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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
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DVDs: Why You Must Watch
"Friday Night Lights"
Posted August 28, 2007 | 10:01 PM (EST)
Read More: Kyle Chandler , Connie Britton , Breaking Entertainment News
I don't like football. I never watch it on TV, except for the Super Bowl and even then it's only to see
the commercials.
So believe me when I say that the NBC drama "Friday Night Lights" (a genuine bargain at $29.98
for an entire season of 22 episodes from Universal) is a terrific show and you need to startwatching it. I could say it's the best show on TV because "The Wire" is off the air till 2008,"Battlestar: Galactica" stumbled, "24" had its worst day yet, "The Sopranos" is gone and "Lost" islost.
But it's not a competition. You can always find time for another great TV show and that's exactly
what "Friday Night Lights" has become. As TV Guide might put it, it's the best show that you're notwatching.
At the heart of the series is Coach Taylor and his wife (played brilliantly by Kyle Chandler and
Connie Britton), the sexiest married couple on TV since the Bradys got into bed together. Thesetwo bicker and fight and needle each other and you never doubt for a moment that they are deeplyin love.
But the cast is bursting with talent. Zach Gilford plays Matt Saracen, the unlikeliest hero -a
stuttering, diffident backup quarterback who has to take charge when an accident gives him thestarting position. He's already burdened by a dad off in Iraq and a grandmother who suffers fromdementia and needs his constant care. Somehow, Saracen also manages to fall hard for Julie (thedelightful Aimee Teegarden), the coach's sweetly willful daughter.
The show's more typical leading man -- Scott Porter as golden boy Jason Street -- is felled in the
first episode, becomes paralyzed and spends the rest of the first season trying to maintain hisdignity. Watching his cheerleader girlfriend (the terrific Minka Kelly) cheat on him, struggling tofeed himself, dealing with his desire for sex - the physically challenged have never been portrayedthis honestly and completely in primetime.
But there's so much more to this show than compelling, soap-like storylines. They get the nuances
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
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Reality Star Jade
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Accused Of...just right. After the first episode, I thought to myself, that was good and if this show is really gonna
capture life in a small Texas town, we better see the coach going to church. How did episode twobegin? At church with the coach right towards the front. Prayer is a constant, quiet part of theseries.
So is desire, whether it's the bad boy Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) falling for the hot divorcee next
door - but finding what really matters is being nice to the little kid she's raising, the mayor who isquietly lesbian (nobody says a word about it), the booster Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland) whocompulsively cheats on his wife, or the strutting "Smash" Williams (Gaius Charles) who falls for apreacher's daughter.
Oh and though everyone insists it's not about the football, they get that right too. "FNL" captures
the deeply important relationship between a coach and his team, the office politics that influencewho starts and what plays are run, the overwhelming pressure from everyone in town, theemotional turmoil that follows a loss, and the awkward power plays between a player destined forgreater things and a coach trying to mold him.
Did I mention the show is revolutionary as well? It makes full use of mobile, hand-held cameras to
free up the actors so no one ever has to hit their mark. The result is the most convincing glimpse ofreal life since "Hill Street Blues" exploded on the air more than 25 years ago. What this means foryou is a drama that is absolutely compelling, honest, gripping, funny and unexpected.
Sure, some plot points were a little rushed this season, such as the steroids and racism storylines.
But you can trust "FNL" to sidestep your expectations just enough to keep you on your toes. If NBChad any sense, they would hold the series till January (when football season is over) and run everyepisode in a row without repeats, a la "Lost" and "24." But for now, we'll have to settle for the factthat those geniuses finally realized the best night to air "Friday Night Lights" was on, yes, Fridaynights. Sometimes, it's amazing anything good ever gets on the air. So don't let this one get away.
Also out on DVD this week: the fun "Heroes: Season 1" ($59.98; Universal), a show you already
know about; Will Ferrell's "Blades Of Glory" ($29.99; DreamWorks), which proved that making funof something as inherently goofy as ice-skating (those costumes!) isn't as easy as it seems; MollyShannon in "Year Of The Dog" ($29.99; Paramount), which had the courage to take seriously theanimal rights passion of her dorky character; the generous six hours of comedy on "MartinLawrence Presents 1st Amendment Standup Season 1" ($29.98; Starz); potty-mouth Bob Saget inhis stand-up act "That Ain't Right" ($19.98; HBO); the brilliantly cast UK miniseries "A Dance ToThe Music Of Time" ($59.99; Acorn); the amusingly titled "Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple
In The World - Complete First Season" ($19.99; Logo/Paramount); and one of the sturdiest
sitcoms ever made, "The Odd Couple Second Season" ($38.99; Paramount).
