Last Thursday night, I'd just read the great Bill Simmons ranting about the fact that Friday Night Lights is about to be cancelled. All the fuss about this show reminded me of the buzz around Battlestar Galactica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- seemingly lame television shows that are smarter than what they appear to be on the surface. Still, the word-of-mouth buzz wasn't enough to get me to watch Buffy since I watch too much television as it is. I would have kept my distance from Friday Night Lights as well, only all the Season 1 episodes are available on the web. Right here. So I thought I'd watch an episode or two online to see if it was worth renting the DVDs. And here's the thing. I couldn't stop watching the show. In three days, I watched all 22 episodes. I watched the season finale Sunday morning around 2:30 am. Not only did this make me tired all weekend, but Wendy wanted to watch the show with me because she's heard similar raves. Too late, babe. No way I could drag out 22 episodes over a month or two.And while I'm telling you things, here's another thing. I've never liked shows about high school kids, which are all melodramatic, and I rarely like shows (or movies for that matter) about sports. Unrealistic sports shows drive me nuts. In fact, the sports scenes in Friday Night Lights aren't realistic, and they're sometimes painful. The actors are decent athletes, so you don't get ridiculous problems like Gary Cooper swinging like a sissy or Leonardo DiCaprio dribbling a basketball like a 6-year-old with an inhaler. Friday Night Lights has too many dramatic finishes, especially when you watch all the episodes in 3 days, and the editing is way off when it comes to down and distance. Fortunately, the sports scenes end quickly enough and don't do lasting damage.
So why watch the show? The actors are talented and likeable and the writing is sharp. The arguments between the coach and his wife are charming and realistic, complete with overlapping dialogue. Mrs. Coach is a dang good actress, as she shows here. But the showstopper for me is the kid named Landry. He steals every scene he's in. Like this one:
There are a couple more Landy scenes here and here.
I'm not saying the Friday Night Lights is the best show on television. That honor belongs to The Wire. But it's up there. I'm a convert. Give it a try. It starts out a little rough, but it hits its stride after a few episodes.
Bob, you started the blog entry by saying that the show is getting cancelled.
ReplyDeleteYou really need to work on your sales strategy. No wonder Adobe is doing so poorly. I mean I heard that they can't even afford free sodas.
FNL rocks. It became, along with Heroes, our family show last year. Which can be awkward. I mean, you try explaining to your 8, 11, and 13 year olds that locker room sex is NOT normal, at least not generally, and that teenage high school kids shouldn't really be putting on raves and selling mixed drinks.
ReplyDeleteI remember after one particularly intense episode I watched with Holden, 8 at the time. The screen went dark, and he looked at me, heaved a big sigh, and said "I LOVE Friday Night Lights. Can we move to Texas?"
I'm not sure he gets it, but he loves it.
Botched, the show is in danger of being cancelled, but Season 2 starts Oct. 5. If the ratings don't pick up, they'll drop the show and air CSI: Juneau starring Patrick Duffy as a hard-boiled detective. But I think the show is going to make it now that the mighty Simmons has weighed in and convinced every male between the ages of 18 and 45 to give the show a chance. Question: Do the Nielson ratings factor in TiVo and DVR recordings?
ReplyDeleteDug, we're trying to watch Heroes as well. The jury is still out.