Pilot (Friday Night Lights)
| "Pilot" | |
|---|---|
| Friday Night Lights episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Peter Berg |
| Written by | Peter Berg |
| Cinematography by | David Boyd |
| Original air date | October 3, 2006 |
"Pilot" is the first episode of the sports drama television series Friday Night Lights. The episode premiered on the NBC network on October 3, 2006. It introduces the men and women involved with the Dillon Panthers, a Texas high school football team. In the pilot episode, the team is preparing for the first game of the season, which will be the first game under new head coach Eric Taylor.
The show is based on the 2004 film Friday Night Lights, which was in turn based on the 1990 non-fiction book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H. G. Bissinger. Peter Berg, who is Bissinger's cousin and who directed the film, wrote and directed the pilot episode, and served as executive producer for the series. While some of the actors from the movie returned to act on the show, most of the actors were cast specifically for the television series.
Critical reception of the show was good to average, with a general appreciation for the realistic portrayal of Middle America. Generally speaking, however, there were serious doubts about whether the show would be able to stay on the air very long, though it has since gone on to complete five seasons. The episode's viewership of just over seven million was characterized as disappointing, though it did relatively well among men aged 18 to 34.
It is Monday morning, and five days until the first game of the season for high school football team Dillon Panthers. While coach Eric Taylor is surveying the field, some of the players are getting ready for practice. Fullback Tim Riggins is recovering from a hangover, and his brother Billy warns him that he could be kicked off the team if he does not show. Meanwhile, second-string quarterback Matt Saracen is preparing lunch for his grandmother, before his friend Landry Clarke drives him to practice. At the stadium, a television crew is conducting interviews. It is revealed that coach Taylor, who has recently been made head coach, used to coach the exceptionally gifted quarterback Jason Street. It also becomes clear that there is a deep-seated conflict between Tim Riggins and the brash and loud-mouthed running back Brian "Smash" Williams. Later, at the local fast food restaurant where the players regularly hang out, Landry and Matt try to approach the coach's daughter Julie. She insists that she does not associate with football players. They assure her that Landry is not on the team and Matt gets virtually no playing time because of Street, but she still rebuffs them both.
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