What is the best episode of freaks and geeks?

Question

Bill Milano · Answer

I feel like it’s very accurate, and “I was there”, in that I was in high school from 1979 thru 1983.

Obviously, everyone’s experience was different but these are the things that were very accurate, from my personal experience:

1. The underaged drinking party while parents were away that got out of hand. I went to one of those parties, and it was just like that (except the beer had alcohol in it). Things got very out of hand, the family’s silver got stolen…it was a mess.
2. The lexicon. I actually felt the phrase “conniption fit” coming five seconds before someone said it.
3. Caddyshack and The Jerk being seen as two of the greatest comedies of all time (at least by geeks). I saw both of them multiple times while I was in high school…and since. Monty Python And The Holy Grail was also a pretty big deal at the time, but only the real geeks were into that.
4. A dorky guy crushing hard on a girl WAY above his station for an extended period of time (like years), and continuing to try to be her friend as she went through multiple boyfriends. I was the dorky guy.
5. A lack of understanding of peanut allergies. I didn’t even HEAR OF peanut allergies until I was a college sophomore in early 1985.
6. The school dance at the end of the pilot episode. When they panned back and showed the entire dance floor at the end of the episode, I’m not going to lie…my eyes were wet. That really captured the look and feel of early 1980s high school dances.
Things that, from my personal experience (and your experience may have been different), were off:

1. We did not play Spin The Bottle or Seven Minutes In Heaven (we called it “This Or That”) in high school. We played it plenty in middle school, but it was not a high school game.
2. A geeky kid like Sam would NEVER have gotten together with a pretty cheerleader like Cindy. Girls like Cindy NEVER went out with the “nice guys”. They only went out with the jocks or the bad boys.
3. In my high school, the burn outs were not threatening at all. They were off on their own, and seen as a bit pathetic. Actually, most of the jocks really in our class didn’t give the geeks a hard time, either. It was the inner-city thugs (some of whom were jocks) that were giving people a hard time. The older jocks in the grades AHEAD of us gave the geeks a hard time.
4. I have to imagine that a guy in 1981 finding out that his girlfriend was born non-binary would not have been NEARLY as understanding as Seth Rogan’s character was. (As a reference point, through when I graduated in 1983, no one at my high school was even out-of-the-closet gay.) I felt like that storyline was an attempt to be socially relevant as opposed to it being done to be historically accurate.

Aaron Mckenna · Answer

The problem was that NBC, under new management, didn't see the shows 6.7million viewers over the first 12 episodes as very lucrative. Also last minute attempts for production to switch to WarnerBros fell through. The success and longevity of the show justifies how wrong they truly were! On Metacritic it has a 10/10 fan rating and a 9.7/10 critics rating. It has to be one of the most successful and critically aclaimed shows to ever be cancelled before the end of its first season. The writers poured their heart and soul into the script and it was truly unique, original and authentic.

The relatively low ratings that the show received was likely due to it’s eratic scheduling and not the show itself. When the show first aired it ran for 2 weeks on the 8pm slot on Saturday (25th September and 2nd October 1999). A tricky timeslot as it was forced to contend with peoples weekend life. It was then paused for 3 weeks to allow for the Superbowl, before airing 3 more times on the same time slot (30th October - 13th November 1999). It was then put on hold until 10th January 2000 and switched to the Monday night slot. Already you could say this wasn’t a good sign with regard to the shows long term continuity.

They then aired five consecutive episodes (until 7th February 2000) before putting it on hold until March 13th 2000, when it ran for another 2 weeks and then was further put on hold until July 8th 2000 when they aired 3 episodes on the same day. The next episode was aired September 5th 2000 (where it was switched to Tuesday), then the final 2 episodes were aired on October 10th and October 17th of 2000. I’m sure anyone would agree that it would be especially difficult to build any substantial following with such an eratic schedule. That’s definitely another reason for Freaks and Geeks cancellation that NBC have to take accountability for.

