Best of TV, No. 3


"Clear Eyes; Full Heart; Can't Lose." — Coach Taylor, "Friday Night Lights"

Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
Network: NBC/DirecTV
About: It's the rare show that can completely defy expectations, and an even more rare show that works its way into your heart after you dismissed it. I saw "Friday Night Lights" the film. It was fine, but not my favorite. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why NBC wanted to turn it into a weekly TV series. I was completely skeptical about the idea, then I watched the pilot. To say it is one of the finest hours of television I have ever seen is kind of selling it short. By the end of that 60 minutes, as Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) offers his closing monologue, I knew I was in. Throughout its five season run — the later few seasons of which were split between NBC and DirecTV — the show never disappointed. Sure, some seasons were better than others. The second season and some of the story choices left something to be desired, but this was always a show that was about family more than football. That's something the general public never seemed to understand. Football was the lens through which the show accessed its story points, but it was always about more than a game. And the show was simply blessed by two incredible actors — Chandler and Connie Britton — who made those stories beautiful, wonderful, and magical. There have rarely been finer performances from leads, and rarely have their been finer performances that went largely unnoticed. "Friday Night Lights" always struggled in the ratings, but those that found it found something wonderful. It was a show that had a huge heart, warm performances, and great storytelling. It was a beautiful mix of humor, drama, and action. Like life, it wove together all those elements in a brilliant storytelling fabric. TV was better when "Friday Night Lights" was on the air. Those that haven't seen it, or those that dismissed it as a football thing, owe it to themselves to give this series a chance. You won't be disappointed.
Where to Find It: All five seasons of "Friday Night Lights" are available on DVD

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