The TV Zone

I'm a very impatient guy and am sick of waiting for a response from NBC - even though I sent the email only about, oh, 15 seconds ago - so I think I just have to be out with it, confirmation or not: NBC is expected to renew "Friday Night Lights."

Yes, this is kinda old news to anyone who cruises Deadlinehollywood.com, which reported that NBC is forging an interesting kind of joint deal between the network and Directv - whereby (one assumes) DTV gets some sort of exclusive window, or whatever, after the NBC airing. Or maybe some sort of simultaneous airing.

I don't know. All these details bore me.

The simple fact is, "FNL" is back and that's important because it's probably the only show left on NBC next season that won't be hosted by Howie Mandel.

In fact, the deal - when it happens - is kinda interesting because it might be some sort of "template" for other deals that would save other worthy but low-rated shows (like "FNL..") NBC's already done this with "L&O:CI" and if I'm not mistaken, "Monk" has done double-network deals for something like a century.

Anyway, this is good news and couldn't wait to share.

(Update! The exemplary Jamie French of NBC has responded. I quote in full: "Sorry Verne. We are not commenting. Thanks.")

Fans can’t say NBC isn’t working hard to sell “Friday Night Lights” to new fans. The network is spreading episodes of the riveting portrait of contemporary family and community life all over the place -- on-air, online, on DVD, on iTunes.

This Saturday night, NBC airs three episodes 8-11 p.m. (in high-def, too). They’re the season’s compelling final hours -- “Mud Bowl,” “Best Laid Plans,” and “State” -- when Kyle Chandler’s coach finds his family life and career turned upside down, when paraplegic ex-QB Jason moves out on his own, when secrets are revealed and relationships tested. Prime stuff.

All 22 first-season episodes are still streaming online, too. (NBC also offers two-minute recaps condensing the gist of each outing.)

That season’s DVD set was just released at a bargain list price of $30 (widely discounted to the $20 range), and includes an intimate glimpse of life behind-the-scenes at the series’ Texas production location.

Downloadable episodes are still on iTunes, too (but not, apparently, for long; NBC has announced plans to pull its content off the iTunes platform).

NBC launches the show's second season Oct. 5.

No official word yet from NBC, but several sources are reporting that the network has given a second-season order to the critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged "Friday Night Lights."

If those reports are right, the family/community drama will be on the fall schedule NBC announces to advertisers Monday afternoon at Radio City Music Hall.

Other networks announce their fall lineups later next week.

It's easy to catch up to the quality of "Friday Night Lights" -- NBC.com has all the first-season episodes available free for viewing online.

NBC is throwing up Hail Mary passes, trying to lure viewers to its fine character drama “Friday Night Lights.” (It’s not all about football, really it isn’t!) Quality-TV fiends who’ve seen the show have fallen for its textured study of the behavioral-games-people-play, in love, in families, in small-town communities. But there haven’t been as many devotees as this involving saga deserves.

Tonight at 7, “Friday Night Lights” adds a cable run on Bravo. Three episodes air tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, March 17) from 2 to 5 p.m. The pattern is repeated next weekend (March 23-24), while the show continues debuting new episodes on NBC Wednesday nights at 8.

Bravo’s episode order doesn’t do new viewers many favors, starting tonight with Episode 18, and backing up tomorrow to show Episodes 16, 17 and 18.

But it’s still worth diving into. Producer Peter Berg, who directed the movie, has broadened beautifully beyond its high school football focus to probe the people involved, to explore the human drive to connect, to achieve, to rebel, to forgive. There aren’t many TV characters as richly depicted as these, nor a regional landscape so evocatively rendered. (The show shoots on location in central Texas.) Berg’s cinematic flair makes this almost a mini-indie-film every week.

True tubeheads might remember how distinctive Berg’s work was on his short-lived drama “Wonderland,” a nervy study of Bellevue shrinks he created for ABC in 2000. They might also remember him playing Dr. Billy Kronk on “Chicago Hope.” Though Berg just took another acting turn in the movie “Smokin’ Aces,” we’re more enamored of his work behind the camera.

Check out these episodes and see if you aren’t, too.

[Kyle Chandler and Scott Porter in NBC photo by Bill Records.]