3397 replies to this topic

[jayseyfield]

Some of the media articles on FNL.

• An article about bringing FNL to Austin, Texas.
• A great review on FNL.
• Not about FNL, but a great article on tv sports shows in general.
• The Futon Critic's review.
• An article on FNL from Austin's local newspaper.
• NY Post mentions FNL, and calls it the best out of the fall pilots.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 22, 2006 @ 12:27 PM.

[seffina]

This from MediaLife Magazine. Basically talking about pilots web buzz, but also includes a bit about how NBC has the best crop of pilots, one of them being Friday Night Lights.

Edited by seffina, Aug 22, 2006 @ 1:15 PM.

[jayseyfield]

Some more media links.

Friday Night Lights Info

• Official FNL Site
  
• IMDB page
• Extra large picture of the entire cast
• Youtube.com's 30 second preview
• Background info for Friday Night Lights movie & book

People Behind The Scenes

• Director of the Pilot: Peter Berg (Director of FNL the movie)
• Showrunner: Jason Katims (Former showrunner of Roswell)

Important Info

• Premieres tuesday, Oct 3 at 8pm/7pm Central
• The series is inspired by the FNL book & movie, not based on them.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 22, 2006 @ 2:14 PM.

[jayseyfield]

The Critics Corner

Here are some snippets of the critics thoughts on FNL.

Matt Roush (TV Guide)

I absolutely agree that Friday Night Lights is "worthy" of breaking out. It's one of my favorite fall pilots, and I love that it's not about crime-solving or courtrooms or kidnappings. It's that rarity about real people in an authentic place and time, not nostalgic like American Dreams was, but just as heartfelt and even less saccharine.

Tim Goodman (San Francisco Chronicle)

Tim's take: This is probably the sleeper hit of the fall season. "Friday Night Lights" is a lot better than you're probably expecting, with a real cinematic flair, realistic football scenes, fine acting and writing.

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2006 TCA tour

Pictures of the cast

Aimee Teegarden speaks out

Berg said he spent a year attending Texas high school football games to prepare. The EP fielded most of the initial questions but then threw one to the youngest star, Aimee Teegarden.

Q: Why will you succeed where other primetime sports shows fail?
A: Because this is the best cast you will ever see in your entire life.

'Nuff said.

Right on Aimee!

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 23, 2006 @ 10:20 PM.

[jayseyfield]

Austin360.com has a small review of FNL.

Our very own Austin-based production is a terrific spin off the 2004 film of Buzz Bissinger's book.

But more importantly in addition to the article it has this picture of Lyla and Jason I haven't seen before. *fans self*

ETA: From the website, Adrianne Palicki Fan

A high quality picture of the whole cast at the 2006 TCA Tour. Fantastic photo.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 27, 2006 @ 5:17 PM.

[jayseyfield]

NBC pimps Friday Night Lights on Poor Man's MySpace

Studio 60 has Netflix, Heroes has iTunes and I guess this time NBC is using a high school social networking site called Bebo.com to promote Friday Night Lights.

I don't know how'll effective it'll be but I'm glad NBC is at least trying some unorthodox techniques for promoting their new shows.

Here's the actual Bebo.com site for Friday Night Lights.

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NBC puts up FNL music video on YouTube to show female viewers that there's plenty of crappy WB-style teen drama for them underneath all that icky football

Official NBC Music Video of Friday Night Lights on YouTube. (a bit spoilery)

Whoah, that's a lot of footage. Much more than any promo I've seen so far. But I really like it, I'm glad the official NBC YouTube guy posted that.

Question to anyone who has seen the pilot: Is Lyla's "Why are you getting so mad at me?!" in the Music Video a scene from the pilot? For some reason it feels like it's from episode 2, maybe taking place at a hospital if you get my drift.......

ETA: Wait, wait, wait, I saw the MV again. So Tyra is sleeping with Taylor, and Smash AND has her sights set on Jason?! Wow.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 29, 2006 @ 4:51 AM.

[jayseyfield]

Ok I've read practically every news article on this show and this one is by far the best and most informative. I highly recommend everyone check it out.

Some snippets;

That's a plus for the series, which is expected to pump $20 million into the Austin area economy before its 12-episode run ends in November. That's when NBC will decide whether Lights gets "back nine" episodes to complete the season. A former high school field near Austin's airport is being prepped just in case the series has legs.

Meanwhile, Mr. Charles, a recent Carnegie Mellon University grad from New York City, is not much like the confident guy he portrays.

The mostly twentysomething actors have become a team, said Scott Porter, whose Jason Street is the saintly Dillon High quarterback who can do no wrong as the series opens. (The name is an apparent homage to University of Texas quarterback James Street from the 1969 national champs.) The cast members go to the movies, bowl, barbecue and play tricks on each other.

