TV Jots

Fans Can Take a Deep Breath Now

Third-year series Friday Night Lights has got to be one of the luckiest shows on television these days. Despite ratings that have always been less than impressive, critical acclaim, quality material, numerous upscale viewers, and a fervent following have helped its home network NBC strike a deal with satellite broadcaster DirecTV to keep the football drama going and going and going, all the way to a fifth season, according to a renewal announcement on Monday, March 30.

Apparently, DirecTV will foot the bill for just under half of the show’s production costs during an additional two seasons of 13 episodes each. In exchange for that generosity, if you will, NBC will allow DirecTV to air Seasons Four and Five first in the fall of their respective premiere runs, followed by a repeat run on NBC the following winter. That’s what’s happening now, as I write, with the current third season airing Fridays on NBC at 9pm ET.

This is great news, of course, for any TV watcher who has ever fallen in like with a show, only to see it get canceled after three episodes because it didn’t attract 50 million viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 right out of the gate — in other words, many of us. So, while it may be too late for ABC’s Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone, I’m keeping hope alive for NBC’s Life and Fox’s Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (I’ve no doubt Chuck will be renewed).