Jeff: And on behalf of the crew, writers, and actors, I'd like to thank our fans for watching us cause they've been a big part of why we're coming back. And we're going to make it worthwhile. This season is going to have some really great episodes. It's going to be fantastic and I'm really proud... so thank you all.

Connie: I completely agree with Jeff. I just want to keeping going deeper and deeper with life experiences and getting to different levels with our characters.

When Jason Street was going through the quad rugby, those were real quad rugby players... so were the nurses and the coaches.

Connie: And the ministers of the churches, too.

Jeff: So we basically allow the community to play a large part of the show and we let our actors interact with real people on camera.

Connie: Haha. No, the writers work hard on the script. The actors get them and read them. The writers are in LA and we are in Austin, so they aren't even present when we get the scripts. The actors are encouraged to give feedback and the writers work on re-writes. Now, we have a final script and we shoot on the set. Even with the script, we are still unsure what will happen. We have great camera people that will shoot things differently and then we can move into a slightly different direction. I think that's what people respond to, it's so organic. It feels so real and true to life.

Jeff: I think the process is what makes this show so interesting. It's a very free process. It's about discovery. If something feels not right, you almost have to make that work. But, with our show, we can discover an emotion or behavior that will make the scene more interesting. We will go there.

Connie: I think the writers trust the actors to make discoveries. It's all part of the process. We count on the writers to give us great stories, they count on us to do great deliveries.

Jeff: We are lucky, because not a lot of writers are open to actors making suggestions or making changes, especially in television. Pete Berg was the guiding light of this show and I think we have stuck to his look with episodes.

Connie: I feel for other television actors. They don't get to be as collaborative as we do. Our environment is very unique and we feel very fortunate.

Jeff: I have teenagers, too. I think the writers have been insightful when it comes to themes. As a father or a teenager, you will be able to relate to upcoming storylines. It can even bring a teenager and parent together. We were very cautious of that when working on the show this season.

Jeff: I got Connie backstage.

Connie: Jeff I know has a lot of responsibility for those music selections.

Jeff: Our editor has great taste. And Jason Katims is really into music. And we have one editor who is into country music so there's usually a country song. But we all have different kinds of taste, which is why there's so much different music in the show.

Connie: Just like Austin itself.

Connie: That is why I love this show. It shows that in small towns, lives are always connected. Friday Night Lights knows how to capture that.

Connie: I also think the Santiago storyline that comes up later in the series will touch on that too. He's a character who comes up later in the season. He's Hispanic and he's been in juvie and comes from a rough background and it's about how that character integrates into this kind of word.

Connie: We research. Last year, we ended up going to a couple. When you are in Austin, you go to football games. We need to go to some more this season.

Jeff: I was completely discounted in this experience.

Connie: Not true, I valued what Jeff had to say as a father. The men actually see birth happen. I took it with both angles.

C: And I think it's a great storyline, too, cause it feels so authentic to the world we've created, and it feels organic to her character. I feels like something that she needed to have happened. To me, it's exciting and I think it turned out really well.

Connie: Good answer. It's Summer vacation!

Connie: Thanks to everyone for being here.

C: I keep pitching to them that they bring Pete back as an ex college boyfriend of mine who drives Coach Taylor crazy... that would be perfect.

In the meantime, go ahead and leave your questions about the show's return, the characters or just general questions about the storyline right here in the comments, that way we'll have plenty of questions to get started with once we start blogging.

Important note: If at any time during the live blog you stop seeing updates, just click "Blog Home" in the left sidebar to return to the main page where the entries are being updated.

Check back soon to find out who we'll be talking to from the show!

Kyle: I've never been part of such a great show! So many reviews say we're a great show, so I look at it like the little engine that could. We're just continuing to struggle a long and the second season, we're gonna do some damage and get some great ratings!! We're gonna kick some ass! We're gonna open a can of whoops ass on these folks, be prepared! We're just so excited to get a second chance, we're HUNGRY to make it work and make it even better. We're gonna have a great year!!

And one more note...thanks to you all and to the people at NBC for putting their faith in us...we can't thank them enough!

K: Enough can't be said enough about Pete Berg, David Nevins, and Jason Katims. It's just an incredible situation, and they really trust the people they are in charge of and that changes everything. It's a free market system.

K: It's always difficult being away from your family. We had to talk about how we're going to do this and I talked with my family and we agreed as to how we were going to do it.

C: I did had to wipe some tears for Kyle on some days cause he was really missing his family.

Kyle: Only one person had a dog to begin with...I guess two. Then I had to bring mine, then Jesse got a dog. Then Zach got a dog...now it's like a kennel!! Connie has a vicious pit bull and she drives it around in this 73 cherry red convertible and the dog is like slobbering all over the back! Classic!!

Connie: Don't believe that for a second!!!

Pete Berg told me he wanted me to look older and messy and haggard for the role. Everyone else has to get there early for work, but I pull up five minutes before!

