Spotlight On Freaks And Geeks
Very rarely does a show get rave reviews from critics, and yet still get cancelled after one season. This show did, and has since developed a cult following. And with good reason. Freaks and Geeks is an amazing show.
Don't let the title fool you. It's not exactly what you think. It takes place in Michigan in 1980. It follows siblings Lindsey and Sam as they try to figure out how to survive high school, and coexist with their parents during the awkward adolescent years.
Lindsey is a straight A student, and after the death of her grandmother decides she isn't really who she wants to be. The problem is, she isn't sure who it is that she wants to be. So she decides to hang out with the "freaks", in a nutshell is slang for the "potheads". They cut school, smoke, drink, and don't care who they make mad, and she thinks this may be the way to go.
Sam on the other hand is a freshman, small and totally confused. He's an average "joe" by most standards, but in the ruthless realm of high school he is considered a "geek". As is his two friends Bill and Neil. He deals with first crushes, trying to balance being "cool" and true to his beliefs.
With the obvious exceptions of Lindsey and Sam, the Freaks and the Geeks don't have a lot of interaction throughout the show, at least at the beginning. Yet, each story is compelling in its own way.
As far as the tone goes, it's mainly considered a comedy, but there is a lot of drama inserted in there as well. (A good comparison would be to The Wonder Years.) You may even shed a tear or two.
The show was made in '99, and I happened to catch the re-runs on ABC Family in 2000. What caught my attention? How about Biff Freaking Tannen as the gym teacher! Yeah Back to the Future rears its head and inadvertently caused me to stumble upon my all-time favorite show.
You know who else is in it? How about Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel? (As the Freaks of course) They were nobodies at the time, but you can still see their well defined comedic chops even at a early age.
If nothing else check out the show for those guys. The show will make you keep watching. It's really that good.
Don't let the title fool you. It's not exactly what you think. It takes place in Michigan in 1980. It follows siblings Lindsey and Sam as they try to figure out how to survive high school, and coexist with their parents during the awkward adolescent years.
Lindsey is a straight A student, and after the death of her grandmother decides she isn't really who she wants to be. The problem is, she isn't sure who it is that she wants to be. So she decides to hang out with the "freaks", in a nutshell is slang for the "potheads". They cut school, smoke, drink, and don't care who they make mad, and she thinks this may be the way to go.
Sam on the other hand is a freshman, small and totally confused. He's an average "joe" by most standards, but in the ruthless realm of high school he is considered a "geek". As is his two friends Bill and Neil. He deals with first crushes, trying to balance being "cool" and true to his beliefs.
With the obvious exceptions of Lindsey and Sam, the Freaks and the Geeks don't have a lot of interaction throughout the show, at least at the beginning. Yet, each story is compelling in its own way.
As far as the tone goes, it's mainly considered a comedy, but there is a lot of drama inserted in there as well. (A good comparison would be to The Wonder Years.) You may even shed a tear or two.
The show was made in '99, and I happened to catch the re-runs on ABC Family in 2000. What caught my attention? How about Biff Freaking Tannen as the gym teacher! Yeah Back to the Future rears its head and inadvertently caused me to stumble upon my all-time favorite show.
You know who else is in it? How about Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel? (As the Freaks of course) They were nobodies at the time, but you can still see their well defined comedic chops even at a early age.
If nothing else check out the show for those guys. The show will make you keep watching. It's really that good.
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