From CANCELED to CULT CLASSIC (Freaks and Geeks)

In today's video, we'll be discussing Judd Apatow and Paul Feig's classic TV series "Freaks and Geeks".
In this deep dive into television history, join us as we explore the fascinating journey of the 1999 cult classic series, "Freaks and Geeks." Discover the incredible backstory behind the show's creation, the talented cast and crew who brought it to life, and the unfortunate decision by NBC to cancel it in 2000. We kick off this journey by delving into the inception of "Freaks and Geeks." Learn how the minds behind the series, Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, envisioned a show that would capture the essence of high school life in the 1980s, complete with all its quirks and challenges. Meet the talented ensemble cast that breathed life into the memorable characters of McKinley High. From the rebellious "Freaks" led by James Franco, with Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Busy Philipps - to the endearing "Geeks" featuring Samm Levine, John Daley, and Martin Starr, we'll explore the chemistry that made the show unforgettable. Go behind the camera to discover the creative processes that made "Freaks and Geeks" a standout series. Learn about the show's unique approach to storytelling, its authentic portrayal of adolescence, and how it became a breeding ground for future Hollywood stars. The heartbreak of every "Freaks and Geeks" fan - NBC's abrupt cancellation of the show after just one season. We dissect the factors that led to this unfortunate decision, from scheduling conflicts to network pressures, and examine the lasting impact on the show's legacy. Despite its short-lived run, "Freaks and Geeks" has achieved cult status and continues to be celebrated by fans worldwide. Explore how the series has influenced contemporary television and spawned successful careers for its cast and crew (actors returned in various judd apatow films such as knocked up, the 40 year old virgin, walk hard dewey cox, and more). Join us on this nostalgic journey through the world of "Freaks and Geeks" as we celebrate its brilliance, mourn its untimely end, and honor the enduring impact it has had on television and pop culture.
Songs (in order)
Lindsay's Theme - Freaks and Geeks OST
Pufino - Vibing @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Your Vibe @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Chill Vibes @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Feeling Good @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Getaway @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Dreamy Skies @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Chillout @FreeToUseMusic
Pufino - Warm Place @FreeToUseMusic
Mixkit - Ambient (Outro)
_______________________________________
Music track: Vibing by Pufino
Music track: Your Vibe by Pufino
Music track: Chill Vibes by Pufino
Music track: Feeling Good by Pufino
Music track: Getaway by Pufino
Music track: Dreamy Skies by Pufino
Music track: Chillout by Pufino
Music track: Warm Place by Pufino
Source: freetouse.com/music/
Music for Videos (Free Download)
_______________________________________
Chapters:
Intro 0:00
Discovering "Freaks and Geeks" 0:51
Writing "Freaks and Geeks" 1:32
Judd Apatow Steps In 3:01
NBC Picks Up "Freaks and Geeks" Pilot 3:59
Casting the Show 5:10
Lisa Kudrow Discovers Samm Levine 6:40
Filming the Pilot / New NBC President 7:18
Hilarious "Dawson's Creek" Clip with Seth Rogen 8:22
More Episodes Ordered / Saturday Air Time 8:45
Audience Offended / Removed from Schedule 10:49
"Too Dark" for NBC / Creative Differences 11:52
Moved to Mondays / CANCELED 12:52
FOX Family Syndication / Garth Fired 14:05
Bad Promotion 15:00
Series Legacy / Possible Revival 15:33
Outro 16:53
#freaksandgeeks #sethrogen #jasonsegel

[@MediaPastimes]

If you want a professionally made documentary about this show, check out the episode of A&E Cultureshock which included most of the cast and creatives from "Freaks and Geeks": www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/cultureshock

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I just watched the series for the first time with my teenage kids and we were all hypotized. A tv show that transcends generations is rare.

[@RevSmoke]

Mine learned a lot from it

[@punklover99]

This is a better representation of the 80's than most modern shows

[@dreaminstar]

i watched this show sometime during covid on hulu. it was one of the shows where i was interested in the premise and then was in an absolute chokehold within the first episode. i love the portrayal of high school and all the characters relationships. all the actors performances were so realistic. this is one of my comfort shows and im really glad they got even just one season.

[@TheSkylar25]

One of the best shows of all time. It deserved more seasons

[@jmac356]

Or, like many good TV Shows, maybe it didn't.

[@ergifem]

My stepmom showed me this show like 20 years ago. It was so good and I want to watch it again.

[@Emilypwilson]

someones posted it on youtube

[@sharpie690]

I hate this show never got anywhere! I’ve watched the series countless times on streaming services and I hate it never was properly ended or took off.

