days. A week after the OMFG scandal, the cast of Gossip Girl has made People magazine's list of the most beautiful people of 2008. No argument here. Eye candy is one of the main reasons why I love the show. My only complaint is that Matthew Settle and Kelly Rutherford were left out. Rufus Humphrey and Lily van der Woodsen are currently two of the hottest parents on TV.
Other familiar TV faces made the list, including: Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria Parker and Marcia Cross, Sarah Silverman, Ugly Betty executive producer Salma Hayek, Kristen Bell, Christina Applegate, Dancing With The Stars' Carrie Ann Inaba and Jason Taylor, Vanessa Hudgens, Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, and Minka Kelly from Friday Night Lights.
Continue reading Gossip Girl cast among People's most beautiful
What shows are on the bubble for next season?
Interestingly (and tragically), The CW's Reaper appears to be on the chopping block. Tonight's ratings for Reaper could tip the balance, as a new episode goes up against a new episode of Lost. While many critics think Reaper has lost its way since the pilot, I think it's been pretty much on track. We even got a new story line during the last episode where Sam meets a new love interest, aka the devil's daughter. The dialogue is clever, the lead actor is lovable, and his sidekicks are, well, a kick. Although, if I didn't have a way to record both shows, I would probably choose Lost over Reaper tonight.
A list of "on the bubble" shows and their possible future is after the jump:
Continue reading What shows are on the bubble for next season?
NBC renews Friday Night Lights with the help of DirecTV
NBC executives had been looking for a way to renew their low-rated show, mostly through cost-sharing deals with other networks. They finally found a partner: DirecTV. No details of the deal were given; all we know right now is that the satellite company and the Peacock folks will share the costs of producing the show and will both air the show across multiple platforms.
Continue reading NBC renews Friday Night Lights with the help of DirecTV
Inspiration for Friday Night Lights' character dies
Continue reading Inspiration for Friday Night Lights' character dies
Products galore...and you can't avoid them
Continue reading Products galore...and you can't avoid them
Friday Night Lights to return?
NBC is in talks with a number of other networks including the CW and TNT to discuss the possibility of having FNL appear on more than one network in the same week. Naturally, it would be broadcast on NBC first and then would be re-broadcast elsewhere.
Continue reading Friday Night Lights to return?
Friday Night Lights: May The Best Man Win
(S02E15) Yeah. So, we can't really talk about this episode without getting into the possibility that this was the series finale of Friday Night Lights. No matter what comes of the big meetings this weekend regarding the writer's strike, there are no guarantees that the show will even get to finish season two, let alone come back for a third go. Recent comments from the network certainly don't paint an optimistic picture. And all of that is important, because where this episode ends up in the time line of the show will ultimately determine how successful it was. As episode 15 of a 22 episode second season, it was solid. As the series finale, not so much.
Continue reading Friday Night Lights: May The Best Man Win
Ben Silverman loves Friday Night Lights (but it's about to get canceled)
Yeah, I know, we already had a Ben Silverman-centric post today, but this is going to be interesting for fans of Friday Night lights.
Radar ran into the NBC Entertainment President Ben Silverman at a party for Lipstick Jungle (I'm sure it was a great party, but that show doesn't have a chance), and they asked him if the high school football drama was going to be saved even though it doesn't get good ratings, and Silverman responded in typical Silvermanian (?) fashion.
Continue reading Ben Silverman loves Friday Night Lights (but it's about to get canceled)
Friday Night Lights: Leave No One Behind
(S02E14) This episode left me comparing the show itself to its own fictional Panthers football team. Both had their seasons get off to a rough start, but now everyone seems to be coming together in the hopes of a strong finish. There are still no guarantees for another run at state, or a third season, but tonight was a step in the right direction for both teams. With some great development for Saracen, a turn in the Landry/Tyra story that didn't make you want to kick a writer in the crotch, and the continuation of Smash's story, a lot of points were put on the board.