TV history is littered with the corpses of shows that were cruelly cancelled before their time.
My So-Called Life, Firefly, Happy Endings and Veronica Mars are some that spring to mind. But one of the most acclaimed shows of the 1990s, that was axed after just one low-rated season, is about to get a new lease of life thanks to Netflix.
Freaks And Geeks, which aired on TV for just one year back in 1999, is a funny, sad, and whip smart US teen comedy-drama, set over 1980-81, focusing on the lives of a disparate group of students at William McKinley High School in Michigan.
The show was well received by critics at the time, but low ratings led to the series being axed in 2000. What’s incredible about watching F&G now is looking at all of the talented people that got their big breaks on the show, both in front of and behind the camera.
First up, it was created by Paul Feig – who went on to write and direct such blockbusters as Bridesmaids, Spy and this summer’s Ghostbusters reboot – and executive-produced by Judd Apatow, who, of course, is now the one of the biggest names in Hollywood comedy.
Then there’s that cast. The show gave early leading roles to James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segal, not to mention Linda Cardellini (ER, Mad Men) and Busy Phillips (Dawson’s Creek, Cougar Town).
Throughout the one and only season’s 18-episode run you can also spot cameos from Rashida Jones, Ben Stiller, Leslie Mann, and Shia LaBeouf.
The entire season has just been launched on Netflix (as of Friday, September 30), so perhaps this means that some kind of Freaks And Geeks reunion – a la Gilmore Girls or Arrested Development – might be on the cards in the future?