Just think if I really did wear makeup... then I'd really be good looking.

Kyle: In real life? Yeah, I think so. I think there's a lot of me in my character. I rally enjoy my character and I think coach is a fun guy. I can't wait to show more humor, and more humility. Connie is such a great actress and we have similar sensibilities. I'm able to show my humility with her knowing she'll support me. I know there's a lot of what I do in my real life in this character...and a lot of this character is based on my brother. His anger and his frustration and his humility...I imitate it a lot. he has the accent, which I imitate. I call him up before filming sometimes just to listen to him talk.

Kyle: I think it will allow for a lot of comedy, a lot of love, and a lot of interest in these two characters. All of a sudden you have a baby coming into a world where you don't expect it with two 40-somethings...there's gonna be a lot of fun to be had with it. We're going to have fun with having a coach taking care of a baby! What if it's twins?! What if we get a dog?!

C: I feel the same way. I would rather not even try and think about where we're going to be with it and that's the joy of having great writers.

Connie: Kyle literally became a different person...he was so sick. He couldn't speak outside of saying his lines, he couldn't even really stand. It was crazy!

C: We really do feel a sense of closeness. Having the season come to an end and leaving Austin was a bit of a shock to the system. It's a little like camp in that way.

K: The most difficult thing about doing TV shows like this is that throughout the year you have three stages where you feel like a puppet: 1) you don't know if the show is getting picked up. 2) once the season is over you don't know if it's getting picked up for next season. 3) After you shoot the pilot you don't know if you'll get picked up at all. And our ratings haven't been that strong even though we're the most highly rated show right now. It's always tentative as an actor cause you never know what's going to be around the bend.

Kyle: We live in Austin while we're shooting and we love it. And if that wasn't the case, I would bitch about it right now, let me tell you!

C: I'm not married so I figure it out as I go.

C: I was thinking the same thing. We get so many options at going through a scene. We have one primary director who has such a vision with the show that he lets us keep tweaking and working with a scene until we get it right. So I never look back and say I wish we had done it differently.

Kyle: They absolutely hold their own! The way that this show is shot teaches us all to be better actors. I told these younger actors to just wait until they do another show...it's totally different. Just think of the one thing you love to do most in life, and someone comes along and says "I'm gonna pay you to do this the way you like to do it." And that's how this show works...we're paid to do what we love and we have the freedom to do what we love the way we know best. Physically, emotionally, work ethically we have freedom...I love this show for that reason. It really means a lot to me to do it this way.

C: We didn't meet each other until the first day of shooting on the set.

K: In fact, we all made fun of Taylor Kitsch - a Canadian kid coming in to play a Texas. But when he got there you couldn't help but fall in love with him cause he's such a great guy. But they're all such wonderful actors.

Kyle: Yes, I am grumpy but the thing is...is Connie patient? NO! We get along so well because we're both grumpy people!

C: I would have to concur. I've learned a lot just having to put up with Kyle Chandler each week! It's amazing how much patience you learn putting up with Kyle.

K: It's a joy talking to you, too, Connie.

C: As actors, we've grown so much. I know I have and I know Kyle has, too. We've gained so much being able to shoot this way and it's great.

K: I compare our show quite often to doing a rehearsal for the first day of a play. IT's when you start to air out the dialog with the actors that you find out what the scene is all about. It's a shorter process, obviously, but it's no less full of imagination, anxiety, anticipation -0 everything you can want as an actor is in that day of work.

I love working with all the actors and every day has been great, but a really fun moment was that scene I had with Kyle in the field with the cows. That was such a beautiful night and it was magic hour and that field was beautiful and expansive. There was something great and fun about shooting that scene.

In the meantime, why not leave your burning questions about the show, the cast, the storyline right here in the comments? That way we'll have plenty of questions to get started with once these two start blogging.

We look forward to seeing you in the comments!

In addition, starting in episode two, everyone will be introduced to Smash Williams' family, his mother and his three sisters and I think that will open up the show in a new and interesting direction.

He gave me the 15 minutes and I was fortunate enough to sell him on the idea of playing a zealous booster, and I think it was fun for Mack to be on the other side of the parent/coach dynamic. And at the end of working, he told me that it was fun for him to be able to give the coach a hard time for a change. Cause generally, he was taking it from the parents. I think Mack Brown is a 100% class act and a genuine inspiration to me personally.

My experience with religion in Texas, especially surrounding Football, is that it's a part of life. Rarely have I been in a locker room where there weren't people praying and religion will continued to be explored in the show.

One of my favorite moments in the pilot is when a kid asks if "God loves football?" and it's my belief that God does love football!

I think they're all terrific, particularly Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, our only seasoned actors. They do a wonderful job not only portraying their own characters but helping some of the younger actors to take chances and to improvise.

For me, every decision made was, for the most part, influenced by Bissinger's work in the book. It provided us with a tremendous springboard with which to launch the show.