For five seasons between 2006 and 2011, Friday Night Lights was a consistent critical hit for NBC. Set in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, the show follows their high school's football team led by Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and the tight-knit community that supports them.
Unique in its ability to capture both the reality of high school sports and various issues ingrained in American culture, the show has continued to grow a larger following since its initial run. For fans missing the magic of the Dillon Panthers, here are the shows that have come closest to capturing it.
Produced by NBA superstar Kevin Durant and loosely based on his experiences, Swagger explores the world of youth basketball and its effects on the players, coaches, and their families. The show stars O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Coach Ike Edwards, a former star player turned youth basketball coach.
Though the show focuses on a different sport, Swagger carries the same team dynamic as Friday Night Lights and digs into the effect a sport has on a local community. The players include Isaiah Hill as Jace Carson and Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis as Crystal Jarrett.
Set in the world of sports representation, Ballers follows Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson), a retired NFL player who has found post-football work as a financial manager for active athletes. With a foot in both worlds, Strasmore often has to make the hard choice of when to be a friend and when to be a businessman.
The ensemble includes Rob Corddry as Joe Krutel, Strasmore's manager friend, John David Washington as Ricky Jerret, a competitive and sometimes crazy wide receiver, and Omar Miller as Charles Greane, another former NFL player still looking for his next career. In addition to focusing on football, like Friday Night Lights, Ballers is produced by the same person, Peter Berg.
All American is loosely based on the life of former NFL player, Spencer Paysinger. The show focuses on a high school football player from South L.A. who is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High and the conflict that arises from the collision of two extensively different worlds.
Often referred to as the show most like Friday Night Lights because of its setting, subject matter, and character dynamics, All American stars Daniel Ezra as Spencer James, the transfer star prospect, Cody Christian as Asher Adams, the team's troubled wide receiver, and Taye Diggs as Billy Baker, the team's coach.
For the show's first four seasons, One Tree Hill tracks the journey of half-brothers, Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who compete against each other for positions on their school's basketball team, as well as in their off-the-court lives and dramatic romances.
The show captures the same kind of melodramatic high school relationships as Friday Night Lights but focuses on a different sport. Considered one of the best teen TV dramas, One Tree Hill ran for another five seasons after the characters aged out of high school and included a cast of Hilarie Burton (White Collar), Paul Johansson (John Q), and Sophia Bush (Chicago P.D.).
From producer Jason Katims, who also produced Friday Night Lights, Parenthood covers the story of three generations of the Braverman family: an older couple, their four adult children, and their families. Set in Berkeley, California, the show details their familial struggles, triumphs, and day-to-day life.
Parenthood captures many of the same familial themes as Friday Night Lights but without the sports focus. The show stars Craig T. Nelson (The Incredibles), Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Xolo Maridueña (Kobra Kai), and Dax Shepard, in one of his best roles.
Launching the careers of Claire Danes and Jared Leto, My So-Called Life was praised for how it dealt with social issues of the mid-90s, including teenage alcoholism, school violence, and child abuse. The show revolves around the emotional stresses of Angela Chase (Danes) and her friends in a suburb outside Pittsburgh.
Many characters from Friday Night Lights deal with similar issues, albeit under different circumstances. The show was canceled after one season, despite receiving four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe for Danes. Amongst the rest of the ensemble, notable performers include Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery), Tom Irwin (The Morning Show), and Mary Kay Place (Being John Malkovich).
Taking place at a fictional university of the same name, Blue Mountain State follows the hijinks of the school's football team, the Mountain Goats. The show was maligned by critics and had low viewing numbers at the time of its release, but found a larger audience on streaming platforms.
While it may be more low-brow than Friday Night Lights, it serves as a lighter comedic alternative for fans of the show. Blue Mountain State starred Alan Ritchson as linebacker Thad Castle, Stephen Amell as quarterback Travis McKenna, and series co-creator Chris Romano as the team mascot, Billy the Mountain Goat.
In the L.A. neighborhood of Venice, Kingdom finds a retired MMA fighter, his two sons, and his girlfriend running a fighting gym. When a troubled fighter from their past returns to train at the gym, their tenuous family dynamic is put to the test.
Different on the surface, both Kingdom and Friday Night Lights use familial history as a way to create drama against the backdrop of an aggressive sport. Starring Frank Grillo as Alvey Kulina, the patriarch, Kingdom includes performances from Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights), Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya), and Nick Jonas (Jumanji).
Created by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) and produced by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), Freaks And Geeks tracks two groups of kids as they journey through high school: the freaks, as seen through the eyes of Lindsey Weir (Linda Cardellini), and the geeks, led by her younger brother Sam Weir (John Francis Daley).
While depicting two different kinds of high schoolers, both Freaks And Geeks and Friday Night Lights come across as relatable to kids in their own ways. The show was canceled after one season but collected awards, a cult following, and starred many now-famous actors: Seth Rogen, Busy Philipps, Martin Starr, and Jason Segel in one of his best roles.
Based on a sketch Jason Sudeikis did for NBC Sports in 2013, Ted Lasso follows an American football coach who inexplicably accepts an offer to coach a soccer team in England. However, through his optimistic, kind demeanor, Ted begins to win the skeptical Brits over, even if the team itself isn't winning all the time.
Though they carry heavily different personalities, both Ted Lasso and Friday Night Lights are led by confident, successful coach characters. Along with Jason Sudeikis, in one of his best roles, the rest of the cast includes Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, a foul-mouthed veteran of the team, Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, the team's owner, and Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard.
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