In honor of Friday, I wanted to take a moment and talk about the best show on television that you should be watching: “Friday Night Lights.” If this story started out as an acclaimed book, then was turned into a successful movie, and now graces your television set each week, maybe there’s something to it. I haven’t read the book, but I can say that the television show is even better than the movie. The film was tough to beat because the movie was so passionate and talked to a generation of athletes. It still does, really. I’d put money on Friday Night Lights being any high school football player’s film of choice. At least eight out of every ten you ask.

What makes the television series so incredible are the intricate and stirring stories of the people in this small fictitious town of Dillon, Texas. You care about the characters in a way that is very rare of a television show these days. Yes, we laugh at the comedy some provide, but we don’t get engrossed in their lives and feel like their pains and joys they experience are our own. This show is in its third season, and so far, the two shows that have aired were incredible. One of the best story arcs is how they are saying goodbye to the characters of Brian “Smash” Williams as he recovers after a knee operation to still play college ball.

Kyle Chandler, who plays head coach of the Dillon Panthers, Eric Taylor, portrays him as a loving and unyielding coach. He will not stop until he sees his players succeed. His relationship with his wife, Tami, is the most realistic and inspiring depiction of married life on television these days. Their relationship is tested even more this season as she takes on the title of school principal. And in a town like Dillon, you don’t disappoint the football team unless you are willing to deal with the fallout. This dynamic makes for heartfelt dialogue and emotions that lay just below the surface of each character. You know that each week these interactions between coach and wife, principal and community are growing and going to reach a boiling point. This is when “Friday Night Lights” converts you into a loyal and loving viewer.

But, if we want to get right down into the obvious, “Friday Night Lights” also has the best looking cast of any show right now. Taylor Kitsch as bad boy Tim Riggins, Minka Kelly as goody Lyla Garrity, and Adrianne Palicki as bad girl gone good Tyra. Aside from the fact that these people are gorgeous, they can deliver a scene and the way they can improvise and connect is a testament for how much these actors love their show and adore working on it.

So there you go, you got my biased (though TRUE) sermon about how you have to sit down tonight and turn on NBC at 8:00 EST. Forget Desperate Housewives, UGLY BETTY, and LOST. These shows, like many on television, rely on a gimmick that have been exploited beyond repair (hello Grey’s Anatomy!). “Friday Night Lights” is the only bet for television that stirs something inside of you, inspires you, and quite frankly, makes you feel more passionate about living your life.

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