Looks Like Season 3 is a Go!!

WHOO HOO! Breaking news this morning has Friday Night Lights coming back for season 3 thanks to a partnership between NBC and DirecTV. No official word from NBC at this point but the Hollywood insiders are saying that fans "will be happy".

Thank God. Now we can stop talking about it (I'm sure you're happy about that!).

FNL - This is What Ticks Me Off

I bet you're probably tired of my incessant ranting and raving about Friday Night Lights. Well - until the shows gets renewed (or cancelled), I'm going to keep on ranting because I simply can't understand what NBC is thinking?!

Yesterday, Optimedia, a communications planning/buying agency, published a first of it's kind study called the 2007 Content Power Ratings. The study attempts to provide a ranking of a program's true commercial value based on buzz, web presence/streaming, audience size, and audience appeal. Basically the gist is that traditional rankings are based solely on Nielsen ratings but today, with multiple channels for shows, blogs spreading buzz about shows, etc., there are more factors to consider.

So - taking all of these new variables into consideration, how did FNL do? It came in 17th! It finished ahead of supposed powerhouse shows like 24, NCIS, Two and a Half Men, My Name is Earl, Without a Trace, ER, Cold Case, the list goes on and on. It's absolutely ridiculous to me that we're even having to sweat it out. The show clearly has a dedicated following and wide spread appeal - what in the heck is the issue here?!

What else can we do now that SaveFridayNightLights has finished their mini-football campaign (at least for the time being after sending nearly 20,000 footballs to NBC!)? There's still a few things to do. First - head over to TVGuide and vote in their poll about what "bubble show" deserves another season. The poll is on the lower right side of the page. Second, head to NBC.com and use their contact form to send the powers that be an email on your desire to see the show continue.

I'm going to keep talking about it and trying until we get a definitive 'yes' or 'no'. I hope you'll hang in there with me!!

Friday Night Lights - The Campaign Continues

Sorry for the slowdown around here. I'm technically "on vacation" even though Britney & I had to cancel our ski trip to Lake Placid due to the blizzard they had in upstate NY. Something like 20 inches of snow fell the day before we were supposed to head up there and roads closed, etc. So...we're on vacation...at home...with a one year old...and stuff to do around the house. It's a pretty sweet vacation.

Nonetheless - this isn't about my vacation - it's about the sincerity of the fans of my favorite show 'Friday Night Lights'. What you're looking at in this picture is the result of the first wave of fund raising over at SaveFridayNightLights.TV. This is the first 6,250 mini-footballs that were shipped to NBC in an effort to save the show. Since this shipment, the site has raised enough money to send 10,000 more mini-footballs, give over $1700 to charity, and give more than $900 worth of DVDs to soldiers in Iraq. If you haven't donated yet, get your paypal checkbook out and start giving. NBC has not yet renewed the series but things are looking up and the smallest donation can help!

Friday Night Lights May Actually Survive!

It appears that all of the furor and uproar from fans over the potential cancellation of 'Friday Night Lights' may have gotten the attention of execs at NBC. Variety magazine is reporting that NBC execs are trying their hardest to find another network to partner with so that 'Lights' can survive for a third season. That is fantastic news!! My co-worker, Matt (last name withheld so as not to humiliate him), told me last week that I needed to give up the dream of saving my favorite show. It looks like I may get the last laugh after all.

It's still in the make-or-break period though and support still needs to be shown. Head over to SaveFridayNightLights.TV and make a donation (or another donation) and let's make sure that NBC knows that there are people out here that want this show around for another season!!

Friday Night Lights - There's More You Can Do

The campaign to save Friday Night Lights looks like it's picking up some momentum around the internet. There are rumors out there that the show may be moved to one of NBC's affiliate networks (Bravo, USA, etc.) rather than completely cancelled. That's fine with me as long as the show isn't taken off the air.

SaveFridayNightLights.TV has another campaign going - one that proved effective last year when fans saved 'Jericho' from cancellation by CBS. Jericho fans contributed money and bombarded CBS headquarters with packages of peanuts (why peanuts? I really don't know). In similar fashion, this website is collecting PayPal donations and will be sending 6-inch plastic footballs to NBC with 'Save Friday Night Lights' printed on them. Take a look at the site and give a little money. So far, they've got enough to send nearly 2100 footballs!