So tell me, what's your favorite TV show on the air right now?
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
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Usedtobequiet See Profile I'm a Fan of Usedtobequiet permalink
I agree; great show. Maybe it's a little too "real" for some folks?
My long time favorite though is King of the Hill.
cuthbertallgood See Profile I'm a Fan of cuthbertallgood permalink
I destest football, so FNL is just a no go for me. Nothing could be less interesting. Just my personal
feelings, it is just not for me. If it is a quality show, I wish them great luck and a long run.
I love Madmen on AMC, excellent in all aspects, like HBO stuff used to be.
Love Weeds, this season so far not as much as previously, but still great. Californication has some veryfunny moments, and that makes up for some of its short comings....
I'm late to the game on this one, but I've gotten to really like 30 Rock. Maybe because it is a
comfortable setting to me, just as FNL is not.
After writing this down, I feel badly for not giving FNL a try. Quality tv is rare enough these days that I
should not dismiss it for being sport oriented. I will watch at least one and see how it goes.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Very admirable! All anyone can ask is that you give a show a chance. It really is about small
town life much more than football, the sport. But even if you don't like it, at least you will havegiven it a shot.
Libsrule See Profile I'm a Fan of Libsrule permalink
I tried to like it. But I just wasn't able to after the third episode. ABC couldn't get viewers to agree either,but like many a show, maybe a second season will make a difference.
I hate Battlestar Craptica. Not even an argument there.I'll miss the Sopranos.
I agree completely about LOST. What a joke it's turned into.
24 has become predictable, very predictable.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
HEROES reminds me of Lost/X-Men. WAY too much drama.
InternationalObserver See Profile I'm a Fan of InternationalObserver permalink
The problem with 24 was that it became increasingly ridiculous. If you watch the episodes
back to back (instead of one hour per week) you realise that there is no way anyone couldtake the physical abuse Jack Bauer does hour after hour and keep going.
BTW - can the producers PLEASE make the last ever series a 're-interpretation' of the JFK
assassination. With Jack Bauer as a Lee Harvey Oswald type character (ie accepting the
conspiracy theorists version that Oswald was in fact a CIA agent). This would be SUCH a
good way to end the series!!! Oh, the fun you could have with the script ....
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Hey Libsrule, thanks for giving the show a try. No one can ask more than that. While I liked
the show a lot from the start, I did feel it got better and better. NBC didn't help the show by
moving i around constantly, but the good sign is that viewers did respond. From the very first
episode on, a rock solid 6 million viewers typically tuned in every week for a new episode,whether it aired on Tuesday or Monday or Sunday. Usually, the sign that a show isn't workingwith viewers is when the audience drops from week to week. FNL was very steady and I'msure that's one reason NBC brought it back.
coachwrite See Profile I'm a Fan of coachwrite permalink
As a voting member of ATAS, I'm always surprised at the worthy shows that are ignored in favor of"old" favorites, new flavors, or because of a superior lead in...and apparently everyone's too lazy topush the button on their remotes.FNL is fine--really fine, and really real. I'm familiar with high school sports, the dramas and the traumasas well as the pressures (in this case exacerbated because of the locale) placed on players, coachesand their families. FNL's superb actors, excellent writing, and consistently accessing the "high" roadover the cliche deserves better than being bounced all over the weeknights---but hard core fans willfollow where ever it leads, just like we did for "Boomtown", a loss I'm still grieving over.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
You get to vote in ATAS? I'm jealous. Of course, the voting procedures remain a constantwork in progress and with their emphasis on individual episodes rather than an over-allseason (surely the episodes a show picks should just be as a guidelines for people who don'twatch a lot of the shows), odd results seem inherent in the Emmy nominations. I don't missBoomtown because when they brought it back for a second season, they changed everythingabout the show that made it special and ruined it, so the sooner they pulled the plug the
better. On the other hand, I do muss Deadwood because it remained true to itself and didn't
get messed with (though the last episode was a bit rushed). "American dreams" falls
somewhere in the middlle. Great family show, but halfway through the final season they
panicked and saw cancellation coming and rushed some storylines egregiously. I wish they'dgone out in style and they have nothing to be ashamed of, but it wasn't quite as satisfying asit should have been.