The show had 3 Emmy nominations and even won one for "Outstanding Casting". It also had 2 TCA nominations and i believe it won one of those too! Freaks and Geeks was listed by Time Magazine as the "3rd best show from 2000-2010", TV Guide listed it as the "21st best cult show of all time", and Entertainment Weekly listed it as the "13th best series of the past 25 years", in spite of being the only show on that list which was filmed last century. Just look at how many Hollywood actors, Directors and TV stars started out on Freaks and Geeks. It’s a no brainer!

There's no real way to justify the cancellation of Freaks and Geeks without accepting that it was all about money and ratings. It reflects the reality of a corporatized entertainment industry, one that puts it's profits above genuine works of art. At least the writers didn't have a chance to sell out or extract the shows original essence by pressures to change the script from the broadcasters. Freaks and Geeks will forever be the same and that's only served to improve the shows stock as a cult classic. At least we got 18 episodes of some of the best television we’ve ever seen.

Mark Miller · Answer

I didn’t watch the series when it was on, but I gave the pilot a viewing just now. What I’ll say is, in terms of accuracy, “a little bit.”

The character of Sam Weir seems most like me during the ‘80s, down to the hairstyle. :) Everything about the other characters feels like they’re ’90s characters inside a 1980s school building. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, take a look at the movie “Singles” sometime, and see if you don’t see a resemblance to personalities, clothing, and hairstyles in this show. Some of the clothing styles match the ‘80s, but some don’t. The hairstyles of the parents look authentic to the period, and a little bit of their personalities. Being a teenage geek in that decade (I got called that a lot, and it wasn’t a compliment), I don’t remember anybody quoting Star Trek or Star Wars. In fact, doing that would get you labeled a dork, even among other geeks. Guys’ attitudes about that was like, “Yeah, we know! Shut up!”

When I was in 5th grade (about 1981), I remember my mom got me a few Empire Strikes Back folders for schoolwork for my birthday. I accepted them gratefully, but I was embarrassed. I’m not sure why. I think it was because most everyone else had plain-colored folders. This was really showy by comparison, because it had the Star Wars logo on them, and photos from scenes in the movies. Other kids around me asked me to keep them where they couldn’t see them. They didn’t like looking at them.

It wasn’t that the Star Wars and Star Trek series were not popular. They were super popular. It was just that showing off this stuff in class was thought to be too much. People liked the movies, but if you were a fan, you kept it to yourself, pretty much.

The only time I remember kids bringing anything to school that had something to do with show business was their lunch boxes. Kids would have something like a Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox. That was okay. Nobody would look at you funny for that. Anything else, and people would just think you were a bit weird. I got chewed out frequently for having a McDonald’s lunchbox. I don’t remember how I got it. I think it had something to do with a Happy Meal I got once. The safest thing to bring was just a brown paper bag, which is what I eventually brought if my mom made me lunch. Otherwise, I just got whatever the cafeteria served on a tray.

Anonymous · Answer

I love this show so much and there are so many moments that I love and make me laugh and cry, but for me, the most touching moment is at the end of the garage door episode.

Before Sam finds out about Neil’s dad, he is almost jealous. He wishes his dad was as cool and laidback as Dr. Schweiber, he wishes that his dad could afford cool gifts like Dr. Schweiber. Then once Neil tells the geeks about getting the Atari early, Sam realizes it’s a gift bought out of guilt.

When he arrives home and find the Atari that his parents bought him, mostly because they feel guilty they can’t always be like the Schweibers and give Sam what he wants as often, Sam bursts into tears. He doesn’t cry because he got this cool Atari but he cries because he realizes that just because his dad isn’t as cool or laidback as Dr. Shweiber, his dad isn’t a lying cheater like Dr. Schweiber either. His dad is a good man who loves his wife and family and does his best for them and Sam finally realizes it and is crying for not being grateful about it all along.

