"Friday Night Lights" Knocks Me Out Cold

The television series adaptation of the movie "Friday Night Lights," based on H.G. Bissinger's excellent book, debuted last night on NBC, draped in glowing previews and reviews, even from elitist outlets like The New York Times.

I thought there was no way the pilot could match the hype. It didn't. It exceeded it.

The pilot for "Friday Night Lights" was George Foreman, circa 1974 television -- a knockout. I thought the show was excellent, really capturing the flavor of small-town high school sports and the culture of small-town America.

I love the single handheld camera production, just like my favorite TV show of all time, "Homicide: Life on the Streets."

The acting is excellent, and the script is really good. I also like how the show teetered on the brink of melodrama at times, but director-producer Peter Berg -- who also did the movie version -- reined it in just at the right time.

The last 20 minutes of this premiere hit like a train. I think the atmospheric music by Explosions in the Sky definitely helps set the scene of the show.

There also was an interesting dynamic how it seemed the first four days of the week just flew in a blur, and then time almost stood still on Friday night, especially during the game. That's how it is in every small town that adores its high school football team.

I read the book, but I didn't see the movie. So I had nothing on film to compare.

This was a quality hour of TV, no doubt. I'm really eager for next week. Between "Friday Night Lights" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," I'm set for new TV shows this fall.