‘Friday Night Lights’ Reboot in the Works From Original Series Creators

It’s time to return to the world of Texas football and high drama as another beloved series is getting the reboot treatment. Friday Night Lights continues to be a fan favorite, and because of its continued endurance and popularity, it appears that a reboot is in the works based on the classic series, which was itself inspired by a feature film.

Per Deadline, a new take on Friday Night Lights is currently in the works at Universal Television from the creative team behind the original show, including showrunner Jason Katims, Peter Berg (who directed the feature film version and developed the show), and producer Brian Grazer. The series won’t be a straight reboot of the show as it’s said to involve a new story and new characters, although reports suggest it will exist in the same universe.

While the series is in the early development stage, it’s currently being shopped out to the market to gauge potential interest. Given the popularity of the movie, which was just re-released with a brand new 4K Ultra HD edition, and the TV series, it will likely be an easy sell. Following the conclusion of Friday Night Lights after five seasons, there has been interest in developing a reboot as a major motion picture or another TV iteration, and it looks like the time is finally right to make that happen.

‘Friday Night Lights’ Soared on the Big and Small Screens

Friday Night Lights began its life as a book called Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, published in 1990 by H.G. Bissinger. The book followed the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team in West Texas on their journey to a state championship, and this was adapted into a 2004 film directed by Berg. The film featured a stellar ensemble cast, including Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, and Tim McGraw, and it was warmly received by both critics and moviegoers. The film carries an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it grossed $62 million on a $30 million budget.

The TV series premiered in 2006 on NBC, and followed a high school football team in the close-knit town of Dillon, a fictional town in West Texas. The series was led by Kyle Chandler, who played Coach Eric Taylor, and Connie Britton, portraying his wife, Tami Taylor. Beyond the veteran leads, the show also featured a stacked ensemble cast throughout its run, many of whom went on to great things, including Zach Gilford, Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki, Taylor Kitsch, Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemons, Scott Porter, and more.

Friday Night Lights was the very definition of a fan-favorite series. The show only ran for two seasons on NBC, with the second season being famously affected by the writers’ strike at the time. Despite universally solid reviews and a devoted fanbase, the show’s ratings were never through the roof, and it was in serious danger by the end of its second season of being canceled. In a move to save the show, NBC came to a deal with DirectTV to co-produce three additional seasons, with Seasons 3-5 airing on DirectTV’s 101 Network and the episodes being rebroadcast on NBC at a later date. Thanks to the DirectTV assist, Friday Night Lights was able to produce a total of 76 episodes during its run.

The show is highly regarded for its honest portrayal of Middle American life and for the realistic nature of its storylines and characters. The series was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards, while Chandler and Britton were nominated multiple times for their work on the series, with Chandler taking home the Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award in 2011. Katims was also awarded for his writing work on the show in 2011, winning Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.