[@MediaPastimes]

Yep! I revisit it at least once every year or two, and it's so frustrating that it ends so soon.

[@kavami11jams30]

I'm surprised by your taste in TV series. To ea

[@brentforte5950]

This takes me back two times I remember watching the show and remember being that kid in the 80's that reflected the show.

[@cabellero1120]

1 of my All Time Favorite Shows!! I grew up in the 80s! wasn't just a show, it was an experience... Especially for those of us who went to Jr High in the 80s! Great show!

[@cosmicjenny4508]

I’ve never heard of such a messy release of a show in the UK, American TV is another beast! NBC having their “Am I out of touch?” moment there. I’ll have to add this to the ever-growing list of shows on my backlog that I’ll need to watch 😂 Another excellent video! You’re criminally underrated.

[@MediaPastimes]

I'm jealous of anyone who gets to experience this show for the first time, but it also hurts because the joy only lasts for 18 episodes 😪

[@Jonnynot1plate]

Just rewatched the whole series on Pluto tv, still so great

[@MediaPastimes]

After I finished this episode I was saying to myself "I probably won't revisit the show for a yearly rewatch"... yeah I'm about 1/2 of the way through season one right now. It's too good!

[@WoundedKite]

This is great work - very worthy tribute to and analysis of Freaks and Geeks' story. Thanks for making this.

[@crc9564]

I got an ad on this video for Folgers coffee that featured the song Bad Reputation

[@MediaPastimes]

I saw that ad recently, that's a hilarious coincidence.

[@edwallace2828]

This show nailed a lot of my experiences in high school. Some of the real screwed up situations - like the episode where Kim Kelly has a really bad day - mirrored experiences I witnessed. (like chasing your cheating boyfriend in your car). Loved the show and too bad it was not made during the golden age of TV in the 2000's through 2020's.

[@graybabyoracle]

For sure do a video on Undeclared. Love both of these shows so much.

[@dt3156]

Favorite TV show ever. I still think about it every week.

[@PeteOfDawn]

This was a fantastic video. I first experienced the show through Prime a few months ago so you were right on the money. I always wanted to learn why the show only got one season and I’m so glad I found this video. The show really never had a chance and that’s a real shame. The time slot it was in plus the gaps between new episodes made it pretty much impossible for the show to gain an audience. You did a tremendous job with the research here providing a lot of cool facts I never knew about like how Linda and Jason played love interests before the show and the recent D&D ad. I also really like how you have clips of the show play off of to the video. That was a really nice touch not just for comedy but also showing how much you really know the show. Thank you so much for making an entertaining and accessible video going over the history of this wonderful series.

[@STAUNCHTV]

Loving the channel! The cable guy vid was great, subbed!

[@Yourmomgoestocolledge]

I cant watch it, i loved it too much. You fall in love with these characters, it ends and you're like "well wtf happens??" So its pointless to get invested in. That said its one of the best shows made.

[@Galactus23]

I hate that I just watched it and got invested and now I'm a mess because theres no more!!! I didn't want it to end as I was nearing the final episode

[@ougibbons]

Great find!

[@swiftnova9900]

Idk what it was about this show, but I had never felt anything like watching this show.

[@MediaPastimes]

Couldn't agree more. I revisit it every year and it's just one of the most comforting series to watch, even during the moments that the creatives intended to be cringe inducing.

[@luisrizo8813]

08:53; Ancier greenlit both "Married with children" and "Unhappily Ever After ".

[@MediaPastimes]

Damn, talk about a show that never gets brought up anymore (Unhappily Ever After). Haven't heard the name of that show in like 20 years.

[@luisrizo8813]

Stephanie Hodge didn't want to do it after Nikki Cox inadvertently started upstaging her; they got REAL mean during that final season, taking unmitigated shots at things; including the entire concept of "That 70s show" before it even premiered.

[@luisrizo8813]

​@@MediaPastimesthat and "Wayans Bros" actually reached a 100 episodes out of that original batch of WB sitcoms.

[@luisrizo8813]

@@MediaPastimes Geoff Pierson was asked point blank about it @37:29; (kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5nGomZtgrN0pMk)

[@elissaa3404]

Truly one of the greatest travesties in television that this show got canceled after one season

[@uzetaab]

Honestly, shows like this and Firefly are probably so well regarded because they were short, and cancelled. We will never know whether they would have been able to maintain their brilliance if they had survived for 5 or 7 seasons.

[@sejejo7565]

Damn I’m getting so old now that I remember being an extra in that show

[@youreoldnow7013]

What a catch to find it on TV back then while being in HS. ...and then it was gone.

