This week I have decided to call attention to one of the most underrated shows on television: Friday Night Lights. The show is inspired by the novel and movie of the same name, though the characters and setting are different. Now in the middle of its fourth season, the show offers a realistic look at the life of high school football players in Texas, possibly the most football-crazy state in the country.
I can hear sighs from all the less sports-inclined among you now: "But I don't care about football!" Though FNL's plot is based on a high school football team, the show is about more than just athletics, offering a look at life in contemporary small-town Middle America. One central conflict in the current season revolves around Tami Taylor, the wife of head football coach Eric Taylor. Tami is the principal at Dillon High School and gives advice to a female student at nearby East Dillon High School who becomes unexpectedly pregnant. She follows protocol by explaining the girl's options - including abortion - which sparks a rather large controversy within the town, highlighting political and moral tensions that often take place in American small towns.
FNL is also notable for its fantastic character development, as the cast is so personable that the characters feel like friends you have known for years, even after watching just a few episodes. The show also features a wide array of personalities, from the intense yet caring Eric, to the rebellious Julie Taylor, to the shy Matt Saracen, and the womanizing, alcoholic Tim Riggins. More remarkable is that the show has managed to do this even with a rotating ensemble cast necessitated because of some of the characters' graduations from high school. The only flaw the show has in this area is that characters sometimes change radically from season to season.
In addition to the well-developed characters, audience members can appreciate more behind-the-scenes factors of the show, such as the camera style and background music. Shots are angled and give the show a very realistic and unrehearsed feel. Friday Night Lights also boasts excellent music. The title theme by W.G. "Snuffy" Walden is one of the best opening themes I've heard in a TV series.
FNL has had trouble drawing a sizable viewer base, despite its critical acclaim. This caused NBC to make a special deal with DirecTV to keep the show on the air after the Writers' Guild of America strike in 2007 prematurely ended the second season. FNL began airing 13-episode seasons on DirecTV's The 101 Network, then re-airing them on NBC later.
The show is set to return to NBC April 30 at 8 p.m. The season figures to be an action-packed one, as coach Taylor takes control of the newly reopened East Dillon High School football team and is suddenly forced to work with a team of players with little or no experience on the field, a dramatic departure from his situation in earlier seasons.
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