Friday Night Lights Location Crisis Averted

• Aug 24, 2007 08:51 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

It came thisclose to a move out of the Lone Star State for Year 2 of NBC's critical darling Friday Night Lights. "Texas didn't follow through on the rebates promised when we based the production in Austin," says Aimee Teegarden, who plays the coach's daughter Julie. "NBC said, 'We're going to move.' It was talks about money. Arizona and New Mexico were both anxious to have us and offered incentives, so I was expecting our show to leave Austin."

"Aimee's right," says executive producer Jason Katims. "We were scouting new location bases and were courted by the other states' film commissions, but the network and the appropriate people in Texas settled things. I can't provide specifics, but it worked out so we could remain in Austin."

And what did Teegarden get out of this? "I got a new apartment in Austin," replies the Southern California native. "There was no reason to keep my original place when I heard we might move to New Mexico or Arizona."

Teegarden celebrates her milestone 18th birthday on Oct. 10, five days after the launch of Friday Night Lights' second season. For those who can't wait, Universal's home video division is soon to launch the first season on DVD. - Reporting by David Walstad