Beaux510 See Profile I'm a Fan of Beaux510 permalink
Hear Hear! Besides Jericho and Life on Mars (BBC - best show on TV in the last 15 years) FNL is agem that I'm surprised wasn't canceled, as quality usually is.
InternationalObserver See Profile I'm a Fan of InternationalObserver permalink
Heh heh ... Life on Mars was brilliant.
I hear they're making a US version. That should be interesting. The charm of the UK version
was that not only did the central character go back to the 70s (or did he?) but the cops hemet acted like the ones we saw on 70s cop shows, and the show 'looked' like a 70s britishcop show.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
I wonder if the US version will have the 'feel' of Starsky & Hutch or Mannix?
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
That's surely the only way it would make sense. I can't see spinning it out for five
years. Maybe they'd go from Starsy & Hutch to Miami Vice after two or three years?So high concept I think it works best as a short run series.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
I'm not a big fan of Jericho, but the BBC Life on Mars is very clever. Oddly, they wereplanning a US remake but I think it fell through, thank goodness. Glad you're watching and
enjoying FNL.
Apples See Profile I'm a Fan of Apples permalink
In the same way that many theater goers say how much they enjoyed the show but couldn't face the
prospect of seeing the movie, I had pretty much the same attitude with the FNL TV series; enjoyed the
film but didn't want my memory of it spoiled by a TV series with a different cast. However, Michael
Glitz's passion for the show had sparked an interest.
And speaking of Friday nights, can I put a plug in for the only current TV series of the summer where
waiting a week for the next episode is agony - Sci-Fi's Dr. Who. This new incarnation is completelydifferent from the early days of the Brit show. The standard of effects, the writing, and the acting -particularly of its current lead - David Tennant, is tremendous, not to mention tremendously funny. Ibelieve the previous series actually won Best Drama of the Year at the BAFTAs, though it continues tobe a no show at the Emmys. Awards aside, the show is a delight and has managed to do somethingthat the early days of Doctor Who never even aimed for - it made it human and occasionally touching.I'd recommend series 1 and 2 on DVD, and I believe this current series 3 will be available this
November.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
I liked the film version of FNL quite a lot. The TV show has a much bigger cast of characters
and a much broader sweep. It really covers life in this small town. Give it a shot. The newDoctor Who is terrific -- equal to the Tom Baker days of the original. It would be better thanever if they had a bigger budget and could afford to do more shows that weren't always basedon Earth. They're ingenious about making the storylines convincing, but it is hard to always bean intergalactic Time Lord but spending half your time on one plent. David tennant is terrific (Inow like him even better than Eccleston) and the new sidekick Freema is great too (thoughshe needs to get over her crush on him). Great fun for the family, too. It'll never, ever getEmmy nominations -- just not the right type of show, as Buffy found out over seven years.
jahyarain See Profile I'm a Fan of jahyarain permalink
i must admit i've never seen the show though i keep meaning to since i know they have a habit ofusing the music of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
As good a reason as any to check them out. It's not a constant presence but the peoplebehind the show are clearly fans and if they've got good taste in music they might have goodtaste in scripts, actors, etc. (It's always been one of my favorite band names. My own favoritename for a punk band at the moment is Aging Trophy Wife.)
JeffDeVore See Profile I'm a Fan of JeffDeVore permalink
The problem with running the show on Friday night is that, true to its title, high school football is playedon... you guessed it, Friday nights. Will check it out as I liked the Billy Bob Thornton movie.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
You're absolutely right. Not nearly enough room to say everything I'd like. They had the show
on several different nights during the season. Like all shows with complicated plots, I thinkthe days of running say eight episodes then taking a month off then two episodes then takingtwo weeks off then showing five episodes and so on are a thing of the past. The ONLY wayto schedule shows like this is all at once without repeats a la Lost and 24. Friday night --when football season is over -- would be perfect. Air it in January to piggyback on Super Bowl
excitement and then air straight through May sweeps. Friday night in the fall is stupid, but at
least they realized a show with Friday in its title was one people expected to air on Fridays.
InternationalObserver See Profile I'm a Fan of InternationalObserver
permalink
"...I think the days of running say eight episodes then taking a month off then two
episodes then taking two weeks off then showing five episodes and so on are athing of the past. The ONLY way to schedule shows like this is all at once without
repeats a la Lost and 24..."
