Clear eyes, full hearts…can it be better?
It has been eight years since the East Dillion Lions took to the field in the State final and since then, the cult following of the superb Friday Night Lights has only grown.
Aside from the godlike brilliance of Tim Riggins, the sage knowledge of Coach Taylor, Tami’s strength to not only know what’s right but follow through on it and Matt Saracen/Vince Howard’s remarkable athletic ability, the show continues to gain new followers because of one simple reason, its characters.
Frankly, FNL was one of those rare shows where every single person felt like they were a living and breathing person that had dreams, flaws, hopes, strengths highs, and lows. Along with this, the show’s creators knew that if FNL was going to succeed, it needed to be more than just a story about football.
Throughout the five season, fans knew every inch of Dillon, Texas and after those final credits rolled, nobody wanted to say goodbye. Texas Forever, indeed.
This being said, life moves on and Jason Katims, the showrunner on FNL, has a new show that’s being released in 2018 and there are similarities.
Based on the book Drama High by Michael Sokolove, Rise is inspired by a true story that revolves around a working-class high school drama department and the students who come alive under a passionate teacher and family man whose dedication to the program galvanizes the entire town. Sound familiar?
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Katims isn’t hiding the similarities between the two shows have, in fact, he’s proud of them.
“There was some connectivity to Friday Night Lights and telling the story about this small town and making it feel authentic. While it had this engine of the musical theater, and we got to follow that, we could also go into the lives of the people in this blue-collar town in Pennsylvania and follow their relationships. It’s a story of this community and I was drawn to that,” he said.
As of yet, Rise hasn’t got a release date in the UK but it will air in the US on NBC on March 13.
Take a look at trailers below.
They were born for this.✨
Catch the special premiere of #Rise, March 13 at 10/9c on @nbc. pic.twitter.com/0IR1qoP2XT
— Rise (@NBCRise) February 2, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ojf1RVqRn4
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