Customer Reviews

Friday Night Lights: The Complete Series

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It's not about football... it's about life. I've lost track of how many times I've uttered this phrase to family and friends, imploring them to watch Friday Night Lights. When I find someone who is a regular FNL watcher then I know I've found a kindred spirit and will probably get along with that person just fine... unless they hate on Landry. Hate the game baby... not the playa. Ya heard? This show can be difficult to recommend because people tend to make assumptions about the subject matter and/or themes. It also just FEELS different from most shows. Some would say more authentic, or genuinely emotionally charged than typical prime time fare. One big reason is that this show is produced and shot in a way that most others aren't. Cameras are all hand-held and actors are allowed to improvise not only dialogue but even their marks and set direction so if the script reads "... walks to the edge of field and turns..." the actor can choose to instead head for the top of the bleachers and the camera operator will adjust mid-scene. The other BIG element that adds authenticity is the fact that all five seasons of FNL were shot in Austin, TX and Pflugerville, TX. No sets or sound stages replicating things. This may seem like a lot of extra work for the crew but that sweat (and blood and tears) shows up in the final result on screen.

All of the actors involved throughout all five seasons seem to really flourish in this environment. Every scene seems like a first take because it all just feels fresh and very immediate... like these people and things are real and if you drive deep into the heart of the great state of Texas, Tim Riggins might cut you off at an intersection on his way to save someone he loves from a terrible fate or to deliver one to someone who has wronged him. It's worth mentioning here that the cast swings through a very wide range of ages and their characters all have appropriate obstacles to overcome and goals to endeavor towards, yet all of them intersect nicely in a way that feels natural and unforced. Sure there are loads of convenient developments and lives intertwining in ways they probably wouldn't if these people were real, but you almost never think that while you're watching. OK, well there IS one thing that happens in Season Two which still makes die hard fans scratch their heads, but it's forgivable in the midst of all the other good stuff. Stop judging Landry!

Certain members of the cast come and go as seasons progress but a good stable core remains for the whole series. I hadn't seen much of Kyle Chandler before I got sucked into the FNL universe but he completely rocks. His character, Eric Taylor, is complex and the role calls for a wide range of acting skills, all of which he seems to deliver effortlessly time and time again. I think one of the smartest moves the producers of this show made was to secure two actors from the film that this television show is based on... Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity and Connie Briton as Tami Taylor. Both manage to infuse the show with the same energy and pathos they brought to the film in similar roles. Even though Leland can show up sporadically on the show, he always brings a full bottle of rocket sauce to the party. That dude can just flat out act. He will make you laugh until you hurt and then ten minutes later put a serious quiver in your bottom lip. Buddy is the man. The younger members of the cast do an admirable job as well. Jesse Plemmons, Aimee Teegarden, Taylor Kitsch, Zach Gilford, Adrianne Palicki and Minka Kelly all manage to carve out nice niches for their characters as well as be some pretty nice co-ed eye candy from week to week.

To me it just seems like this show has everything going for it. Yet I still know people who refuse to watch it because they think it's about football, or it's about teenagers so they won't relate, or it's about a small town, or it's about Texas.... or it's about whatever, but it's about all of that and more. I was even surprised how involved I became in FNL but it's just that good. The last (and only other) time I felt this melancholy about TV characters going away was during the finale of Six Feet Under. I'm not comparing the two, except to say that I was equally involved with the Dillon Panthers as I was with Fisher & Sons.

Most fans probably bought the individual sets as they were released, but if you didn't now is your chance to grab the whole shebang in one shot. This collection is packaged in book form and will carry lots of bonus features for each season. If you are already a fan then you are salivating for this. But if you are still on the fence and wondering what it's all about - let me tell you. It's not about football... it's about life.

BONUS FEATURES SEASON ONE:

DELETED SCENES
"BEHIND THE LIGHTS" FEATURETTE: A special look at the creation of the first season of "Friday Night Lights.

BONUS FEATURES SEASON TWO:

DELETED SCENES
WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL: Interviews with cast and crew.
FEATURED COMMENTARIES:
"Last Days of Summer:" Commentary with Executive Producer Jason Katims and Co-Executive Producer Jeffrey Reiner.
"Are You Ready for Friday Night?:" Commentary with stars Connie Britton and Aimee Teegarden.
"There Goes the Neighborhood:" Commentary with stars Jesse Plemons and Adrianne Palicki.

BONUS FEATURES SEASON THREE:

DELETED SCENES
DELETED STORYLINES:
"Keeping Up Appearances"
"Tomorrow Blues"
"TOMORROW BLUES" FEATURED COMMENTARY: Commentary with Executive Producer Jason Katims and Co-Executive Producer/Episode Director Jeffrey Reiner.

