Busy Philipps: Why That 'Freaks And Geeks' Episode Was Banned

Busy Philipps ("Freaks and Geeks", "Cougar Town") talks about why she decided to play Kim Kelly and her controversial banned "Freaks and Geeks" episode.
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[@lilochanger]

Show was definitely too good for it's time

[@Yonverpage]

100%

[@Yonverpage]

I will be forever bummed out that it got canceled.

[@ivansantana7732]

@@Yonverpage facts

[@georgefotisdramesiotis9061]

With the exception of some racial diversity which in that time it would be impossible since the show is so beyond it's time, I would say it's perfect

[@goobygoober_69]

@@georgefotisdramesiotis9061 uhhhh Goldbergs? its set even farther back then Freaks and Geeks

[@lithiumting6152]

She had the best character development, without that episode we never who have understood her or why she acted a certain way

[@bigtrip6344]

They gave all the characters so many dimensions

[@kenzonikolai1469]

instablaster...

[@emilycampbell7411]

Oh my GOD she looks THE SAME after 16 years!!!

[@WarwickkkT101]

+Emily Campbell Well she was only 19 so she shouldn't be using a zimmerframe yet

[@reelcouple1457]

Emily Campbell they all do

[@KKMaverick]

She wasn't 16 in the show

[@AnonymousQwerty]

I’d say she looks better actually

[@joeblow8206]

Nope. Looks 16 years older

[@marmarclassic3636]

Still pissed that they didn't go for the second season

[@alejandroserrano7755]

We all are

[@injanhoi1]

It was very unfortunate. The show had the potential to go 5 seasons I thought. Some of the other shows that had luck did go on for two long and the quality really dropped in the 6th and 7th seasons. You've got to know when to stop. Freaks and Geeks was just very unlucky.

[@fabybaby]

its so sad that they didnt get more seasons but thats what makes this show even more special

[@jakegames2736]

Waaaaaa

[@ZenShroud1]

It took a while for Kim Kelly to grow on me. Busy seems like the coolest person in the world here.

[@sicktwister7091]

I just watched F&G for the first time, got totally obsessed with it lol. I hated Kim at the beginning, but by the end I think I had a crush.

[@AshleyShell343]

The banned episode was so important for me to start empathizing with her and seeing who she was beneath her tough exterior.

[@Sanny.]

Chris yeah her development in the show is amazing

[@aqilahsdead]

The 'kim kelly is my friend' was my most personal favourite episode because It hits me hard in the heart because I can 100% relate to that you know. Event though its violent, I'm pretty sure some teens could relate to that.

[@WestonMurdock]

Wow... Didn't know that episode was banned! Just finished the show on Netflix, and I can't imagine the show without the episode, it acted as a huge eye opener to her character, and without it, her sudden development wouldn't be explained.

[@mangoyeet5924]

Yes!

[@AshleyShell343]

I thought the same thing.

[@Sanny.]

Weston Murdock exactly

[@silentsmurf]

I wish they had aired it. I thought it was weird how Kim and Lindsay became so close all of the sudden until I saw this episode on Fox Family later

[@BabylonGateLA]

It was too real for goody America 🤣🤣

[@punkcrown629]

god, i watched the full serie and the episode was in it honestly i can't imagine the serie without that episode, it opened so many doors and opened my mind about the perception i had on kim, i feel so sorry for ppl who didnt watch this episode at the time

[@FenrirFire18]

@Dativa Adong Why Kim was such a bitch even though she suffered psychologically.

[@karimqk1895]

punkcrown Right? The first two episodes, Kim is perhaps the least likable character on the show. This episode really turned that on its head and allowed the series as a whole to grow so much stronger.

[@LissThunderstorm]

This serie should be have more than one season

[@ZenShroud1]

Maybe not. Because it was so short, it didn't get ruined by unnecessary longevity. So many shows outlive any endearing qualities they had when they debuted.

[@prudencecobb6204]

You're both right. I don't think Paul and Judd would have let the show go downhill, but I think the fact that it ends where it does contributes to its cult status. We fans know how great the show was and could have been and I think we can hold onto what we do have and be happy.

[@FireMinstrel]

Lisseth Rendón No more than four seasons. One for every year the geeks were in high school. Lindsey could defer Harvard for a couple years so she could still stick around, and maybe Ken and Nick(maybe Kim as well) would go to junior college.

[@rapturousvisages6919]

I used to hate that the show only had one season, but then I read this www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/12/paul-feig-season-two-freaks-and-geeks and I didn't quite like what Paul and Judd had planned for what would've been the next season.

[@JohnSmith-kz1pg]

rapturous visages The show would've always ended with her leaving high school. Regardless of how many seasons there were, the last episode would've always felt 'unfinished'. It's only cause the series was cancelled by about episode 4, that he decided to go down that route

[@jtheonlyone2046]

"SHE IS A BAD BANANA!"

[@imaginarydrummer]

that banned episode was one of my favorites. I could really relate to it, and it definitely added some depth to her character.