[@Lacostelp]

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU BROUGHT UP EIFFEL 65! I was 13 I think when they came in concert to my city in the US and I couldn’t go because it was 18+ I was devastated

[@MediaPastimes]

I just felt like no music group represented 1999 better than them 😅 had to drop a reference

[@Yourmomgoestocolledge]

I'm embarrassed for you wanting to go see Blue daba de daba da 😂😂😂 I also was around 13 and you wouldn't have caught me dead listening to that.

[@jspencer3088]

I can’t believe you brought up Rainforest Cafe. I ate their a couple times. NO ONE remembers the place. I thought it may have been a fever dream.

[@Amins88]

Blue house, blue window

[@nohandleforme....]

I recently found this and streamed the entire thing. I was really getting into it.... then it came to an abrupt halt. I was very disappointed when there were no more episodes to watch. I think they made a huge mistake by not giving this show a priority and getting fully behind it. I really enjoyed the characters, which were played quite well, as well as the story lines and the music.

[@HarvestStore]

Great video.

[@XboxJoint]

I remember watching g the first episode back in 2012 on Netflix mainly because I recognized most of the cast. I was instantly hooked and watched all episodes in a day or two. Definitely one of my favorites despite having rewatched it in 11 years…

[@philsowers]

TV Wheel was a lot of fun and quite an experiment from Joel Hodgeson of MST3k fame. It featured Joel Hodgeson, Paul Feig, David Cross, Nick Bakay, Doug Benson, Andy Kindler, Fred Stoller, and Dave "Gruber" Allen who was Mr Rosso the hippie guidance counselor in Freaks & Geeks. As an MST3k club member it was originally titled the "X Box" but apparently some big company already trademarked the name and prevented them from using it... You know the one. lol If it wasn't for Tivo many amazing shows with weird time slots would have been missed.

[@weakness000]

this show is criminally underrated, definitely should have had at least a 2nd season if not more, i was born in '03 and i really wish i was born in an earlier year so i could watch this while it aired

[@danieldrkness7489]

In Australia it was played at 12am on friday nights. I would get baked and loved and still thinks a great all time short lived show

[@Kendallhess]

this is one of my favorite shows EVER! :,)

[@NT__-]

Dude, we are watching this at school, this show is so good lmao

[@RevSmoke]

My Adult Kids love this show. I rank three Sitcoms most relatable to growing up. 1.Freaks and Geeks 2. Wonder Years(obviously the one with Fred Savage), 3.That 70's show It was a shame they didn't continue airing this one, they would have gotten more and more attention and it would of been a classic among the best. I know they tried to move from this and make a college version that pushed the boundaries but if they stuck with it and stayed I have no doubt they would of been successful with it. However Then Pineapple Express, Knocked Up, The end of the World etc may not of been created so a toss up for sure. I still watch it and as for my Adult Children they still do as well, I honestly believe it helped them with life and grow up to be solid Adults.

[@jhereklast7851]

Excellent show. I was one of those kids that watched it on fox family.

[@MediaPastimes]

I wish I had. I watched Fox Family all the time, but I was probably too young and naive to understand the greatness of this series.

[@jtclarks]

This show was awesome, Undeclared was awesome too. Id love a feature on that

[@jimmylarson7856]

I stand by Monday at 8 in 99 was a bad idea cause WCW Nitro and WWF Raw were what the target audience was already competing to watch at that time

[@marcusbrothers5221]

When the three boys were in gym class while XTC's no language in our lungs played in the background made me feel like the show was written for me personally

[@cbrreezzyy69]

You should do Firefly

[@2015id]

my favorite show ever

[@Amins88]

Lasting for only one season was the best thing that could have ever happened for that show. How long can you continue to run a show about high school students without overstaying your welcome, especially when half of those characters are in their senior year? It ran its course, said everything it needed to say, and left on the highest of notes. Continuing it for any longer would have one hundred percent ruined an incredible thing. I don't want more Freaks and Geeks, I want more shows that can mean as much as Freaks and Geeks does.

[@lozu8947]

The Freaks were Juniors in this season so it would have been good to have at least had one more season or better yet to get enough seasons to see the geeks graduate

[@Amins88]

@@lozu8947 It was explicitly stated that Nick was in his senior year, on the verge of being sent to the military, and his father states that he is 17. Daniel was at least 18 or 19 as he was held back. And Lindsay was told several times that she needed to start thinking about college, which would imply she was in her senior year. Ken and Kim never had anything explicitly stated about their age or grade, but it's safe to assume they were all of the same age. And getting four seasons for The Geeks to graduate would have been nice, but it would have completely thrown off the dynamic of the show without The Freaks. It's possible that they could have just extended an in-universe school year through multiple seasons because there were a few side characters I would have loved to see developed more, but it would have made it tricky with the actors continuing to age.

