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Friday Night Boss Tackles Burning Season 3 Qs!
Friday Night Lights by Bill Records/NBC
Score! On Wednesday, NBC officially let slip what is sure to go down in TV history as one of the worst-kept secrets ever: It has sealed a deal with DirecTV to bring Friday Night Lights back for a third season. The deets: DirecTV will get to run with 13 new episodes beginning on Oct. 1, with NBC picking up the ball with repeats in February. But, on closer inspection, is the agreement more a field goal than a touchdown? I mean, if we're only guaranteed 13 episodes, what does that say about the prospect of a back-nine pickup? Will the show look different when it returns? And what about the cast — will any of our favorites have been benched? Let's see if we can get executive producer Jason Katims to tackle the tough questions.
Why did it take so long for this deal to be made official? I feel like we've been talking about this for months.
Jason Katims: Obviously, a lot of details had to be worked out because there is no model for it. And for DirecTV and NBC, it was important that it work for both of them. And from our perspective, the economics of it all changed and we needed to feel confident that we could deliver the same show, the same quality and the same auspices. So that's basically what took so long.
When you say economics, do you mean the budget? Has it been slashed?
Katims: I wouldn't say they slashed the budget. We essentially had to revisit everything, which included the budget. The reason this worked is that all the parties wanted it to work. Everybody's very passionate about the show. You've never seen anything like this before, where it's going to air on DirecTV and then on a network, and it's still going to be branded as an NBC show. It was about everybody wanting to find a way to make it work. I wouldn't come back, nor would any of the producers come back, if we didn't feel we could deliver the same show.
And you do feel confident that you can?
Katims: Yes. It would not be a win for everybody if suddenly the show comes back and people are saying, "Wait, that's not the show!" It's important to everybody that the show maintain its integrity. I feel like it's important for the transition to be seamless from a creative point of view.
Will any aspect of the show be different? Any cast changes? Are you still shooting in Texas?
Katims: The same cast will be in place. We'll still be shooting in Texas. I would say the main difference is that it's a very clear 13-episode season — which [changes things] in a couple of ways. Typically, you get 13 episodes and then you may or may not get a back order; it's hard to plan ahead. So I'm actually very excited because I know it's going to be 13 episodes and we can plan the season for that. I also like the number 13 because it's about the amount of games in a high school football season. It can be a way for us to outline the season, driven by the ups and downs of what happens during the year. Another exciting thing about the 13 episodes is from the point of view of the producer of a show wanting your show to be seen. Once these episodes get on the air, we're going to see 13 episodes in a row, much the way a show on HBO would air. I think that's really a great thing for a show like this that's serialized. The audience that you attract and the momentum you start to build won't get lost through preemptions and repeats.
So there's no chance of next season extending beyond the 13 episodes?
Katims: No, they were pretty clear that it's going to be 13 episodes. This is a really exciting idea, but it's also an experiment. And I think DirecTV and NBC want to see how it works, and I think that's how the 13-episode order came to be. And we're going to be almost finished shooting these episodes before they air on DirecTV, and we'll definitely be done shooting these before they get on NBC. So the shows will have aired and I'm sure DirecTV and NBC will want to have a little time to gauge how this is all working and see what the future holds.
How will you approach the final episode when you don't know if it'll be a season finale or a series finale?
Katims: I will approach it as a season finale. What I would love for this show is that when it comes to an end, it's because Peter Berg, myself, the actors, and Jeffrey Reiner and the producers have decided that we've told the stories we want to tell. Not because of a network deciding it's time for it to be over. That would be my dream. If at the end of these 13 episodes, everybody feels we have no more stories to tell, I'll write a finale and end the series. But right now, I can't imagine there's any possibility of me feeling that way. I don't feel we have only 13 more episodes, I feel we have way more than that.
At the Paley Festival last month, you mentioned that there were several stories from this season that you had to cut short due to the strike — Smash's graduation being one. Will you be able to finish those stories in only 13 episodes?
Katims: I'm committed to making sure we service every character. I don't think any character's arc on the show is done. But the Smash story definitely creates a challenge for us. He will presumably have graduated, so that's a challenge. It's one of the things we'll be dealing with immediately once I get into the room with the writers and plan how we're going to make that leap from where we ended at the end of Season 2 and where we start at Season 3. It's definitely going to require some finessing and the right balance between taking the right amount of poetic license but not doing anything that would question the authenticity and believability that is so important to our show.
Can you say with certainty that Gaius Charles (Smash) will be a part of the show next season?
Katims: I can say with certainty that every one of our regular characters will be a part of the show.... I feel creatively very, very excited about this season. The writers' strike was frustrating because our season ended before we could finish telling our stories, and we've had an extended break and everybody is really ready to get back. And I think that energy and enthusiasm is going to start on day one with the writers and will continue through the last day of shooting. I think everybody on the show is so stoked and ready to get back in there. We're going to have a great season.
But what if NBC pulls you off the show to go rescue, oh, say, Knight Rider?
Katims: [Laughs] It's really important for me that I'm staying very focused on this show for this season, and I'm very committed to doing that.
Are you at all concerned about the DirecTV run eroding interest in the NBC run?
