Friday Night Lights (NBC 2006-2011, Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton)

In Friday Night Lights (based on the 2004 movie of the same name), when Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) is handed the chance to coach high school American football for the first time in the small Texan town of Dillon, he soon realises that Friday nights will never be the same again.

The expectation placed on his talented, and troubled, Dillon Panthers is huge and they are the pride and joy of the close-knit community.

How they cope, or fail to cope with off-field problems underpins the drama. Each upcoming game is critical to the storylines but the action centres on the characters’ lives outside the stadium. One of the biggest problems facing Taylor is the spinal injury to quarterback Jason Street (Scott Porter).

Memorable moment: Rivalry runs deep in the state championship especially when the Panthers and Arnett Mead meet. Before the biggest game of the year both teams try to get one up on each other by vandalising their rival’s town.

Trivia: In the pilot episode Jason Street suffers a serious spinal injury. That storyline was inspired by a real life incident in which a player from San Antonio’s High School in Texas, was paralyzed during a game in 2003 game. The series creator, Peter Berg, was at the game and it had a profound effect on him.

cast
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor
Aimee Teegarden as Julie Taylor
Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity
Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins
Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke
Zach Gilford as Matt Saracen
Derek Phillips as Billy Riggins
Blue Deckert as Mac McGill
Minka Kelly as Lyla Garrity
Adrianne Palicki as Tyra Collette
Timothy F. Crowley as Coach Crowley
Louanne Stephens as Mrs. Saracen
Stacey Oristano as Mindy Collette
Scott Porter as Jason Street
Gaius Charles as Brian ‘Smash’ Williams
David Cowgill as Slammin’ Sammy

crew details
Creator: Peter Berg
Executive Producers: Peter Berg, Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Sarah Aubrey, Jason Katims, Jeffrey Reiner, David Hudgins

production details
Country: USA
Network: NBC – 101 Network
Duration: 76×45 minute episodes
Aired From: 3 October 2006 – 9 February 2011