Friday Night Lights

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Poignant football drama scores; OK for teens.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sports drama -- like the movie it's based on -- centers on the coach and players of an elite high school football team in small-town Texas. There's constant tension between the community's desire to win games and the coach's goal of helping his players understand the inner strength they need to truly be winners. Racial tensions, underage drinking, and sexual tension are prevalent, and some of the football scenes can get pretty intense. Other mature issues include infidelity, abusive relationships, divorce, going to war, and more.

  • There's a strong focus on playing from the heart as well as playing to win. Racial tension is also a theme here. Prayers are both seen and heard throughout show.
  • Coach Taylor is committed to the game, his players, and his family. Some players act inappropriately due to their "celebrity" status (for example, Smash has young women do his homework), while others struggle with serious family, health, and/or personal issues.
  • The games are rough, and some of the injuries are very serious. Some arguing, pushing, and shoving between feuding teammates. One storyline deals with sexual assault, another with murder. Some abusive relationships.
  • Some hugging, kissing, and making out, as well as strong innuendo. Teens are seen in bed together. One high school kid sleeps with his 30-something neighbor and also his best friend's girlfriend. A girl cheats on her boyfriend. Some lingerie/underwear shots. Dating, relationships, and sex (including virginity) are discussed.
  • Relatively mild: "Damn," "hell," etc. Occasional racial epithets, like "cracker."
  • Restaurant logos, such as Applebee's, are distantly visible. Sports drink bottles are visible, but no logos.
  • Underage drinking (often with the intention of getting drunk); one player is hung over on several occasions.

What's the story?

Centered on the world of elite high school football, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS follows the trials and tribulations of coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and the Dillon Panthers, the number-one team in Texas. When star quarterback, Jason Street (Scott Porter), is sidelined in the first season, Taylor is left with inexperienced second-string QB Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford). The coach struggles with the community's desire to win the state championship and the need for his players to understand that football isn't just a game, but also a journey of self-discovery. And the players -- including running backs Brian "Smash" Williams (Gaius Charles) and Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) -- must learn how to behave as a team both on and off the field. The guys' romantic interests, including Jason's devoted cheerleader girlfriend Lyla (Minka Kelly) and the flirtatious Tyra (Adrianne Palicki), add to the drama. And Coach Taylor is both supported and pressured by his wife, Tami (Connie Britton).


Is it any good?

 

Friday Night Lights is full of football lingo and pre- and post-game rituals that have become part of high school football culture. Even if you aren't a football fan, it isn't hard to get caught up in some of the show's dramatic storylines, which include teen romance, strong friendship, personal rivalry, and family unity.

The show also deals with some weightier, more controversial issues, including underage drinking, racial tensions, murder, abusive relationships, and the serious risks involved in playing contact sports -- all of which are relevant to (and will probably interest) a lot of older middle schoolers and high schoolers. As long as these heavier topics are taken in context -- ideally, with some parental explanation -- the show is a well-executed drama for teens and up. Because, in the end, Friday Night Lights is about a whole lot more than just winning football games.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the importance of sports in their community. Are high school games as big a deal in your town as they are on the show? What kind of pressures do the athletes (both the ones on TV and the ones in real life) face? What are some of the consequences of those pressures? How do parents and other adult role models help kids learn what success means? What defines success in your community? Are the teen characters on the show realistic? Why or why not?


This review was written by Melissa Camacho
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
I Don't Like It!
I would rather watch ER!

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Nice work!
I love this show. Although I have to disagree with the standards. There are sex acts. No doubt about it. But otherwise it is a great show. [[:

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Parent of 9, 14, and 16 year old
April 9, 2008
 
I love the show but parents be warned
Our family as a whole eagerly anticipated this show. Initially, we found it to be a time when our family sat down to enjoy the show together, but that soon changed. The show began to push the edge a bit in terms of the sexual boundaries I feel are appropriate for a show aimed at families. Our 12 year old is so disappointed because we must now record and screen it before deciding whether he can watch it. This show would be fine for older teens(17 or so)and adults as it is a great show, but it is definitely not a "FAMILY" show.

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Parent of 8, 12, and 15 year old
April 5, 2011
 
I am an east coast liberal, and my first take on this show was negative--- too southern, too football, too Christian-phony. But somehow it was also compelling. So I watched another episode, then another. And the characters grew on me, and the show deepened (in my mind), and I fell in love with it, and I could not wait to see the next episode and the next episode. I watched all 20 of the first year episodes within a week. And I am going to try to have my wife and teenage daughter watch it too. Alas, because of the fact that some of these highschoolers are having sex, I do not want my 11 year old, let alone my 7 year old to watch it. But if there were not sex scenes, I would have them watch it-- there is other mature content, and some swearing, but nothing my 7 year old could not handle. But I am a bit prudish about the the sex. If you have teenagers (even 13 year olds), I would highly recommend that you watch this together, as a family, and all the way through. The role models are absolutely excellent.

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Not as benign as it sounds
I watched part of an episode and was shocked to see "teenagers" getting undressed/dressed and into and out of bed. Some would say don't be such a prude, but I would be very uncomfortable watching this kind of material with my teenage son (14 yrs old now). The moral dilemma these characters spoke of during this episode was about how they were cheating on their best friend instead of the fact they had just had pre-marital sex. That's not the message I want to pass on to my kids, no matter how old they are.

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Teen, 16 years old
August 14, 2009
 
GREAT SHOW FOR TEENS
this show is a really nice show with some good football action. there are some scenes that are not appropriate for kids 13 and under.

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Adult
June 17, 2011
 
Friday Night Lights is Touchdown & a Winner
I have been a fan since the series began haven't miss a lot of EP's I own every season on DVD. I read the book & movie as well both pretty good as well worth reading and seeing the movie as well. FNL has a positive messages & good role models as well. As for sexual stuff it is no worse than any other show which I don't mind I'm not a prude like some are which there wrong and there isn't much swearing in the show either. Glad that NBC made a deal to keep FNL on for 5 seasons with the last three seasons making a deal with Direct TV to keep it on the air for that I'm thankful. FNL is a family show.

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This review was written by Melissa Camacho
Topics:sports and martial arts
TV rating:TV-PG
Networks:ABC Family, NBC
Cast:Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler, Zach Gilford
Genre:Drama

This review was written by Melissa Camacho
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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