Smash The Street(s): FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Loses 2 Players
Posted by: Ducky in Ducky Does TV, Friday Night Lights
Ugh, according to Michael Ausiello (now of TVGuide EW fame, that was odd to write) two of our favorite Dillon Panthers have been cut from the team show.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is one of my favorite shows so hearing anything about the upcoming 3rd season is wonderful… except for this. At Paley, we knew Jason Katims was dedicated to bringing Smash’s story to a close and all I can hope for is the best… Street, oh well. At least Murderball has a new star player.
Sources confirm to me exclusively that two of the show’s MVPs, Gaius Charles (Smash) and Scott Porter (Jason), have been taken off contract and will only appear on a recurring basis in Season 3. Although NBC isn’t talking, I’m told the decision was made for both budgetary and creative reasons.
Total bummer, I know, but not a complete surprise. In the case of Smash, executive producer Jason Katims conceded that finding a way to justify hanging onto his college-bound running back would be difficult. “The Smash story definitely creates a challenge for us,” he told me back in May. “He will presumably have graduated [when we return in the fall]. It’s definitely going to require some finessing and the right balance between taking the right amount of poetic license, but not doing anything that would question the authenticity and believability that is so important to our show.”
Similarly, maintaining the viability of Jason – the Panthers’ ex-starting quarterback who was left paralyzed by a Season 1 injury – has also presented challenges. One possible exit strategy has Jason leaving Dillon to start a new life with his pregnant girlfriend.
One thing you can be sure of: Katims remains committed to bringing both characters’ storylines to a satisfying conclusion. As one insider assures, “He has too much respect for the fans — as well as both actors — to leave them hanging like that.”
Entries (RSS)
July 12th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Here’s some info they aren’t mentionioning about Smash
http://classicgangonly.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-happens-next-friday-night-lights.html