I would have watched the premier of Friday Night Lights last night - except the sporting drama was on at the same time as the football....But what did you - and the critics - make of the new ITV4 import?
Personally I have been driven to distraction by a string of previews (Sarah Hughes in the Observer being the exception) which have referred to the TV show as a spin-off from the film starring Billy Bob Thornton, but have failed to mention the book that started the process. HG Bissinger's book is brilliant. The film is OK.
Not quite sure why ITV decided to put the show on its least-appreciated digital channel at exactly the same time as many multi-channel homes would be watching real-life sport on Sky Sports. So here is the only review I've managed to track down so far. I'll be watching it on Sky+ tonight. And thank you to this reviewer for knowing about the book too.
Ian Johns in The Times said:
"I approached this new US drama series, inspired by a nonfiction book and a glossy Hollywood movie, thinking that we surely didn't need another hormonally charged episodic drama featuring young, telegenic actors. But it is not really a teen soap or entirely about American football, which is a relief to those of us who relate more to quarter pounders and griddles than quarterbacks and gridirons. This is a portrait of a community infatuated with the game because nothing else in the residents' lives is as thrilling.
That's not to say there aren't soapy elements -- this is a prewatershed 8pm drama -- which tend to involve the younger characters...Yet it's refreshing to find these TV teens speaking without the meta self-awareness that has permeated young-adult dramas ever since Dawson's Creek.
This is the kind of well-played ensemble drama in which the star is whoever happens to be on the screen. Every circle of characters ripples out to another one, from the players and coaches to family, friends, lovers, parents and fans.
Other imported series, such as Heroes and Ugly Betty , have grabbed much more attention but this also deserves a look. Like a good lawyer, it offers up the facts and leaves us to make our own judgments about the racism, class divides and misplaced priorities that ripple through a community."
Update: It seems I was not alone in my viewing choices, with just 26,000 viewers watching.
