I just watched the Friday ...
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Question: I just watched the
Friday Night Lights pilot, and I have to say that, from the eight or nine new dramas that I've seen, it is by far the best of the bunch. I definitely feel
Friday Night Lights fills most of the gap left by the late, great
American Dreams. I was wondering how you think it will do in its time slot. It has some pretty formidable competition, all established shows in Fox's
House, CBS'
NCIS, ABC's
Dancing with the Stars and CW's
Gilmore Girls. I believe
Friday Night Lights is definitely worthy of breaking out. NBC is on a roll this season with its new shows.
Answer: Without getting into how you've seen this already (I can't keep track of what's out there for download or from Netflix), I absolutely agree that
Friday Night Lights is "worthy" of breaking out. It's one of my favorite fall pilots, and I love that it's not about crime-solving or courtrooms or kidnappings. It's that rarity about real people in an authentic place and time, not nostalgic like
American Dreams was, but just as heartfelt and even less saccharine. The problem, as you note, is that it's likely to be buried by the competition, which is already very diverse in appeal, and has shows with entrenched fan bases. (One upside is that
House will have completed its initial run at 8 pm/ET by the time
Friday Night Lights premieres Oct. 3.) Shows about sports traditionally don't do well, either, so that's another strike against it. But early critical buzz, and the fact that it's based on a well-known movie and book, could help. I only know that if the show holds up, I'll be an unapologetic cheerleader.