Katims: I was in the beginning. But the more I thought about that and the more I talked to the executives at NBC, the more optimistic I am that this is only going to help the show. When you're working on a show where you're trying to build the audience, you always dream about a big relaunch. And you come back for the second or the third season or after a little hiatus and you think, "If only we could get a huge campaign.... " We're in a situation now where DirecTV is going to give us a lot of attention; it's going to be their job to get the word out there. This is a big investment for them and they're going to really help publicize and promote the show. And I think that awareness will spill over as we head into the NBC run. As I said, it's an experiment, but I'm fairly optimistic it's going to work out for both parties.
Any creative mandates from NBC for next season?
Katims: All they said was, "Please, god, don't kill anybody." I'm kidding.
OK, what's the consensus? Are you encouraged/relieved by what Katims has to say? And are you OK with a shortened Season 3? Personally, I subscribe to the belief that 13 episodes is better than no episodes — especially when the show is FNL.
Related:
• Click here to watch my interviews with the Friday Night Lights cast at Paley Fest '08.
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Apr 4, 2008 5:09 PM
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Thanks for the info, Mike. Love, love, love, Friday Night Lights!
Like you said, 13 episodes is better than 0 episodes.
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Apr 4, 2008 5:47 PM
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Yay Friday Night Lights...
But tell us about the podcast! Is it really over and is there anything we can do to keep it going? If this helps, know that it's my 21st birthday and I'm sitting here typing about your podcast. Please don't let it die!
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Apr 4, 2008 5:53 PM
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13 is better than none but I would have prefered a few more. Kind of sucks that viewers without DirecTV will have to wait a year for another season. Personally, I'll find a way around that. And then watch again on NBC when they air.
Very happy to hear that all the regulars will be back - very happy!
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Apr 4, 2008 5:59 PM
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For a show like this that just barely hung on to get a fresh season, I think 13 episodes is a great idea, especially if they'll all air in a row.
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Apr 4, 2008 6:20 PM
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13 is a magical number. I am thrilled that it will be back so no complaints from me over the number. I've long thought that we should consider doing shorter seasons like BBC over here. Gives you all meat and no filler.
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Apr 4, 2008 6:37 PM
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I too will say that 13 episodes is better then no episodes, but I would have preferred to see the 2nd half of that same school year...the play off, Smash's graduation, prom... and are will really suppose to believe that Riggins, Tyra and Lyla are all still going to be in high school next year. Weird...
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Apr 4, 2008 6:42 PM
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I think this is a fantastic future model for niche programming on broadcast television. I LOVE seasons that are able to be fully planned beforehand - just look at the renewed energy in a show like Lost, which can put out fewer episodes a year and truly plan out its finale three years in advance. 13 episodes just means no fat, no wasted scenes, nothing but FNL at its best. I'm very excited to see how this model works out and what the measures of its success will be.
The Nielsen ratings are becoming more and more meaningless, and I feel like FNL is the first show to really get the chance to test the waters of alternative programming methods (Law & Order CI actually started things off, but I think this is much more significant and viable an option).
Hope that this is the first of several more 13 episode seasons to come!
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Apr 4, 2008 6:56 PM
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Thanks for the interview Michael! So excited FNL is coming back.
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Apr 4, 2008 7:23 PM
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I'm pretty happy with 13 episodes. I've had conversations with friends about this very topic. Some shows just work better with a shorter season which allows them to be more focused on a core story. I think shows like Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck etc are at there best with the 13 episode seasons. FNL is a completely different series, but i'm optimistic that it will work out.
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Apr 4, 2008 7:30 PM
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The 13 episodes aren't what's bothering me, because less is definitely more sometimes. Even though a full 22 episode season would be great, with a team as talented as the one at FNL, they can do some excellent things in 13 episodes.
What gets me, and yeah I know it is the future, blah, blah, is that I'll have to watch the show on my computer since I most certainly can not wait until February to watch the show on NBC.
Plus I'm still jaded by the other NBC/DirecTV deal, though slightly different, still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Bottom line, FNL is coming back for a 3rd season, not in the best scenario, but at least it'll be here.
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Apr 4, 2008 7:37 PM
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I'm a little disappointed that I have to wait until February to see the show and kind of worried that it being shown on DirecTV first will erode interest in the show for NBC (I know Jason Katims said he wasn't concerned about that, but I can't help but be), but I'm really just happy that it will be back and that eventually I will get to see it!
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Apr 4, 2008 8:49 PM
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I don't know anyone w/DirectTV, so I don't think that will be too big of a problem. However...the fact that it is airing early ANYWHERE will surely lead people to download illegally and then not watch it later on NBC. If the people who buy ads don't get #'s because people are downloading it from places other than iTunes and the like...that could make it the last 13 episodes. Ever.
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Apr 4, 2008 9:25 PM
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I haven't been this pleasantly surprised and encouraged since the days when I waited for news of St. Elsewhere's renewal (my all-time favorite show, which survived SIX seasons on NBC with similar ratings to FNL). At this point, I'm ecstatic with 13 episodes, and I will savor them the way I do each chapter of a great book!
Michael, thanks very much for the interview, which gives me even more encouragement. The stability of the cast is great news, and I'm really happy to hear Texas remains a co-star of the show. I have friends in Texas who say having the show filming there has been a nice boost for a great state that is too often maligned (especially over the past seven or eight years...not everyone in Texas is a moron who can't pronounce the word 'nuclear'). 
Anyhoo, I couldn't be happier with this news.
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Apr 4, 2008 9:26 PM
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