Banner August Begets Barren September

As the headline suggests, I don't have much to say these days.

But I feel obligated to put in a fervent plug for the NBC drama Friday Night Lights. I just spent the last week watching all of the first season on DVD, and it's easily the best non-HBO drama I've ever watched.

Hell, it's probably the best non-The Wire drama I've ever watched. It's better written and acted than The Sopranos, and the casting is just as good. And unlike The Sopranos, there are no wasted episodes (I'm looking at YOU, entire first half of season six).

The bizarre thing is, for a show about high school football, the worst part of the show-- by far-- is the football. Fortunately the ridiculously overdramatic games only show up for a few minutes every other episode. Everything else is A+.

And don't be deterred by the subject matter. FNL is about football only in the same way that Cheers was about drinking.

NBC has made the entire first season available for free online. You can watch the first 3 episodes in about 2 hours. Treat it like a free movie rental; watch them and tell me you're not hooked.

ESPN.com's The Sports Guy has also recently begged his readers to give FNL a fair shake. For all you ladies out there (ladies?), here's the best part of Simmons's article:

"Quite simply, FNL is the best date show ever, an improbable cross between The O.C. and every sports show you ever wanted Hollywood to make. It's the first show my wife and I have loved equally."

I'm tired of typing. Just watch the damn show and you won't be disappointed.