‘Friday Night Lights’ returns next season

“Friday Night Lights” will shine again next season.

The critically acclaimed football-and-family drama will return on NBC for a third year after the 13 new episodes have aired on satellite-television provider DirecTV – an unusual deal designed to spread production costs while rekindling a series whose audience until now has been as small as it is fervent.

The series will unfold weekly for DirecTV subscribers beginning Oct. 1. Then, early in 2009, it will be seen on NBC.

Rumors of such a rescue for “Friday Night Lights” began circulating last month, but a final deal wasn’t struck between the network, studio, producers and satellite service until this week.

In its now-concluded second season, the show averaged just 6.2 million viewers, tying it for 117th place in network prime time.