Clear eyes, full hearts, and a Friday Night Lights reunion heading to ATX TV Festival

In a Hail Mary booking, the ATX TV Festival is bringing the cast of Friday Night Lights to Austin to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary.

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  December 11, 2025 | 1:05pm
Screenshot: Peacock/YouTube
TV News Friday Night Lights
Clear eyes, full hearts, and a Friday Night Lights reunion heading to ATX TV Festival

A Friday Night Lights homecoming is heading to Austin. Announced earlier today, the Taylors are returning to the Lone Star state for Austin’s ATX Television Festival in May for a Friday Night Lights reunion. Despite the absence of star running back Tim Riggins, the 20th anniversary celebration will feature a panel including stars Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler, and Adrienne Palicki, and producers Jason Katims, David Hudgins, Jeffrey Reiner, Liz Heldens, and Kerry Ehrin. If that wasn’t enough to lure Taylor Kitsch and Jesse Plemons, who are currently not booked, to Austin, Friday Night Lights will also receive the second-annual Made In Texas award, celebrating Texas-shot productions that created industry opportunities for local Texans.

The rest of the festival features other prominent TV names, including a retrospective on Homicide: Life on the Street with Tom Fontana, David Simon, and Kyle Secor; a Sweet/Vicious 10th anniversary celebration with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Amanda Lasher, Stacey Sher, Emily Levitan, Eliza Bennett and Taylor Dearden; and a non-writing producers panel with Melissa Bernstein (House Of The Dragon), Stacey Sher (Mrs. America), Sarah Timberman (Justified: City Primeval), Kathleen McCaffrey (Industry), and Karen Wacker (Lanterns).

The ATX TV Festival runs in Austin from May 28 through 31, 2026.

 
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