I'm dumbstruck that US networks run their schedules this way! Does any other
country do it that way? Certainly none that I've visited, nor the one I live in. How onearth do they expect a show to succeed? Do they think that once an audience has
tuned in for the first few episodes they're 'hooked' and can be relied upon to follow
their TV Guide avidly to keep up with screenings?
D'uh, it doesn't work that way. And they wonder why TV viewership is declining ....
Bellatrix See Profile I'm a Fan of Bellatrix permalink
Thanks so much for touting this show. I think it's the best drama on TV, with performances so raw and
moving, I never come away without tears in my eyes. As a southerner who grew up in a small town, I
love how the director, Peter Berg, captures both the beauty and ugliness of that experience, and never
stoops to condescension or cultural critique. He lets the characters and their stories speak for
themselves. I also respect the way he handles religion, which is still such an integral part of southern
life, with subtly and respect. What a brilliant piece of art this is!
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Glad you love the show too. I felt they dropped the refs to faith a little bit in the second half of
the season. But in general it was woven in appropriately and very welcome.
huffposer See Profile I'm a Fan of huffposer permalink
Nice summary. FNL is probably my favorite show. I love it. It's about much more than football (althoughI'd probably still like it if it was nothing but football).
Heroes is very good. Takes me back to my comic book years of the 70's and 80's. Lost has been great at times and meandering at times. When it's good, though, it's among the best.And I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I like a number of reality shows. Amazing Race is my
favorite.
It was nice to see something on HuffPo that wasn't overtly political. Thanks for the article.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
No shame in reality. They've been around since TV began -- Queen For The Day and the like.
Amazing Race is very well done, though personally I'm a shameless addict to American Idol.Thanks for reading.
huffposer See Profile I'm a Fan of huffposer permalink
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
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Comments are closed for this entryOh, I forgot. I'm also "nuts" for Jericho -- even if it is on life support.
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Michael Giltz | BIO | I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER
DVDs: Why You Must Watch
"Friday Night Lights"
Posted August 28, 2007 | 10:01 PM (EST)
Read More: Kyle Chandler , Connie Britton , Breaking Entertainment News
I don't like football. I never watch it on TV, except for the Super Bowl and even then it's only to see
the commercials.
So believe me when I say that the NBC drama "Friday Night Lights" (a genuine bargain at $29.98
for an entire season of 22 episodes from Universal) is a terrific show and you need to startwatching it. I could say it's the best show on TV because "The Wire" is off the air till 2008,"Battlestar: Galactica" stumbled, "24" had its worst day yet, "The Sopranos" is gone and "Lost" islost.
But it's not a competition. You can always find time for another great TV show and that's exactly
what "Friday Night Lights" has become. As TV Guide might put it, it's the best show that you're notwatching.
At the heart of the series is Coach Taylor and his wife (played brilliantly by Kyle Chandler and
Connie Britton), the sexiest married couple on TV since the Bradys got into bed together. Thesetwo bicker and fight and needle each other and you never doubt for a moment that they are deeplyin love.
But the cast is bursting with talent. Zach Gilford plays Matt Saracen, the unlikeliest hero -a
stuttering, diffident backup quarterback who has to take charge when an accident gives him thestarting position. He's already burdened by a dad off in Iraq and a grandmother who suffers fromdementia and needs his constant care. Somehow, Saracen also manages to fall hard for Julie (thedelightful Aimee Teegarden), the coach's sweetly willful daughter.
The show's more typical leading man -- Scott Porter as golden boy Jason Street -- is felled in the
first episode, becomes paralyzed and spends the rest of the first season trying to maintain hisdignity. Watching his cheerleader girlfriend (the terrific Minka Kelly) cheat on him, struggling tofeed himself, dealing with his desire for sex - the physically challenged have never been portrayedthis honestly and completely in primetime.
But there's so much more to this show than compelling, soap-like storylines. They get the nuances
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
Cenk Uygur: Have WeReached the Tipping Pointon Guns?
SNL: Madonna And
Angelina In
Weekend Update...
Reality Star Jade
Goody Buried In
Lavish...
Robert De Niro
Nanny Sues For
$40,000
Alex Da Silva,
Celebrity
Choreographer
Accused Of...just right. After the first episode, I thought to myself, that was good and if this show is really gonna
capture life in a small Texas town, we better see the coach going to church. How did episode twobegin? At church with the coach right towards the front. Prayer is a constant, quiet part of theseries.
