Friday Night Lights

America Ferrera Producing Telenovela Pedro & Maria for MTV
TV

Link Time! America Ferrera Brings a Telenovela to MTV

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Friday Night Lights to End After This Season
TV

Do You Think It's Time For Friday Night Lights to End?

It's the end of an era: The Ausiello Report has confirmed that beloved drama Friday Night Lights will end after its fifth season.
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It's the end of an era: The Ausiello Report has confirmed that beloved drama Friday Night Lights will end after its fifth season. On the positive side, though the show ended its fourth season last night on DirecTV, we won't even see a premiere of it on NBC until April 30. That means we still have a while before the fifth season begins, and will be able to give the Panthers a fitting good-bye.

In general, it's sad news for FNL fans, who've weathered multiple threats of cancellation, participated in campaigns to save the show, and an unconventional move to DirecTV. On the other hand, it's been such an emotional roller coaster that it's kind of a relief, plus I'm eager to see cast members like Zach Gilford, Kyle Chandler, and Connie Britton move on to more stable projects.

Are you ready to close the chapter on FNL, or is it still too soon?

Link Time! Paul Dano Lands a New Role
Link Time

Link Time! Paul Dano Lands a New Role

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What Is the Best Network Drama of 2009?
TV

What Is the Best Network Drama of 2009?

You've already told me about the network comedy that keeps you laughing (and TiVoing) merrily, but now I want to move onto a more serious subject: drama.
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You've already told me about the network comedy that keeps you laughing (and TiVoing) merrily, but now I want to move onto a more serious subject: drama. These amazing programs showcased some great acting, twisty plots, and powerhouse storylines this year. Which one is your favorite?

Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!

Which Couple Is the Best TV Romance of 2009?
Poll

Which Couple Has the Best TV Romance of 2009?

It's been a big year for commitment: Jim and Pam tied the knot, Chuck finally said the "L" word, even Turtle got a girlfriend.
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It's been a big year for commitment: Jim and Pam tied the knot, Chuck finally said the "L" word, even Turtle got a girlfriend. Sure, these couples had their share of obstacles (er, like being a vampire, perhaps), but they still made me swoon week after week. Do you have a favorite? Place your vote!

Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!

Photos copyright 2009 ABC, Inc., HBO, The CW, and NBC

New Moon Breaks Records For Midnight Ticket Sales
Link Time

Link Time! New Moon Breaks Midnight Sales Records

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Interview With Connie Britton About Friday Night Lights
TV

Five Minutes With Connie Britton

At every NBC TCA event, Connie Britton is one of my absolute favorite people to find.
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At every NBC TCA event, Connie Britton is one of my absolute favorite people to find. Once again, the Friday Night Lights actress took some time this Summer to talk about the upcoming seasons four and five of FNL. Read on for highlights:

  • On some of the drama in the upcoming season: "I'm still at the school that basically ousted my husband, so I think that we're going to have a lot of interesting conflicts in terms of that and the people in the town. I think that some of the Dillion High students are going to be moved to East Dillon and that might be a problem — infighting about the football team."
  • On having Tami become principal in season three: "I was so excited about her being principal and then it ended up being such a challenging year. . . . There were issues I had with, oh, you know, 'I feel like Tami would do this differently.' But at the end of the day, it was such a rewarding season. There were so many highs and lows and I feel like being principal added a dimension to all of the things that Tami had to deal with, being a wife, being a mother, being sort of a person in this town who people look to for things, and then on top of that having this sort of bureaucratic, political role where she's really idealistic and trying to do good.
  • On what's next for her relationship with Julie: "I just feel like this season we are really going to see her grow up, which is going to be great. I think that's going to be exciting, to see her really come into her own. And I imagine there's going to be some letting-go struggles. As a parent that would be heartbreaking. It would have to be."

To hear Britton's thoughts on the departing seniors and which character she'll miss seeing in season four (a little spoilery, that one), just read more

Details From NBC TCA Presentation About Chuck, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, and Southland
Friday Night Lights

TCA Tidbits: NBC Talks Southland, Chuck, Heroes, and More

With Ben Silverman leaving NBC earlier this Summer, reporters were bound to be a little chippy at NBC's executive session today at the TCA press tour.
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With Ben Silverman leaving NBC earlier this Summer, reporters were bound to be a little chippy at NBC's executive session today at the TCA press tour. There were plenty of questions about how NBC's entertainment president, Angela Bromstad, would define NBC's brand (apparently it includes Heroes, The Office, and The Apprentice equally?), but we also got some concrete info about shows like Southland and Friday Night Lights. Some details:

  • Bromstad said Southland "tried to do too much" in its first six episodes and became too serialized. When it returns, it will focus more on Ben McKenzie and Regina King's characters.
  • With regard to the rumor that Chuck could return sooner than March, Bromstad said March is still the plan. But she said the show is in a good place production-wise (several scripts are already done), and "it is something we can move around." One other possibility is having the show be part of the Summer schedule.
  • Speaking of Summer, that's when Friday Night Lights will be back on NBC. (It will air on DirecTV before that — an Oct. 28 premiere date was just announced.) Bromstad said the show just doesn't have the ratings to justify a place on the Fall schedule, but it can be a "premier" show in the Summer.

For thoughts on Medium, Day One, and Heroes, just read more

New on DVD, Valkyrie
TV

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays.
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All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to my selections below you can also add Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Fanboys to your queue.

Valkyrie
In Bryan Singer's Valkyrie, Tom Cruise stars as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who leads the plot to kill Hitler. The story is one of those "little known" historical gems that's full of intrigue and political coups. A fantastic cast (including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, and Tom Wilkinson) surrounds Cruise, lending some serious acting cred to the production.

Special features include audio commentary by Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer and co-writer/producer Christopher McQuarrie, and The Valkyrie Legacy Documentary.

60%

Two more up next, so read more

Wedding Party Moments: A Friday Night Lights Bridal Shower
Wedding

Wedding Party Moments: A Friday Night Lights Bridal Shower

Watching Mindy Collette and Billy Riggins plan their wedding was always an amusing side plot on this season of Friday Night Lights.
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Watching Mindy Collette and Billy Riggins plan their wedding was always an amusing side plot on this season of Friday Night Lights. Some of you even said it could be the best of all of this year's TV engagements (that bar proposal is pretty hard to beat).

So, as wedding season continues here on Sugar, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite scenes from Billy and Mindy's planning process. Both come from "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," in which the couple registers for gifts (Billy wants a leaf blower) and Mindy — always classy — demands that Tyra plan her a tea.

There's a lot of comedy in these clips, but I have to admit I get a little weepy when Mindy gives her toast in praise of Tyra at the bridal shower, too — though I immediately start chuckling again when I see all the various alcoholic beverages being consumed via teacups. To check out these scenes, just read more