[@RevSmoke]

That Leisure Suit was so horribly wonderful...🤣

[@johnjones665]

Linda is so fine

[@Kaumak94]

6:50 Lisa Kudrow just happened to be at his friend's bar mitzvah huh...

[@MediaPastimes]

Alright, calm down Blinky... Apparently she was his friend's cousin. I didn't want to get into the whole story in the video for times' sake.

[@ji-i6062]

Really good, possibly the best teen show after The Wonder Years (the original)

[@MediaPastimes]

No doubt. I was pissed that I finally gave it a watch after graduating high school. I would have loved it during those years.

[@nazishhussain2712]

I discover this on watchmojo

[@Facetterdk]

Best show ever. What was wrong with NBC

[@fantasycosplayer]

best show ever

[@jowarrener527]

What a travesty the way they treated it. I can't wait to show it to my kid who is only toddler now.

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

Do a vid on the sorta sequel undeclared as well

[@MediaPastimes]

I plan on it, thank you 👍

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

@@MediaPastimes ❤️🙏

[@thefonzkiss]

6:05 the guy who played Gordon Crispe had been in an Addams Family reboot as Pugsley, he had more professional experience than most of them. He later went on to be the fedora guy meme.

[@MediaPastimes]

Linda Cardellini was the most experienced of the "kid actors" (she was 25 when she was cast on the show). The real ones know Jerry Messing as Artie from Even Stevens.

[@thefonzkiss]

@@MediaPastimes correct.

[@MIGUELDELLVALLE06-jv1sw]

Freaks and Geeks is one of my favorite TV shows ever i still love it if you what me to call it a anime because if you want me to call it like that i still like the show if it was my favorite anime of all time if you call Freaks and Geeks an anime dose it mean it's an anime but i still call it a anime because if it was one and i still like it thank you for this video Freaks and Geeks is one of the best anime ever made and i still like it.

[@MediaPastimes]

My Hero Freakademia

[@MIGUELDELLVALLE06-jv1sw]

@@MediaPastimes Is freaks and geeks is still a anime is Lindsey everyone's favorite waifu does it even count as anime Freaks and Geeks is still a show like my hero academia maybe call Freaks and Geeks a anime like a slice of life anime because it's a slice of life i described it as a anime like One piece Dragon ball Z Inuyasha Ranma 1/2 Yu Yu Hakusho Hunter x Hunter my hero academia and every anime i can think of that is like Freaks and Geeks does you ever want to put Freaks and Geeks in the category of anime the show is anime i will like it if it was a anime like an actual anime if someone makes some fanart of the characters in a retro anime style or remake some scenes in a anime style i will like it Freaks and Geeks is one of my favorite show if i call it an anime it's still one of my personal favorites.

[@User-winter999]

ohh that's why the parts are all jumbled

[@z0m813]

God I loved this show

[@bpwaterguy5635]

No one gonna talk about how bad NBC sucks they have not only cancelled 1 show but 2 that were culturally significant and amazing being freaks and geeks and my name is earl they suck so much

[@lmm1586]

It was NOT a failure!!! It was great!!! 0:29

[@MediaPastimes]

Something can be a failure and great at the same time... yikes.

[@UpsonPrattJr.]

The big 4 didn't really control anything. That's just what there was.

[@MediaPastimes]

I meant "controlled" as-in they were the only networks that were able to give shows a solid financial backing, so if your series wasn't picked up by them - you were probably out of luck. HBO was changing the game, too - but I was mostly referring to basic cable channels.

[@thefonzkiss]

_IFLOSSEM_

[@Abbotttdesign]

In my opinion, this is how I feel, the minute that everyone changed the channel, the part with the mentally challenged kid, people turned away because it was so cliché. And when he trips and falls, and aawwww now the poor thing is hurrrrt, that maneuver was so contrived. I considered no longer watching it at that point. It's not because I felt they were mocking retardation.

[@levisloftus]

im not american so it might be weird but why there is no black person ever

[@MediaPastimes]

There's way more representation in American media, nowadays. Freaks and Geeks came out during a much different time, culture wise.

[@levisloftus]

@@MediaPastimes but i remember them saying the woman that refused to sit on the back, it seemd to me that they can show black ppl

[@IamtheLunchlady]

Gotta remember that this show is set in Michigan. Not many black people there compared to more urban area, big cities, or Detroit, Michigan