EXCLUSIVE: The Friday Night Lights fervor continues as the 20th anniversary of the iconic drama series approaches this fall.
Ahead of the cast and crew reunion at ATX TV Festival on Friday, Deadline can exclusively reveal that Shawn Cauthen and Lee Leshen are producing a documentary series about the impact of the show over the last two decades. Cauthen will produce and direct with Leshen producing.
Texas Forever: The Legacy of Friday Night Lights will feature new interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and an exploration of the show’s lasting legacy, we’re told. That includes the fans, some of whom will surely be in attendance in Austin, Texas, over the weekend, and who many moons ago helped save the show from unceremonious cancellation.
Those involved include Friday Night Lights stars Adrianne Palicki and Brad Leland, who will produce in addition to providing interviews.
“Friday Night Lights changed my life. I found my voice, my confidence as an actor, and a true sense of home while making this show. So when Shawn and Lee asked me to come on board as a producer for a docuseries honoring its 20th anniversary, there were only two words: yes, please. I’m excited to help show the world the heart, hard work, and joy that went into creating this groundbreaking series,” Palicki said in a statement.
Adds Leland: “I’ve always believed the best work comes from a genuine connection to the material. Whether it’s a show, an event, a celebration, a play, or a charitable cause, I’m drawn to projects thatmatter to me on a personal level. This series is one of those projects.”
The series will also include Texas football and NFL voices, including Alex Okafor, Derrick Johnson, Colt McCoy, and others, connecting the legacy of the show to the real athletes and communities that continue to define football in Texas.
The camera crew will be on site in Austin to follow the cast and crew around town for the various panels they’re participating in, including the marquee reunion on Friday night at the Paramount Theatre.
The series is also receiving the “Texas Made” award for productions and talent that have created opportunities for TV & film professionals within the state, bolstered Texas as a creative & cultural center and exemplified the unique spirit and storytelling opportunities throughout Texas.
Following the award presentation, the writers, producers, and cast that shaped the fictional town of Dillon will reunite for a look back at the season that started it all and the show’s indelible impact on Texas and TV. Those in attendance will include showrunner and executive producer Jason Katims, executive producer and writer David Hudgins, executive producer and director Jeffrey Reiner, co-executive producer Liz Heldens and consulting producer Kerry Ehrin.
Stars on the panel will include Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Adrianne Palicki, Gaius Charles, Brad Leland, Derek Phillips, Jesse Plemons, Scott Porter, Stacey Oristano, Louanne Stephens and Aimee Teegarden. Many of them are also expected to participate in the documentary series in additional capacities.
While none of the original cast is so far expected to reprise their roles or join the upcoming Friday Night Lights reboot in a new capacity, the Peacock series will surely be a topic of conversation as well.
Friday Night Lights aired for 76 episodes across five seasons through 2011. It was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys in 2011, losing out to Mad Men, but Kyle Chandler won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Jason Katims won for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
The Friday Night Lights documentary marks the third collaboration between Cauthen and Leshen. The duo previously worked together on Call Me Papa: The Letters of Otto Frank, the Josh Gad executive produced short documentary about the father of Anne Frank, earlier this year.
“Having been a longtime fan of the book, the movie, and the series, it’s a true honor to be part of the team telling the story of the Friday Night Lights franchise,” Leshen said in a statement of his own.
Cauthen also said: “Beginning production in Austin as Friday Night Lights celebrates its 20th anniversary feels like the only place this story could begin. This documentary series is about honoring the people who created that world, while exploring the real Texas football culture that continues to make the story resonate twenty years later.”
Additional cast and production details, as well as distribution plans, are expected at a later date.
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