For many people, the title Friday Night Lights conjures up cherished memories of Tim and Lyla, Coach and Tami Taylor, Street and Smash and the “clear eyes and full hearts” of the Dillon Panthers from the award-winning television series that was filmed in Austin.
The success and cult-like following of the series, which ended in 2011 after five seasons, has helped obscure one important fact: The show was inspired by the book Friday Night Lights, which is regarded as one of the best sports books of all time.
Twenty-five years after his book about the 1988 Odessa Permian High School football team and its football-obsessed, racially divided town provided a cautionary tale about what can happen when a community gets consumed by high school sports, Bissinger is back in Texas promoting a special 25th anniversary edition of the classic. (He is set to appear at a book signing at 2 p.m. Sunday at BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.) The new edition includes updates on some of the most compelling people from the book, including star running back Boobie Miles, who is in prison for violating terms of an aggravated assault probation.
Few books resonate with readers 25 years after they’re first published. So why has Friday Night Lights?
The 60-year-old Bissinger, who is more recently known for the Vanity Fair story he did on Caitlyn Jenner, “couldn’t care less” if the television series is turned into a movie as many die-hard fans are hoping and says there are no plans to expand the reach of the Friday Night Lights brand.