FYI - you can make a PayPal donation via credit card even if you don't have a PayPal account!

Friday Night Lights - This Calls For Action

If you've been here long, you know that I am a big big fan of NBC's show 'Friday Night Lights'. In my opinion (and in the opinion of my wife and at least 3 other people I know), this is the best show on TV hands down. I don't actually know anyone that watches the show that doesn't absolutely love it. Here's the problem - NBC is thinking of cancelling the show. Read the comments HERE from NBC's head of entertainment, Ben Silverman.

So...we absolutely have to take action so that this show doesn't get cancelled. If this sounds like a desperate plea - well...it is. Here's what you can do:

1. Go over to Best Week Ever and sign their online petition.

2. Go to PetitionOnline and sign their petition.

3. Send letters to Jeff Zucker and Ben Silverman at NBC/Universal telling them that you'll never watch another NBC show ever again or buy another GE product (NBC's parent company) AND you'll devote your life to making every NBC show fail miserably in the ratings AND you'll make it your life's cause to see CBS, ABC, and FOX succeed by any means necessary if this show is not renewed. Here's their address:

Jeff Zucker/Ben Silverman (send a letter to each one separately)

NBC/Universal

100 Universal City Plaza

Universal City, CA 91608

If you want to do what some other websites are suggesting, you can send these two guys a light bulb with 'Keep Lights On' written on it. I'm not sure how to prevent it breaking in transit - but that's their problem. You could, alternatively, include some 'Clear Eyes' eye drops - as one of the mottos on the show is 'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts Can't Lose'.

In all seriousness, please (I beg you), take the time to do one or all of the things above. My high school football career ended in less-than-spectacular fashion and this show is one of the best outlets I have for vicarious living. Plus it's a really good show. Seriously.

One Good Thing about the TV Writers Strike

I'll admit it - this tv writers strike is starting to bug me. The ads that are starting to run for the upcoming 'reality' shows are pretty bad. I'm not the least bit interested in shows about dancing teams, choirs, or lie detector tests. I am, however, interested in seeing my favorite show, Friday Night Lights, survive the strike and make it to a 3rd season.

According to this article in Variety magazine, I may be in luck. Apparently 'Friday Night Lights' had more shows filmed than most others so, once everybody else goes to reruns or horrible reality shows, Lights will still be airing new shows and attracting new viewers. The move to Friday night also looks to be working to the show's advantage as it now consistenly wins in its time slot and also is now the most watched drama by households making over $100K.

If you're not watching it - you're missing out!!

Name Dropping...

Do you watch LA Ink? It's a show about a tattoo shop in Los Angeles and it comes on TLC on Tuesday nights. To make a long story short, I have an old friend that recently appeared on the show. Carlos Whittaker and I went to church together when I moved to Atlanta in high school. We were two of the four members of the well known 'Glory Bound' quartet. OK - it wasn't all that well known, but we did have a quartet and Carlos and I were in it and we did go around singing at all these churches, church picnics, etc. Carlos is now a worship leader/music pastor at a church in Atlanta (though he was working at a church in Los Angeles at the time of the filming). He's a great guy - really funny, crazy, etc. and pretty dedicated to ministry and to God. The fact that he got a tattoo of the conversion of Saul put on his ENTIRE arm speaks to his level of dedication. Take a look...

Did You Watch Friday Night Lights?

If you didn't, you should be ashamed of yourself. If this show goes off the air due to lack of viewers, I'm holding each of you responsible.

That said, gotta say that the first episode of season 2 left me a little concerned. I won't spoil it for you in case you haven't watched it on your TiVo yet, but the plot lines they've set up for this year are a departure from what they've done to date. Murder isn't your typical subject matter for a show about high school football in small town Texas. The show was good enough last year that I'll give them the benefit of the doubt - but I'm worried that they're trying too hard. Ratings were good though - they won in their target 18-49 demographic. Tune in this week - Fridays at 9:00 on NBC.

It's Back!

Friday Night Lights is back starting tomorrow night!! If you don't watch (or Tivo) this show, you don't know what you're missing.

Check out what the New Yorker had to say:

http://tinyurl.com/ynva5r