This week represented a touchdown for fans of NBC’s small-town football drama “Friday Night Lights.” The show was nominated for Emmys in the Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series categories. Kyle Chandler was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Coach Taylor, and Connie Britton for Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance as Coach’s wife, Tami Taylor.Though loyal spectators are celebrating the victory, for many, it has come too late. The show, which is airing in its fourth season and excluded from last year’s Emmys, tops the lists for the most overlooked TV series. Media forums such as TV Guide and NBC itself have bemoaned the absence of “Friday Night Lights” from the awards podium. Fans even started a Facebook group to get star Zach Guilford nominated for his performance in the episode “The Son.” The group has nearly 10,000 fans.So what is it about “Friday Night Lights?” It receives high praise but suffers low viewership. Though it has all the makings of a hit drama—family clashes, teen drinking—the gritty Texas setting and the characters’ real-life problems may hit too close to home for viewers. In the age of “Gossip Girl” and “The Bachelor,” does “Friday Night Lights” offer a little too much reality?Whatever the reason, longtime fans such as myself will not be satisfied until the series takes home the big prize: Outstanding Drama Series.But then again, there’s always next season.
Friday Night Ode To “Friday Night Lights”
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