From CANCELED to CULT CLASSIC (Freaks and Geeks)

[@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 Join the Pastimers Club to get access to perks: kzbin.info/door/FyySCRtDo_toclmgYrmQNQjoin

[@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

[@jennnna555]

im 22 and just finished rewatching it with my mom, she LOVED it. i found it so crazy how we both related so deeply with the characters yet grew up very differently. they did a beautiful job with this show

[@TheSkylar25]

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

[@jmac356]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@punklover99]

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

[@Uzair_Of_Babylon465]

Totally agree with you and now I have better idea on how life was like for my parents who grow up in the 80s as we forget that our parents were kids like us at one point and my dad was the same age of Sam character in this series.

[@chrisglavin1665]

I was somebody who wasn't going to the parties on the weekends in high school, and was fortunate to have caught this show when it was on tv live. I'd argue, if anything, this directly appealed to the audience relating to the characters. Truly felt like this show was speaking to me and people I called friends.

[@WoundedKite]

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

[@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

[@thunderb4stard80]

It's now scarcely available on streaming now too, thank God I'm the only 20 year old that still owns dvds 😂

[@JuiceGuruInstitute]

I fell in love with this show since the first pilot aired. It was painful to try to navigate when they would air follow up episodes. After it got cancelled, there was an online movement to get the DVDs released and we made it happen. The best was the release party at Tower Records in LA. The entire cast pulled up in a school bus and signed copies for everyone there. I still have my autographed DVD yearbook and pictures from that awesome event. I miss this show and it was devastating when it got cancelled. The best show on TV ever. Each episode was like a mini-movie. The quality was phenomenal, acting top notch and stories just so compelling. A reboot would be a dream.

[@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.

[@cindyl760]

It’s crazy how freaks and geeks was wayyyy ahead of it’s time. I find this show incredibly relatable to my HS experience. I rewatch freaks and geeks once or twice a year

[@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.

[@aprilvannewkirk8761]

I had just turned 30 when Freaks and Geeks first aired. My husband and I were fans and then it was gone. Thanks for this explanation of what happened to the show.

[@graybabyoracle]

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

[@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 😪

[@antoniocuriel9125]

I just finished the series last night. It felt like the last day high school all over again during the last episode. Great video. I played baseball during high school but was in a band, that catch from Bill during softball cracked me up!

[@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!

[@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.

[@suluturnip]

They wouldn’t have, but seasons 2 and 3 would have been epic.

[@thunder9236]

This show was genuinely one of the best shows about kids, hands down. The cast is made of stars that damn near everyone has seen and they did such a good job. Everyone involved was furious when this was cancelled.

[@Akjl049]

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.

[@LakeLyfe315]

This show came out when I was junior in high school and even tho it took place in a previous era, I related so well to it

[@ronadyfirdan4138]

This series is brilliant... The humor is brilliant, not one boring scene and boring characters

[@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.

[@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)

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@elissaa3404]

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

[@DannyD714]

i just got the complete series in dvd,and am watching it for the first time in ten years. i never saw the original run,but saw a marathon of all the episodes on cable in 2014,and was hooked. i'm glad judd and paul had the forethought to shoot a finale in the middle of the shows production just in case they got cancelled. so even though the execs at NBC goofed in canceling it,we still got some resolution. the final scene with lindsay taking off on a free spirited journey after discovering the grateful dead was perfect,right down to the playing of "ripple" (my favorite grateful dead song). it really didn't need a second season. it took us through a complete school year,and said what it needed to say in 18 episodes. a perfect time capsule that is now a cult classic. you can't ask for much more than that. i graduated high school in 1979,and since then have seen my generation portrayed in everything from "fast times at ridgemont hight" to "that 70s show" to dazed and confused",but "freaks and geeks" really hit home with me. thanks paul and judd.

[@youreoldnow7013]

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

[@peevlit1461]

this was one of the first shows i was shown in my high school film making class. i seriously think its one of the greatest shows ever made.

[@derekbos4404]

I love the one with the non alcoholic beer keg 😂🎉

[@VintageBadman]

when I was in HS my summer school LA teacher would play episodes for us if we finished assignments early. I failed that class by like 3% lool but I still learned so much at the same time 😅🤷🏻‍♂️

[@STAUNCHTV]

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

[@stretchmonster]

After watching several of your videos for the very first time today, I have but one question: How do you not have five times as many subscribers? Anyway, I'm off to watch Freaks and Geeks (also for the very first time btw.) As someone who was a teenager in the 80s, I'm surprised it's taken me this long!

[@sejejo7565]

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

[@Uzair_Of_Babylon465]

Which episode were you in

[@sejejo7565]

@@Uzair_Of_Babylon465 I have no idea. I just remember the hallway it was a hallway scene and the next day we had to go Pierce college for a scene in an observatory

[@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.

[@ougibbons]

Great find!

[@ReddingRed]

I think I watched F&G gor the first time after I turned 50. It's one of the best shows for portraying life in the Midwest in 1980. It's still underrated for how good it was.

[@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…

[@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.

