Friday Night Lights

:

Season 1
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 314 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 291 out of 314
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 314
  3. Negative: 17 out of 314
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User Reviews

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  1. brianar
    Oct 26, 2006
    10
    it is so beliable!!!!
  2. SBaker
    Oct 27, 2006
    10
    Excellent character-driven show with great touches of reality and true to life humor. A nice mix of drama, sit-com and reality that beats anything else now on TV.
  3. JoshF
    Oct 31, 2006
    10
    Absolutely unbelievable!
  4. jimw
    Jan 24, 2007
    10
    This is the best drama on TV, and it just keeps getting better. Bravo.
  5. HuongP
    Jan 26, 2007
    10
    Awesome. Could have more football action for the ment.
  6. ErinC
    Feb 19, 2007
    10
    I'm 21 years old and this is the only TV show I make sure I'm home to watch!! I love it!!!
  7. JuileB
    Feb 21, 2007
    10
    The highest praise for Berg and the cast's imuy suave telescoping of high school football, no, make that, Texas high school football, for the tube. This one's gripping, darkly humorous, compassionate. No wonder it's doomed.
  8. DavidK
    Feb 23, 2007
    10
    I can only assume the low star posters above are from extremely jealous network employees of competitors forced to respond here. Anyone who watches this show can tell something unbelievably unique is happening. There will NEVER be a show that captures the emotion and complexity of real life the way FNL does, NEVER! I would give up watching every other program to keep this series going for I can only assume the low star posters above are from extremely jealous network employees of competitors forced to respond here. Anyone who watches this show can tell something unbelievably unique is happening. There will NEVER be a show that captures the emotion and complexity of real life the way FNL does, NEVER! I would give up watching every other program to keep this series going for the next twenty years. I suggest new readers watch all of the old episodes online for free and enjoy the amazing ride. Last weeks show was a masterpiece!… Expand
  9. JoeM
    Feb 28, 2007
    10
    This show is amazing. Every episode is very intriguing and keeps me watching every week. It has an excellent cast and I hope NBC keeps it around because the ratings will eventually come.
  10. AnneS
    Mar 26, 2007
    10
    You don't have to be a football fan to be addicted to this show. It is one of the best written shows I have ever seen .Hopefully NBC will renew it for season 2, move it to FRiday night and keep it in the same time slot .... That would increase viewers Reruns during the summer will help as well....
  11. IriaH
    Apr 11, 2007
    10
    Best show ever, would be a shame if it doesn't get renew
  12. MARYm
    Apr 12, 2007
    10
    The best T.V. show since the Sopranos. Everything about this drama is perfect-Why isn't everyone watching??????
  13. DavidS
    Apr 14, 2007
    10
    Great show. Best on TV.
  14. ArchK
    Apr 15, 2007
    10
    This amazing program only got better as the seaon went on. Where the hell are the "TV has no good family programs" bunch? Rarely has a program earned their respect and support so througly, yet they remain silent. NBC: PLEASE KEEP IT RUNNING
  15. DerekB
    Apr 26, 2007
    10
    The best show on television - No questions asked
  16. WilliamD
    Jun 24, 2007
    10
    This show is absolutely the best on television, and this is coming from someone that appreciates great shows like Lost, The Sopranos, Dexter, and The Wire.
  17. ChrisB.
    Sep 26, 2007
    10
    I honestly thought the premise to the show was hokey, and I hadn't seen the movie. I had however, given the cast and writers a chance and am quite pleased with the result of their work and effort. I look forward to the new episodes every week during the season.
  18. DavidKi
    Jan 28, 2008
    10
    Consistently the finest shot, acted and written series on television. I eagerly look forward to each and every show.
  19. mark
    Feb 16, 2008
    10
    This show fits into that narrow category in which it is so good that you need to verbalize it to your viewing partner at every commercial break. It's not about football...but the football stuff is engaging as hell (I'm not a football fan). It's about human beings living together and it's delivered with superlative acting, scripting, production, etc. Sure there's This show fits into that narrow category in which it is so good that you need to verbalize it to your viewing partner at every commercial break. It's not about football...but the football stuff is engaging as hell (I'm not a football fan). It's about human beings living together and it's delivered with superlative acting, scripting, production, etc. Sure there's eye candy but even the worst of them can act well. On most shows, tragedies like divorce/infidelity are delivered with excessive moralism and we're spoon-fed how we should feel about it. This one delivers it as it exists in life: complicated, and not one-sided. It's so good it even survives goofy plot twists b/c it's the rare TV program that's about how it's told, even more than what is told. My one criticism is that the hand-held camera can be a bit too self-conscious and over-done from time to time, it doesn't make you dizzy like some that employ this technique, it just needs to stick to genuine use, without accentuation. Some moments are so artful, painterly, and beautiful that it hurts. The last scene in the show my wife and I watched tonight (online) with Tammy and coach looking in the mirror after their evening out was pitch-perfect. It would be a real shame for this show to end...or would it? I hope that someone on cast and crew sees this and shares it around b/c the show is so good it really makes me want to thank and congratulate them all. Whomever plays Tammy and Landry in particular are phenomenal but it's really a tour de force. Tammy acts better just with her eyes than most other network actors can do with their whole bodies. I'll cut it here lest I sound too wacko to be taken seriously b/c of my gushing. Man, it's that good though.… Expand
  20. Adrian
    Dec 11, 2007
    10
    Jonathan Storm should quit his job since he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.
  21. danielw
    Nov 19, 2008
    10
    I love the show. I can't wait to watch it every week. The acting is awesome. The coach has such a dynamic character. I hope the show stays on for a long time.
  22. Island7
    Aug 17, 2010
    10
    Without a doubt, Friday Night Lights is one of the best TV shows I have ever seen. The story is so well done and realistic that it makes you feel as if all these characters are real people who you could actually visit if you went to this small town in Texas. I highly recommend Friday Night Lights for anybody who is a fan of good TV.
  23. Caldean11
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    Nearly flawless. Realistic, poignant, inspirational...and it really should be watched by many more people. Myself and a crew of friends just got hooked...and my wife loves it too. Just finished season one...
  24. lynninny
    May 26, 2011
    10
    This is just a great show. Amazing, subtle, strong acting and fully fleshed characters that constantly explore the divide between class, race, and genders. It is not just about football (I admit that I am not much of a football fan)--it is about life.
  25. Tss5078
    Oct 13, 2016
    10
    For five seasons, Friday Night Lights was the number one teen drama on television and I have yet to find a single person who didn't love this show. It's impossible to imagine that a show centered around a football team could be so successful, when TV shows centered around sports almost never succeed on television. Looking back, I can't find a single TV drama that was centered around aFor five seasons, Friday Night Lights was the number one teen drama on television and I have yet to find a single person who didn't love this show. It's impossible to imagine that a show centered around a football team could be so successful, when TV shows centered around sports almost never succeed on television. Looking back, I can't find a single TV drama that was centered around a sports team that lasted longer, so why was Friday Night Lights so successful? The answer is quite simple.

