Strike May Halt Friday Night Lights Production

It looks as though the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike could affect the future of Friday Night Lights. The show, among NBC's most acclaimed, is filmed in Austin and brings in $1.5 million per episode to the city.

The show's producers said because of the strike, there is only material written to keep working through December 4. Production would stop then, although there are several additional episodes that have already been written and shot.

NBC would not comment on plans for Friday Night Lights, but it doesn't appear there will be a resolution to the writers' strike anytime soon.

Marching in protest, thousands of television writers and their supporters blocked the road in front of a studio near Los Angeles Friday morning.

"I've spent the last 25 years of my career working with writers, and I understand their grievances in this case, and I don't believe they're being unreasonable, and so I'm here to support that," said actor Kelsey Grammer.

The strike will most certainly affect what people watch.

"I am an empty shell waiting to be filled in by the material written by these folks," said Tonight Show host Jay Leno.

The Tonight Show shut down production in the wake of the strike, and NBC announced Friday they are looking for guest hosts to replace Leno.

Members of the Writers Guild of America said they want residual pay for movies and shows that end up downloaded or offered for free online.

"The backbone of this industry is the people whose faces aren't recognizable, the people trying to get by, make a living and get what's due them," said actor Tim Robbins. "This is simply an issue of fairness."

Network prime time schedules could be reduced to the two R's: reality shows and repeats. There is no sign that contract talks will resume.

The last writers' walkout was in 1988 and lasted more than five months. It cost the industry an estimated $500 million.