Add it to your list.
It seems that we’re living in the golden age of TV right now because there’s so many good shows available.
It’s very likely that your friends have told you that ‘this series is great’ and ‘you have to watch this’ which is why we’ve decided to take a look at some of the best TV shows out there. This week, it’s Friday Night Lights.
1) What’s it about? : Shows about American Football rarely translate well to the screen because it’s almost impossible to capture the drama and realism that the game evokes.
The genius of Friday Night Lights is that it’s a show where sport is used as the conduit to focus on some of the more serious and topical issues that teenagers face.
Don’t worry though because there’s also some bloody great football action in it also.
The cast feature some of the most believable and well constructed teenage characters in any TV show while the FNL isn’t afraid to turn it’s gaze towards tackling some issues that other shows might shy away from.
Racism, pregnancy, drugs, war, poverty, crime and the pressures of growing up in a ‘goldfish bowl’ of a town are all examined.
Dillon is the quintessential football-obsessed Texas town but Friday Night Lights excels because you genuinely empathise with these characters, no more so than Tim Riggins who is one of our TV greats.
Victory on the field doesn’t mean anything if you don’t care about the characters though and the central leads, Kyle Chandler and Connie Briton, are an absolute tour-de-force.
2) It’s almost like : Fans may have already read the superb book that Peter Berg’s fantastic adaptation is based on – but for those who didn’t – imagine an infinitely more believable and less annoying version of Dawson’s Creek that’s crossed with the wonderful basketball documentary, Hoop Dreams.
3) It’s worth your time because: For me, the beer-swilling, bone-breaking and skirt-chasing Tim Riggins is probably the most complex and interesting of the bunch but Kyle Chandler’s calm, commanding and authoritative performance is what holds the show together.
4) Did you know? : During the 2012 U.S. Presidential campaign, Republican nominee Mitt Romney used the phrase “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose” in one of his speeches. Peter Berg, one of the show’s writers, directors, and executive producers was not happy.
5) One episode and you’re hooked : ‘The Son’ in Season 4 was one of the best pieces of TV from 2010 and without giving too much away, it’s clear to see why a particular actor won an Emmy for his performance in that episode.
6) If the show was a person then : It would probably be your best friend that sticks by you through thick and thin. They’re with you to celebrate your finest achievements but they don’t go into hiding whenever you’re at the lowest ebb.
It’s these moments of character building, heart, determination, and spirit that ultimately make the hardships seem worthwhile.
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