NBC-DirecTV Seals Deal on Two More Seasons of Friday Night Lights

The beloved series gets picked up for two more seasons of 13 each

By Jennifer Godwin Mar 30, 2009 10:50 PMTags
Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Friday Night LightsBill Records / NBC

Multiple sources confirm that Friday Night Lights is officially a go for two more 13-episode seasons, airing first on DirecTV and later on NBC.

Star Connie Britton recently told us about the possibility of a pickup for the perpetually on-the-bubble drama, "I am feeling optimistic about it and really hopeful. As much as you feel like, 'OK, it's time to move on,' the reality is that to have the opportunity to create something new with [this show] every day is just the greatest gift. It would be great if we had another season."

And Kyle Chandler spilled a little about the shape of the seasons to come (although you should skip this part if you haven't finished watching season three on NBC yet!):

Bill Records / NBC

Kyle says, "Coach has been moved into the poor part of town, and we have no pool to draw from for a football team. I think it opens up [the show] to be far more representative, having more Hispanics in the show, blacks in the show. And then also just being the underdogs going up against my old school where my wife is still principal."

Any chance Tami Taylor will follow Coach to the wrong side of the tracks in seasons four and five? Britton has her theories! "I think it would be interesting if she did, but it may be too difficult to depict in the show. It could also be interesting if I also go over there, and we're both struggling at this school that is just falling apart."

Mind you, none of this is set in stone, as Connie is quick to point out: "We generally leave that stuff to the writers because their ideas are going to be 10 times better than anything I'd have an idea for!" Pshaw!

Sadly, many of the current castmembers, including Taylor Kitsch's Riggins, Minka Kelly's Lyla, Zach Gilford's Matt Saracen and Adrianne Palicki's Tyra, play graduating seniors who are likely to eventually exit and move on with their lives on- and offscreen.

Says Kyle of the rotation, "They told us that was going to be the case when we started the show—that people weren't going to stay on the show for seven years and be freshmen. People who have gone off the show, they knew what was going on. It does give a chance for new people to come on and for the show to be far more organic in that way, although some of the folks who are leaving I really wish they weren't, obviously."

Tell us this isn't the best news you've heard all day? No, seriously, tell us in the comments, and we expect you to prove, with facts and stuff, that something else better happened!

Season three of Friday Night Lights is now airing Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Get full episodes of Friday Night Lights at Fancast.

—Additional reporting by Megan Masters