Friday Night Lights Fans, We Have Great News For You

In its five seasons, Friday Night Lights became a bit of Southern lore. Not only did this small-town television drama accurately capture the highs and lows around high school football—especially in the South—but it also touched on many poignant issues of the day, like substance abuse, economic status, and racism.

Set in the fictional West Texas town of Dillon, audiences fell in love with realistic portrayal of rural Middle America, featuring the family-oriented Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his compassionate wife, school guidance counselor Tami Taylor (Connie Britton). Famously, Britton once told Entertainment Weekly's Binge Podcast that she and co-star Chandler decided that they would never play an affair: “If they try to do it, we're not going to do it.” Just when you thought the couple couldn’t be more inspiring.

And now, Friday Night Lights fans have something new to look forward to. 

Confirmed by Deadline, Universal Television has a new version of Friday Night Lights in the works, with showrunner Jason Katims (former executive producer) and executive producer Brian Grazer returning to the team. The show veterans will be joined by Kristen Zolner of Imagine Entertainment.

No cast has yet been announced, and the reboot will likely focus on new characters in high school football, rather than Tim, Jason, Matt, Lyla, and company. (After all, many of the original characters graduated—but we’re still holding out hope for a cameo from Tami Taylor and her fabulous hair!) Universal Television has not yet confirmed if the reboot will be a made-for-TV film or a full series.

Director Peter Berg will once again be at the helm; he originally adapted the show from the non-fiction 1990 novel Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. The remarkable true story focused on the 1988 high school football season of the Permian Panthers in Odessa, Texas.

In 2004, Berg co-wrote and directed the Friday Night Lights film (Universal Pictures) based on Bissinger’s book. When the show came along, one of Berg’s requirements was that it also be shot in Texas. For this reason, much of Friday Night Lights filming happened in Austin.

The original Friday Night Lights aired for two seasons on NBC, and, though the show had rallied a passionate fan base, was at risk of being canceled. Hoping to save their Friday nights in Dillon, fans began sending NBC envelopes of light bulbs to show the network just how much they cared. NBC eventually struck a deal with DirecTV, and the networks co-produced three more seasons. The final episode aired on February 9, 2011.

One thing’s for certain: We came away from Friday Night Lights with clear eyes and full hearts—not to mention some incredible inspirational quotes, many from Dillon Panthers pep talks by Coach Taylor.

We can’t wait to tune in!