Friday Night Lights

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rorgg said:

To answer your questions: a game is played in four 15-minute quarters, but there's a lot of clock stoppage. Including the halftime break, a high school game probably comes in at two to two and a half hours.

As for the team size... 11, just like the "other" football.

And clearly inferior to the best version, which has 15. =D

Hee, thanks for that! I'm very European when it comes to sports, I only get football (soccer) rules and that's it.

I've just watched the latest episode and...I hate to admit that a TV show can make me cry but I did tear up a little when Coach Taylor and the team came in to see Jason and then stupidsexy Tim walked in last, all guilty. When Jason cried after they all left I cried too. Gah, I hate that this show does this to me, I'm constantly telling myself they'll cancel it in a few weeks, I shouldn't be watching this.
I know I shouldn't be reading the Twop boards especially not the forums of a show I like but I did anyway (duh) and of course they all hate Lyla (because she's a cheerleader and skinny) while most people love Tim because he's hot. I hate what they're doing to Jason but I still like them both (well, basically I like all the kids on the show) if that makes sense. And Jason breaks my heart in every scene he's in. I think the actor who plays him does a great job. Never seen him before.
Oh, and how great is Kyle Chandler?

[catbusfever]

jensational said:

Also, I think the critic raised an interesting point--with a book and a successful movie, is this show overkill?

I think this show is overkill. In fact, I'd like to kill this show. I grew up in West Texas and went to the rival high school. (Midland Lee) Yes, the area is football obsessed but enough already. Does anyone really care? I mean, really? The book was pretty cool, the movie made me cringe and the idea of a weekly show makes me want to eat my own head. AGgggghhhh!

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The show's about football, but it's really not the focus of the show the way the book and movie were. It's more like a slice of life, with football just happening to be the thread that ties the various slices togther. There is plenty not about football, like Tyra falling for the older guy and getting her heart broken, Saracen and his grandma and his dad in Iraq, Street and his road back from paralysis...but mostly it's the details that are so true to life that really make the show--like Tim's look when Lila came over, the little choked sob Street made, etc.

The acting is so good, and I never fail to cry at some point each episode. The coach and Tami have the sexiest married relationship ever! I look forward to this show each week.

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Two words, Kyle Chandler.

[indygirl]

Kyle Chandler is just one of those actors that I really, really like. Not because he's a great actor (because I don't think he's anything spectacular--he's capable), but because he just seems so damn nice. I want him to do well. It makes me happy that he's on a show that seems to be doing well. I adored him in Homefront and even watched a few episodes of Early Edition.

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bellita said:

The show's about football, but it's really not the focus of the show the way the book and movie were. It's more like a slice of life, with football just happening to be the thread that ties the various slices togther. There is plenty not about football, like Tyra falling for the older guy and getting her heart broken, Saracen and his grandma and his dad in Iraq, Street and his road back from paralysis...but mostly it's the details that are so true to life that really make the show--like Tim's look when Lila came over, the little choked sob Street made, etc.

The acting is so good, and I never fail to cry at some point each episode. The coach and Tami have the sexiest married relationship ever! I look forward to this show each week.

I've come to think that what the show's really about is the town. Just another town that had its boom (with oil) and its bust, and the community as a whole is relying on football to bring back its heart. Football has always been important, but now that the oil money has left, it seems to be the only point of community pride left, and a sad one at that, because those boys (and the girls that follow them) will either go on to someplace better, or stay and die with a community that's been used up and discarded. Or maybe that's just my inner Marxist surfacing.

[buckdutter]

indygirl said:

Kyle Chandler is just one of those actors that I really, really like. Not because he's a great actor (because I don't think he's anything spectacular--he's capable), but because he just seems so damn nice. I want him to do well. It makes me happy that he's on a show that seems to be doing well. I adored him in Homefront and even watched a few episodes of Early Edition.

Ditto. It also doesn't hurt that he's cuter than the proverbial bug's ear. Sadly, though, I really don't like him on this particular show. He's badly miscast, as is a lot of the cast, come to think of it. No way is Homefront's adorable Jeff believable as a jaw-grinding Bill Parcells wannabe. Huh uh.

Good Lawd , the girl who plays Lila might just be the lousiest actress presently on television. Painful to watch and to hear.

I'm a big fan of sports and usually of sports-themed tv shows and movies, but this one is already grating with the bad acting, teen angst, and self-consciously "look, y'all ain't we gritty" documentary style.

All that aside, imo, the kid who plays the paralyzed player is heartbreaking and the one who plays his replacement actually looks and sounds like a real HS kid.

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Latest episode was a bit off I felt but still good. I'm glad Jason's already beginning to see what's going on between Lyla and Tim and that they're not dragging this out. That was a really good scene in the end, the expression on Scott Porter's face when he saw them hugging was perfect. And I can't help it but I kinda like Lyla. Yes, the actress has an unfortunate voice (even in interviews so that is her real voice) but she isn't Mischa Barton bad IMHO. And I like Lyla better than Tim at the moment who lost me a bit when he was angry at Lyla for kissing Jason in front of him. It made him seem a bit cold I thought. Not towards Lyla obviously but towards the whole Jason situation.

[swanflake]

catbusfever said:

I think this show is overkill. In fact, I'd like to kill this show. I grew up in West Texas and went to the rival high school. (Midland Lee) Yes, the area is football obsessed but enough already. Does anyone really care? I mean, really? The book was pretty cool, the movie made me cringe and the idea of a weekly show makes me want to eat my own head. AGgggghhhh!

I'm from West Texas too and I'm inclined to agree (although I never saw the movie). Odessa Permian also has the finest boys gymnastics team in the country (or at least they did a couple of years ago when I was in high school), which I always want to tell anyone who might think the school cares about nothing but football.

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Coach was eating BBQ at Smitty's in Lockhart! Mmmm....mmmm! Finally a location I recognize.
This episode was a little dramatic, but overall it was good. When I saw Lila at the homecoming game with #6 painted on her cheek, I couldn't help but get a little welled up.
So glad NBC picked this up!