BONUS FEATURES SEASON FOUR:

DELETED SCENES
INTRODUCTIONS WITH PETER BERG
FEATURETTES:
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS...CAMERA, ACTION!: Take a look behind the scenes and discover how the "Friday Night Lights" production process captures the gritty reality of small town life and gives the cast a platform to truly explore their roles.
NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
PLAYBOOK
"EAST OF DILLON" FEATURED COMMENTARY: Commentary with Executive Producer Jason Katims.

Bonus Features SEASON FIVE:

DELETED SCENES
"THE LIGHTS GO OUT" FEATURETTE: An emotional and entertaining journey through all five seasons of "Friday Night Lights" as the cast and crew say goodbye.
FEATURED COMMENTARIES:
"Don't Go:" Commentary with Director Michael Waxman.
"Always:" Commentary with Executive Producer Jason Katims.
PHOTO GALLERY/YEARBOOK

This summer I asked one of my friends to suggest to me some new television shows I should watch. The first words out of her mouth were "Friday Night Lights." I rolled my eyes and immediately dismissed her. I had never been interested in watching Friday Night Lights. I thought it was just a show about football and teenagers crying over their insignificant high school problems. But my friend insisted it was much more than that and I took her advice. Within the first ten minutes of watching the pilot, I could see that I had been completely wrong.

Friday Night Lights created by Peter Berg, is based on the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream written by H.G. Bissinger. The book takes place in Odessa, Texas where Bissinger spent a year observing the football-obsessed town. But Friday Night Lights, the television series, takes place in the fictional small town of Dillon, Texas, where football reigns supreme and winning is everything. Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his Dillon Panthers seem to be on the way to a state title once again with their star quarterback Jason Street (Scott Porter) and their cocky but talented running back Brian `Smash' Williams (Gauis Charles). But during the first game of the season, Jason Street is paralyzed from the waist down. The entire town is shaken to its very core and everyone must learn to cope with the changes Jason's injury has brought to the team as well as the lives of those around him. From there, Friday Night Lights delves into the lives of the people of Dillon and their complex relationships with one another and themselves. Yes, football does play a big part in the telling of the stories, but it really acts as more of a vehicle for the tragedies and triumphs the characters experience.

One of the things that makes Friday Night Lights so unique is how real and intimate the show feels. All five seasons were shot in a documentary style with handheld cameras on location in a small town just outside of Austin, Texas. There are no sets or soundstages - everything is authentic. All of these factors are what make everything seem more emotional and raw. Each scene of the show feels like you're watching it happen in the moment and it didn't take a certain number of takes to get the shot just right.

Although the cinematography and writing are superb, the show wouldn't be the same without the genuine and emotionally charged performances of the extremely talented cast. Connie Britton plays Tami Taylor, the wife of the main character Coach Eric Taylor and guidance counselor at Dillon High. Britton's performance throughout the entire five seasons as the strong-willed Tami is nothing short of brilliant and her character is one of the most well written roles for women that I have ever seen on television. Tami isn't just the coach's wife - she has goals of her own. She puts her foot down and tells it like it is. Let's just say that she makes me proud to be from Texas. The chemistry between Britton and Chandler is unbelievable and their portrayal of the married couple is refreshingly realistic.

The cast is filled with young actors but all of them give incredibly mature performances. Over the course of five seasons not every single character stays, but you will have no trouble identifying with the new ones. Sometimes when new cast members are introduced or others leave, the balance of the show can seem off. But Friday Night Lights fits the new characters in seamlessly.

Some people may be concerned with the fact that many of the supporting characters are teenagers and they wouldn't be able to relate or get attached to their stories, but it's completely the opposite. Everyone can relate to the challenges of growing up and having to let go of the past and focusing on the future.
Friday Night Lights isn't just about football - it's about all of the curveballs life throws your way. It's about love and relationships. But most importantly, it's about these characters finding out who they are and what they want out of life. I would highly recommend buying the complete series to anyone.

I am a native Texan. I am Hispanic. I am a woman. And I LOVE football! I first read the book...then watched the movie...and when I heard there were going to make a TV show, I was a bit skeptical. But from the first episode, I was hooked on a wonderfully written and acted and filmed series. The show depicted life in small-town Texas realistically, and the relationships between parent and child and student and athlete were skillfully fleshed out. Not EVERY episode was perfect...but you knew that the following week, there would be a gem of a story. It's NOT all about football...or Texas...or teenagers. It's about families, and friends, and the good and bad things that happen in life. I will miss seeing this show on TV and I'm SOOOO happy the entire series will come out in October! I am definitely buying this box set, and every Friday (except during football season!)I will sit in my living room, pop a DVD in, and relive those Friday Night Lights. If you weren't a fan, rent the first season...trust me...you'll be hooked, too. Then buy the series, one at a time or the whole series. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!

