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by Nomadic Chris, 30 September 2008
Friday Night Lights: The TV Series
Small Town: Big Problems: Hugely Entertaining
Friday Night Lights is the best show on TV that barely anyone in the United States or in the world is watching.
Adapted from the big screen film (starring Billy Bob Thornton and directed by Peter Berg, he of Chicago Hope fame) which in turn was derived from the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, the true story of the Permian Panthers from the town of Odessa.
Friday Night Lights is a peek into everyday life like no other. Set in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, the first series follows a select group of characters over the course of a season. The importance of the game fades as the series develops and the characters and their lives come to the fore.
Aimed more at adults and far away from your average run of the mill teenage fare shows that can possibly be, the realism of the show is its strong point; every person is flawed and struggling with his/her own personal dilemmas. . The game of American football only serves as the backdrop of an intimate view of small town Americana and the unique way of life that exists there. The documentary style filming and the isolated small town backdrops of the series simply add to authenticity and realism of the show.
As the series progresses, each character is fleshed out and any simple stereotypes and caricatures are nowhere to be seen; blossoming relationships are made and old friendships end. Serious issues such as poverty, drugs, racism, broken relationships, depression, and disability are all covered with a searing honesty and the scenarios presented be can transplanted to anywhere and any community in the world.
From the new football coach who has impossible expectations heaped on his shoulders, to the star player using the game as a means to escape poverty and the small town that traps him; to the towns folks living their lives through the team to the young men who know that once they graduate their lives as they know it are over as the world beckons; the emotions and tribulations are captured to a tee.
After the recent writers strike in the United States and low ratings, there was a genuine concern that the show would not return but a third season is about to get underway and as word spreads more people will be tuning in.
Intelligently written with well developed plotline and characters, watch it, borrow the DVDs or watch it online; it is worth your time and energy. If you are skeptical or cynical, please remind yourself that it is not about American football, just everyday folk overcoming hurdles in life and trying to be better people. As its tag line says: "Life is not a game."
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