…and in celebration of that fact, here’s what the stars and producers of the show had to say when Bullz-Eye got to ask them a quick pair of questions about the show:
Bullz-Eye: This is for all of you: do you feel a sense of hesitation about entering into the genre of TV shows spun off from movies?
Brian Grazer (producer): I produced the movie and worked on the movie for about thirteen years and struggled through…I guess about five different directors ‘til I got together with Pete Berg, who I felt – in order of priority – understood the movie, understood the culture of Texas, understood that it was about boys’ and girls’ identity in that period, and, finally, was about football…but he really, I felt, got the culture so well. I have some anxiety as a movie producer about having a movie then become a TV series. I’m very happy with the show – I thought Pete did a most outstanding job on the pilot – but there’s some tension on that.
Peter Berg (producer): I think that, Brian, if there is tension or anxiety about it, it’s recognizing that…well, we really were very happy with the film and happy with the pilot, and we’ve been very happy with the way the show’s begun to unfold, but we recognize the inherent limitations of television production, and we’re working really hard to try and maintain a certain level of quality. And I think that as long as we can continue to do that, we’ll be comfortable with the transition from film to television.
Kyle Chandler (“Coach Eric Taylor”): From our side, trying to reach that quality is the optimum job that we’re looking to do. As well, though, we’ve got a certain process that’s allowing us to try to capture that…which is giving us, as the actors, an immense amount of joy and challenges and responsibilities. But it’s a process that we’re all coming together on, we’re and figuring out that that quality is reachable, and that’s our goal. So we’ve got a tremendous challenge, but it’s there. We see the light. It’s just an amazing challenge
Connie Britton (“Tami Taylor”): And having worked in a lot of television in the past, and now working on this show, the process is so substantially different…and having worked on the movie “Friday night Lights” and seen how great the pilot came out in comparison to the movie – which was also amazing – it’s very clear that this is a different TV experience.
BE: And to close with a quickie, Peter, were you responsible for the line in the pilot praising the inspirational power of early Black Sabbath?
PB: (Laughs) Yes, I was. “Get your Black Sabbath on.”
CB: I remember that moment well. He yelled it out from behind the camera.
PB: It just popped into my head.
