Despite being a critical favorite, the debut season of NBC's Friday Night Lights failed to secure big ratings, consistently placing below 50 in the Nielsens chart.

Still, the network decided to renew it for a second season, confident that the series would grab a number of Emmy nominations this year.

However, when the nominees were announced last month, Friday Night Lights was snubbed in all major categories, only receiving nods for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series.

The show's Emmy blanking is sad, especially since earning major nominations could have helped boost its popularity. Nevertheless, Friday Night Lights executives are looking ahead.

"Obviously, it was a disappointment. It's a challenge for any first-year show to get a nomination. But it certainly doesn't change our perception of the show," said NBC executive vice president Erin Gough Wehrenberg.

Although scoring Emmy nominations after a difficult first season does not always mean more viewers - as evidenced by FOX's low-rated but Emmy award-winning comedy, Arrested Development - producers point instead to Hill Street Blues.

The 1980s police drama struggled in the beginning, but after capturing several Emmys, became a cultural sensation and lasted seven seasons.

The small but loyal fan base of Friday Night Lights is hoping the strong cast and well-developed characters will be enough to save the series, but there are some who remain doubtful, especially with the lingering perception that it is a show for sports fanatics.

According to John Rash, senior vice president at ad firm Campbell Mithun, the network's problem is one primarily of marketing.

"The Emmys got it wrong, but there are no do-overs, and NBC has got to look for another marketing tool to energize the deserving fan base for this show," he said. "It's got one more year to catch on, at most."

The network, in turn, acknowledges the problem and admits that viewers may have gotten the wrong idea about Friday Night Lights.

"We're altering the marketing message a little bit and selling elements of the show people may not have known were there," Wehrenberg said. "We're going to work hard to get the message out that the show is not entirely about football."

Inspired by the best-selling book and acclaimed feature film, Friday Night Lights: The Complete First Season debuts on DVD August 28.

Executive produced by Peter Berg (who directed and wrote the film) and Academy Award winner Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind), Friday Night Lights has won wide viewer devotion and critical praise for its portrayal of the emotional dynamics of small town life and football.

All 22 episodes of the initial season, available for the first time on DVD, come with bonus features including a "Making of the Final Episode" feature, commentary by the producers and deleted scenes from some of the most memorable episodes.

Friday Night Lights tells a gripping story of life in Dillon, Texas, where everyone comes together on friday nights as the Dillon High Panthers play.

But this life is not a game; and the charismatic players, coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and the passionate fans find that their biggest challenges and obstacles come off the field in this tight-knit community.

Bringing this story to life is an impressive ensemble cast starring Chandler (King Kong) and Connie Britton (24).

The other major players are Scott Porter (Music & Lyrics), Gaius Charles (The Book of Daniel), Taylor Kitsch (The Covenant), Zach Gilford (The Last Winter), Minka Kelly (What I Like About You), Adrianne Palicki (South Beach) Jesse Plemons (Grey's Anatomy) and Aimee Teegarden (Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide).

The eagerly-anticipated second season of Friday Night Lights premieres Friday, October 5 (9 p.m. ET) on NBC.

Super sleuth Michael Ausiello of TV Guide was recently asked to clear up a very good question regarding the cast of Friday Night Lights: Which players, if any, will be entering their senior season this fall?

It's a valid inquiry, seeing that high school football players can only play four years, and their status in this regard is infrequently mentioned, if at all. Apparently, the only senior among the big guns is Smash Williams.

This raises another interesting question - does Smash's recruitment by a major college mean Gaius Charles will be written off Friday Night Lights, should it be lucky enough to be extended to a third season by NBC?

Maybe. Maybe not.

While Friday Night Lights executive producer Jason Katims wouldn't rule out that possibility, Gaius Charles offered another possibility:

"If they can make Coach Taylor work as a character outside of [Dillon], I don't see any reason why they can't make my character work that way," Charles said. "I trust the writers."

Indeed, Eric Taylor is now at the helm of TMU, not Dillon High School, with a new coach hired to replace him. How long he stays there is uncertain, however, and he will remain the focal point of the show regardless.

It will certainly be interesting to see what the writers have in mind for Smash, but it's good to know that most of the regulars have at least two years left!

With Eric Taylor setting off for Austin, the Dillon Panthers needed a new coach.

They now have one in veteran actor Chris Mulkey, who has joined the cast of NBC's second-year series, a rep for the network confirms.

Mulkey will have a recurring role as the new coach of the Dillon football team, who takes over after Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) moves on to the college ranks at Texas Methodist University.

Kyle Chandler will still be front and center on the show, however.

The new coach, who arrives from outside the West Texas town of Dillon, is a no-nonsense taskmaster with a my-way-or-the-highway attitude.

His revamping of the team's game plan will cause friction with some of the players, as well as former quarterback and new assistant coach Jason Street (Scott Porter), who finds himself getting caught in the middle.

Mulkey is the third new face to join Friday Night Lights for the coming season.

Glenn Morshower (24) and Daniella Alonso (One Tree Hill) will also have new, recurring parts as, respectively, the police officer dad of Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons) and a nurse who helps Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) care for his grandmother (Louanne Stephens).

Mulkey co-starred in AMC's multiple Emmy nominee Broken Trail last year and also counts a recurring role on Twin Peaks and FOX's acclaimed, but short-lived comedy, Bakersfield PD, among his credits.

He's also appeared in the films North Country, Sugar Town and Behind Enemy Lines and made guest appearances on such shows as CSI, Lost and Boomtown.

Rumors are swirling on the Internets that Rosie O'Donnell will be guest starring on Friday Night Lights this fall, but TV Guide says it's still up in the air right now.

The producers are getting closer to shooting the episode with the female soccer coach that Rosie O'Donnell is rumored to be playing, though, so it will have to be decided one way or the other soon.

Meanwhile, we hear the awesome actress who plays Mrs. Coach, Connie Britton, will be getting a younger sister this season. And that's not all.

There's another new guest star in the making, according to a trusty Texas mole who forwarded the following casting call, found buried in the Austin Craigslist board:

"The NBC series Friday Night Lights is holding auditions for a recurring speaking role. Santiago is a Latino Male, specifically Mexican. The actor cast must play/look high school age, but be 18-23 years old and not still in high school. He is tall &/or thick, strong & physically fit; athletic, as well as attractive with a tough edge. He's a juvenile delinquent turned mechanic's assistant (strong enough to pull engines, etc.) turning into new Panther football player and possible love interest for one of the female regulars. No experience necessary. Currently scheduling auditions."

Hmm. Wonder how Minka Kelly and/or Adrianne Palicki feel about being referred to as "one of the female regulars."

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