The cement that holds them together is unlikely father figure Kyle Chandler, who looks much younger than his 40 years.

Scott Porter gets in the last word;

"I miss playing," he said. "We all have something to prove. We keep hearing that sports shows can't succeed. We think America is going to love it."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's another review of the show.

The small Texas town that the Panthers call home believes everybody, God included, loves football. Maybe you don't. But you'll still love “Friday Night Lights.” This is the best pilot of the fall season, breathtaking in how it captures ordinary life set against extraordinary passions and world-class skill.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 29, 2006 @ 9:49 PM.

[nls65]

Thanks for posting those, jayseyfield. Those reviews got me even more excited about the show

I'm with you, marlaas, why can't it start sooner??

Seriously, jayseyfield, those are perfect snippets to generate more and more excitement for this show. I'd not caught any of them, yet. Thanks for sharing.

[jayseyfield]

Seriously, jayseyfield, those are perfect snippets to generate more and more excitement for this show. I'd not caught any of them, yet. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for posting those, jayseyfield.

You're both welcome, I'm happy that people are finding those helpful.

This might be one of the greatest things ever.

Scott Porter's MySpace.

In case some people are not aware, Scott Porter plays Jason Street the QB on FNL. He's also a really funny guy and his MySpace is hilarious. Check it out. Some highlights;

ON NBC! Check out http://www.fridaynig...tstheseries.com That's me...#6. I play the quarterback for the Dillon Panthers in a show that is centered around Texas High School Football. It really focuses on the expectations heaped upon these young men and women in a small town where winning is everything. Check it out folks....or I will tie you up in front of your TVs myself. Oh yeah, here's a trailer and a behind the scenes look into the show. BRAND NEW VIDEO!!!!!

One of my castmates in Friday Night Lights, Taylor Kitsch, is in this movie. He is also in a movie that comes out soon called "The Covenant" (shout out to my boy). Anywho, so we put a call in and the entire cast of FNL gets comped into the 10:00 Austin premier at the Austin Draft House.

Snakes on a Plane is an awful film, but possibly the greatest theater experience I've ever had. The crowd was excited. You could have powered a Metallica concert with the energy we had in that room. Never have I felt that much anticipation in a movie audience.

ETA: In regards to the media links I posted above I think my favorite part was how the cast really gets along and how they bowl together, or go to barbecues and movies.

I love it when the cast of a tv shows hangs out with each other.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 30, 2006 @ 2:07 PM.

[jayseyfield]

This site has a poll on the left asking which NBC show you are most looking forward to and FNL came in second behind Studio 60. I'm glad because in all these kinds of polls FNL came behind Heroes. Not that these kinds of polls are reliable but it's nice to see.

I was thinking of media related FNL stuff and I hope before the show premieres that at least one castmembers gets on a talk show to promote the show. I think the most likeley candidate is Kyle Chandler but it'd be so awesome if one of the younger actors like Scott Porter or Minka Kelly could do one. Unfortunatley this cast is so unknown it'll be hard. But hopefully NBC could strongarm one of their shows like the Tonight or Late Night to have them on.

Oh and it'd be so cool if NBC could do what FOX does and fly the cast to a NFL Sunday Night Football game and have them be interviewed on the stands. I love it when they do that. Plus the football-football connection is pretty obvious.

[Jeebus Shuttlesworth]

Oh and it'd be so cool if NBC could do what FOX does and fly the cast to a NFL Sunday Night Football game and have them be interviewed on the stands. I love it when they do that. Plus the football-football connection is pretty obvious.

Whenever a network does that, I make it a point to not watch whatever the actors are promoting. Remember when Jimmy Fallon and Bennifer I (the bad one) desecrated Fenway Park? I think it would backfire by angering hardcore football fans who don't like that soft celebrity feature stuff.

*Note: Bennifer II is the "good one", but only by comparison. Ben Affleck is loathsome IMO no matter who he's dating.

[jayseyfield]

Whenever a network does that, I make it a point to not watch whatever the actors are promoting. Remember when Jimmy Fallon and Bennifer I (the bad one) desecrated Fenway Park? I think it would backfire by angering hardcore football fans who don't like that soft celebrity feature stuff.

The situations are different. First Fallon was not just at the game when a reporter interviewed him. If I'm understanding you, you are talking about the filming of "Fever Pitch" which he basically made himself the center of the Red Sox championship win, going as far as running out to the field and filming a scene in the movie after the Sox won the championship.

As for Bennifer 1, they never promoted a movie at a game (as I recall) they were just at Fenway (which they can hardly be blamed for, although it's in bad taste for Affleck to take J-Lo instead of one of his buddies) to watch the game.

