While relying on a script each week, the producers decided at the outset to allow the cast leeway in what they said and did on the show. Berg set up a similar incident in the pilot. Berg was at the game when this accident occurred he was profoundly affected by Edwards' injury and how it overturned his life. David Edwards, a football player from San Antonio’s Madison High, was paralyzed during a November 2003 game. For example, Jason Street, the character whose promising football career is ended by a spinal injury in the pilot, was inspired by a local event. īerg's observation of local high school students while preparing to film the movie inspired his development of some of the characters. Some of the scenes were filmed at Texas School for the Deaf. The Dillon Panther football team and coaches' uniforms were based on the uniforms of the Pflugerville Panthers. Football scenes were filmed at Pflugerville High School's Kuempel Stadium and at the RRISD Complex. The pilot referred to much of the surrounding area in its scenes. In the pilot, Berg featured former Texas Longhorns football coach Mack Brown as a Dillon booster and had a caller to the fictional Panther Radio compare Panthers' coach Eric Taylor to Brown. The show features homages to its Texas heritage. Berg said he required filming the pilot and eventually the show in Texas as "a deal breaker" in order to agree to participate weekly in the project. He cast Connie Britton as the wife of head coach Eric Taylor, and Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity, a major businessman and football booster, in roles similar to those they played in the film.įilming for the show's pilot began in February 2006 in Austin, Texas. Berg deliberately carried elements from the film to the series, particularly for the pilot, which was closely related to the film. The football team was given the Panthers name. He decided to set the series in a fictional town of Dillon, Texas, with some characteristics of Odessa. Creating a TV series, particularly one based on fictional characters, allowed him to address many of those elements in-depth. Berg later said he had regretted having to jettison many of the interpersonal topics from the book because of the time constraints of a feature film. Once filming on the movie was completed, Berg began to explore adapting the story for television. Peter Berg, who directed the film, developed the series, and wrote and directed the pilot episode. Chandler and Katims each won the Emmy in 2011. Executive producer Jason Katims was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton also scored multiple nominations for the Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress awards for a drama series. At the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards, the show was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. The show appeared on a number of best lists and was awarded a Peabody Award, a Humanitas Prize, a Television Critics Association Award and several technical Primetime Emmy Awards. Though Friday Night Lights never garnered a sizable audience, it was a critical success, lauded for its realistic portrayal of Middle America and deep exploration of its central characters. The series ended its run on The 101 Network on February 9, 2011, after five seasons. To save the series, NBC struck a deal with DirecTV to co-produce three more seasons each subsequent season premiered on DirecTV's 101 Network, with NBC rebroadcasts a few months later. Although the show had garnered critical acclaim and passionate fans, the series suffered low ratings and was in danger of cancellation after the second season. In May 2007, the series was renewed for a second season to consist of 19 episodes, but due to the writers' strike, it was shortened to 15 episodes. The show uses its small-town backdrop to address many issues in contemporary American culture like family values, school funding, racism, substance use, abortion and lack of economic opportunities.įriday Night Lights premiered on October 3, 2006. The primary cast includes characters associated with football and high school. It features an ensemble cast led by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, portraying high school football coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami Taylor, a school faculty member. The series follows a high school football team in the fictional town of Dillon, a small, close-knit community in rural West Texas. Executive producers were Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Sarah Aubrey and Jason Katims who also served as showrunner. Bissinger, which was adapted as the 2004 film of the same name by Berg. Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series developed by Peter Berg and inspired by the 1990 nonfiction book by H.
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