That scene always makes me tear up and my 11 yr old daughter never understood why until I explained it to her, then she started to tear up too.

Gil Eyal · Answer

The series was canceled after twelve episodes because it did not manage to garner high ratings and because NBC did not have the foresight to realize what a tremendous hit the show could become.

A fan led campaign led NBC to air three additional episodes out of a total of eighteen that were made.  The complete series is available on DVD and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves high school shows.

By the time NBC caught on to the value of the show, it was too late to get the cast together again.

This is in my opinion, by far, the best high school show ever made. Time Magazine agreed in 2000, picking the show for one of the top 100 shows ever made and Entertainment Weekly ranked it 13th among the top shows made in the last 25 years.

Gil Eyal · Answer

So many to choose from. Zach Goldie's favorite is a favorite of mine as well. Other GREAT moments in this wonderful show that I was able to find on Youtube. But really, this show is just so special, so filled with amazing moments. If you haven't seen it do yourself a HUGE favor and watch it.

1. Nick writes Lindsay a love song incorporating every cliche in the history of music... Seth Rogan's character's response cracks me up every time I watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iBccVAiyy8

2. Coach Fredricks trying to figure out who is prank calling him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HJ67QYrjQ&list=PLE8CDAD03193C6515&index=7&feature=plpp_video

3. Dad Weir teaching his kids a valuable lesson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPrNLm9nR3A&list=PLE8CDAD03193C6515&index=11&feature=plpp_video

4. Goody goody comes to a party where everyone is pretending to be drunk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSzjbYomSWA&list=PLE8CDAD03193C6515&index=32&feature=plpp_video

5. Maybe my favorite of all time... F&G tackles the question we were all wondering as kids. Was it just a sound the vinyl chair made or do girls do it too?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluHEnWXFkY&list=PLE8CDAD03193C6515&index=34&feature=plpp_video

Anonymous · Answer

Undeclared [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undeclared ] - Apatow's next project, set in college.  Also cancelled after one season, with many overlapping cast members.

Scott Porterfield · Answer

Probably Lizzy Caplan, who guest-starred as Sara (Nick’s gilrfriend from the “Discos and Dragons” episode. She went on to be in Mean Girls, Cloverfield, Party Down, Master of Sex and Castle Rock (on Hulu).

Rajas Purohit · Answer

Paul Feig (the creator of Freaks and Geeks) actually answered in an interview, the exact same question.

He was asked what might become of their characters in a further future. I am only mentioning the part about Linda Cardellini (Lindsay) here:

"I always figured something bad was gong to happen to Lindsay when she was out with the Dead. [The series ended with her ditching a summer-school program to follow the Grateful Dead with Kim Kelly.] I was hoping the second season would open with her being taken out of a concert on a stretcher while Queen’s “Tie Your Mother down” plays. That’s all I had. But I thought it would be interesting—she comes back, has completely lost the trust of her family; so she’s in even deeper having been really been outed as a problem. But there wasn’t a strong direction I had for her; I just knew she’d probably end up at some point in her twenties in Greenwich Village as a performance artist, and after that she’d probably become a lawyer—a human-rights lawyer." - Paul Feig

You can read the full article here:

Paul Feig: What Would’ve Happened to Every Character in Freaks and Geeks’ Lost Se [ http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/12/paul-feig-season-two-freaks-and-geeks ]cond Season (Drugs! Pregnancies! Republicanism!)

Chip Swinson · Answer

I just finished it for the first time. For the most part I enjoyed it, found the characters to be interesting, funny at times and I liked the music they had in the show. Great cast full of stars and also cool to spot some actors who would go on to be become big names later on like Shia LaBeouf or Jason Schwartzman. The only episode I think I disliked was 17 The Little Things since I enjoyed the series as a pretty accurate portrayal of the awkwardness of high school life then suddenly it was centered around stuff like former vice president/president George H. W. Bush and the unnecessary twist with Ken's girlfriend. Other than that it was a pretty decent show. I'd give it a 8/10.

