Feel like getting involved?
I've been chattering with friends on LJ since Friday, and reading lots of stuff this week, warning that February 8th's episode of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS was possibly the last ever. *gasp* For those of you who are interested, I've done a bit more digging and wanted to share:
There are Facebook and Myspace communities dedicated to a fan 'save the show' campaign. There is also this website, still under construction as of Sunday morning Feb 10. The Facebook comm posted these great Save Our Show postcards for download, which you can mail in to NBC.
Best Week Ever.tv has a Dillon Panthers Booster Club. They are hosting a Save The Show petition, and encouraging fans to send in light bulbs or Clear Eyes to NBC.
Here are some pro TV writer opinions on the fate of this show:
Radar talked with NBC prez Ben Silverman recently - and WE ARE NOT AMUSED.
EW.com's Hollywood Insider blog wrote this on Thursday:
NBC has yet to decide whether to order any more episodes of Friday Night Lights this season but that may not mean the end of the critically-adored drama. A source close to the series confirmed that Universal is considering whether to shop the Kyle Chandler starrer to another network rather than cancel it outright. The source cautioned, however, that NBC hasn't closed the door on the show just yet. In fact, one scenario making the rounds is a shared window for FNL with one of NBC's sister cable networks. While struggling in the ratings (FNL has only attracted an average 6.1 million viewers this season and typically finishes third in its timeslot), the show is a huge favorite among TV critics and even beloved by many executives at competing networks because of its multi-generational themes. The drama has also netted an Emmy for casting and a Peabody Award.
FNL has already produced 15 episodes for this season, the last of which will air Feb. 8. Should the writers' strike end by Feb. 15, the show's writers could complete the final arc of the season in five or six episodes if NBC gives it the greenlight, according to executive producer Jason Katims. As of right now, Katims has no plans to write the final episode as a series finale. "I would do it as a cliffhanger and leave things open-ended unless of course we were told that the show was ending," he says. "But I doubt that would be the case because if they bring the show back to do more episodes this season, they’re also going to be hoping that the show returns for a third season."
TV Guide - who's entire staff has been 100% in love with this show since its inception, bless their hearts, had many things to say:
Ausiello says ratings were no better for this ep than usual. He doesn't sound very hopeful, although he does lay out some other possibilities including moving the show to another NBCU station like USA or ESPN.
Matt Roush's Q&A with fans included this info:
As for Friday Night Lights finishing out the season? It's not likely. As a number of people wrote in to point out, the second-season DVD with 15 episodes already has a market date of April, which is a pretty clear signal that what we've seen is what we'll get. This isn't a huge surprise. For economic reasons, the shows most likely to resume production when the strike is finally over are the big hits, not marginal shows or, in other cases, freshman series that have already completed most of their initial order. (The back-nine pickups turned out to be mostly symbolic and should be seen as a positive indicator for renewal, nothing more.) All of this will be decided on a case-by-case basis once the dust settles.
Then there is E!Online's Watch With Kristin. Kristin is as droolingly-fanatically-enslaved to this show as I am. Impressive! Here's her latest plea:
You may be asking, "If this show is so good, why is it in danger of getting the boot?" Well, fans of this series know that Friday Night Lights is one of the best-written and best-acted productions ever to grace the small screen; however, due to a lack of support from the Peacock network (these quotes from NBC president Ben Silverman will make you shudder) and nightmare time slots (first against American Idol and now in the kiss-of-death slot on Fridays), this series has yet to garner the massive audience it so richly deserves.
(Further evidence of crap timeslot: According to Nielsen reports, Friday Night Lights scored the third-biggest jump of all prime-time series in its "live" audience vs. DVR playback within a week: about 38 percent. The fans just aren't home on Friday nights.)
So where do things stand? Reps for NBC Universal Television confirm that while the original order for the current FNL season was for 22 episodes, and they have only shot 15, the future of the series has yet to be determined. "The first question is whether they will finish out the seven episodes of this season," says a studio rep. "Which will be decided after we know when the strike will end. And then the second question is whether they will get picked up for a third season, which we will find out in May."
Other Peacock-net-savvy insiders are saying more alarming things-spanning from "I hear it definitely won't be back this season" to "I hear it definitely won't be back at all."
We say, nonsense! Even if the worst-case-scenario were true, Lazarus was raised from the dead, CBS saved Jericho, and Family Guy found a second life, too. So, we're keeping hope alive, and here's what you can do...
