Lights Out

Finally available to stream after all these years!! I have to admit that I'm not big into sports... but I love true tellings of the backstories of professional athletes as well as fictional sports movies which showcase such tales. "Lights Out" is fiction, of course, but it's like a true family drama first and foremost with boxing in the background and it's fantastic so it's no wonder I love it! Even the music is insanely inspired! Holt McCallany and the rest of the cast turn in incredible performances...however, I don't mean to be mean, but...the exception is Catherine McCormack who is sorely cast. She's physically right for the part, but she over- or under-acts in every single scene.

I have to say that of late of all the new TV series to come along this one just out on FX titled "Lights Out" is a clear winner and knockout! It's a tense and compelling drama that shows life is tough and dirty and that sometimes just to get by you have to break the rules. And the series has plenty of realism as it stays true to form to the boxing life of shady promoters, political payoffs and cranial damage and the most rewarding a journey towards a comeback. The stories and acting is top notch for a cable series.

Set in the Garden state of New Jersey it follows the tale of an ex heavyweight champion named Patrick "Lights" Leary(Holt McCallany I remember him from 1987's "Creepshow 2") and after his boxing life is now over Lights tries to stay afloat and travel thru life as if he were in the boxing ring. It's tough in the suburbs living like a middle class guy, yet he has the support of his tough and caring loving wife(played just fine by Catherine McCormack)and his three daughters are the love of his life too.

On the downside his now primary source of income is his personal appearances based on his former fame plus Lights runs a training gym for up and coming boxers and he co owns this with his arrogant and shady brother(Pablo Schreiber)still Lights is a beast and his mind keeps pulling him back into the fighting ring.

As you watch each episode you see that Lights is a good family man, yet to get by just like many in today's pressure economy and work life this man succumbs to temptation. It doesn't matter if it's taking political bribes or doing dirty work involving promoters and agents Lights and his brother will do it to survive. As his ultimate goal is a rematch with the fighter who beat him. A good supporting and wild card role is when you see Light's father and gym trainer(played by the wonderful Stacy Keach)as dad is tough and by the book as he tries to keep both of his sons on the straight and narrow road even though he most of the time fails with that it's still compelling to watch.

Really this series has it all especially the realism of boxing such as challenges, comebacks, brain damage, crooked politicians and greedy promoters all tied into organized crime. Those themes tie in well with the life and family drama for a show of slow boiling tension. I think "Lights Out" is one of the best new series around the drama and tension mixed with life and bending the rules to get by is compelling and uplifting. Plus it's nice to see someone like Holt McCallany get a break and have a fighting chance at acting stardom. "Lights Out" will knock you out both inside and outside of the ring!

I was told about this show by my cousin. It sounded good but my oh my I didn't expect it to be this good. You most likely already know the premise of the show so I won't spend time on that for now. But the writing is superb. Holt McCallany as the main character Patrick "Lights" Leary is a fine performance.

The beauty of this show is that it doesn't just focus on the boxing but on the boxer's personal life and the ins and outs of the murky world of professional boxing.

The makers of this show must have researched well since it feels like the real deal.

The scripting is excellent and unpredictable yet always believable.

My only one gripe with the show is that the boxers don't really look big enough to be heavyweights, they look more like middleweights.

I only sat down to watch one or two episodes but finished the entire season off in two nights after work, compelling stuff.

Looking forward to season two.

What an under-the-rader find I found! Best show I have watched in the last couple yrs! Too bad this hasn't gotten the notoriety it deserves. Lots of boxing movies but not many, if any, boxing shows. Holt M. Is a tremendous actor. I never seen him in any shows until I watched Mindhunter- which is phenomenal & maybe my favorite show of all time- they need a season 3 already... Then seen him in Shotcaller which was a great movie & amazingly underrated as well. But the other actors in the show are great as well- the Dad was in American History X, the wife from Braveheart & the brother from Thirteen Hours! All played great roles in this show. Even if you're not deeply into boxing, you should appreciate the drama & storyline that really feels like it's based on a true story & believable.

I started watching this show in a hotel room on a business trip to Dallas. I was instantly hooked. This show is about a man, a good man, and a great boxer, trying to keep his family together at all costs. The acting is first rate and the casting was spot on.

This show is also about boxing, as art. Boxing itself is a character in this show and the folks at FX do a great job of really making boxing quite compelling.

I must say that at the ripe old age of 28, Lights Out has me interested in boxing, really interested for the first time. Yes, it's brutal, but the show owns up to that and is unflinching in its portrait of this savage and beautiful sport.

I'm interested to see where the plot goes and how long FX can milk the whole 'comeback' aspect of the storyline. It has the potential to evolve into more than that. FX is making great shows and Lights Out is a testament to their creativity. You won't be disappointed with this one. It's a hit.