Clear Eyes. Full Hearts.

[magnolia888]

I almost never post on LJ anymore, but I wanted to share something and make one last plea to anyone who might be reading this.

Salon has given its annual Buffy Award for the most underappreciated TV show to . . . you guessed it, Friday Night LightsIf you aren't watching this show, why not

Comments

[mycenae]

I think I first came to love FNL when I realized it was ten times the show that Studio 60 could ever hope to be. I know S60 is dead and buried, but last year I was watching both and amazed that they could both be on the same network. I'd watch S60 on Monday nights and Sorkin's mouthpiece would be railing against the Iraq war, and while I'd mostly agree intellectually, as a viewer it did nothing emotionally. Then on Tuesday night Friday Night Lights would have a scene, just a simple scene, Matt caring for his grandma, and then in the background a shot of a photograph of his father in Iraq. Just that. Just simple human moments, that said more than any polished, glossy speech delivered rat-a-tat-tat by Matthew Perry ever could. And then I realized, just a few episodes in, that Friday Night Lights wasn't just going to be a show, entertainment. It had things to say, about America, yes, but more generally about being human. And it wouldn't browbeat the viewer. It would be subtle... touching, heartbreaking, funny, and beautiful.

I love how much it surprised me.

So far I've gotten two people to watch: One of my roommates last year (she liked One Tree Hill, and I found the "hey, you watch a show with a lot of high school basketball, why not one with high school football?" argument worked well) and now a friend and I are watching the DVDs together. I've tried convincing practically everybody I know, but I get a lot of "Ehh, football." Or sometimes "Eh, teen drama." Damn people and their preconceptions. The DVDs are making it easier, though.