"Friday Night Lights" Returns Next Wednesday

Those hunky "Panthers" boys are returning to NBC next Wednesday as the most powerful drama on broadcast TV "Friday Night Lights" rolls out its final four episodes - the season (or series) finale is scheduled for April 11 and a second season renewal remains up in the air.

Meanwhile, local news outlets report that the Dillon Panthers may play in the state football championship, because producers of NBC's critically acclaimed drama were last weekend at Texas Stadium in Irving. Cast and crew left their homebase of Austin on Friday to prepare for the big scene.

Meanwhile, for those eager to find out what happens in the next couple of episodes here's what NBC was willing to disclose:

On Wednesday, March 21 in the episode "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes", with TMU knocking on Coach Taylor's door, Julie decides to make it very clear to her parents that she does not intend to move away from Dillon and Matt.

Meanwhile, Jason gets some devastating news from the quad rugby recruiters in Austin. Elsewhere, Riggins continues to meet his new neighbors, a single mother and her son.

Minka Kelly's Lyla will be confronting her father in the episode; expect the feisty cheerleader to get into one of the cars at her father's dealership and smash into several other vehicles as well as her father's store, too.

The exciting episode will also feature an evacuation scene following a bomb threat.

A week later in the episode "Mud Bowl" (airs March 28) Coach Taylor feels the players are losing their grasp on the beauty of the game of football as distractions such as envelopes full of cash begin to mysteriously show up in the players' lockers.

An unexpected accident suddenly poses a problem and the team's home field advantage in the final game before the state championships is threatened.

Coach Taylor takes it upon himself to not only find a new home field, but also to remind the players of their love for the game.

With the pressure of the game building and the off-field distractions escalating, Coach Taylor and the Panthers have to get priorities in order to come out with a victory.

The episode will feature an old-fashioned pre-state championship football game in the middle of a cow pasture and in rain. Expect "Panthers" to pull out a truly close victory.




Meanwhile, Aimee Teegarden who plays Julie on the show has this to say to E! Online about the second season renewal: "We’re very hopeful right now. It’s such a great show, with critical acclaim. We’re growing in the ratings, which is exciting."

Her co-star Zach Gilford who plays Matt adds: "The ratings for the first season of The Office [weren’t fantastic either], and I think that’s the funniest show on television. [NBC president] Kevin Reilly seems to be really behind us."

This is TELEVISIONISTA