So is desire, whether it's the bad boy Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) falling for the hot divorcee next
door - but finding what really matters is being nice to the little kid she's raising, the mayor who isquietly lesbian (nobody says a word about it), the booster Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland) whocompulsively cheats on his wife, or the strutting "Smash" Williams (Gaius Charles) who falls for apreacher's daughter.
Oh and though everyone insists it's not about the football, they get that right too. "FNL" captures
the deeply important relationship between a coach and his team, the office politics that influencewho starts and what plays are run, the overwhelming pressure from everyone in town, theemotional turmoil that follows a loss, and the awkward power plays between a player destined forgreater things and a coach trying to mold him.
Did I mention the show is revolutionary as well? It makes full use of mobile, hand-held cameras to
free up the actors so no one ever has to hit their mark. The result is the most convincing glimpse ofreal life since "Hill Street Blues" exploded on the air more than 25 years ago. What this means foryou is a drama that is absolutely compelling, honest, gripping, funny and unexpected.
Sure, some plot points were a little rushed this season, such as the steroids and racism storylines.
But you can trust "FNL" to sidestep your expectations just enough to keep you on your toes. If NBChad any sense, they would hold the series till January (when football season is over) and run everyepisode in a row without repeats, a la "Lost" and "24." But for now, we'll have to settle for the factthat those geniuses finally realized the best night to air "Friday Night Lights" was on, yes, Fridaynights. Sometimes, it's amazing anything good ever gets on the air. So don't let this one get away.
Also out on DVD this week: the fun "Heroes: Season 1" ($59.98; Universal), a show you already
know about; Will Ferrell's "Blades Of Glory" ($29.99; DreamWorks), which proved that making funof something as inherently goofy as ice-skating (those costumes!) isn't as easy as it seems; MollyShannon in "Year Of The Dog" ($29.99; Paramount), which had the courage to take seriously theanimal rights passion of her dorky character; the generous six hours of comedy on "MartinLawrence Presents 1st Amendment Standup Season 1" ($29.98; Starz); potty-mouth Bob Saget inhis stand-up act "That Ain't Right" ($19.98; HBO); the brilliantly cast UK miniseries "A Dance ToThe Music Of Time" ($59.99; Acorn); the amusingly titled "Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple
In The World - Complete First Season" ($19.99; Logo/Paramount); and one of the sturdiest
sitcoms ever made, "The Odd Couple Second Season" ($38.99; Paramount).
So tell me, what's your favorite TV show on the air right now?
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
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Usedtobequiet See Profile I'm a Fan of Usedtobequiet permalink
I agree; great show. Maybe it's a little too "real" for some folks?
My long time favorite though is King of the Hill.
cuthbertallgood See Profile I'm a Fan of cuthbertallgood permalink
I destest football, so FNL is just a no go for me. Nothing could be less interesting. Just my personal
feelings, it is just not for me. If it is a quality show, I wish them great luck and a long run.
I love Madmen on AMC, excellent in all aspects, like HBO stuff used to be.
Love Weeds, this season so far not as much as previously, but still great. Californication has some veryfunny moments, and that makes up for some of its short comings....
I'm late to the game on this one, but I've gotten to really like 30 Rock. Maybe because it is a
comfortable setting to me, just as FNL is not.
After writing this down, I feel badly for not giving FNL a try. Quality tv is rare enough these days that I
should not dismiss it for being sport oriented. I will watch at least one and see how it goes.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Very admirable! All anyone can ask is that you give a show a chance. It really is about small
town life much more than football, the sport. But even if you don't like it, at least you will havegiven it a shot.
Libsrule See Profile I'm a Fan of Libsrule permalink
I tried to like it. But I just wasn't able to after the third episode. ABC couldn't get viewers to agree either,but like many a show, maybe a second season will make a difference.
I hate Battlestar Craptica. Not even an argument there.I'll miss the Sopranos.
I agree completely about LOST. What a joke it's turned into.
24 has become predictable, very predictable.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
HEROES reminds me of Lost/X-Men. WAY too much drama.
InternationalObserver See Profile I'm a Fan of InternationalObserver permalink
The problem with 24 was that it became increasingly ridiculous. If you watch the episodes
back to back (instead of one hour per week) you realise that there is no way anyone couldtake the physical abuse Jack Bauer does hour after hour and keep going.
