No, ‘Friday Night Lights’ is not based on a true story. However, the series isn’t entirely devoid of real-world influences. The series is based on H. G. Bissinger’s non-fiction novel titled ‘Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream.’

The film and the series felt so real, causing some to wonder whether Friday Night Lights is based on a true story. Friday Night Lights is not based on a true story. However, the series drew from plenty of real-life events and places.

Friday Night Lights is based on the best-selling book by journalist Buzz Bissinger; it follows the 1988 football season of Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. Although Bissinger's novel would go on to sell 2 million copies and spawned the 2004 film and a hit TV series, the citizens of Odessa felt bitter about how they were portrayed in the book.