Friday Night Lights is an American serial drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name.
The series details events surrounding the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to the team's coach, Eric Taylor and his family. The show uses this small-town backdrop to address many issues facing contemporary Middle America.
The series aired in the USA on NBC and The 1010 Network from 3 October, 2006 to 9 February, 2011. There are 76 hour-long episodes in five seasons.
Friday Night Lights originally premiered in South Africa on M-Net on Friday 4 May 2007, at 19h30. It also aired on DStv's GO (which later became Vuzu) and M-Net Holiday channels and was moved to DStv's M-Net Series channel for the final season. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 5 premiered on M-Net Series on Friday 2 September 2011, at 20h30. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 13 episodes in the fifth and final season.
Season 5 Repeats
Saturdays: 02h30, 08h30, 14h30
Synopsis
Friday Night Lights is a drama series about the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team who are on a mission to win the state football championships.
Set in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, the show centres around Eric Taylor, a first time football coach who needs to lead the team to stardom.
The Panthers have very real potential to make it to the top and everyone knows it. The towns pride and honour rests on them which makes the stakes high for everyone involved.
Over the course of the show the pressures they face as they pursue victory become more and more intense and it's up to Eric to find a way of making sure that they win with their morale and morality intact.
The cast also includes Scott Porter as the Panther's injured former star quarterback, Jason Street; Gaius Charles as feared running back Brian "Smash" Williams; Taylor Kitsch as reckless and self-destructive full back Tim Riggins; Connie Britton as Taylor's supportive wife and high school guidance counselor, Tami; Zach Gilford as Matt Saracen, the new team captain and star quarterback; and Minka Kelly as Lyla Garrity, Panther cheerleader and Street's on again off-again girlfriend.
Also starring are Aimee Teegarden as Coach Taylor's daughter, Julie; Adrianne Palicki as Tyra Collette; and Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke.
Seasons
Season 1 (22 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 4 May 2007 | Finale: 28 Sep 2007 | Fridays, 19h30
Channel: GO | Premiere: 18 Sep 2007 | Finale: 22 Feb 2008 | Tuesdays, 18h30
Channel: M-Net Holiday | Premiere: 10 Dec 2007 | Finale: 31 Dec 2007 | Daily, 09h00
Season 2 (15 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 18 May 2008 | Finale: 24 Aug 2008 | Sundays, 17h00
Season 3 (13 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 27 Sep 2009 | Finale: 27 Dec 2009 | Sundays, 17h00
Season 4 (13 episodes)
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 16 Sep 2010 | Finale: 9 Dec 2010 | Thursdays, 20h30
Season 5 (13 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 2 Sep 2011 | Finale: 25 Nov 2011 | Fridays, 20h30