[@viviannichols3582]

The banned episodes of every show are always the best ones 😭

[@collegeman1988]

If Kim Kelly auditioned for Freaks and Geeks and got the part, she would have been sooooo pissed that she wasn't in the opening credits of the show. She would have run Paul Feig over with her car and clawed Judd Apatow's eyes out of their sockets.

[@nv3391]

+collegeman1988 I always wondered why she wasn't in the credits!

[@RFFVNS]

+collegeman1988 her character was never meant to have a big role, but she performed so well in the role that they expanded it.

[@MrPink-kk6qn]

she was such a badass in freaks and geeks, and in real life she's chill as fuck. who knew lmao

[@brianschwartz1372]

That banned episode aired on Fox Family when they ran the series and the final 6 episodes that NBC didn't air also aired there too. This totally should've gotten a second season. I would've loved to see Lindsey and Kim on the road.

[@QueenCityAvenue94]

Lol on the road. America.

[@withalittlehelpfrom3]

The fact they were already friends before being cast as rivals, makes the scenes with Lindsey and Kim fighting even more fun to watch!

[@hairboy75]

every single episode was a 10. I watched the full series maybe 7 or 8 times.

[@aubreechadek13200]

It's 2022 and euphoria is what's going on Kim Kelly is my friend is so tame and yet wonderful and eye opening.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

I would have thought that _Chokin’ and Tokin’_ would have been the banned episode because marijuana use in the USA was still considered taboo until recently and still banned in most states.

[@Jaegerborn]

I HATED Kim Kelly for the first couple episodes, until I saw that one. Then, despite not liking her much still, her character made sense to me. I can't imagine watching the series without such an eye-opening, character development-laden, episode. (Disclaimer: I watched F&G for the first time over lockdown, so I'm not a longtime fan. But wtf, how did it take me this long to find this gem of a show???)

[@izeyahportillo2994]

She was also in undeclared if anyone remembers that.

[@oscarzambuto9808]

+customlego minifies Kelly, right?

[@Cinemabuff97]

I do. And "Ken" liked her LOL.

[@tuliannas2641]

Busy is BAEEE .

[@sNstRflyEr]

Tulianna Seiuli You are GAYYY

[@bmillerdrums]

Her daughters name is Cricket? WTF?

[@jd-no7rw]

I went to high school with a girl named Cricket in the 1980s, what's wrong with it?

[@alexvesel1]

The show wouldn't have been as amazing if it weren't for her. Can't believe she wasn't in the opening credits.

[@sophieghaffari9006]

Ok l just finished Freaks and Geeks on Hulu and that episode was included.

[@hannahjoyk]

"Kim Kelly is my friend" was my favorite episode

[@masje123456]

I fucking loved that episode!

[@ezyarborough7252]

That explains why a few episodes later the parents are so confused about who Kim is.

[@LeshaAnn]

Really bad call, on the network's part, but not nearly as bad as the call they made in cancelling it, of course!

[@kraanz]

Her own name is Busy and she names her kid Cricket? What the actual fuck? =D

[@amandalkrone]

Her name is Elizabeth

[@thejakeakar]

she is such a fun and open girl .,,.damn i love her .,

[@TrentTheSuperVillian666]

Kim Kelly is still my dream woman

[@christianadrian28]

She sounds like what Barney Stinson would call a woo girl

[@tommyzittoya7408]

Wade Wilson you have rlly good taste in shows

[@olivia1910]

What ? That show would've made absolutely no sense without that episode ! And that's what made this show so great you know, it didn't gloss over anything, it was honest. Maybe too honest for some people. Oh well I guess it's like Elvis, doesn't make sense to us why people thought the way he danced was obscene but I'm sure it did at the time

[@nandinisahu1716]

The interviewer was soo bad she didn't respond to busy in any way atall when she was answering with such enthusiasm

[@briansmith-jones4630]

This is the reason I do not have tv or cable in my house anymore. They cancelled, The Wonder Years, The Event and Freeks and Geeks....I was effing done..effing DONE!!!!

[@thornprick2645]

I love Busy and Linda ughhh

[@bellabliss1860]

It honestly pisses me off that this episode was banned. As someone who grew up with narcissists as parents, it was such a real representation of how it is living with them.

[@susanplank1976]

I read that the network wanted victories and fun and fluff. Afterschool specials had abuse content decades before F&G, but maybe the network thought it was too soon for their new show to play so heavy. It shouldn't have been skipped over, you gained insight and empathy for Kim.

[@maddie8415]

It's such a good episode, very realistic.

[@zillathezalo9342]

Kim Kelly is awesome but busy Phillips is literally the coolest person ever.

[@Vekktoria]

I’ll be honest for myself I have a hard time even to this day watching that episode because it triggers my home life trauma that i grew up in, The scene is just way too real for me and I always have to skip that part

[@PaoRamirezQW]

You are awesome and humble. I love it! :)

[@rickyymunoz]

To all the people realizing the episode isn't banned it's cause it was only banned in 1999 tv lol

[@AlwaysBelieve63]

I saw her in the movie "the gift!"

