Deadspin
Despite the pleas of Bill Simmons, we've never watched "Friday Night Lights." We're not sure why; maybe we just have too much television in our lives already. Anyway, the show's ratings still aren't improving, and if the writers ever get back to work, the show is expected to be canceled by NBC. But fret not: ESPN could save the day!
Radar Online reports that ESPN is considering picking the program up for next season.
Is Friday Night Lights, NBC's critically acclaimed, little-watched high school football drama, headed to ESPN? According to a source familiar with the proceedings, the self-proclaimed "World-wide Leader in Sports" is in talks to bring the flagging Texas-based show into its original programming stable.
Our favorite part of the story is the quote from an ESPN spokesperson: "Grumblings about sports shows being aired on ESPN are common." Hey, don't we know it.
Friday Night Lights To Move To ESPN? [Radar Online]
Comments
How about HBO picks up the show, and then the cheerleaders can get nekkid.
Where was ESPN for 'Arrested Development'?
@Me So Hornsby: Now that's an idea we can get behind
Remember when ESPN, you know, aired sporting events? Man, those were the days.
@being sven: Don't you know? That's Isiah's fault.
So they ruin Monday Night Football, but save Friday Night Lights. I guess it's a wash.
I don't want... your show.
/Dawson Leary
First Stephen A. guest spot in 3, 2, 1...
At least it would add some realism. Like having the best player on the team a little stubby white wide receiver. Who is also gay.
If ESPN picks up 'Friday Night Lights', Matt Millen will probably draft The Smash with his first pick next year.
The coach will by played by Sean Salisbury; the coke-snorting, whore-fucking wide receiver will be played by a former Cowboy ... Emmitt Smith.
It would be way better on Skinemax.
FROM THE NETWORK THAT BROUGHT YOU TILT.....
Omar Gooding = RATINGS
As long as it doesn't interfere with the 20-hour a day poker programming they show.
That's great news. It's just like when ESPN saved The Contender. Everyone watches that!
@Me So Hornsby: they'd end every episode with a fucking Journey song. Don't know if I could handle that.
@being sven: The better question is: Where were all the quasi-hipsters who say they adored the show? If everyone who said they loved Arrested actually, you know, watched, the ratings would have been Seinfeldian.
@HIV 2 Elway:
It's like when MTV stopped running videos.
I'm looking foreward to Real World :Cincinnati
@DirtyJersey: no, Millen more likely to draft Landry. a WR who won't amount to anything in the pros.
@Me So Hornsby: Somebody get that man a contract!!!
I understand the appeal of airing it on Friday nights but it would have probably been better received if most of the target audience wasn't break-neck drunk at that time.
I can see a couple movie spin-offs, Waterboy: The TV series ...
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!: Omar Gooding and Byron Leftwich are the same guy, right?
Friday Night Lights: now with 90% more Under Armour!
@ArkansasFred:
"Well, I won't be drunk..."
- Jason Street
@ArkansasFred: Better than airing it against football like they did last year, though.
ESPN really should have scheduled a Town Hall before deciding this.
Wouldn't bringing a show from another network be ESPN Un-original Entertainment then?
I wonder who they'll have get hooked on crack.
You guys still going to watch the show when they all quit football to become NASCAR drivers?
@StupidAngelos: That would explain the shitty balloon tossing on all those episodes of "Wild and Crazy Kids."
@Camp Tiger Claw: If it includes the drivers' wives, yes.
@Cassifras: Jeremy Schapp will have an expose on the topic on the next E:60.
@LingeringBursitis: Everyone loves Journey. If you say you don't love Journey, you are lying.
ESPN the world wide leader in... well, uh, something, we might be, okay, maybe not anymore.
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!: And the poor mobility. After all, Omar played a high-school student for about 20 years...he's gotta be getting up there.
@DirtyJersey: Come on now, Smash isn't a WR, use your head.
@Big Daddy Drew:
IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU COACH TAYLOR, I AM THE NEW COLUMNIST FOR THE DILLON GAZETTE, AND I AM HERE TO MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF AT YOUR EXPENSE!
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
@DirtyJersey: You have made Jon Kitna's God very angry.
When does the next season of Bonds on Bonds start?
@being sven: John Clayton is a never nude.
@HugsFromHarold: Well fuck me for not reading all the comments.
ESPN acting for the betterment of television? I call bullshit.
I hope that Street is aware that ESPN won't be able to cover his "experimental surgery" in Mexico since they added pet coverage to the health insurance.
Isiah cancelled "Friday Night Lights"
/wait, what?
This also brought the back the memory of that Playmakers episode where the one guy had the catheter shoved up his pee hole and had his bladder pumped with clean urine to pass the drug test. That was awesome.
@HIV 2 Elway: That was back in the day when MTV had music
@ArkansasFred: is peehole a technical term?
@ArkansasFred: Are you sure that wasn't "The Program" with James Caan?
@The Gizmo from Pismo: Urethra Franklin certainly thinks so.
@The Gizmo from Pismo: Do we really worry about technical terms around here? This is the same place that has got good milage out of of the term "Fuck Lion".
People don't want to watch a show about high school football? How shocking.
I have never seen the show, but I didn't know that they played flag football in Texas.
@katolesce: +1