Frankly I have no problem with it, especially when it's for a show like Friday Night Lights that I like. As long as it's a brisk interview I don't see why football fans would be angered. I mean at least it's football-related, remember when freakin' Geena Davis appeared in the MNF booth in a suit to promote Commander-in-Chief?

But they're not going to do it anyway so it's a moot point.

ETA: I wish ESPN.com was giving FNL some love. Yes ESPN is a part of ABC but I remember how they gave the FNL movie a lot of press and did a bunch of articles on it.

Also that one ESPN Page 2 writer loves talking about sports and pop culture/tv so it seems it would be right up his alley. Apparently he'd rather talk about the rotting carcass that is The OC than Friday Night Lights.

Edited by jayseyfield, Aug 31, 2006 @ 11:27 PM.

[minneapple]

ESPN.com might give Friday Night Lights some press once it gets closer to the season premiere. It's still a month away.

Oh and it'd be so cool if NBC could do what FOX does and fly the cast to a NFL Sunday Night Football game and have them be interviewed on the stands. I love it when they do that. Plus the football-football connection is pretty obvious.

It annoys the heck out of me when networks do this cross-promotion crap. It only adds another distraction from the actual game, especially if they start talking over the action. As if the analysts and sideline reporters weren't enough.

[jayseyfield]

Friday Night Lights Fansites

http://www.fnlfans.com

http://fridaynightlights.tv/

http://fridaynightlightsonline.com/

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Welcome to Dillon Bitch! This is how we do things in Texas!

I love this article.

NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly compares his new drama, "Friday Night Lights", to Fox's "The O.C.", but "with guts and authenticity."

Simultaneously praising FNL while taking a shot at The OC. How could you not love this man.

TGIF: Thank god it's "Friday"!!!

Variety article way back when the show was being developed.

"What Peter hopes to do is to make it even more relevant to today," Bromstad said, noting such trends as the rise of Wal-Mart. "It's going to be a good picture of an American small town and the lives of these people in this town where everything revolves around the sport of football."

A coach character like the one player by Thornton will be at the heart of the series -- "that underdog coach who has all the pressure to make the team a success," Bromstad said. The parents and coaches of students will also be central characters.

Flag on the Play!

Here's a fantastic review. It's complimentary but it's critical on the longevity of the series as well.

As much as I’ll be rooting for it, I’m sort of wary about whether it can. It’s got the dark tone, with elements of heart and warmth, that generally works in a modern adult drama. However, this show’s going to need to do more than a build-up to a game of the week to keep a majority of viewers coming back for more.

Class Photos

IMDB has got a ton of new FNL pictures up.

• The coach's daughter is off-limits no matter how pretty she is!
  
• FNL Poster!
  
• He's not a football player.... He's just a normal guy...
  
• Rebel without a cause... Or a fumble.
  
• Talk to the hand!
  
• The plight of the backup.

ETA: Can I just say Aimee Teegarden, WOW. That picture took my breath away. They should make that her IMDB photo.

Edited by jayseyfield, Sep 2, 2006 @ 2:37 AM.

[nls65]

I get Entertainment Weekly and the issue that arrived yesterdaywas the fall tv preview. They have a whole page photo of Chandler and little head shots of Chandler, Britton, Porter, Kitsch and Gilford. The article is bigger than those for any other new shows for that night (Tuesday). I'll link it if/when I see it online, but they like to give their subscribers a one up on those who buy each issue from newsstands or catch the information on the web.

Just an FYI if you want to pick up the issue or watch for the article on ew.com.

On checking back, I notice that FNL is the 'EW Pick' for new shows in that time slot. Yay!

Oh, and I also noticed when they mention Adrianne Palicki, they spelled it Adrienne, like some of the early NBC promo material did. Boo!

Edited by nls65, Sep 3, 2006 @ 10:49 AM.

[jayseyfield]

Thanks for the heads-up nls65. I looked for the new EW but all I could find was the one with Project Runway on the cover, so it's nice to know FNL gets some ink.

Oh, and I also noticed when they mention Adrianne Palicki, they spelled it Adrienne, like some of the early NBC promo material did. Boo!

Yeah, that's seems to trip a lot of people up.

ETA: This person calls FNL their favorite pilot of the fall.

This columnist predicts Friday Night Lights as the breakout hit.

Finally, this gets asked a lot this time of year as well: What show is going to be the breakout hit? The smart money is probably on The Nine (note: two-word title), about a group of people who bond after being held hostage during a bank robbery. And Studio 60 could hit fairly big, if enough people still go in for Aaron Sorkin's talky shows (I do). But I'm going with a dark horse: Friday Night Lights, based on the movie that was based on the non-fiction book. It's really good, it's really relatable and it sneaks right up on you.