    While the show was centered around the Dillon Panther football team, football wasn't the end all and be all of the show, it made up a quarter of the series. The other parts focused on the town of Dillon, the Taylor family, and the lives of the players. It's this mix that left something for everything. As a sports fan, I loved the football angle to the show and thought that Coach Taylor was on of the most realistic portrayals of a coach that I have ever seen. For the ladies, there is plenty of romance and teen drama involved with the show, surrounding the players, the high school, and the Taylor's young daughter. As for the adults, there is the family values aspect, as the Taylor's truly care and don't just take care of the students they are entrusted with, but they take an interest in helping the entire town that they are a part of.

    The story lines run deep and the character development is as good as you will ever find in any television show. In binging five seasons of this show, I felt as though I knew some of these characters as if they were members of my own family.

    As for the stars of the show, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton had amazing chemistry, which they used to play off each other and the result is that neither of them have ever been better than this. The Taylor's were career defining roles for both actors and they aren't the only ones. This show also launched the careers of Taylor Kitsch, Jesse Plemmons, and Zach Gilford, all of whom have gone on to some very successful roles following Friday Night Lights.

    If you're thinking that this show is just some MTV teen drama or a show about football, you couldn't be more wrong. This is one of the best depictions of life in small town Texas, Southern youth culture, and the struggles associated with life in a small town that you will ever find. I highly recommend this show for it's drama, it's exciting action, but most important of all for it's amazingly accurate portrayals and lessons associated with real life in small town America.    … Expand
  26. keanex
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    A bit too focused on high-school and real life drama, Friday Night Lights plays out like a football inspired soap opera. Hell that's probably the point of it. Great show that tugs at the heart, creates excitement in the fictional games, and paces itself nicely. I found myself binge watching, which is rare for me.

    If you liked the movie, you're going to at least enjoy the first season.    A bit too focused on high-school and real life drama, Friday Night Lights plays out like a football inspired soap opera. Hell that's probably the point of it. Great show that tugs at the heart, creates excitement in the fictional games, and paces itself nicely. I found myself binge watching, which is rare for me.

    If you liked the movie, you're going to at least enjoy the first season. It has a lot of parallels. The second season is notoriously weak, but stick with it, it's a great show.    … Expand
  27. thechosenfee
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Did I lose a friend? Well that is how I felt after watching the last episode. Friday nights lights and parenthood are the best shows I've seen in awhile.
  28. Phony
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    A must watch for thoughtful people-----The most gloriously honest, compelling, intelligent show I've ever seen on network TV, and maybe beyond. It's poignantly scripted, unnervingly well acted (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are two of the best performers I've ever seen.), and gorgeously shot. I want to scream from the mountain tops about this show. ...REALA must watch for thoughtful people-----The most gloriously honest, compelling, intelligent show I've ever seen on network TV, and maybe beyond. It's poignantly scripted, unnervingly well acted (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are two of the best performers I've ever seen.), and gorgeously shot. I want to scream from the mountain tops about this show. ...REAL ART on TV... I didn't know it was possible before FNL.… Expand
  29. JoyTheWizard
    Mar 29, 2013
    10
    Friday Night Lights is one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. From the amazing chemistry, to the kind of show that just touches your heart. It's one of my favorite shows in quite a while.
  30. oakridge
    Aug 7, 2013
    10
    An absolutely amazing series. I was put off initially by the football theme, but in essence this is just the backdrop to everything else going on. The entire cast are superb, but it is Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton that shine. Britton in particular should be an A list actress of the cinema with her stunning looks. Her performance is full of nuances and she is totally believable in everyAn absolutely amazing series. I was put off initially by the football theme, but in essence this is just the backdrop to everything else going on. The entire cast are superb, but it is Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton that shine. Britton in particular should be an A list actress of the cinema with her stunning looks. Her performance is full of nuances and she is totally believable in every scene. The shows writers are to be commended for the great restraint they show with their characters, and at times the show is extremely moving without being overly sentimental or mawkish. In its entirety (5 seasons) this has to rank as one of the greatest tv shows ever made.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best TV Season of 2006
7
#7 Most Discussed TV Season of 2006
11
#11 Most Shared TV Season of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Bill Goodykoontz
    90
    The biggest and most pleasant surprise of the season.
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  2. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: David Zurawik
    80
    Surprisingly wise and moving.
    Read full review
  3. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    70
    Has the same quick-cut look, crisp dialogue and bone-crunching game scenes [ast the movie].
    Read full review
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