The Lights Are Finally Coming Down on “Friday Night”

The history of the critically-acclaimed drama "Friday Night Lights" has always been like a great football game, with the underdog team somehow managing to stay in it against all odds.

Well, time has run out.

EW.com's Michael Ausiello reports that the show’s cast have been told that they’re free to pursue other work after production on season 5.

In a way, the fifth season has been sort of like an overtime for the show: Its immensely loyal core of fans paired with an often ingenious marketing package had kept the show plugging along. But the show never fully managed to build the audience it deserved..

Season 4 has only just wrapped on DirectTV (it was fantastic) but it won't even debut on our corporate parent NBC until April 30. So the story line of Coach Taylor -- impeccable played by Kyle Chandler --  moving to the other side of the tracks to East Dillon High School hasn't even begun to play out nationally.

All the events of the fourth season -- from dealing with anti-abortion zealots to Texan homosexuality, from mending broken homes to a number of broken hearts -- will now have the imminent end of the show hovering over them.

Sometimes the more underdog doesn't win. But even the toughest coach would have to say that all involved fought hard to even make where they are now. That's their victory, and it's our good look to our enjoy one more season.

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