DVD Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights - The First Season

This week brings a lot of television titles to store shelves. A lot of cool stuff that can, may, and will suck up a lot of your time if you give it half a chance. That is the one thing about TV on DVD, as great as it is to have available at your fingertips, when you find a good show you will find it difficult to stop after one or two episodes. Before you know it, it is 3:00 in the morning, your wired from the televised excellence, and you need to get up at 6:00 for work. I tell you, it's a hard life. That doesn't even get into the movies that are arriving this week.

The top choice for this week is one of those prime TV on DVD releases. It is a series that was on the bubble when the 2006-7 season came to a close. One that I am thankful for getting another season, though it did have satisfactory closure had it did fall under the network axe. Although I am curious about its new timeslot for the new season. It is being moved to Friday's at 10:00. It seems as if they want it to fail now. I always found it curious how networks mistreat some its shows and work hard to protect others. I doubt I will ever understand it.

The prime cut for this week is Friday Night Lights: The First Season. The series can trace its origins back to the real life story of the Odessa-Permion Panthers in 1988, immortalized in the 1991 novel, Friday Night Lights. In 2004, director Peter Berg adapted that story to the big screen. Finally, in 2006 Peter Berg adapted the story again to the small screen. It was updated to the present day, its location was changed, and the character's names were changed. The resulting adaptation far exceeds that of the still quite good film which starred Billy Bob Thornton and Lucas Black. The television series stars Kyle Chandler as the coach, and a talented ensemble cast of adult and student characters.

Simply put, Friday Night Lights is one of the best shows on television. It delivers on so many levels, offering up action, drama, comedy, and heart with impressive production, fantastic acting, and wonderful writing. The show brings the personal visual style that Berg used in the film to a more expansive television landscape. We go inside the lives, loves, problems of the kids and the parents involved. You cannot help but feel for them as they find their way through life, the good and the bad.

If you have been watching the show, you have no doubt seen the drastic developments the main characters have gone through. Remember back to the start of the season, in the first episode their star quarterback, Jason Street, is involved in a horrendous tackle that left him paralyzed. Rather than shuffle his character out, we have watched him go through his rehab, find new purpose in life in wheelchair rugby, as well as become engaged and have some issues crop up with that. He become involved in a lawsuit against his former coach and school, and finally found a home as the new assistant football coach.

Then there is Tim Riggins, star player and high school alcoholic, a surly fellow to be sure, who finds inspiration, and perhaps some redemption, in the eyes of a young boy who idolizes him. Smash Williams, star running back, is a cocky young player who is on top of the world. He had some hard lessons in personal responsibility, and has found a balance to his cocky attitude in his newly developing relationships. The last of our central players is Matt Saracen, the shy, mumbling, uncertain second string QB who finds himself starting in the wake of Street's tragedy. Throughout the season he has gained a lot of confidence in himself. He is much more than the mumbler we first meet, but he has a long way to go.

That is just a sampling of all that has gone on during the first season. There is so much more that I could go on about, but you really owe it to yourself to become involved with everyone on the show.

Also out this week:

• Heroes: Season 1. Another excellent TV on DVD entry. A very good comic book inspired series that has a firm grounding in reality.
• Blades of Glory. While this is no Talladega Nights, this is still a pretty funny outing from Will Ferrell. At least worth a rental.
• The Odd Couple: The Second Season. Just seeing the title I get the theme music stuck in my head. Classic comedy series that I remember watching many reruns of in my youth.
• Samurai Jack: Season 4. One of the best things to come from Cartoon Network. This is a great mash of old school and new school in a completely unique setting.
• Heaven & Hell: Live from Radio City Music Hall. The Dio lineup of Black Sabbath, recorded during their recent tour.
• Year of the Dog. This received good reviews upon its theatrical release, but never made it to a wide audience. Molly Shannon stars.
• Masters of Horror: Season One Box Set. The Showtime series' first twelve episodes collected in a single box. It is a pretty good value over the individual releases that have come out. That is, assuming you don't already own them.
• Dane Cook: The Lost Pilots. A pair of TV pilots that were never picked up featuring Cook. I like this idea. These networks and production companies should get together and release batches of these failed pilots. I am sure there is a large enough of a curious audience to make it worthwhile.
• Horrors of Malformed Men. How can you go wrong with a title like that? This is a title from Japan that is billed as being one of the more graphic titles ever made. My interestis piqued.
• Kickin' it Old School. Awful Jamie Kennedy vehicle. He goes into a coma as a 12 year old, awakens 20 years later only to find himself mentally disabled (not really, but that's how Kennedy plays it). Avoid this.
• 3:10 to Yuma: Special Edition. The Glenn Ford western gets a new edition just in time for the big screen release of the remake featuring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
• Air Guitar Nation. A documentary on the air guitar championshiops. How can this not be entertaining?
• A Night at the Roxbury: Special Collector's Edition. Ferrell and Kattan in a surprisingly entertaining SNL skit adaptation.
• Snake Woman's Curse. Another oddball horror from Japan. Some of the best horror comes from Asia.
• Solitude Aeturnus: Hour of Despair. Texas based doom metal band in their first DVD release. Very good disk too.

So, what's on your slate?