History Series / FridayNightLights

** Except in Texas, where it's [[UpToEleven more serious]] than SeriousBusiness.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: The series ends with the Taylors finally getting fed up with how the townspeople treat them like dirt despite how much they've given to help Dillion, and they leave the town to move Philadelphia.

* UnnecessaryRoughness

* DyingTown: Dillon

* TeamSpirit

* TroubledButCute: Tim Riggins

-->--''from the pilot episode''

In 1988, the Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas, had a football season. And it was good. Then a guy wrote a book about it in 1990, and everyone could read about how it was good. Then in 2004, TheFilmOfTheBook BasedOnATrueStory, ''Film/FridayNightLights'', was brought to us by Peter Berg. And we could all ''see'' that it was good.

* DawsonCasting: Nearly all of the high-school age characters are played by actors in their mid to late 20s, with the exception of Julie (Aimee Teegarden, 16) and Landry (Jesse Plemons, 18).
** This is unintentionally LampShaded when the black students boycott the team, forcing Coach Taylor to draw on the JV. The JV players, played by actually age-appropriate 14-15 year olds, look horribly young and minuscule next to the main cast, some of whom begin teasing the JV players mercilessly, ''possibly'' as a bit of LampshadeHanging.

* OnlyBarelyRenewed: Twice. Fans have blamed the DorkAge on ExecutiveMeddling related to the show's poor ratings. The third season explored premium cable and syndication as a way to make the show profitable.

* {{Adorkable}}: Landry and, toward the lighter end of the Dork Side, Matt.

* NotAllowedToGrowUp: Around Season Three the show de-aged Tim Riggins and Tyra Collette to keep them around. Especially obvious since (a) Matt Saracen, previously implied to be much younger, is suddenly the same age as Tim, and (b) Jason Street, Tim's best friend, ages normally. The problem was somewhat solved by transitioning to the next generation in Seasons Four and Five, except that they also did the same thing to Julie and Landry so they could attend East Dillion for their senior year. Julie was explicitly said to be a sophomore in Season One and Landry was old enough to have his driver's license that same season. Both of them are straight-A students so they obviously didn't get held back.

* AbusiveParents: Quite a few versions appear. Both of Matt's parents left him at certain points. His dad joined the army and left him to take care of his grandmother and his mother was practically a stranger to him for much of his life. Tim's Deadbeat father abandoned him and his brother. Lyla's father cheated on her mother and squandered her college funds in shady business deals. J.D. [=McCoy=]'s takes the cake as he is emotionally and physically abusive to his son, pushing him relentlessly to succeed, controlling every aspect of his life from his relationships to how he plays football and beats him when he tries to stand up for himself.

* ContrivedCoincidence: The plot machinations at the end of season 3 to send Taylor to the East Dillon Lions make very little sense. Apparently Dillon is suddenly twice as big as before, with hundreds and hundreds of people everyone just simply forgot about until now, who all live in a crime-ridden hellhole slum worthy of ''Series/TheWire''. This is all so another school with a competing football team can be created. And then to get Taylor there, Joe [=McCoy=] is somehow able to get the very popular and successful coach fired in just a single meeting.

In 1988, the Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas had a football season. And it was good. Then a guy wrote a book about it in 1990, and everyone could read about how it was good. Then in 2004, TheFilmOfTheBook BasedOnATrueStory, ''Film/FridayNightLights'', was brought to us by Peter Berg. And we could all ''see'' that it was good.

*** In season five [[spoiler: it pretty much becomes BoringInvincibleHero; the Lions decide they want to go to State, and apparently nothing can slow them down.]]

* NobodyOver50IsGay: Averted with Mayor Rodell and her unnamed partner.

Tropes:

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: When Tami decides to reallocate football booster money for a [[Franks2000InchTV [=JumboTron=]]] to the school's facilities fund. She points out that the school is desperately in need of funds in order to provide the students with adequate educations and buying a [=JumboTron=] is frivolous. Buddy Garrity argues that the only reason the boosters donated their personal income to the fund in the first place was because they were told it would be used to buy a JumboTron. Therefore, they deserve to get it.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: When Tami decides to reallocate football booster money for a [[Franks2000InchTV [=JumboTron=]]] to the school's facilities fund. She points out that the school is desperately in need of funds in order to provide the students with adequate educations and buying a JumboTron is frivolous. Buddy Garrity argues that the only reason the boosters donated their personal income to the fund in the first place was because they were told it would be used to buy a JumboTron. Therefore, they deserve to get it.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: When Tami decides to reallocate football booster money for a JumboTron to the school's facilities fund. She points out that the school is desperately in need of funds in order to provide the students with adequate educations and buying a JumboTron is frivolous. Buddy Garrity argues that the only reason the boosters donated their personal income to the fund in the first place was because they were told it would be used to buy a JumboTron. Therefore, they deserve to get it.

The series has completed its broadcast on both DirectTV and network television and been released on DVD. Starting with the third season, it was subject to an unusual licensing agreement where each season would be exclusive to DirectTV for the fall, and then aired on Creator/{{NBC}} the following spring.

In 1988, the Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas had a football season. And it was good. Then a guy wrote [[Literature/FridayNightLights a book about it]] in 1990, and everyone could read about how it was good. Then in 2004, TheFilmOfTheBook BasedOnATrueStory, ''Film/FridayNightLights'', was brought to us by Peter Berg. And we could all ''see'' that it was good.

-->'''Tami:''' [[CrowningMomentofFunny That sounds like a truly horrible idea.]]
** However, do not visit his daughter at his home when you made her a pariah at college while he is making a tricycle for his three year-old. [[CrowningMomentofAwesome He will run you out, using the pink handlebars like a baseball bat.]]

-->'''Tami:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny You're an idiot]].

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/friday_night_lights_movie_poster_2004_1020230293.jpg]]

** This is unintentionally LampShaded when the black students boycott the team, forcing Coach Taylor to draw on the JV. The JV players, played by actually age-appropriate 14-15 year olds, look horribly young and minuscule next to the main cast, some of whom begin teasing the JV players mercilessly, ''possibly'' as a bit of LampshadeHanging.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/friday_night_lights_movie_poster_2004_1020230293.jpg]]