If you haven’t watched “Friday Night Lights” over the last 4 seasons on NBC (and the ratings say you probably haven’t), you’ve missed one of the best TV dramas of the modern era. The good news is that ABC Family has picked up the series, and will air it every weekday at 5pm CT starting this afternoon.
Based on the Peter Berg movie of the same name (he’s on board as executive producer of the small-screen version), the show follows the goings-on in Dillon, a small Texas town typically obsessed with high school football. But this is NOT a football show — you don’t get much more than a few minutes of game action in each episode.
Few fictional TV shows have been as realistic about the problems of high schoolers and their parents as “Friday Night Lights.” The heart of the show is a wonderful cast of actors, anchored by Kyle Chandler (coach of the Dillon Panthers) and Connie Britton (guidance counselor at Dillon High School), who give remarkable performances week in and week out. They are ably supported by those who play the students and adults that the plots revolve around, with terrific scripts by Jason Katims and his writing staff.
If you’ve missed this series before, don’t make the same mistake. Set your DVR to capture each episode as they air in order beginning today.