In what appears to be a crushing blow to the hopes of anyone who wants more crappy television shows, yesterday it was announced that NBC's stellar high school football drama Friday Night Lights was renewed for another season.This is something of a surprise, given the show's low ratings over its first season and the network's propensity to shift its time slot quite often, which included a move to Wednesday nights competing directly against America's Next Top Model. I would say that I can't believe male America couldn't do more to support FNL, but then I'd be a hypocrite. ANTM is some damn good television, too.
All that aside, there is one big catch to this great news: Friday Night Lights is getting way more literal, since NBC is actually moving it (again) to Friday nights. This is practically a death sentence for almost any show that isn't geared to losers or the elderly.
FNL deserves better. It's very similar to something like M*A*S*H, using a central conceit (football) as a springboard for exploring many diverse themes. And it rarely rings false, quite a feat for "high school" shows, which are notoriously contrived, as are most attempts to fictionalize the world of sports.
Don't get me wrong, though. If you like sports--especially football--you'll like this show. You'll also like Kyle Chandler, who would have caught a big break by now if people had been paying attention. Grey's Anatomy doesn't count.
We already lost this gem once upon a time. Let's not let another one slip away.
