Unfortunately, viewers for the most part shunned the series as if it were homework. Emmy voters gave it the cold shoulder, as well, despite commanding lead performances by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. That it somehow avoided cancellation is a television miracle.

The good news is that today's DVD release of the first season of "Friday Night Lights" provides an excellent better-late-than-never chance to introduce yourself to the abundant treasures of this show. By all means, grab it before "FNL" launches its second season Oct. 5.

So determined is NBC-Universal to entice you to "FNL" that it's offering the five-disc set at the bargain- basement price of $29.98.

With an Amazon.com discount, that drops to $19.99. Oh, and the studio is tacking on a full money-back guarantee if you "aren't completely hooked."

Chances are you will be. But going in, you need to know that "FNL" is not a sports series. As executive producer Jason Katims explains in the DVD set's engaging behind-the-

scenes documentary, the show "is not so much about Texas as it is about community, and it's not so much about football as it is about life."

Indeed, few American television series have depicted the struggles, stresses, hopes and dreams of the everyday American middle-class experience with such raw emotional power and without TV-fied glamorization. From the very start, the show's talented writers just got it.

And so did the actors. "FNL" abounds with stellar performances, from Zach Gilford's portrayal of a shy quarterback who lives with a grandmother suffering from dementia to Taylor Kitsch as a sullen "bad boy" dealing with parental abandonment.

In "FNL," all the characters are so fully realized and vibrant that it seems a shame to single anyone out. But at the core of the drama is the stern-but-

understanding head coach of the Dillon Panthers (Chandler) and his virtuous wife (Britton) - and the fragile relationship they have with their teen daughter (Aimee Teegarden).

Throughout the season they struggle with the pressures of being the town's most visible family, with a life-changing job offer and coming- of-age angst. Some of the scenes they share are the most poignant and affecting you'll ever see.