This box set is essentially a repackaging of the five individual season sets already on the market. In fact, the discs themselves look to be the exact same discs. Sadly, there aren't any new extras, which is a bit of a disappointment. However, the package itself is beautiful and features great, glossy photographs of all of your favorite FNL characters. Each page doubles as a sleeve for the 19 discs, which are then bound into a hardcover book and protected by a cardboard sleeve. Definitely a keepsake piece for true Friday Night Lights fans. Buy this and you'll have no regrets.

Probably in that order, too.

I came to FNL late in the game, starting with season 1 while season 5 was in production. I started watching it because I thought a show about football would be the entertainment equivalent of comfort food. I thought it would be a guilty pleasure.

It turns out that the football is an important role player, but it is the characters that really make Friday Night Lights memorable. Other reviews have gone into great detail, so I'll just add a few thoughts and highlights:

The leads, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton as Coach Eric and Tami Taylor, have depicted, over the entire 5 seasons, the most realistic, nuanced, and loving married couple (not to mention parents) in the history of television. Period. Watching the relationship evolve from the movie (where Britton also played Tammy Taylor in a relatively small role) and through the seasons, a viewer sees a marriage of two strong, committed, imperfect people who love each other. Really, the Taylors alone make the series worthwhile.

The Matt Saracen/Julie Taylor young love. Again, one of the best explorations of teens in love, dealing with their sexuality and conflict, that I can recall on television. Not always pretty, but tends to ring true.

Taylor Kitsch's Tim Riggins. A great character who, after the Taylors, is the heart of the series. Who would imagine that Canadian-born former hockey player would be great as that kid we all knew growing up who had a ton of talent but didn't apply it? Or rather, he tended to apply it to partying. Women want to be with Tim Riggins, men want to be him. And yet he also manages to be the one football player who provides continuity through the 5 seasons. An excellent job of acting.

The football. OK - there are a few too many 4th quarter comebacks, but I can get realistic football with blowouts and defensive struggles from real life. This is a drama, after all. That said, the football choreography is excellent. The crowd scenes never pull a viewer out of the fantasy that this is high school football, and the atmospherics of a football-loving small Texas town are well captured.

FNL always had a small and devoted fan base. It struggled to survive year to year. It was always an uphill battle for producer/director Peter Berg to keep it going. Cast and crew describe it in the additional segments as a labor of love, and I think that love comes through in the product on screen. Buy it, or better, watch a few episodes as streaming video in Amazon On Demand and see if you don't agree. This is as good as network TV gets. 5 Stars.

Texas forever.

The details have already been given. Read the first review. All I can add is that this may be the best television show(quality, integrity, acting, scripting, staging etc:) EVER on television. Seriously, it is absolutely true to life, and gives you a sense of hopefullness. Spectacular! A Classic!! But don't take my word for it-buy this series, the whole thing.
A Viewer who has lived in Texas

My wife and I rented this series and thoroughly enjoyed it. When then showed it to my parents and one of my sisters - who were promptly hooked on it as well. A number of others have reported to us that they really enjoyed this series - in fact, I've not talked to anyone who watched it and said that they did not enjoy it. If that group of individuals all enjoy a series, then just about anybody will probably like it!

In short, the series is the story of a small Texas community and, in particular, the high school football coach and his wife. The name "Friday Night Lights" refers to the lights of the football field for every Friday night game. But don't let that fool you - this series is not as much about football as it is about the lives of the characters. You don't have to be an athlete to enjoy it (I was about the furthest thing from a football player in high school).

With all of the above positive comments, I would add that this is not a "family show". Yes, it's about high schoolers. But there is a disappointingly high amount of drinking and sexual content in this series (the series would have been as good without all of this - though probably not as popular with the high school crowd). So wait until the kids are in bed before putting this one on.

I would be willing to say that FNL is one of the best TV shows ever made, but generally under appreciated. As far as the DVD itself goes, it arrived it great condition. I shopped around because I do like to buy things like this from local record stores if I can. But I don't think you can find a better price that the one I paid with amazon. Go East Dillon!

FNL has got to be the best drama series ever created for television. Apparently, LA Times thinks so too, along with dozens of other critics. And for anyone who loves this series, you'll agree that FNL is NOT just about football. Football is more in the background while themes of family, friendship, mentorship, identity, and maturity take center stage. Just watch the first 3 episodes and you'll be hooked

I have not had enough sleep since I received this box set! I had to watch at least one,more often 2 shows per night. Texas forever, indeed. I loved this series to bits- so entertaining.