valentine's day The Fate of Friday Night Lights?

valentine's day Rumors have been a swirlin' for some time about the fate of NBC's critically adored and viewer neglected Friday Night Lights. Stalled with seven episodes remaining in its second season, the most recent reports seem to indicate that a third season is imminent. Hooray, right?

Not so fast. Nothing is certain yet, and word is that new NBC honcho Ben Silverman doesn't much care for the Dillon Panthers. This online petition to save the show has been circulating for quite awhile, but with a decision looming in the very near future we thought it was high time to bring it to your attention.

Yes, but what does this all have to do with music? Well, most obviously there's the Explosions in the Sky factor; that they've featured prominently in the show's soundtrack for the past two seasons and have undoubtedly and deservedly reached millions of additional ears as a result is reason enough to keep this little-show-that-could rolling, right?

And according to Spin, having your band's song on the show is like the new O.C. status symbol of sorts. Witness the recent Vampire Weekend cover story, when Andy Greenwald wrote:

Further, their (Vampire Weekend's) success demonstrates a radical redefinition of the very term at a time when quantifiable benchmarks are increasingly defined not by units shifted or radio airplay, but by less scientific means. "Success might mean a synch on Friday Night Lights," says Alexandra Patsavas, music supervisor for Grey's Anatomy, Chuck, and Gossip Girl, referring to the placement of Vampire Weekend's infectious "A-Punk" on an episode of the football drama last November.

So the moral is Friday Night Lights stays on the air and everyone wins, yes?

Listen:
Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk" AND "A-Punk" (EF Live recording from The Earl, Atlanta, GA 3/9/08)
Explosions in the Sky - "It's Natural To Be Afraid"