It’s pretty early in the new television to be speculating about which series will be cancelled, but after only two weeks on the air, the football drama “Friday Night Lights” already might be in danger. The show, which follows the challenges and triumphs of the fictional Dillon Panther football team, has received stellar reviews but has garnered less-than-impressive ratings so far, causing fans such as myself to worry that the Panthers season may be cut short.
I knew “Friday Night Lights” would be a tough sell because, historically speaking, sports dramas have never done well on TV no matter how well done they are. (Remember “The White Shadow,” anyone?) But “Lights” deserves a chance not only for its authentic examination of athletics but also for its intelligent treatment of faith in rural America. The characters in “Lights” attend church or stop in the middle of a task to offer a prayer in a way that demonstrates faith as a natural, integral part of living. They face real problems and have genuine doubts that we all can identify with yet they never lose hope.
And while I am a fan of the show, there are other critics even more fervent in their support of this show. Writer Frazier Moore wrote a commentary for the Associated Press in which he called “Lights” nothing less than the heir apparent to “The West Wing.” He gives a slight dis to Sorkin’s “Studio 60″ and then proclaims that he thinks “the spiritual successor to ‘The West Wing’ is ‘Friday Night Lights,’ whose coach bears the grass-roots equivalent of the burden once borne by President Bartlet: a constituency telling him how to do his job while he fights to stay true to his own vision.
So here is my challenge to Idol Chatter readers: If you haven’t given “Lights” a try, watch tonight’s episode (NBC, 8:00 p.m.). What do you have to loose? “Gilmore Girls”–which airs at the same time–has, sadly, become a pale imitation of its former self. And no one needs to waste time and energy watching a bunch of D-List stars doing the cha-cha over on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” Instead, take a trip to Texas. You might be surprised at what you find there. And Coach Taylor and the rest of his team sure would appreciate your support.
posted October 18, 2006 at 1:58 pm
I love Friday Night Lights. I, too, hope it stays on the air.It’s really cool to see faith depicted as a given–just somethinng that you do.
posted October 18, 2006 at 5:49 pm
Love the show…keep it on…
posted October 18, 2006 at 6:05 pm
I think I’ll stick with HGTV. Granted nothing else is on but rotary sports are such a bore and I imagine a show about a football team would be equally so.
posted October 18, 2006 at 6:15 pm
I like Friday Night Lights. We need more shows on TV that are family & faith oriented. If they’d clean up TV shows there might not be so much disrespect & violence in the schools.
posted October 18, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Someone surely considered the impact of a “Friday…” title airing on a Tuesday night. That said, switch this jewel to Saturday night @ 7pm before the kids with dates go out… and give the kids who sit home on Saturday nights a h.s.-driven show.
posted October 18, 2006 at 7:56 pm
Friday Night Lights is in a bad time slot right now due to Dancing with the Stars on at the same tme. It is a wonderfully put together story and there should be more publicity about it. There should be more TV shows like this for the teens to watch at home. I vote to keep it on and maybe move it to another night.
posted October 18, 2006 at 8:08 pm
I love this show! My husband and I watch this every tuesday. I really hope this show stays on it’s more down home and more realistic to alot of viewers. hopefully they give it sometime.
posted October 18, 2006 at 8:36 pm
I love Friday Night Lights!
posted October 18, 2006 at 9:11 pm
I LOVE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, I WISH THEY WOULD PUT IT ON ON FRIDAY NIGHT, NOTHING ELSE GOOD IS ON THEN. I LOVE THE STORY LINE, IM INTERESTED IN ALL THE PEOPLE ON THIS SHOW I WANT TO KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT IN THEIR LIVES. ITS A GREAT SHOW GIVE IT A CHANCE. MARION
posted October 18, 2006 at 10:47 pm
I like the show, But it needs to be a bit more real. I am a high school coach, and I would never let someone tell me how to run the team, I would never let a player come to practice drinking.It has a great story line ,However
posted October 18, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Are you all referring to the same show that I saw on NBC last week? Granted I only watched about the first 10 minutes but that was more than enough for me to get TURNED OFF of it. What I saw was a kid in a hospital whose girlfriend went home with and made out with another teammate and probably would have had sex with that boy had his mother not walked into the house. It was trash and garbage and I was sorry to see it being shown during primetime. I mean it was only 7pm on a Tuesday evening. If you want to see good wholesome entertainment that portrays faith in a positive light, watch some reruns of “Promised Land”. “Touched By An Angel”, “Little House on the Prairie” or “Highway to Heaven”. They are certainly more positive and constructive than what I saw on “Friday Night Lights”.
posted October 19, 2006 at 1:05 am
WHY DO SUCH GOOD SHOW ALWAY GET CANCELED THIS IS THE BEST NEW SHOW. MY HUSBAND AND I WATCH IT EVERY TIME IT COMES ON.
posted October 19, 2006 at 1:40 am
I love “Friday Nights” it is a good show. I really like the way they show the different relationships between the coach, players, cheerleaders, and the community. I do wonder if some towns take high school football games this far. I want to see how the season ends.
posted October 19, 2006 at 2:35 am
I LOVE THIS SHOW!!! This coach is so refreshing compared to what we deal with in our community. Every week the show delivers an awesome message!!! KEEP IT ON!!!!
posted October 19, 2006 at 5:33 pm
Friday Night Lights is one of the best new shows on TV. Im glad there is something to watch on Tuesday night other than some chick show. It also airs at a good time, any teen that wants to stay up to watch it can still get to bed at a good time.
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