OK, let’s just put this out there:
I do not like football.
I frankly don’t even understand the rules of the game. When my fiancee turns on a football game, I tend to work on projects like filing photos in albums or organizing my closet. Every once in a while, a sports movie somehow manages to entertain me. Here’s the short list: The Natural, Major League, Varsity Blues and Miracle (who knew hockey could make you cry?).
“FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS” IS BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM. It’s a TV show that sprang from the movie of the same name starring Billy Bob Thornton. Season One is currently available on the NBC website for free or for purchase on DVD (with a money-back guarantee, BTW). Season Two kicks off Friday, October 5th and I cannot wait.
I have no idea why this TV show isn’t a giant hit. Everyone I know (male and female) who watches it absolutely loves it. It follows the life and times of people in the small town of Dillon, TX - a town where high school football is the big attraction.
The show is nearly perfect. The cast is helmed by Kyle Chandler (you may remember him as the bomb squad guy from “Grey’s Anatomy”) and Connie Britton who play the high school football coach and his wife. They have a cute daughter, who becomes the object of desire of the team quarterback. The teen characters are hot and have issues of their own: romances ending, absent parents, money problems, behavior problems…But I don’t want to give anything more away! This show is so good that you should all take my word that you will LOVE IT if you give it a chance.
If you liked: Felicity, My So-Called-Life, Grey’s Anatomy, Varsity Blues, Dawson’s Creek, The O.C. or Gilmore Girls, you will love this show.
If you didn’t like any of those shows, you will probably STILL love this show.
WARNING: My wager on why this show isn’t a runaway hit is that the pilot is more serious and more football-focused than any other episode. It’s necessary to watch the pilot for understanding the premise of the show, but take my word that you will be hooked by the third or fourth episode and stick it out.
Run, don’t walk, and get your grubby little mitts on a copy of season one of “Friday Night Lights.” Sometimes a show just has “It” and that’s exactly what “Friday Night Lights” has. The cast is better than most TV shows, the pacing is awesome, the issues are real but also high-schoolalicious, and the writing is spectacular.
September 6th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
As you might expect, I couldn’t possibly agree more, phoebems. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Matt Saracen & Julie Taylor and Coach & Tammy Taylor pairings, The Smash’s entire existence, and the sheer mind-blowing awesomeness of the scene when Saracen, Street, Smash, and Riggins all hang out on the football field all night in episode 18 or so. It’s not The Wire, but it also doesn’t leave you feeling completely defeated by life each and every week.
Check out the recaps on TelevisionWithoutPity.com too, cause they’re brilliance as well!
-Josh
September 6th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
In my opinion, one of the reasons FNL has not been a runaway success is because of the constant dim lighting. What’s the deal with that? They film some of the show outside of Austin, and as an Austinite I can tell you that it is truly much brighter deep in the heart of Texas.
On a separate note, have you seen this Mary-Kate quotation on People.com: “I would love to be able to swim in the ocean in Malibu,” she says. “But that is asking for a bikini shot. That’s inviting something that I don’t want to happen. I don’t need to be on a ‘Who’s Skinny, Who’s Fat, Who’s Looking Healthy, Who’s Not Eating?’ list.” ?
September 7th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
I grew up in small town Texas, and this is as close as it gets to reality…at least 20 years ago when I was a teen. The whole town is completely dedicated to the town high school football team. I love this show because of the acting, the nostalgia, the gritty reality, and the cute young actors. Everyone is absolutely great, and the writing is right on target with the issues of high school in America. This SHOULD be promoted more by the network, and it would outdo Grey’s.