Freaks & Geeks

Network: NBC; Genre: Drama/Comedy; Content Rating: TV-PG (for language, drug use and adult content); Available: on DVD; Perspective: Modern Classic (star range: 1 - 5);

Season Reviewed: Completed Series (1 season)

There are few shows, currently on the air or in the entire pantheon of television, that are so obviously crafted with as much love as 'Freaks and Geeks'. Created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, 'Freaks' crackles with an honest writing and flawless chemistry and creates it's own wonderful universe. To watch the show is to be awash in details and obvious care that was taken to make it.The high school series has never been so real.

'Freaks' follows a group of geeks and a group of burnouts at McKinley High School in 1980, both of which centering around the Weir siblings. Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) is our heroine whose rebellion from the Mathlete life and into the world of the burn-outs (with the terrific James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen & Busy Philipps) creates a domino effect that the entire series spins on. Sam Weir (John Francis Daley) is an underdeveloped geek whose unrequited love of cheerleader Cindy Sanders (Natasha Melnick, perfectly cast) drives much of the geek story lines. Sam faces the torment and humiliation of daily life in high school with friends Neil and Bill (wildly underrated, star-making Samm Levine and Martin Starr, respectively). The show is a badge of honor for all involved.

The school is populated with a fully realized universe of supporting characters from Lindsey's church-going friend Millie to Dungeon master Harris to Mr. Rosso (David "Gruber" Alan, hilariously stealing any scenery not bolted down) - the school guidance counselor without any boundary for the inappropriate. . No more accurate depiction of the look and feel of high school (or the hell that was high school depending on your perspective) TV has ever seen.

Becky Ann Baker and Joe Flaherty make the perfect '50s era parents. Flaherty comes off the most over-the-top, but even that fits the vision. The dinner table scenes between the Weir family are so uncharacteristically happy and intentionally corny that it will surely be off-putting to the average cynical viewer. Years before "The Office" made embarrassment and viewer discomfort into a science, "Freaks and Geeks" was doing a similar thing, effectively making us really feel Sam and Lindsey's embarrassment over their parent's behavior. I particularly like the set design of the Weir house, and the show in general. "Freaks" is set in 1980 but designed with 50s, 60s and 70s paraphernalia. Unlike the many fast food period pieces now, - "That 70s Show", "The Wedding Singer", "American Dreams" - where the decade is treated like a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, the decade doesn't turn over to 1980 and suddenly everyone runs out and buys parachute pants and the Thriller album.

The self-professed anti-'Dawson's Creek', the series is almost as distinctive for what it isn't than for what it is. It isn't a flashy show with 20-something preps playing high school kids set to blaring Top 40 pop songs where the biggest problems among the characters include juggling two hot dates on the same night. In other shows - most overly concerned with what the consuming public thinks of them, the geeks and the burnouts are fringe groups usually given as much thought as the potted plant in the corner, or used as 1-joke stereotypes. 'Freaks and Geeks' is the first show to acknowledge that they may be more interesting. They don't participate in the high school caste system and they muse about never being able to get girls.

I love the way the show's camera lingers on faces and soaks up Cardellini's incredible expressions. It rests on the kids as they sit and talk about their favorite drummer or the TV show they watched last night just like everyone does. At an hour the show allows for those quite moments. Just as it takes time out to do elaborate mid-show set pieces like an action movie-like dodge ball sequence or a violent spat between Kim Kelly (Philips) and her parents. The series is packed with these unforgettable little moments - heart-breaking and screaming funny, sometimes all at once. In 18 episodes it says more than most shows ever do: the geeks watching their first porno, the freaks getting their first fake IDs, the family catastrophes in Niel and Bill's homes and the painfully real crush Sam has on Cindy. Their world doesn't always a happy ending and awkwardness and embarrassment rule the day.

