|
||||||||
| Written By Rick
Ellis, Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 There is this misconception about small town life. Most people who live in cities and urban areas tend to believe that life in a small community is boring and gossipy and some odd variation of "The Andy Griffith Show." Small town life, they say, is a breeze compared to life in Washington D.C. or Miami or South L.A. It is true that it might not be as violent, but small town life is easily as complex and challenging as any other lifestyle. Especially for teens facing the universal questions about school and sex and family life. Audiences generally need to be tricked into watching a story about small-town life, which is why movies such as "Friday Night Lights" did so well. Adding the pressure of small town sports to the story mix draws in a bigger audience, one that comes from the football and stays for the emotional underpinnings. All of this might explain why "Friday Night Lights," the television show based on the hit movie, struggled in the ratings during its premiere season. The reviews were universally positive, and the viewers who did tune in seemed thrilled with what they saw. But despite all of the hype and promotional muscle, the drama barely squeaked into a second season. If you want to know what you're missing, the just-released DVD box set of season one is a great primer. To catch you up, all you need to know is that at its core, "Friday Night Lights" tells the story of life in the small town of Dillon, Texas – where football is king and the whole town gathers on Friday night to watch the Dillon High School Panthers take the field. But what captivated the audience in season one was the off-field events. The teen characters have to deal with the stress of their parent's expectations, the fears of being trapped in a small town, the disappointments that come with growing up. The cast is stunningly strong across the board, and it includes Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Scott Porter, Gaius Charles, Taylor Kitsch, Zach Gilford, Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki, Jesse Plemons and Aimee Teegarden. Watching the episodes back-to-back is like viewing some extra-long feature film. The complexity of the stories and the strength of the writing make for a consistently entertaining season, and unlike a lot of TV dramas, there aren't a lot of weak spots. If there's one weakness in season one, it's that some of the characters seem to exist just because the writers needed a stereotype to advance the story. There's the rich cheerleader who is far from perfect, the school slut who everyone considers white trash. Perhaps there are better things ahead for them, but in season one, they aren't much more than convenient plot points. My one complaint about the box set is that there isn't much in the way of extras. Which seems odd given the fact that we're dealing with a brand new show, one in which the producers and studio had to realize the importance of extras in the inevitable DVD box set. Regardless, if you missed "Friday Night Lights" the first time around, you must buy this box set. You'll want to watch season two as it unfolds, and this modestly priced set will get you completely up to speed. And if you watched it on TV, seeing it commercial-free makes the viewing experience much more enjoyable. "Friday Night Nights The Complete Season One" hits store shelves on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007. |
||||||||
