We’ll see. But I’m sure we’re all thinking approximately the same thing about this move: aren’t most of the people who’d want to watch a show about a high school football team the same people who, on Friday nights, are actually going out to see real high school football teams play? Surely that’s occurred to someone at NBC. Maybe they just figure that this is a show that people like enough to record and watch when they get home; the question is, will that result in enough viewership to save the series beyond this second year?
Half the problem, of course, is that everyone thinks “Friday Night Lights” is just about football. It’s not. Well, not entirely, anyway. Additionally, it’s the story of small-town America, and arguably one of the most realistic ever seen on television; maybe that’s why NBC decided to stick with it for a second season. At the very least, it’s certainly why they’ve been going out of their way to trumpet the “it’s not just about football” thing in their ads for Year 2.
“The network has been so supportive of the show from the beginning,” says Executive Producer Jason Katims. “And, you know, we’re sitting here today because they’ve been so supportive. And we’re not really trying to change the show. And what we mean to say — you know, we’re not saying it’s not a show about football. We think this is a show that is for everybody, that should reach a female audience as well. And I think it’s been — it’s been a challenge to — for women to know that they would like the show because of the football thing. And that’s the thing that we’re trying to sort of overcome. That’s really about marketing.”
For those who were watching last season, the producers have decided on a not-entirely-surprising tactic by fast-forwarding eight months…to the next football season. As a result, Connie Britton’s character – Tami Taylor, Coach Taylor’s wife – will be having her baby in the season premiere.
“It was really an exciting idea for us to start eight months later,” says Katims, “because we…we love the idea of all the stuff that’s gone on in those intervening eight months and picking up people in the middle of things. We’re starting out of the gate with Tami going to have this baby in the first episode. And suddenly she’s in Austin with this infant — I mean
she’s dealing with this infant and with a 16-year-old daughter who is acting out more than she ever has before. And Coach Taylor is coaching at TMU in Austin, and this idea of this long-distance relationship that seemed like a great idea at the time suddenly doesn’t seem like such a great idea. And they’re wondering whether they made the biggest mistake of their lives.”
Katims didn’t offer up specifics, but he did allow that the Coach wouldn’t be at TMU for the entire season. (Actually, his initial claim, which brought considerable laughter from the crowd, was that the entire TMU storyline “was a contractual request from Kyle, and it has to be at least five episodes.” Connie Britton kidded, “He’s such a diva.”)