The fact that 'Freaks and Geeks' wasn't given a chance to make it by NBC is a sad testament to how network executives box in their viewers to find a ratings silver bullet. No matter, these 18 episodes are self-containing and fully satisfying enough to get over the sting of the network apathy. I'll break a rule and do a little necessary promotion here. All this is captured in a DVD set this show deserves, with as much attention and love put into the extras (29 commentary tracks!) that was put into the show. It is the single best DVD I've ever seen.

Who knows if the show would have been able to keep it up as the kids grew up and the show had to be written around it. As it stands, this is like lightening captured in a bottle. That perfect mix of all the elements coming together to make a truly classic series. No matter what the future holds, "Freaks" has a reserved place in my heart. This is really one for the ages, people. No list of modern classics is complete without "Freaks and Geeks".

* * * * * / 5

Why is it that all the best teen shows get cancelled way before their time? Maybe because the show is set in the 80's (where teenagers won't relate to some of the stuff back then). Or maybe because people don't look for smart acting anymore. Even if you were born after all that hippie - disco stuff, you should still be able to enjoy the show.

Personally, I don't think the show stood a chance. First, it was hardly advertised by NBC. Second, it was placed on a Saturday night. And third, it was taken off the air for a month or so and then brought back. You couldn't have any worse luck. Then when it came back on the air, they only showed a couple of episodes and decided to cancel it for good.

To sum it up - it was a good little show with terrific acting, excellent music, good clothes, great storylines, and a hell of a good try to stay on the air. Unfortunately, it didn't even survive one season. All I know is that I loved it and thank goodness I recorded most of the episodes.

Anybody who missed this show, you lost a chance to see what real television is about.

This show was without a doubt the BEST new show on Television. It actually gave a new meaning to television and introduced wonderful and funny characters. The cast is perfect and the writing and acting is so great, there was nothing wrong with the show, in fact it was about 10 times better than some stupid sitcoms still on TV (some not all). Bill Haverchuck, played by Martin Starr is probably my favorite character because he was a interesting and funny character. The only problem was that NBC didn't give Freaks and Geeks a decent time slot. It was so unfair.

Get the DVDs, you'll LOVE them!

Thank You

Of all the shows I have ever seen, none have stuck with me quite like Freaks and Geeks has. To put it simply, the show was brilliant. Too bad it had to be canceled. The writing and acting was superb, I don't think anyone can say that they didn't fall in love with the characters. I mean come on, Bill? The stories each were well made and I found myself already anticipating the next episode. Kudos to Paul Feig. The story is centered around the two children of a middle class family as they grow and evolve in high school. There is the older daughter, Lindsey, a book smart, goody-goody, looking for approval and acceptance from the stoners AKA the freaks. Then there is the younger son, Sam, who is the stereotypical nerd of the early 80's. He is constantly in conflict between the popularity aspect versus his friends, the geeks. Over the 18 episode first and only season, the characters undergo many changes that almost any person can relate to somewhat in their high school years. The entire series is all about the self discovery of these two kids and their friends as they venture through high school and in my mind was too good for TV. If only HBO had gotten to it... Oh well... I do highly recommend buying the DVD because this show was beyond words in the excellence it displayed, thank you for one of the best years of television Paul Feig!

Freaks and Geeks, like too many shows with a lot of potential, was shown here in Australia in a ridiculous time-slot and never had the chance to build an audience of any size. Pity, cos it was one of the best shows to come along in years. In 1980 (when the show is set) I was around the same age as a lot of these characters, and to me it caught the flavour of the era authentically. Was I freak or was I a geek? What do you think? Across the board great writing, casting and acting. I think there's a few future stars on show here. Also cool use of appropriate music. Not just the predictable (Styx, Rush), also the unexpected (a track from XTC's "Black Sea"!). Shows someone knows what they're talking about! And any show that featured Kevin Corrigan AND Rushmore's Jason Schwartzman in the same episode HAS to be cool, right? Hope this re-runs one day...