BTW - can the producers PLEASE make the last ever series a 're-interpretation' of the JFK
assassination. With Jack Bauer as a Lee Harvey Oswald type character (ie accepting the
conspiracy theorists version that Oswald was in fact a CIA agent). This would be SUCH a
good way to end the series!!! Oh, the fun you could have with the script ....
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Hey Libsrule, thanks for giving the show a try. No one can ask more than that. While I liked
the show a lot from the start, I did feel it got better and better. NBC didn't help the show by
moving i around constantly, but the good sign is that viewers did respond. From the very first
episode on, a rock solid 6 million viewers typically tuned in every week for a new episode,whether it aired on Tuesday or Monday or Sunday. Usually, the sign that a show isn't workingwith viewers is when the audience drops from week to week. FNL was very steady and I'msure that's one reason NBC brought it back.
coachwrite See Profile I'm a Fan of coachwrite permalink
As a voting member of ATAS, I'm always surprised at the worthy shows that are ignored in favor of"old" favorites, new flavors, or because of a superior lead in...and apparently everyone's too lazy topush the button on their remotes.FNL is fine--really fine, and really real. I'm familiar with high school sports, the dramas and the traumasas well as the pressures (in this case exacerbated because of the locale) placed on players, coachesand their families. FNL's superb actors, excellent writing, and consistently accessing the "high" roadover the cliche deserves better than being bounced all over the weeknights---but hard core fans willfollow where ever it leads, just like we did for "Boomtown", a loss I'm still grieving over.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
You get to vote in ATAS? I'm jealous. Of course, the voting procedures remain a constantwork in progress and with their emphasis on individual episodes rather than an over-allseason (surely the episodes a show picks should just be as a guidelines for people who don'twatch a lot of the shows), odd results seem inherent in the Emmy nominations. I don't missBoomtown because when they brought it back for a second season, they changed everythingabout the show that made it special and ruined it, so the sooner they pulled the plug the
better. On the other hand, I do muss Deadwood because it remained true to itself and didn't
get messed with (though the last episode was a bit rushed). "American dreams" falls
somewhere in the middlle. Great family show, but halfway through the final season they
panicked and saw cancellation coming and rushed some storylines egregiously. I wish they'dgone out in style and they have nothing to be ashamed of, but it wasn't quite as satisfying asit should have been.
Beaux510 See Profile I'm a Fan of Beaux510 permalink
Hear Hear! Besides Jericho and Life on Mars (BBC - best show on TV in the last 15 years) FNL is agem that I'm surprised wasn't canceled, as quality usually is.
InternationalObserver See Profile I'm a Fan of InternationalObserver permalink
Heh heh ... Life on Mars was brilliant.
I hear they're making a US version. That should be interesting. The charm of the UK version
was that not only did the central character go back to the 70s (or did he?) but the cops hemet acted like the ones we saw on 70s cop shows, and the show 'looked' like a 70s britishcop show.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
I wonder if the US version will have the 'feel' of Starsky & Hutch or Mannix?
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
That's surely the only way it would make sense. I can't see spinning it out for five
years. Maybe they'd go from Starsy & Hutch to Miami Vice after two or three years?So high concept I think it works best as a short run series.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
I'm not a big fan of Jericho, but the BBC Life on Mars is very clever. Oddly, they wereplanning a US remake but I think it fell through, thank goodness. Glad you're watching and
enjoying FNL.
Apples See Profile I'm a Fan of Apples permalink
In the same way that many theater goers say how much they enjoyed the show but couldn't face the
prospect of seeing the movie, I had pretty much the same attitude with the FNL TV series; enjoyed the
film but didn't want my memory of it spoiled by a TV series with a different cast. However, Michael
Glitz's passion for the show had sparked an interest.