Three Easy Steps to FNL Addiction/Salvation
1. Watch the Friday Night Lights Finale Tomorrow Night at 9 p.m. on NBC: You don't have to know anything in advance. This is not Lost; there's no complicated mythology to learn. If you've ever been a person, known a person or wondered about becoming a person, you'll get Friday Night Lights.
2. Watch Other Episodes: They are available on nbc.com's Episode Rewind or in the season-one DVD (a ridiculous $18.99 on Amazon.com for 22 episodes), and every single click and purchase counts. You don't even have to watch in order. If you just want to watch one to test the water, I recommend the season-one eps "Full Hearts" (Matt & Julie's first date), "Black Eyes & Broken Hearts" (I dare you not to cry at the end!), "Blinders" (the powder puff game), "Mud Bowl" (it's what it sounds like)...Hell, just watch one, and then good luck not watching them all.
3. Spread the Word! Email this article to everyone you know who needs help in seeing the Lights! Let them know you are concerned for their own well-being and that you will help them do whatever it takes to get on board with this amazing show. Then wear your Panthers number 7 jersey with pride, try to keep your drool over Taylor Kitsch to a minimum, and remember..."Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Cancel!"
Under the cut is the letter I'm mailing to Ben Frakking Silverman.
---------------------------------------
Ben Silverman
Entertainment President of NBC
In care of NBC Entertainment
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523
Dear Mr. Silverman,
I have been reading in various places on the web (Radar, TV Guide, etc) that NBC is probably not going to renew FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, or even make the final 7 eps of season 2.
Please, I know the ratings aren't the greatest on this show, and its subject matter just isn't "awards bait" material. But this show is so great, so heartfelt, and so rare. It will live on for a very long time in DVD release well after it ends. Can't you give us one more season? It is a breath of fresh air on network TV these days.
Perhaps you and your staff already have noticed this - but this beloved 18-49 demo you all seem to cherish so much in TV? We like this show. A LOT. Give it some more time.
Maybe you could move it to one of NBCU's cable stations?
Best,
E----- -------
New York, NY
Member of 18-49 demo
---------------------------------------
CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE THIS SHOW WITHOUT A FIGHT.
With the WGA strike on the verge of ending, hopefully we'll hear more in the next week or two about FNL's prospects. Especially since several high-profile TV writers at TV Guide, E!Online and EW keep asking the right questions!
There are Facebook and Myspace communities dedicated to a fan 'save the show' campaign. There is also this website, still under construction as of Sunday morning Feb 10. The Facebook comm posted these great Save Our Show postcards for download, which you can mail in to NBC.
Best Week Ever.tv has a Dillon Panthers Booster Club. They are hosting a Save The Show petition, and encouraging fans to send in light bulbs or Clear Eyes to NBC.
Here are some pro TV writer opinions on the fate of this show:
Radar talked with NBC prez Ben Silverman recently - and WE ARE NOT AMUSED.
EW.com's Hollywood Insider blog wrote this on Thursday:
NBC has yet to decide whether to order any more episodes of Friday Night Lights this season but that may not mean the end of the critically-adored drama. A source close to the series confirmed that Universal is considering whether to shop the Kyle Chandler starrer to another network rather than cancel it outright. The source cautioned, however, that NBC hasn't closed the door on the show just yet. In fact, one scenario making the rounds is a shared window for FNL with one of NBC's sister cable networks. While struggling in the ratings (FNL has only attracted an average 6.1 million viewers this season and typically finishes third in its timeslot), the show is a huge favorite among TV critics and even beloved by many executives at competing networks because of its multi-generational themes. The drama has also netted an Emmy for casting and a Peabody Award.
FNL has already produced 15 episodes for this season, the last of which will air Feb. 8. Should the writers' strike end by Feb. 15, the show's writers could complete the final arc of the season in five or six episodes if NBC gives it the greenlight, according to executive producer Jason Katims. As of right now, Katims has no plans to write the final episode as a series finale. "I would do it as a cliffhanger and leave things open-ended unless of course we were told that the show was ending," he says. "But I doubt that would be the case because if they bring the show back to do more episodes this season, they’re also going to be hoping that the show returns for a third season."
TV Guide - who's entire staff has been 100% in love with this show since its inception, bless their hearts, had many things to say:
Ausiello says ratings were no better for this ep than usual. He doesn't sound very hopeful, although he does lay out some other possibilities including moving the show to another NBCU station like USA or ESPN.
