I absolutely loved the first season of FNL. When it was on regular season, I never watched - wasn't even interested in it. Mostly because I've gotten more and more skeptical of quality TV programming and also I thought it was silly to have the name Friday Night Lights on any other night besides Friday. But I did happen to see one episode reran this summer. After that, I went to NBC's site and watched the entire season in 3 days. I fell in love with it. I have done more campaigning for people to watch this show than any other. Then, I read where the writers are going to make it more about relationships and less about football and on top of that NBC isn't really investing too much more into this show. Well today I watched on the internet the second season premiere in its entirety on tv.yahoo.com, and I have to say I'm disappointed. So I apologize, it's fans like me that got this great show in this position to begin with. How can we rally NBC marketing and the writers to make this the show we loved so much last season.

I don't know how this show assembled such a diverse crew, spanning several decades of age, without one of them being wooden or hammy. If there's an actor's equivalent of HGH, I'd suspect that the entire cast of FNL must be on it. I've watched every moment of the series -- 22 episodes worth if I'm not mistaken -- and though it has dealt with subject matter that has been tackled by teen dramas hundreds of times before, there was not one scene that made me roll my eyes and think to myself, "Oh gawd, this is such... television." There's not been one melodramatic, ham-fisted soliloquy which had me thinking, "C'mon, people don't talk like that in real life!" I've never felt like my intelligence has been insulted, never had to suspend my disbelief.

If someone put a gun to my head and said, "Name one bona-fide clumsy scene from FNL," I don't know if I'd be alive long afterwords. I guess maybe the whole Smash's-girlfriend-is-bipolar thing? No, because that actually does, you know, happen.

While I absolutely think this is a fantastic show, and it was much better than other shows that have gotten more/similar hype like Heroes/Jericho, there is no way it is close to as good as the early seasons of Buffy. There is really hardly any show that can compare to that level of excellence, except perhaps some of the best seasons of the X-Files, Firefly, and the best seasons of Angel, of course.

Amen, what a great review. I care nothing at all about football, and this is still easily my favorite new show. Trust us, it ain't all about the ball. Please please please, people, start watching it!

Great review of the series, Adam. I completely agree with your assessment that this is superior entertainment. In all aspects, FNL is a head above the competition. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance- I personally don't know anyone who hasn't loved it after giving it a chance.

I ordered my copy back in June when they first announced it. My plan is to invite many of my friends over to cram in season one prior to the season two premiere. The more organically we can approach promotion the more chance this worthwhile show has of gaining an audience. If every fan introduces it to even just two or three other people... well you get the idea.

FNL fans unite!

My only complaint is that they moved it to Friday nights! I live in TEXAS, they of all people should know we aren't home on Friday Nights...we are at the FOOTBALL GAMES! Thank God for TiVo!

I never watched it, NBC never made it catchy enough in the promos to catch my eye. I guess I could just buy it on DVD and then watch it and return it whether I like it or not. I don't see the point to buying a TV show on DVD when they are more than likely to air reruns. But on the other hand I would definitely buy Dawson's Creek or Heroes, not so on Grey's Anatomy since Lifetime shows reruns. TBS shows reruns of Dawson's Creek, but at 4am and 9am Central Time.

It's supposed to be $20 next week at Best Buy.

Actually, my family did not like the show after the first episode and I stopped watching halfway through the second one. Because we were all looking forward to the series, the rest of the family decided to give it one more week and by the end of the third episode they were hooked. I even went back to watching it about midway through the season. I think in the beginning, the characters were not fully developed and none of them had any rooting value. Once the show became less stereotypical, the characters were more interesting and the audience could care about them.

I will probably buy (or rent) the DVD to see the episodes that I missed.

Jacki

Thanks, YouTube!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=65YS-EIONQY

For those who didn't get the reference in my first paragraph. :)