Against the Grain

Insurance salesman Ed Clemons has just taken on the task of coaching the slumping high school football team of the small, but football-crazy town of Sumpter, Texas. He is given just one season to turn the fumbling teens around, and he throws himself into the job wholeheartedly. Though his methods ruffle the feathers of the quiet little town, he manages to make some real progress with the players. The show was inspired by Buzz Bissinger's book Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream.

Directed by Michael Pavone, Dave Alan Johnson, Against the Grain leans on a strong ensemble — John Terry, Donna Bullock, Ben Affleck — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1993.