Matt Roush's Q&A with fans included this info:
As for Friday Night Lights finishing out the season? It's not likely. As a number of people wrote in to point out, the second-season DVD with 15 episodes already has a market date of April, which is a pretty clear signal that what we've seen is what we'll get. This isn't a huge surprise. For economic reasons, the shows most likely to resume production when the strike is finally over are the big hits, not marginal shows or, in other cases, freshman series that have already completed most of their initial order. (The back-nine pickups turned out to be mostly symbolic and should be seen as a positive indicator for renewal, nothing more.) All of this will be decided on a case-by-case basis once the dust settles.
Then there is E!Online's Watch With Kristin. Kristin is as droolingly-fanatically-enslaved to this show as I am. Impressive! Here's her latest plea:
You may be asking, "If this show is so good, why is it in danger of getting the boot?" Well, fans of this series know that Friday Night Lights is one of the best-written and best-acted productions ever to grace the small screen; however, due to a lack of support from the Peacock network (these quotes from NBC president Ben Silverman will make you shudder) and nightmare time slots (first against American Idol and now in the kiss-of-death slot on Fridays), this series has yet to garner the massive audience it so richly deserves.
(Further evidence of crap timeslot: According to Nielsen reports, Friday Night Lights scored the third-biggest jump of all prime-time series in its "live" audience vs. DVR playback within a week: about 38 percent. The fans just aren't home on Friday nights.)
So where do things stand? Reps for NBC Universal Television confirm that while the original order for the current FNL season was for 22 episodes, and they have only shot 15, the future of the series has yet to be determined. "The first question is whether they will finish out the seven episodes of this season," says a studio rep. "Which will be decided after we know when the strike will end. And then the second question is whether they will get picked up for a third season, which we will find out in May."
Other Peacock-net-savvy insiders are saying more alarming things-spanning from "I hear it definitely won't be back this season" to "I hear it definitely won't be back at all."
We say, nonsense! Even if the worst-case-scenario were true, Lazarus was raised from the dead, CBS saved Jericho, and Family Guy found a second life, too. So, we're keeping hope alive, and here's what you can do...
Three Easy Steps to FNL Addiction/Salvation
1. Watch the Friday Night Lights Finale Tomorrow Night at 9 p.m. on NBC: You don't have to know anything in advance. This is not Lost; there's no complicated mythology to learn. If you've ever been a person, known a person or wondered about becoming a person, you'll get Friday Night Lights.
2. Watch Other Episodes: They are available on nbc.com's Episode Rewind or in the season-one DVD (a ridiculous $18.99 on Amazon.com for 22 episodes), and every single click and purchase counts. You don't even have to watch in order. If you just want to watch one to test the water, I recommend the season-one eps "Full Hearts" (Matt & Julie's first date), "Black Eyes & Broken Hearts" (I dare you not to cry at the end!), "Blinders" (the powder puff game), "Mud Bowl" (it's what it sounds like)...Hell, just watch one, and then good luck not watching them all.
3. Spread the Word! Email this article to everyone you know who needs help in seeing the Lights! Let them know you are concerned for their own well-being and that you will help them do whatever it takes to get on board with this amazing show. Then wear your Panthers number 7 jersey with pride, try to keep your drool over Taylor Kitsch to a minimum, and remember..."Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Cancel!"
Under the cut is the letter I'm mailing to Ben Frakking Silverman.
---------------------------------------
Ben Silverman
Entertainment President of NBC
In care of NBC Entertainment
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523
Dear Mr. Silverman,
I have been reading in various places on the web (Radar, TV Guide, etc) that NBC is probably not going to renew FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, or even make the final 7 eps of season 2.
Please, I know the ratings aren't the greatest on this show, and its subject matter just isn't "awards bait" material. But this show is so great, so heartfelt, and so rare. It will live on for a very long time in DVD release well after it ends. Can't you give us one more season? It is a breath of fresh air on network TV these days.
Perhaps you and your staff already have noticed this - but this beloved 18-49 demo you all seem to cherish so much in TV? We like this show. A LOT. Give it some more time.
Maybe you could move it to one of NBCU's cable stations?
Best,
E----- -------
New York, NY
Member of 18-49 demo
---------------------------------------
CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE THIS SHOW WITHOUT A FIGHT.
With the WGA strike on the verge of ending, hopefully we'll hear more in the next week or two about FNL's prospects. Especially since several high-profile TV writers at TV Guide, E!Online and EW keep asking the right questions!