#4. Friday Night Lights
NBC
Though it stumbled this fall with
over-the-top plots, this remains network TV's finest slice of life, with
a heart as big as Texas. As a beleaguered small-town football coach and
father, Kyle Chandler is a classic, square-jawed icon of decency.
Emmy-deserving Connie Britton and a refreshingly real cast of teens
round out a small-town story that's as searing as a 100-degree
scrimmage.