This show is both a sleeper and a dark horse; it's a sleeping dark horse.

Edited by jayseyfield, Sep 3, 2006 @ 4:10 PM.

[KyleNuritChandl]

I woes make same wallpaper for the show wacth that
http://img119.images...allpaper8jf.jpg

[dc222]

Of all the new NBC shows, I've seen the most FNL billboards and bus ads. I've only seen 1 Heroes bus and nothing of any other show (even Studio 60).

[jayseyfield]

Apparently a company called "Fallon" is behind the FNL promotional campaign.

NBC is also sending "School Spirit" kits to 1,000 high schools in its top 10 markets. The kits, which were created in collaboration with Alloy Media + Marketing, contain Friday Night Lights-branded paraphernalia ranging from pom-poms and mini-footballs to disposable cameras and DVDs of the pilot.

Lucky bastards.

Fallon favors the online platform because of its heavy user traffic among the target student demographic. Bebo's user protections and the fact that it caters to high-school-age users made it a better choice for promoting the show than MySpace or Friendster, said Lisa Seward, Fallon media director for North America.

Edited by jayseyfield, Sep 4, 2006 @ 2:35 PM.

[hakirby]

I stopped bothering about stuff like than when I realised that I missed out on some really good shows, like Buffy.

What's the harm in promoting the shows on both forums?

[jayseyfield]

Friday Night Lights is one of the shows featured on the cover of TV Guide's 2006 Fall Preview.

I like it, it has Lyla, Jason and Coach Taylor on the picture.

Although was it really neccesary for "Fall Preview" to take up 50% of the cover? You could've added like 4 more shows with that space.

ETA: Zap2It's FNL write-up.

From the first shots, "Friday Night Lights" transports viewers to the Lone Star State, to a blue collar community where football is the thing that links everybody together, a source of civic pride that serves as a salve to cover all manner of other ills. A very confident Kyle Chandler and a sympathetic Connie Britton anchor a capable cast of youngsters, most of whom look like they might really be able to play a little football.

London Free Press article on FNL

The pilot is breathtaking in how it captures ordinary life set against extraordinary passions and world-class skill. The Panthers are the top-ranked high school football squad in the U.S. The ensemble is splendid. The pressure on this series will be intense to keep up with the pilot.

Edited by jayseyfield, Sep 6, 2006 @ 4:02 AM.

[nls65]

Well, the EW article is now up on their page:

http://www.ew.com/ew...7_3_0_,00.html

[jayseyfield]

Thanks nls65! That was pretty informative.

and Adrienne Palicki as Tim's brash girlfriend Tyra.

It's Adrianne! Adrianne Palicki! Get your names right EW!

There's going to be a game only every few weeks, and episodes will focus more on off-the-field action — like the kids' troubled home lives, the coach's restless wife, and rocky adolescent romances.

That's good to hear.

Edited by jayseyfield, Sep 6, 2006 @ 12:59 PM.

[dc222]

The only thing that put me off a bit was the description of FNL as "Dawson's Creek with goalposts." I have this total hatred for Dawson's Creek!

Aww, FNL is miles better than Dawson's Creek. Sometimes, comparisons like that can hurt a show. Someone may go "Dawson's Creek? Pass..." same thing with another article relating "The OC" to FNL too.

Still, the reviews have been more than amazing for FNL, with some calling it the best new show of the season (even over Studio 60) so that should be huge for the show.

It is so great to see all this overwhelming praise for the show

[jayseyfield]

Still, the reviews have been more than amazing for FNL, with some calling it the best new show of the season (even over Studio 60) so that should be huge for the show.

I know and I'm pretty suprised because the tv critics and I rarely see things eye-to-eye.

[Drew T.]

But you haven't seen the pilot yet, right? Have you prepared yourself for the possibility that maybe you guys won't see eye-to-eye again? It'd suck to think you went through all this trouble--naming threads before there were threads, reading half the book, worrying about whether it'd get recapped etc.--and found you didn't like it, wouldn't it?

As for The O.C. and Dawson's Creek reviews, more or less, those shows were pretty much critical hits from the beginning. Neither won over everyone, but I've read many, many glowing reviews from early in both show's runs, so that bodes well for this show, and while I can understand the worry that it may be off-putting, I wouldn't think so, as long as the writers qualify it. And I definitely don't think that Reilly was taking a shot at The O.C. I think he's acknowleding the quality level is the same, and there's a similar demographic appeal, but the feel is very different. The tagline for The O.C. was about how it was nothing like you'd imagine, so I don't think the show ever pretended to be authentic.

But that's not a rant that belongs here, so I won't get into that. So yeah, don't worry about the comparisons. If the show's as good as people say it is, it'll do fine.