“Friday Night Lights,” the television drama that followed the ups and downs of the Dillon High School Panthers football team, is rightly considered by critics and viewers to be one of the finest shows of the 21st century. Though the series was never a Nielsen ratings hit over its five seasons (curious given that it’s a hugely compelling and accessible saga centered on the most popular sport in the United States), those who loved it rode a weekly emotional rollercoaster of victories, defeats, romances, break-ups and one murder (an ill-considered plotline that stands as the series’ only egregious misstep). The writing, spearheaded by showrunner Jason Katims, was, aside from the aforementioned detour, always sharp and surprising, while the cast, led by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, struck resonant chords with their portrayals of decent yet flawed human beings trying to do right by their teammates, family, and friends outside of the locker room.

The show didn’t just boost the careers of Chandler and Britton; it also introduced an exciting array of young talent to the world that included Jesse Plemons, Michael B. Jordan, Adrianne Palicki, Mika Kelly and Zach Gilford. Of the series’ early standouts, however, the actor who seemed particularly poised for movie stardom was Taylor Kitsch. As hard-charging, troublemaking fullback Tim Riggins, Kitsch exuded an irresistible charm and devil-may-care penchant for danger. Surely, the studios could turn this guy into an action hero, if not an award-winning thespian.

After a brief appearance as the mutant Gambit in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Kitsch got his shot at big-time stardom in 2012 with “John Carter,” “Battleship” and “Savages.” The first two currently rank in the top 10 of all-time studio flops, which obscured the fact that he was quite good in the third film (a sleazy-stylish Oliver Stone thriller that got lost in the summer shuffle).

But while Kitsch never became the bankable A-list movie star I believe he could’ve been (and still could be at age 43), he took those failures in stride and kept plugging away in both film and television. And now, 13 years after that rotten 2012, he’s the star of the most viewed series on Netflix!

According to FlixPatrol, the new Western miniseries “American Primeval” is the top rated show on Netflix. Yes, it’s currently more popular than “Squid Game.”

“American Primeval” is a graphically violent tale of conquest and survival in the midst of the Utah War of the mid-1800s between Mormon settlers and the U.S. Army. Betty Gilpin stars as a determined woman who’s attempting to transport herself and her son from Fort Bridger to California, where she’s to meet with her husband. When they can’t secure an escort to their destination, she turns to a mysterious loner played by Kitsch to guide her through this vicious hell.

Kitsch is earning rave reviews for his performance in the miniseries, which, as directed by his former “Friday Night Lights” (and, yes, “Battleship”) collaborator Peter Berg, has received mixed reviews overall. Given that the show was created by Mark L. Smith, the screenwriter of “The Revenant,” it should come as no surprise that this Western saga is rough sledding. If you can handle some particularly graphic violence, you might find that “American Primeval” is just the frontier yarn for you. It has fascinating subject matter (touched on to a degree by Scott Frank’s superb Netflix miniseries “Godless”) and a first-rate cast that also includes Kim Coates, Dane DeHaan, Jai Courtney, and the dependably awesome Shea Whigham. Give it a shot while you’re hunkered down this winter!