What is old is new again. Variety is reporting that a reboot of Friday Night Lights is in the works from Universal Television. The show’s creator, Jason Katims, is set to return for the rebooted series, which will follow different characters in a new town but have the same basic premise as the original show. This means that cast members like Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton will not be back for the show.
The show is currently in development and is being shopped around to various networks and streamers. The original show aired for five years from 2006 to 2011 and, somewhat ironically, did not command gangbuster ratings during that run. It was always a critical favorite with a small but devoted fanbase, but since the show has debuted on streaming services like Netflix, more people have caught on, which may explain why a reboot is now in the works.
The original series was set in the fictional town of Dillon, Tex., and focused on an elite high school football team that was defined by their performance on the field. Chandler played the team’s tough but inspirational coach who is eager to prove that he deserves the head coaching responsibilities he’s been handed.
The show was inspired by a 1990 novel of the same name by H.G. Bissinger, which was first adapted into a film in 2004. The original series is still widely beloved, so any reboot runs the risk of making fans of the original series. If they can tap into the underdog spirit that made the show wildly successful, though, they might be able to make the reboot a success.
