Notes on Freaks and Geeks
Words written by Diana Montalvo
Ugh. It’s only the first day and they’re expecting me to take notes. What ever happened to a syllabus? Picking up notebooks and pens and a new binder was totally forgotten and, like, completely delayed, so I only have this one and I don’t even like it that much. But I guess I can try “focusing.”
November 14, 2024
Lessons in Television
Freaks and Geeks
I. Introduction
It’s been twenty-five years since Freaks and Geeks, ten since the first time I watched it in my own teen years, and only a month since I revisited the series. Created by Paul Feig and executive-produced by Judd Apatow, Freaks and Geeks is a cult classic American comedy-drama television series first aired on NBC in 1999. Centring Lindsay and Sam Weir, an older sister and younger brother duo, we follow their daily lives at McKinley High School in 1980’s Detroit.
The title is made manifest by their respective friend groups. Following the death of a family member, Lindsay confronts whether any part of the high school experience even matters – and she’s determined to make memories with her newer, cooler burnout friends. Sam is just trying to survive his first year with as few dodge balls to the stomach as possible, and he braves the halls with his geek cohort.
Oh, and the cast list is stacked. It would become stacked anyway. As the actors grew in star power, the pre-fame names of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, Linda Cardellini turned household ones.
It was also famously cancelled before all eighteen episodes were put on air. But, why?
II. The History of Freaks and Geeks
The show shared something critical in common with its characters: things could never just be easy.
When you dive into the production’s history, you find the reasons for its cancellation myriad. It was slotted for Saturday nights, when its core audience was probably trying to be anywhere but home, leading to low ratings. Those ratings weren’t helped by its high-rated competition and erratic scheduling changes (yes, that means you couldn’t expect this show to come out at the same day, at the same time every week).
And, importantly, NBC and the Freaks and Geeks creators were constantly at odds. with the former feeling the show was too bleak and didn’t have “enough wins” for the characters. At one point, they even refused to air an episode, “Kim Kelly Is My Friend,” for fears that it was too realistic in its depiction of troubled home life.
III. What Freaks and Geeks Got Right
This is where I’m going to show my cards: My favourite aspect of Freaks and Geeks is its refusal to depict the aspirational. Media has a long-standing obsession with depicting our teen years. As a high schooler, my watchlist was filled to the brim of twenty-somethings playing ten-somethings living lives much cooler than mine. With no cash for redecorating, I watched the likes of Gossip Girl, Glee, and The Vampire Diaries in the middle school horror of lime green and zebra print that was my bedroom.
Instead, and especially now, I watched Freaks and Geeks and saw the reality of suburban American teendom. There are many days you feel like you lose, an increasing frustration with the ways you can’t control your life, and the burgeoning knowledge that your relationships with yourself and others are ever-changing.
In its time, higher-ups viewed this show as one for teenagers and, as such, they believed only the most appealing high school stories should follow. The failure to see Freaks and Geeks as the classic it would become is a failure to see teenagers as wanting their lives reflected to them — and the universality that truth will hold as teenagers grow up. I have no connection to the truths of 1980s America, my teenage years coincided with the rise of social media and my peers sneaking a vape in class, but Freaks and Geeks reflects it all at its core.
IV. A Quick Lesson from the Production Team
While my admiration comes from the way this story is told, many lessons can be gleaned from Freaks and Geeks through its storied production history. Since rewatching the show, I’ve found myself collecting anecdotes about its past.
It’s in Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’s descriptions of shifting characters to reflect their actors that you’re is reminded of the importance of creative flexibility.
After its cancellation, Judd Apatow committed himself to rehiring team members for future projects, and the power of bringing your collaborators with you is solidified.
Most of all, you remember the necessity to fight for the perspective embedded in your art. It’s what made Freaks and Geeks stand the test of time.
V. Conclusion
As I add to the internet’s articles on the undeniable beauty of Freaks and Geeks, and the potential dollar signs people see in bringing it back to life, there’s is no part of me that wants a Freaks and Geeks reboot. Instead, I hope an industry can reflect on the stories it denies because of presumed profitability and ask the creatives of today to stick by the truths you want to bring to life.
And, while this show got so much right, production wasn’t perfect. With an entirely white main cast, one of the shows major flaws is a lack of diversity. The depiction of life in the suburbs as quietly brutal would be strengthened by examining the intersections of suburban life with the all too common ostracization of those deemed “other.” And, although crediting the production for being largely positive, Busy Philipps referenced a specific experience on the set of Freaks and Geeks, namely being pushed by co-star James Franco, as a moment she began to understand the nature of Hollywood.
If you’re worried you’d be in for just another teen show by watching this — don’t be. The piece of magic that happens when a show understands the reality of growing up is you’ll relate to it because, let’s be honest, how many of us feel like we’re truly “all grown up?” In my twenties, mentors in my thirties have showered me with “there’s still time to figure it out!” Those in their forties tell me how fun my thirties will be. Everyone’s got days where they pout at their latest assignments. And, sometimes, what I really need is my grandma to make me a cup of tea and tell me everything’s alright.
If you’re reading this, it’s not too late to watch Freaks and Geeks. There might be a pop quiz next week. It should help you prepare.
About the Author
Diana Montalvo is a creative and historian. With a background in Media and Cultural Studies, her fascination for analysing the arts led to costume studies internships at The Costume Institute and Cotsen Textile Traces Study Center and dramaturgy. She’s currently the Social Media and Content Executive for the Edinburgh TV Festival. She writes the Culture Digest for Reflections, and has recently started her own publication, The Art House, to continue her analyses.
Loved this !