Peter Makin · Answer

My So-Called Life, for me. It was layered and complex and non-judgemental, plus it was often funny, and it looked like it wasn’t just story-led or issue-led, but led by the psychology of the characters. People had believable reactions.

Initially, you try to work out who to root for in a show, you find who you like and who you dislike. The cleverest thing about My So-Called Life is that even though it was centred on one person with one inner monologue (apart from the Brian episode, and occasional Danielle moments), it allowed the story to be put across of all the other characters.

Patty Chase, for example, is dominating, intrusive, she hen-pecks her husband, is authoritarian, but as the series moves on, she is unpicked bit by bit. In one episode, she talks about recklessness in college, in another where Rayanne almost ODs, she’s the only one who knows what to do, and it turns out her colleague room-mate had gone through the same, but didn’t make it. It explains her need for control. She was adopted, lost her best friend, and is now worried about her daughters approaching the same age. After the incident, she stays alone in the car, the mask slips and she weeps. It’s heart-breaking.

All other characters develop in the same way. Some, who seem thoroughly altruistic, are tested and found just slightly less than perfect. Brian’s story throws him all over the place. He’s an unlikeable, awkward geek, but early on he’s the hero in the gun episode, standing up to authority. In his own episode, his inner life is explained and we feel sorry for him, but then he treats Delia awfully badly through his own naivety. The show teaches us that nothing is black and white.

Then there’s Rickie, my favourite character. Rickie and Patty are extremes in the show but both turn out to be the heart of the piece. I would love to have known where they would have taken it.

Anonymous · Answer

All of the cold openings crack me up, especially Bill's dancing.  I still rave about it as my favourite show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1PFBiFFU0

Amrit Das · Answer

I watched the show many times….

I wish there are more seasons.. But you know that's not gonna……..

OK… why got cancelled

Their releasing schedule is too bad. I mean 1st episode released ( Forgot exact date) then after a week later another released.

3rd ep released after 1 month. Even one episode released after 2 months or something… After all they couldn't fix a regular schedule. Season 1 contains 18 episodes but it seems like season was incomplete. They took entire one year to release only 18 ep.

2nd point they got 6 million viewers when friends got 14 million on NBC.

That's why got cancelled.

If you haven't watched it , what r u waiting for? Awesome… just watch..

Lindsey ( linda cordellini) is super awesome.. I had a huge crush on her…. Oh still….

Fatema Panvelwala · Answer

Actually it's Freaks and Geeks. A comedy TV series about a group of high school students.

It is one of the popular series, with an IMDB rating of 8.9/10.

However it ended abruptly only after 1 season.

The ensemble cast:

Image Source: Google images.

Mike Clark · Answer

The same reason almost all shows that only go one season are canceled, lack of viewership.

MTV offered to pick it up for a second season after ABC canned it but according to Appatow and Feig, the budget they were offering at the time was just way too small for it to ever be a workable plan.

Harleen Kaur · Answer

Freaks and Geeks potrays the teenage life in the 1980s. The crushes, wannabe rockstar, cheerleaders, pot heads, immature love, fighting with parents , it depicts it all.

It shows two sides : The Geeks- good at studying, not good with girls, not good at sports.

And freaks- not good at studying, back benchers, pot heads, too cool for school kinda.

Anonymous · Answer

I have watched wonder years as well as freaks and geeks, so cannot vouch for My so called life. My take is wonder years is better when it comes to coming of age shows, whereas freaks and geeks is essentially about two groups of youngsters goofing around - one in early teens and the other in late teens. Wonder years also teaches you family values and has light humor which can be enjoyed by all.
The infatuations that you undergo as a kid and how it blossoms into love is beautifully shown in the wonder years. The lead casts' performance is really good and Daniel Stern's narrative as a grown up Kevin is also excellent.