TV REVIEW: ‘Friday Night Lights’ comes out strong in first quarter
This is the only show I wasn’t able to preview in the paper before the actual airing of the show. Sorry, I know I’m slacking.
‘Friday Night Lights’ on NBC focuses on one key notion: “In Texas, football is God.” The show is about a high school team in Texas that is considered by sports analysts everywhere to be the best high school team in the nation.
I’m split on whether or not I like this show. On one hand, from the pilot, everything is very clichéd of a football themed show: the big game, the star quarterback, the showboat running back, the timid backup quarterback, the new coach, the endless football montages. On the other hand, the writing makes those things work.
The acting also is another bright spot in “Friday Night Lights.” Kyle Chandler (“King Kong”) plays Coach Eric Chandler, who is expected to win the state championship for the school and the town. The team actually has a news team following them around everywhere, showing just how much these people care about their high school football.
“Friday Night Lights” has sort of taken a back seat in NBC’s promotion department, to “Heroes” and “Studio 60,” but it does deserve to find its audience. While I probably won’t keep tabs on this show throughout the whole season, I can see that other people would definitely love it.
It’s well-made, well-acted and well-written. What “Friday Night Lights” needs to focus more on is the characters and less on the actual football.
Football needs to be the setting and the characters need to drive the story, not the other way around. So far they seem to be off to a good start.
“Friday Night Lights” airs on NBC Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Aaron Peck is a sophomore in computer science and is The Statesman’s TV critic. Comments, suggestions and
questions can be sent to
aaronpeck@cc.usu.edu