<P> Once filming on the movie was completed, Berg began to explore adapting the story for television . Berg later said he had regretted having to jettison many of the interpersonal topics from the book because of the time constraints of a feature film . Creating a TV series, particularly one based on fictional characters, allowed him to address many of those elements in - depth . </P> <P> He decided to set the series in a fictional town of Dillon, Texas, with some characteristics of Odessa . The football team was given the Panthers name . Berg deliberately carried elements from the film to the series, particularly for the pilot, which was closely related to the film . He cast Connie Britton as the wife of head coach Eric Taylor, and Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity, a major businessman and football booster, in roles similar to those they played in the film . </P> <P> Filming for the show's pilot began in February 2006 in Austin, Texas . Berg said he required filming the pilot and eventually the show in Texas as "a deal breaker" in order to agree to participate weekly in the project . The show features homages to its Texas heritage . In the pilot, Berg featured Texas Longhorns football coach Mack Brown as a Dillon booster and had a caller to the fictional Panther Radio compare Panthers' coach Eric Taylor to Brown . The pilot referred to much of the surrounding area in its scenes . Football scenes were filmed at Pflugerville High School's Kuempel Stadium and at the RRISD Complex . The Dillon Panther football team and coaches' uniforms were based on the uniforms of the Pflugerville Panthers . Some of the scenes were filmed at Texas School for the Deaf . </P> <P> Berg's observation of local high school students while preparing to film the movie inspired his development of some of the characters . For example, Jason Street, the character whose promising football career is ended by a spinal injury in the pilot, was inspired by a local event . David Edwards, a football player from San Antonio's Madison High, was paralyzed during a November 2003 game . Berg was at the game when this accident occurred; he was profoundly affected by Edwards' injury and how it overturned his life . Berg set up a similar incident in the pilot . </P>

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