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A ‘Friday Night Lights’ reboot is in the works without the original cast

The show will apparently be set in a new town and feature an entirely new cast.

By Joe Allen Nov 15, 2024 11:34 AM

Kyle Chandler in Friday Night Lights. — NBCUniversal Television

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.

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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.

Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming… Read Full Bio

The Golf Channel’s Betting on Reality TV Again With ‘Big Break,’ Which Returns After More Than 10 Years

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The Big Break was an incredibly popular show on The Golf Channel for over a decade. The reality TV series premiered in 2003 and aired 23 seasons until 2015, when it was canceled. At the time, NBC owned the Golf Channel, and the network made cuts throughout, which included axing Big Break. The series pitted aspiring pro golfers against a series of challenges. Think Survivor meets Wipeout. But the stakes were high, with the winner ultimately receiving the grand prize of a sponsor exemption at a pro golf tournament.

The series, which debuted in 2003, featured a myriad of skills challenges, including the popular “Glass Break” and “Flop Wall” challenges. And after NBC sold off some of its assets, including the Golf Channel, new owner Versant — in collaboration with the golf media company Good Good — is bringing back the popular series for its 24th season, which is being co-hosted by Bachelor in Paradise fame Wells Adams and former LPGA Tour pro and Golf Channel personality Blair O’Neal. The team is also made up of Good Good Golf’s Matt Scharff, who will be a reporter, along with Brad Dalke and Tom “Bubbie” Broders as non-playing team captains.

5 Tips to Man Up Your Interiors with Art and Culture

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At 17, I finally realized that my father was cool all along. His dad jokes were inspired, and his weekend uniform, a knit polo tucked into sensible khakis, was preferable to the ungodly amount of popped collars I layered. Now a well-adjusted 37-year-old, I feel similarly towards my dear grandfather, particularly in his interior decor. Grandpa outfitted his study with culture and art; he didn’t have a mancave, he had a gentleman cave.

Entering your 40s, you’ve conceivably invested in a watch that will outlive you, but not a tip-top display case. You can confidently choose a bottle of whiskey and a cigar, but does your space need decanters or humidors? Should you acquire an oil painting to hang by your Neil Leifer football photography? Some leather-bound classics to accompany your TASCHEN James Bond coffee table book?

We’re only a few months away from our new Bond, Producer Amy Pascal teases

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Since Daniel Craig bit the big one in his James Bond swan song in 2021’s No Time to Die, fans have been waiting to find out who the next person to drink the martini shaken instead of stirred will be. In true Bond fandom fashion, a whole slew of fancasts have started to muddle the waters as to who could possibly be the new 007. Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and more have all been pitched as possible replacements. Some more ethnically diverse options like Henry Golding and Rene Jean-Page have also emerged. But, alas, no word has come down from on high to give us the scratch to this fan itch raging on for the last five years. That is, until Producer Amy Pascal sat down during her Spider-Man: Brand New Day press tour and gave a bit of insight on when we can expect an announcement, and also what we can expect in the cast.

I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical. – Amy Pascal