[@bi8968]

That's why I dont watch TV anymore, because NBC they cancelled Freak and Geeks. I was done. I said fuck this

[@cananary]

Kim was my fave character idc 😭😍

[@jazzlynjohansen9332]

"Kim Kelly is my friend" is on Netflix

[@leahlo5133]

Is this the episode where she starts screaming in her car at the park

[@FenrirFire18]

Sucks Netflix just got rid of it this month.

[@gostate009]

It’s on Hulu now!

[@lozu8947]

They should reboot Freaks and Geeks with a new cast set in 1984 ( after the original cast has already graduated). It could be a series like American Horror Story where each season is a new cast/ story line. Of coarse it would have to be done by the original behind the scenes people that created the original. That is the only way you could reboot this show. Or even remake it set later and some of the original cast could be in it as older characters; imagine Neal or Bill as a teacher

[@123-l7l]

U can now watch that episode on Netflix I think

[@Jared_DaVinci]

I have every episode

[@nzvnv_]

that was one of my fav eps

[@sparkysjoint1616]

Show was ten years ahead of it's time.

[@sakednake]

I will revive this show mark my words

[@twinsister2780]

I thought it was the 4th episode

[@lmediocregamerl]

Not having a shower, for the second kid? Way to show, which is your favorite child. LMAO

[@musicaltheatergeek79]

I don't know what she's talking about. They were showing bare butts on "NYPD Blue" as early as 1993. That's what they were known for: watch "NYPD Blue" and you may see some skin. Many actors dropped trou on that show. And it was a network show (ABC). I also recall that in the mid-nineties, CBS aired a TV movie starring Meredith Baxter about a woman dealing with breast cancer. They showed her breast and everything. Things did get very conservative post-9/11 in 2001, but that was AFTER "Freaks & Geeks." I don't think you can show nudity on network TV today. (Basic) cable, yes. Web series, yes. But not something monitored by the FCC.

[@mysticalcatnip221]

that was my fave ep lol

[@itsannagiulia]

shes so awesome

[@SDallstar]

Wait, but I vividly remember watching "Kim Kelley is my friend" went it aired back in 99'- 00'

[@DeathlyHallow108]

It probably only aired a handful of times and then got banned

[@craigmiller2101]

She called her daughter cricket ? Lmao

[@Hudson96919]

They banned the election cuss of the home life kim has but now literally ever show with a bad character has that type of family of home in every show it proves this show was ahead of its time

[@LukeTheringMusic]

2:16

[@itsmecommenting4283]

Freaks and geeks should have had more seasons

[@laralova9119]

This episode is literally on youtube

[@jeremyjustjeremy5519]

MMMM Busy!!!!

[@TheSickNeeds]

Its hilarious that it sounds like 99 was thought of as a time of innocence on TV. Archie Bunker was dropping N bombs back int he 70s. I think it was more of so early on in a new series they didn't want scare off viewers that might have been a bit cold towards something so "aggressive" (I really can't bring myself to call the episode shocking). NBC is kind of ridiculous...think of other shows at the time.... Friends..... it took them 9 seasons to have a black character that was recurring. I guess there are no black people in New York? Speaking of friends at 0:50 of this video it makes me wonder which one of them picked up Ross and which one was picking up Rachel.

[@user4872]

Hold on that episode was CANCELLED?!? I recently watching freaks and geeks for three first time and I loved it and I soon after finishing it and wanted to know why they didn't make more do I went on google and did some research and Cam to this now what is strange to me is did the episode get uncannciled bc I watched that episode on hulu so can anyone explain why

[@Shawtywitabody22]

Wish they could renew with the same cast

[@hipnhappenin]

LMU! Woot woot

[@SMG2fanatic]

Her kid’s name is cricket??

[@ColorsBright]

She's not wearing blue

[@blink180foo5]

i thought it was busty Phillips hahahaha

[@kylematthewraven1041]

Freaks and geeks!!!!

[@xXJKutzXx]

Don't forget the movie White Chicks

[@mrscrushertrottalachancewh9707]

She looks the same!!!

[@marcd695]

She's hot

[@loganharris529]

you should name your kids something different. guess it's genetic lol

[@TheSickNeeds]

"You may know here from hit shows like Freeks and Geeks..."..... ummm it may have been the greatest show ever on tv but it got cancelled before the first season even ended.... not really a hit.

[@brandonkragnes4915]

Now everything is "controversial"🙄🤦

[@nate735]

why would this show be controversial if released today??

[@ryadachaibou8098]

She's a stereotypical valley girl

[@sullensleaze]

and white chicks

[@rightknowledgeman]

I wonder what that mouth does??? Bet Desario knows,lolol

[@sidfernandez7569]

Is she actually even saying anything?

[@BruisedASScheeks]

pshhhh.. im more famous than her.

[@twoguyskissingpng]

She looks like a slightly older Regina George oml