Freaks and Geeks - The Complete Series

I work during prime time television but I always see what shows are being talked about. When this came out on DVD, I bought it because Freaks and Geeks was a show that got rave reviews from magazines. But I never saw it. I bought the complete series here and I gotta say - it's horrible. This is so cliche and unfunny that it is unwatchable. Oh, Sam broke up with a cheerleader - so what? It wasn't worth getting up to that point. If you are thinking about getting this because you are curious but never saw it - rent it first....It's a drama not a comedy. If you like comedy check out good shows like The Office or Mr. Show.

After enjoying Judd Apatow's, Knocked Up and Super Bad I thought I'd do my homework and study one of his first adventures, a TV series that barely got on the air, Freaks and Geeks. I missed it altogether the first time through. Though there's little obvious frisky activity and the booze and drug scenes are limited to brief experimentations, the general impression of G&F is a reality somewhat theatrical, but close to the 1980 high school experience. That experience has been consistent from about 1967 on. The less popular kids live a life of overindulgent internal fantasy, as their persona is lower than dirt. The athletes and cheerleaders have a better time of it on the surface, but suffer youth angst anyhow.

Linda Cardenelli gets the most face time and she is very good, a brainiac with a loss of faith. God doesn't exist because grandma told her so. Okay, now we'll be deadheads and live the Gerry Garcia lifestyle. Forget that scholarship to Michigan. I had an old Army jacket like the one she tents her body with. That's because I was in the army, but I digress. Yes, there's an undertow of progressive politics in here somewhere. The young Republican cheerleader that John Frances Daly of the juvenile good-looks has fallen for turns out to be kind of Gerald Ford dull despite the make out sessions.

There's that geek kid with the goggle glasses, Martin Starr though. I swear, he's really a retard or Lawrence Olivia. Also, special mention for Seth Rogan. This guy's subtle sarcasm made his scenes stand out. His predicament when he finds out his girlfriend was born with all possible equipment is priceless.

When the credits started to roll at the end of the last episode, Discos and Dragons, I was profoundly sad. I was so because: 1) I knew this show only lasted for one season, so there was no more to see; and 2) it is another sad example of how great - no, prodigious - television is denied airtime because of low ratings. This is the kind of show that should cause TV snobs who are proud to advertise to the world that they don't even own a TV to go buy one just to watch this.

Television doesn't get much better than this. Although billed as a comedy, and while the show steadily delivers staggering punch lines, this is as much drama as comedy. There are *real* characters in this show, with real feelings, and quantifiable reactions to stimuli that resound with verity. While many shows that chronicle a time past suffer from an abundance of anachronisms, this does not. As a child of the 80s - my freshman year in high school began in the fall of 1980 - I can vouch for the shows authentic grounding.

Freaks and Geeks won an Emmy, Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, and not only is that spot-on and deserved, it also serves as greater frustration for this show's single season stint. Even in the best shows, there's often one character that doesn't quite fit their role. Eric Mabius, IMHO, is a good example. He has essentially two roles on Ugly Betty: 1) the playboy who, for complex and mostly paternal reasons, resembles the prodigal son and a frighteningly irresponsible executive; and 2) the reforming playboy who wants to succeed, is riddled with self-doubt - again, mostly for paternal reasons, and responds positively to Betty's unflagging encouragement. In the second role, he's outstanding. In the first, he's not believable.

There are no miscasts in this show.

From the hippy guidance counselor trying to relate to a new breed of students that emerged almost as anti-hippies, to fringe characters like the discotheque DJ, every character is fully realized and acts in congruence with their personality. I didn't notice one single character in the entire season who ever said or did anything that disagreed with that character's core personality. That doesn't mean that nobody grew. They did, and that is the genius of this show. Every main character, and most fringe characters, experienced growth.

***Spoiler...read the next two paragraphs at your own risk! ***
The best example (again, IMHO) was that of Sam, played by John Francis Daley. He began the school year hopelessly in love with Cindy Sanders. Not Cindy - Cindy Sanders. As he was a "geek", and she was a cheerleader, the likelihood of them coming together seemed possible only if Cindy Sanders stepped out of character. However, they did get together, and Cindy did not step out of character. It seemed that the show's writers, producers, etc., laid the groundwork for their potential relationship early on, so when it finally happened, it felt normal. Granted, Cindy expressed interest in Sam a bit too quickly after breaking up with her handsome jock boyfriend Todd, but her reasons for wanting to get together with Sam, which were that she wanted to go out with a *nice* guy (and Sam is nothing if not a nice guy) were convincing.

