FNL Returns Next Fall! Or Winter! It Depends!

I just got back from NBC's 2008–09 schedule announcement—what was once a lavish theatrical extravanganza in May and is now Ben Silverman in front of a PowerPoint in a conference room in April—but I wanted to rush out the most important bit of news for Tuned Inlanders. As previously reported, NBC has in fact worked out an agreement with DirecTV to save Friday Night Lights.

You'll see the third season as soon as Oct. 1. If you have DirecTV, which has first rights to air the show. If not, you'll be watching it on NBC, when it debuts sometime in winter 2009. It's an unusual arrangement, but Silverman pointed out that (1) unlike cable, DirecTV is only in about 15% of the same homes as NBC and (2) because of the cash DirecTV is kicking in, NBC will come out ahead even if that means a corresponding 15% drop in FNL's ratings.

So, good news if you have DirecTV. If not: is it better late than never? Will FNL drive you to get satellite?

Other nuggets from the NBC announcement as fast as my little digits can type them.