The first season of the American serial drama television series Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights (TV series)

Friday Night Lights is an American sports 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 a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...

commenced airing in the United States and Canada on October 3, 2006 and concluded its 22-episode season on April 11, 2007. The series revolves around the Dillon Panthers and their new head coach Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

Eric Taylor is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV drama television series Friday Night Lights played by Kyle Chandler. He is introduced as the head coach of the Dillon High School football team, the Dillon Panthers...

 as they deal with the pressure of high school football in Texas and everything that comes with it, on and off the field.

The first 10 episodes aired Tuesdays at 8:00 pm in the United States. When the show returned from the Christmas hiatus, it aired Wednesdays at 8 pm for the rest of its season. The season was released on DVD as a five disc boxed set on August 28, 2007 in the United States and Canada and October 29, 2007 in the United Kingdom.

Crew

The season was produced by NBC Universal Television

NBC Universal Television

NBCUniversal Television Group is an American and global television production/distribution company and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.The company is composed of six divisions: Universal Television , NBC Universal Television Stations, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, NBCUniversal...

, Imagine Television, and Film 44 and was aired on NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 in the United States. The executive producers were creator Peter Berg

Peter Berg

Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...

, Sarah Aubrey

Sarah Aubrey

Sarah Aubrey is an English-Australian actress. She has had guest roles in episodes of All Saints, Water Rats, and Above the Law, along with numerous TV commercials...

, David Nevins, Brian Grazer

Brian Grazer

Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...

, and Jason Katims

Jason Katims

Jason Katims is an American television writer, producer, and playwright. He is best known for Relativity, which he created and wrote for; Roswell, which he developed, produced, and wrote for; Boston Public, which he co-wrote; Pepper Dennis, a short-lived dramedy starring Rebecca Romijn on The WB;...

, with Jeffrey Reiner

Jeffrey Reiner

Jeffrey Reiner is an American film director, editor, television director and producer.Since the late 1980s, he has amassed a number credits in the film and television industry...

 and John Cameron

John Cameron

-Life and academic career:Cameron was born at Glasgow and received his early education in his native city. After having taught Greek in the university for twelve months, he removed to Bordeaux, where he was soon appointed a regent in the college of Bergerac. He did not remain long at Bordeaux, but...

 serving as co-executive producers. Staff writers included Berg, Katims, producers David Hudgins

David Hudgins

David Hudgins, , is a television writer and producer. He has worked on the series Everwood, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood.-Career:...

 and Bridget Carpenter

Bridget Carpenter

-Life:She holds an M.F.A. from Brown University, and has taught playwriting in grammar school, high school, college, and prison.Most recently, she was a playwright-in-residence at the Royal National Theatre in London. Her plays have been produced across the country. She is working on new play...

, consulting producers Kerry Ehrin

Kerry Ehrin

Kerry Ehrin is a television writer. She has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for her work on the first season of Friday Night Lights...

, Patrick Massett

Patrick Massett

Patrick Massett is an American television actor and writer. He played Duras in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Sins of the Father" and "Reunion". He has worked on both the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights and the Syfy series Caprica. He often works with writing partner John Zinman...

, and John Zinman

John Zinman

John Zinman is a film and television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. He often works with writing partner Patrick Massett...

, supervising producers Carter Harris

Carter Harris

Carter Harris is a television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for his work on the first season of Friday Night Lights...

 and Elizabeth Heldens

Elizabeth Heldens

Elizabeth Heldens is a television writer. She has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for her work on the first season of Friday Night Lights...

, and Andy Miller

Andy Miller (writer)

Andy Miller is a television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for his work on the first season of Friday Night Lights.-References:...

 and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas

Aaron Rahsaan Thomas

Aaron Rahsaan Thomas is a television and film screenwriter and producer, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts....

. Regular directors throughout the season include Berg, Reiner, Allison Liddi, Stephen Kay

Stephen Kay

-Career:He has directed the films Get Carter and Boogeyman. As well as directing episodes of Saved, The Shield, Friday Night Lights and Sons of Anarchy. Beginning his career as actor, his acting credits include Quantum Leap, Murder, She Wrote, Party of Five and regular roles in Deadly Games and...

, and David Boyd

David Boyd (cinematographer)

David R. Boyd A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, television director and camera operator best known for his role as director of photography for the FOX television series Firefly. He also worked as cinematographer on the first three episodes of HBO's Deadwood...

. Theme song music was composed by W. G. Snuffy Walden. Tracks from Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...

 were also used throughout the season. Katims served as showrunner.

Cast

The initial season had ten major roles that received star billing in the opening credits. Kyle Chandler

Kyle Chandler

Kyle Martin Chandler is an American film and television actor best known for his roles in the television shows Early Edition as Gary Hobson, Deputy Jackson Lamb in the film Super 8, and as Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead...

 portrayed Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

Eric Taylor is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV drama television series Friday Night Lights played by Kyle Chandler. He is introduced as the head coach of the Dillon High School football team, the Dillon Panthers...

, new head coach of the Dillon Panthers. Connie Britton

Connie Britton

Connie Britton is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Nikki Faber on Spin City and on Friday Night Lights as Tami Taylor. Her most notable films are Friday Night Lights and A Nightmare on Elm Street...

 played Tami Taylor

Tami Taylor

Tami Taylor is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV drama Friday Night Lights; played by Connie Britton. She is the wife of the show's main character, high school football coach Eric Taylor.-Character history:...