But a funny thing happened. Sam discovered that he was bored when they hung out together. They went to malls, and spent the rest of the time making out. Neal couldn't understand what could be wrong with that, but *we* know. If you have nothing in common with a person, it doesn't matter how attracted you are to them. Ennui will set in and fester like a suppurating ulcer, and the relationship itself, if untended, will become septic. So Sam makes the unbelievably brave decision to break up with Cindy Sanders. I might not have believed that his character was capable of such bravery - for what geek, especially in high school, would ever break up with a cheerleader? - but again, as the series progressed, we learned that Sam was not just a nice guy, he was a guy who knew what was right and what was wrong, and someone who was very comfortable in his own skin. He knew who he was, and he knew that Cindy would not make him happy.
***End of Spoiler***

It's a shame that this show was cancelled, but that is often the fate of great TV. Low ratings, low advertising dollars, no money for the network, so, so long and good-bye.

I would have loved to watch Sam and his friends grow up, mostly because I had absolute faith in the show's producers and writers to continue presenting us with great television. It would have offered an interesting counterpoint to 90210, where, IMHO, we saw plots change, characters given different "assignments", but no real growth.

One thing the show didn't do was show the extremes. There are "freaks", and then are "FREAKS". Same goes for geeks. That was a wise decision. The freaks were kinder and gentler, and the geeks weren't quite as extreme as one would expect. This allowed us to relate to them better than we would have if those factions were represented by the extremes. (That should go without saying.)

What is great, though, is that we're seeing some of the brilliance of Judd Apatow's and Paul Feig's work on the silver screen. Knocked Up and Superbad had all of the sensibility of Freaks and Geeks.

Here's to hoping that they have long careers ahead of them.

2008-01-20

I just finished watching the complete series of Freaks and Geeks and it left me wanting more. Sadly, I am unable to watch more episodes of Freaks and Geeks as NBC executives cancelled just over halfway into the series due to low ratings. Low ratings came as a result of placing a series on Saturday nights.

The series focuses on Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her brother Sam (John Francis Daley) during the year of 1980-81.

They are joined in the cast by the Freaks: Daniel Desario (James Franco), Ken Miller (Seth Rogen), Nick Andopolis (Jason Segel), and Kim Kelly (Busy Philipps). The Geeks include: Neal Schweiber (Samm Levine) and Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr). The Weir parents were Harold and Jean, played by Joe Flaherty and Becky Ann Baker.

The series starts as Lindsay wants a change in her life. She's tired of being just the smart mathlete and starts hanging out with the freaks. Sam and his friends are tired of being geeks and want to fit in.

There were notable guest appearances on this show, often going unhyped, with the likes of Ben Stiller, Shia LaBeouf, Rashida Jones, Allan Covert, Ben Foster, Jason Schwartzmann, David Koechner etc.

It's evident from the get go that Sam likes Cindy Sanders, a cheerleader, who likes Sam because he's nice. However, we don't find out til later on that she likes Todd, a jock. Towards the end of the series, Cindy starts dating Sam but they have nothing in common as evidenced by the fact that she doesn't find anything funny about The Jerk while the theater is laughing up a storm.

Bill's mom is dating Mr. Ben Fredericks (played by Thomas F. Wilson of Back to the Future fame), the gym teacher. Bill is upset at first but then they start to get to know each other better. Towards the end of the series, he and Vicki, the head cheerleader actually make out during "7 minutes in heaven."

Other great casting choices included Dave "Gruber" Allen as the guidance counselor and David Krumholtz as Neal's older brother, barry.

All in all, this was a great series. The casting played a huge role--Allison Jones, Coreen Mayrs and Jill Greenberg won an Emmy award for Outstanding casting. Two episodes were nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Pilot, Discoes and Dragons).

I watched this show when it was on, and then the re-runs of it, and once those stopped playing I had to buy it for myself. It's one of my all-time favorite shows. Hilarious, heartbreaking, sweet, touching, and cringe-inducing. I love it all.

Finally, a show about the kind of people I hung out with in high school. It makes me wince with embarassment to watch it sometimes, which is just a testament to how real it is, and how GREAT the actors are. It's perfect to own on DVD because it's something you'll want to watch over and over again. Judd Apatow is a genius, and the entire cast is hilarious and talented (even though I do save most all my fangirl love for Seth Rogen).

Also - the music ROCKS. It just ROCKS!

I don't know how many times I've loaned it out to people, and so far everyone I've loaned it to has loved it. It's definitely worth every penny.