Optic Nerve: Freaks and Geeks R.I.P.

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Freaks and Geeks: R.I.P.

I probably watch too much TV, I admit it, but if you don't, how can you stay current with pop culture? Things change so fast. Anyway, let's face it, most of it is dross, pure and simple. Even some of my favorite shows (Buffy, Roswell, etc) are pretty crappy really, and don't even compare to some classics of the past. Maybe I was lucky to be raised in England. We did have a lot of quality TV shows, maybe because on BBC there is no advertising: the people making the shows don't have to pander to advertisers and don't worry that much about ratings. They can take chances, push the envelope. That's why I was so amazed when I first saw Freaks and Geeks on NBC. Here was a sitcom that didn't fit the norm at all. There were no big stars, it didn't have the usual cliched "make the world right in 22 minutes" story line, and, most importantly, it was an hour long. That was a big deal! It allowed for more complex plots and deeper character development. I was not alone in loving it: it got great reviews and had a lot of rabid fans, but that was not enough. NBC didn't see the big immediate numbers it was looking for, and after one fractured season it was axed. Did it ever have a real chance? It first aired in September 99 on Saturday nights at 8, widely known in TV circles as the worst slot of the week. After the first couple of episodes the World Series preempted it. It wasn't aired again until November, but was on a deathwatch, and only a few more episodes were shown. It was shelved, but returned in January 2000, and in a real timeslot! Monday nights at 8! I guess they wanted to see what it could really do, and it probably replaced some other cancelled show. Again it didn't last long. By mid February it had been pulled a second time. Critical reaction had been so strong that the show was honored by the Museum of Radio and Television in March, and due to this NBC put it back on for two more episodes. After that it was cancelled for good. Because they had paid for them, NBC showed 3 never before seen episodes one Saturday in July 2000, but still, only 15 of the 18 episodes made were ever shown by NBC. The others were deemed "too racy". This great show effectively had the plug pulled on it after 12 episodes. What a fucking waste, especially when you consider most of the complete shite that is aired on a nightly basis on every channel. The producers shopped it around to other stations, but nobody bit. In August 2000 Fox Family bought the rights and showed all 18 episodes. They are edited however, so the "racier" comments are bleeped. At least it is still on however, but it is a cruel reminder of what a brilliant show it was. If you are interested it is on Saturday nights at 6 and Tuesday nights from 7 until 9.

Never saw the show? Wondering what it was about? Here's the official description from Dreamworks

The universal experience of teenagehood as lived by the regular old freaks and geeks in a Michigan high school, circa 1980, is the subject of this wistful comedy-drama executive-produced by Emmy-winner Judd Apatow and series creator Paul Feig.

Revolving around the lives of freak and geek siblings Lindsay and Sam Weir (Linda Cardellini, John Daley), the show studies the everyday fears, humiliations and little triumphs of adolescents past, present and, no doubt, future,too. For sophomore Lindsay, life is getting difficult. Jolted by the death of her grandmother, she dons her dad's old Army jacket and fights the one-girl battle of McKinley High. The allure of being a champion "mathlete" is losing its appeal, and her goals of college and career feel somehow irrelevant. She's alienated. Luckily, though, she's not really alone. Drifting away from her studious friends, she finds herself increasingly drawn to others like her, the "freaks" who refuse to accept the status quo. Among them are Daniel (James Franco), a friendly but dangerous guy who seems to like Lindsay, as does his bud Nick (Jason Segel), who dreams of stardom as a rock-and-roll drummer a la Led Zeppelin's Jon Bonham. Then there's Ken (Seth Rogen), an acerbic rebel, and Kim (Busy Philipps), a tough girl who doesn't go easy on Lindsay.

Meanwhile, Lindsay's freshman brother Sam navigates high school like a mouse in a maze. Threatened at every turn, and attracted to an unattainable cheerleader, Sam faces his own set of obstacles. But he has good friends. Sure, they're "geeks," but so is Sam. There's Neal (Samm Levine), a wise-acre, sci-fi loving geek, and bespectacled Bill (Martin Starr), a classic looking nerd who's unfortunately not as brainy as he appears.

On the homefront, Lindsay and Sam suffer through the good intentions of their overbearing mom (Becky Ann Baker) and their hardwired dad Joe Flaherty), who turns every teen issue into a matter of life and death.

Judd Apatow (The Larry Sanders Show) is the executive producer for the series from Apatow Productions in association with DreamWorks Television. Paul Feig is the creator and supervising producer. Jake Kasdan is the director.

Eighteen episodes of Freaks and Geeks were produced, twelve of which aired on NBC during the 1999-2000 TV season before the network cancelled the series due to low ratings. Despite its cancellation, the series received widespread critical acclaim, and NBC was harshly criticized both by the media and by fans for its neglect of the series, including constant reshuffling and postponements as the network struggled to compete with ABC's runaway hit "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." In late April, the Museum of Television and Radio hosted a screening of the entire series, including the six unaired episodes. Fans of the series also united to save the series and seek its renewal by another network, but these efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.

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by neil

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