Season 3
Friday Night Lights is an American serial drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name.
The series details events surrounding the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to the team's coach, Eric Taylor and his family. The show uses this small-town backdrop to address many issues facing contemporary Middle America.
The series aired in the USA on NBC and The 1010 Network from 3 October, 2006 to 9 February, 2011. There are 76 hour-long episodes in five seasons.
Friday Night Lights originally premiered in South Africa on M-Net on Friday 4 May 2007, at 19h30. It also aired on DStv's GO (which later became Vuzu) and M-Net Holiday channels and was moved to DStv's M-Net Series channel for the final season.
See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 3 premiered on M-Net on Sunday 27 September 2009, at 17h00. New episodes aired weekly. There are 13 episodes in the third season.
Season 3
Expanding on the hit feature film and best-selling book Friday Night Lights, this award-winning series centres on life in Dillon, Texas, where high school football brings the community together - and the drama of small town life threatens to tear it apart.
Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) faced countless challenges over the course of the first two seasons, but he isn't the only one juggling responsibilities between family, work and pressures from the community.
In Season 3, Coach Taylor's wife, Tami (Connie Britton), also has her hands full as Dillon's new high school principal: managing a shrinking budget, a lack of school supplies, decreased teaching staff and student issues, as well as a baby and teenage daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden) at home.
Last season, the start of a new school year brought a wave of change to Dillon, such as the affluent McCoy family: Joe (D.W. Moffett), Katie (Janine Turner) and their freshman son and rising-star quarterback J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter).
The McCoys befriended all the right people in town, except for Coach Taylor, who felt challenged and at times threatened by the power they wielded.
Additionally, the graduating senior class was one step closer to adulthood, riding out their last year of high school.
Senior student Tyra Colette (Adrianne Palicki) sorted out her feelings for Landry (Jesse Plemons) and did her best to stay on track with her academics and college applications; Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) and Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) were officially a couple and while Tim enjoyed every minute of his senior year, Lyla tried to plan out a bright college future for both of them.
What would have been the best year for senior quarterback Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) proved to be a difficult one as he continued to deal with his ailing grandmother and increasing competition with freshman J.D. McCoy for playing time on the field.
On the brighter side, Saracen and Julie Taylor rekindled their friendship. Matt also became re-acquainted with his mother and found himself needing her support and love more than he ever thought.
Meanwhile, Jason Street (Scott Porter) struggled to start a new life with his girlfriend and newborn son, which had him exploring interesting business ventures that had the potential to lead him to a future beyond Dillon.
Brian Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) had also graduated and, after nursing an injured knee and with the persistent training and support of Coach Taylor, was given a second chance at playing college ball.
The series is executive produced by Peter Berg, who also wrote and directed the pilot. Joining Berg as executive producers are Jason Katims, Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Sarah Aubrey and Jeffrey Reiner.
Friday Night Lights is a production of Universal Media Studios, Imagine Entertainment and Film 44.
Seasons
Season 1 (22 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 4 May 2007 | Finale: 28 Sep 2007 | Fridays, 19h30
Channel: GO | Premiere: 18 Sep 2007 | Finale: 22 Feb 2008 | Tuesdays, 18h30
Channel: M-Net Holiday | Premiere: 10 Dec 2007 | Finale: 31 Dec 2007 | Daily, 09h00
Season 2 (15 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 18 May 2008 | Finale: 24 Aug 2008 | Sundays, 17h00
Season 3 (13 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 27 Sep 2009 | Finale: 27 Dec 2009 | Sundays, 17h00
Season 4 (13 episodes)
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 16 Sep 2010 | Finale: 9 Dec 2010 | Thursdays, 20h30
Season 5 (13 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 2 Sep 2011 | Finale: 25 Nov 2011 | Fridays, 20h30