Release Date: 8/28/07

The Show

Welcome to Dillon, Texas, a town where high school football rules every Friday night. However, as much as these kids try to be kings of the grid iron each week, there are times when their games on the field are greatly overshadowed by their off field situations and lives. After viewing the first season of this debut television series based on a best-selling book and theatrical movie, I can say that I was thoroughly entertained by Friday Night Lights – The Complete First Season, capturing the ordinary lives caught in extraordinary situations.

If you’ve seen Varsity Blues or even the film version of the series, you will be quite familiar with the backdrop of the television show. The town of Dillon is caught in a new season of Dillon High Panthers football that brings a whole new set of challenges, set backs, and adversities. To those who may be unfamiliar, in these parts of the world, high school football is bigger than the NFL, bringing together entire towns and communities for a single goal: victory.

Of course, it can’t always be about football, as these athletes who are raised to God-like pedestals, are simply high school kids that encounter drama around each corner. However, this isn’t the usual he said, she said stuff as the cast must face issues like life in rehab, performance enhancers, racism, and sexual relations. It’s all the issues that we’ve seen before on teen television, however, these characters stay true to themselves and each episode provides for a decent amount of suspense and drama.

The 5-disc includes all 22 episodes from the first season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Pilot
2. Eyes Wide Open
3. Wind Sprints
4. Who’s Your Daddy
Disc 2
1. Git’er Done
2. El Accidente
3. Homecoming
4. Crossing the Line
5. Full Hearts
Disc 3
1. It’s Different for Girls
2. Nevermind
3. What to Do While You’re Waiting
4. Little Girl I Wanna Marry You
5. Upping the Ante
Disc 4
1. Blinders
2. Black Eyes and Broken Hearts
3. I Think We Should Have Sex
4. Extended Families
Disc 5
1. Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
2. Mud Bowl
3. Best Laid Plans
4. State

The DVD

The main menu comes with a very elegantly produced menu system with music. Submenus include static stills with music.

The video transfer is offered in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Format. The picture looks very nice with its widescreen presentation, strong details, and natural color palette. This is an exceptional picture.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound comes through cleanly with powerful music tracks and sound effects. Dialogue is also crystal clear with some usage of positional sound. Subtitles are available in English.

The Extras

The 5-disc set comes in a foldout digipark encased inside a glossy cardboard box that looks great. An interesting touch is that there are a couple of discs housed on separate plastic flaps that seem unnecessary but it works quite nicely.

Behind the Lights offers a 22-minute piece that features interviews with the cast and crew speaking on the producing of the series.

The bonus options round out with Deleted Scenes that are spread across the discs.

Final Thoughts

Friday Night Lights – The Complete First Season proved to be quite entertaining as the season moved along. This set should please fans, even if I have reservations about how far the series can be stretched past its very above average debut season.

- Morris Tang