[@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

[@DGKMcfly01]

Great mention about undeclared!!! Please make a video bc that kinda was a continuation lol😂 with Kevin hart

[@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.

[@xrandy11]

Exactly right. As is, with just one season, it's beloved. If they had done more they would have eventually ruined it.

[@nutty9096]

I agree

[@DaddyhuteraM]

I watched this show on KZbin almost a year ago. Its was really good. They should have made more seasons.

[@PAPPADASH]

It's a crime there is no season 2

[@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.

[@dc9664]

I was the target demo for this show but never watched it. Because i hated high-school so much, i didnt want to be reminded of it at home.

[@williamdixon-gk2sk]

I remember being told by friends (drama kids) I HAD to watch this, and taking like 2 years before catching it on broadcast t.v. the good old days.

[@jeffreywright2294]

Awesome show !

[@GrangeFarmAntics]

Rewatching this again currently and god I’m really sad t it never went anywhere

[@anthonyvaldez100]

Saw this whole thing happened and followed it where it went and introduced it to my kids. Just based on its writing and story progression.

[@tuvoca825]

This is why monopolies should not control creatives. They should buy and sell the contracts, but not have power to destroy the show... because it gives them too much leverage that will be abused in an oligopoly. They need a tight leash on monopolistic-adjacent power... and the closer they are to a monopoly, the more constitutional government protections against abuse should also apply... even if it is a private enterprise. There is precedent for this. Vote with money or not... there are limits. Even the government could say that the vite is the excuse to donwhatever but they don't because we have limits and checks and balances etc

[@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

[@Kendallhess]

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

[@6thwilbury2331]

Everyone who knows the saga of F&G let out a collective "boooooooo" upon the introduction of Garth Ancier in this video.

[@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.

[@Peekay9]

Unfortunately, we live in a world dominated by numbers, ratings and profit. This is why society is crumbling all around us.

[@NT__-]

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

[@jab1289]

Look up Stay Doomed Freaks and Geeks. Those two people did a five-part series on the show, and I think they did a good job.

[@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

[@Jason_Barum]

What a great show. It's hard to watch honestly only because it's sad that it's only one season.

[@himonightbreeze]

I first saw it was re-runs on IFC and was also pretty bummed there wasn't more.

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

Do a vid on the sorta sequel undeclared as well

[@MediaPastimes]

I plan on it, thank you 👍

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

@@MediaPastimes ❤️🙏

[@jtclarks]

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

[@HarvestStore]

Great video.

[@tawbhwa]

My mom usually hates american tv shows for that demographic, but she fell in love with this one and even let my little sister (11 y/o at the time) watch it. What an amazing show.

[@grizzlywhisker]

Me and my sister watched Freaks and Geeks when it first came out, I didn't know anyone else actually knew what it was lol.

[@nikkilopez7274]

One of my favorite shows. Sucks it canceled.

[@williamdixon-gk2sk]

Skating is a young mans game. I've been skating for 35 years, i have had 3 knee surgeries, and i suck more than i did at 13.

[@crgray1979]

Cant believe it will be 25 years this fall when the series aired

[@andreveach7520]

In hindsight, 1 season was enough; however we are OVERDUE for a 'reunion special'

[@JDH55555]

Best canceled after 1 season, tv show ever!

[@jimmylegs06]

@10:34 its WILD that Family guy and Freaks and Geeks couldnt hold in the ratings in 1999. What was wrong with us??!!

[@johnjones665]

Linda is so fine

[@vx4982]

I love this show

[@xrandy11]

One of my favorite TV series but I'm glad it ended when it did. As is (just one season) it stands out for its excellence. If more seasons had been they would have eventually jumped the shark and ruined it.

[@sonofyah_chosen1950]

Anyone know where to watch the dungeons and dragons ad?

[@MediaPastimes]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYrMiZiCl5abd6csi=rqhssHhKdEOeWIdd

[@PoopTurtleTV]

So I guess that eli scene that makes me uncomfortable whenever I'm scrolling through tik tok is the reason for why this amazing show never made it. wild

[@samloader697]

One of the reasons it's great is because there's only one season and it ends just when it should.

[@RevSmoke]

That Leisure Suit was so horribly wonderful...🤣

[@Facetterdk]

Best show ever. What was wrong with NBC

[@2015id]

my favorite show ever

[@Jon96101]

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.

[@fantasycosplayer]

best show ever

[@thecolourofspring5972]

unfortunately I didn't watch the show when it aired but I would've loved it if I did. I saw it years later.

[@cbrreezzyy69]

You should do Firefly

[@mtbd215]

Soooo,,,, wheres the UNDECLARED video ...??

[@user-zz5rk7xc4w]

I loved Undeclared!

[@LleythonLopez]

I was kind of teen who watched TV Saturday nigth

[@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.

[@joshuaturnage5243]

I surprised the fox TV series that 70s TV show was not mentioned during this documentary. F & G was so much better than that 70s TV show but was a show about teenagers.

[@jowarrener527]

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

[@robk6831]

Who else was watching the original run with me?

[@nazishhussain2712]

I discover this on watchmojo

[@bobfort8023]

Read about Paul Feig.