, wife of Eric and new guidance counselor of Dillon High School. Gaius Charles

Gaius Charles

Gaius Charles is an American stage, television and film actor best known for playing Brian "Smash" Williams on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Early life:...

 played Brian "Smash" Williams, the cocky running back and star of the team. Zach Gilford

Zach Gilford

Zach Gilford is an American actor best known for his role as Matt Saracen on the NBC television drama series Friday Night Lights. Gilford starred alongside Terrell Owens in the 2008 NBA Celebrity All-Star game....

 played second-string quarterback Matt Saracen

Matt Saracen

Matthew "Matt" Saracen is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama series Friday Night Lights portrayed by the actor Zach Gilford...

. Minka Kelly

Minka Kelly

Minka Dumont Kelly is an American actress. She starred in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity from 2006 to 2009 and has also had roles in The Roommate and the reboot series Charlie's Angels.-Early life:Kelly was born in Los Angeles...

 played Lyla Garrity, head cheerleader and girlfriend of first-string quarterback Jason Street

Jason Street

Jason Mitchell Street is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama Friday Night Lights, portrayed by Scott Porter...

 played by Scott Porter

Scott Porter

Matthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...

. Taylor Kitsch

Taylor Kitsch

-Early life and modeling career:Kitsch was born in Kelowna, British Columbia. He has two older brothers and two younger half sisters. Originally set to become a professional hockey player, he played for the Langley Hornets in the Canadian BCHL before a bad knee injury ended his career...

 portrayed Tim Riggins

Tim Riggins

-External links:*...

, fullback, resident bad boy, and best friend of Street. Adrianne Palicki

Adrianne Palicki

Adrianne Palicki is an American actress best known for her role as Tyra Collette on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights.-Early life:...

 played Riggins' girlfriend and resident bad girl Tyra Collette. Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons is an American film and television actor best known for playing Landry Clarke on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Career:...

 played Landry Clarke, Saracen's best friend. Aimee Teegarden

Aimee Teegarden

Aimee Richelle Teegarden is an American actress. She starred as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights, Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4, and Nova Prescott in the Disney film Prom.-Career:...

 played Julie Taylor, daughter of Eric and Tami.

Supporting characters given expanded appearances throughout the season include: Brad Leland

Brad Leland

Brad Leland is an American actor who has appeared in 20 feature films, 25 television shows, and numerous theater performances. He played the character Buddy Garrity in the television show Friday Night Lights.-Early life:...

 as Lyla's father and head of the Dillon Panthers' Booster Club Buddy Garrity, Derek Phillips as Tim's brother Billy Riggins, Louanne Stephens as Saracen's grandmother Lorraine Saracen, Liz Mikel

Liz Mikel

Elizabeth Juliene "Liz" Mikel is an American actress and jazz vocalist from Dallas, Texas. She is best known for her role as Corinna "Mama" Williams, mother of star running back Brian "Smash" Williams, on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights.-Career:Mikel has been performing on stage...

 as Smash's mother Corrina Williams, and Kevin Rankin

Kevin Rankin (actor)

Kevin Rankin is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Tyler Briggs on the NBC show Trauma.-Filmography:* "Big Love" .... Verlan Walker* "The Mentalist" .... Danny Ruskin* "Justified" .... Devil* "Trauma" .... Tyler Briggs...

 as Herc.

Fictional game results

While Friday Night Lights is presented as a serialized show with seemingly no gaps between episodes, public high schools in Texas typically play a ten game regular season.

Opponent	Result	Score	Record	Episode #	Episode
Regular season
Westerby Chaps	Win	27–24	1–0	1	Pilot
South Milbank Rattlers	Loss	7–13	1–1	3	Wind Sprints
Arnett Mead Tigers	Forfeited Win	22-21	1–2	5	Git 'Er Done
Laribee Lions	Win	28–17	2–2	7	Homecoming
Gatling Eagles	Win	7–2	3–2	9	Full Hearts
Houston Area Timberwolves	Win	N/A	4–2	10	It's Different For Girls
Wescott Warriors	Win	28–24	5–2	11	Nevermind
South Pines Tigers	Win	7–0	6–2	13	Little Girl I Wanna Marry You
Regional playoffs
McNulty Mavericks	Win	30–10	7–2	15	Blinders
Dunston Valley Cardinals	Win	40-24, Forfeit	8–2	16	Black Eyes and Broken Hearts
State quarterfinals
Royal Rock Dragons	Win	26–21	9–2	18	Extended Families
State semifinals
Brant Vikings	Win	14–8	10–2	20	Mud Bowl
State championship
West Cambria Mustangs	Win	27–26	11–2	22	State

The game, won by Dillon on the field 22–21, was subsequently forfeited because quarterback "Voodoo" Tatum was ruled ineligible for not having satisfied residency requirements.

Final score not revealed, though a TV newscast indicates the game was not close.

Final score not shown, but Dillon scored a touchdown with about 5 minutes left in scoreless game.

The referees at Dunston were allowing the home team to commit infractions such as facemasks, late hits, and pass interference without penalties. When Dillon scored in the fourth quarter to take a commanding 40–24 lead, a Cardinal hit Smash after he scored the touchdown, again with no penalty call. Riggins rushed to Smash's defense and a melee ensued before the extra point could be attempted. The game was called at that point and Dillon was awarded the victory.

The game was played at a makeshift field due a toxic train car derailment.

Episodes

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