And speaking of Friday nights, can I put a plug in for the only current TV series of the summer where
waiting a week for the next episode is agony - Sci-Fi's Dr. Who. This new incarnation is completelydifferent from the early days of the Brit show. The standard of effects, the writing, and the acting -particularly of its current lead - David Tennant, is tremendous, not to mention tremendously funny. Ibelieve the previous series actually won Best Drama of the Year at the BAFTAs, though it continues tobe a no show at the Emmys. Awards aside, the show is a delight and has managed to do somethingthat the early days of Doctor Who never even aimed for - it made it human and occasionally touching.I'd recommend series 1 and 2 on DVD, and I believe this current series 3 will be available this
November.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
I liked the film version of FNL quite a lot. The TV show has a much bigger cast of characters
and a much broader sweep. It really covers life in this small town. Give it a shot. The newDoctor Who is terrific -- equal to the Tom Baker days of the original. It would be better thanever if they had a bigger budget and could afford to do more shows that weren't always basedon Earth. They're ingenious about making the storylines convincing, but it is hard to always bean intergalactic Time Lord but spending half your time on one plent. David tennant is terrific (Inow like him even better than Eccleston) and the new sidekick Freema is great too (thoughshe needs to get over her crush on him). Great fun for the family, too. It'll never, ever getEmmy nominations -- just not the right type of show, as Buffy found out over seven years.
jahyarain See Profile I'm a Fan of jahyarain permalink
i must admit i've never seen the show though i keep meaning to since i know they have a habit ofusing the music of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
As good a reason as any to check them out. It's not a constant presence but the peoplebehind the show are clearly fans and if they've got good taste in music they might have goodtaste in scripts, actors, etc. (It's always been one of my favorite band names. My own favoritename for a punk band at the moment is Aging Trophy Wife.)
JeffDeVore See Profile I'm a Fan of JeffDeVore permalink
The problem with running the show on Friday night is that, true to its title, high school football is playedon... you guessed it, Friday nights. Will check it out as I liked the Billy Bob Thornton movie.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
You're absolutely right. Not nearly enough room to say everything I'd like. They had the show
on several different nights during the season. Like all shows with complicated plots, I thinkthe days of running say eight episodes then taking a month off then two episodes then takingtwo weeks off then showing five episodes and so on are a thing of the past. The ONLY wayto schedule shows like this is all at once without repeats a la Lost and 24. Friday night --when football season is over -- would be perfect. Air it in January to piggyback on Super Bowl
excitement and then air straight through May sweeps. Friday night in the fall is stupid, but at
least they realized a show with Friday in its title was one people expected to air on Fridays.
InternationalObserver See Profile I'm a Fan of InternationalObserver
permalink
"...I think the days of running say eight episodes then taking a month off then two
episodes then taking two weeks off then showing five episodes and so on are athing of the past. The ONLY way to schedule shows like this is all at once without
repeats a la Lost and 24..."
I'm dumbstruck that US networks run their schedules this way! Does any other
country do it that way? Certainly none that I've visited, nor the one I live in. How onearth do they expect a show to succeed? Do they think that once an audience has
tuned in for the first few episodes they're 'hooked' and can be relied upon to follow
their TV Guide avidly to keep up with screenings?
D'uh, it doesn't work that way. And they wonder why TV viewership is declining ....
Bellatrix See Profile I'm a Fan of Bellatrix permalink
Thanks so much for touting this show. I think it's the best drama on TV, with performances so raw and
moving, I never come away without tears in my eyes. As a southerner who grew up in a small town, I
love how the director, Peter Berg, captures both the beauty and ugliness of that experience, and never
stoops to condescension or cultural critique. He lets the characters and their stories speak for
themselves. I also respect the way he handles religion, which is still such an integral part of southern
life, with subtly and respect. What a brilliant piece of art this is!
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Glad you love the show too. I felt they dropped the refs to faith a little bit in the second half of
the season. But in general it was woven in appropriately and very welcome.
huffposer See Profile I'm a Fan of huffposer permalink
Nice summary. FNL is probably my favorite show. I love it. It's about much more than football (althoughI'd probably still like it if it was nothing but football).
Heroes is very good. Takes me back to my comic book years of the 70's and 80's. Lost has been great at times and meandering at times. When it's good, though, it's among the best.And I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I like a number of reality shows. Amazing Race is my
favorite.
It was nice to see something on HuffPo that wasn't overtly political. Thanks for the article.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
No shame in reality. They've been around since TV began -- Queen For The Day and the like.
Amazing Race is very well done, though personally I'm a shameless addict to American Idol.Thanks for reading.
huffposer See Profile I'm a Fan of huffposer permalink
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Why You Must Watch "Friday Night Lights"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-why-you-must-watch-_b_62250.html [4/5/2009 8:48:06 PM]
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Comments are closed for this entryOh, I forgot. I'm also "nuts" for Jericho -- even if it is on life support.
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