Friday Night Lights

Well my favourite news of the day: Friday Night Lights, one of my absolute favourite television shows (after, of course, the delicious Doctor Who), has been nominated for four Emmys this year. Best Drama, Best Writing for a Drama and Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama for Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.

Oh my goodness, this show totally took over my heart when I first started watching it. My first reaction to it was probably similar to a lot of peeople: Yuck, I don’t want to watch a show about American football. And there is a lot of football in it, but it really only serves as a background to all the wonderful characters and drama and stuff that this show presents in such an honest, intimate, brilliant way. And I found I got so invested in what was going on that the ‘football bits’ were equally as exciting and engaging as the rest of the show. The small town of Dillon, Texas, has a near religious devotion to football but what this show does so well is have all the glory and excitement of the game collide with reality and the realisation that off the field, the glory doesn’t last. Away from the lights and the cheers and the adrenalin, life is just that little bit harder.

I find it hard not to adore every single character, flaws and all. After just a few episodes these characters, brought to life so authentically by the actors, will just worm their way into your heart: they are so warm and real. Aw, just so much love for them and this show.

Friday Night Lights is in its last season, so the Emmy nominations are a nice send off I think. I am thinking it is unlikely they will win in any of the categories, especially up against all these shows that are so popular and commerically driven (Friday Night Lights has had numerous battles just to stay on screen over the past five years). But there is also the news that after its final season has been broadcast it will live on in ESPN Classics – I’m not familiar with this channel (being from Australia) but if this means Friday Night Lights might reach a new audience, I am all for it.