Open Letter to Ben Silverman re: “Friday Night Lights”
Dear Ben Silverman (Co-Chairman NBC Universal Studios)
RE: Don’t turn off my Friday Night Lights
I know you and I have never met, but I feel like we have a “connection” if you know what I mean….
Not in a gay way, but I’ve admired your success from afar and I always gave you props from the sidelines. I’ve watched your rise from assistant at CBS to running William Morris Agency’s International division to starting the very succesful TV Company Reveille (”The Office” “Ugly Betty“) to your current gig as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment.
I admired the fact that you personally have instigated a resurgency in television of the 80’s - by bringing back re-boots of “Knight Rider” “American Gladiators” and even “Lipstick Jungle” (which to me is a blatant re-boot of “Sex and the City”.) Sure, a lot of the 80’s was cheesy. But you embrace cheese. You realize that cheese is good and it works on network TV.
When questioned by Radar Online the other night at the Lipstick Jungle launch you told blogger Neel Shah to switch from “Friday Night Lights” to “30 Rock.” Shah doesn’t watch “30 Rock.” I do! It’s great.
But I also watch ”Friday Night Lights” and its great. Actually its excellent and sometimes it falters to just greatness. It’s cheesy, but its also real. It makes me happy. ’Riggins’ is the rowdy Texas embodiement of James Dean and Luke Perry’s ‘Dylan McKay.’ Minka Kelly is any man’s wet-dream and Kyle Chandler’s macho Dillon Panther coach is George Clooney on “E.R” before he broke out and became the biggest actor in the world.
Hold on to “Friday Night Lights” - I know its expensive. I know the ratings are not good. I know the international potential of a sports television series are low, cause they don’t get football. I get all of it. But this one’s a gem. Just like your own succesful show “The Office.”
The show will catch on. The people in support of the show will still watch, no matter how many blatant Applebee’s commercials and Chevy Truck product placements you put in the show.
Peter Berg (who made a dorky guest star appearance in last night’s episode) has created something amazing with “Friday Night Lights” - he understands the television format and the core audience will stick with him and these characters (OK, maybe not ‘Jason Street’, I think most of us are over him already….)
If you keep “Friday Night Lights” on, I promise to not write any disparaging articles about the stupidity of shows like “Deal or No Deal” or “My Dad Can Beat Your Dad’s Ass” or whatever other crap programs specifically appeal to the target demos on NBC. I promise you that “Friday Night Lights” is your “Sopranos” and although HBO didn’t have to rely on ratings to keep that expensive puppy going through good times and bad, they reaped the eventual rewards in the form of DVD sales and syndication.
Look forward to your thoughts on why you don’t think this one show can succeed despite its high quality craftmanship and content.
Sincerely,
DB
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One Comment, Comment or Ping
Lynn Johnson
PLEASE KEEP THIS SHOW ON
All the fans need to step up and make their voices heard!
It needs a better time slot and more promotion.
Feb 11th, 2008
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