Why That 70's Show Beat Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks is a comedy/drama from 1999-2000 that takes a look at the lives of an “average” family in 1980.

Starring Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks has a cast of secondary characters that would go on to become some of the biggest names in television in movies. The crew of “Freaks”, the high school kids who party and break all the rules, features James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.

While 1999 may have been before these big name actors really broke out, it’s surprising that the show only aired one season and did not get picked up for another. The main reason for this was probably the show’s competition with That 70’s Show, which started around the same time. The two shows are very similar; both show a group of high school kids that are a mix between news and rule breakers. Both shows featured high school aged kids smoking weed, and both shows had characters who would freak out over all the developments in the “nerd community”.

 While Freaks and Geeks had many characters who would go on to be well known actors, they didn’t gain any advantage over That 70’s Show because of this. That 70’s Show featured Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and many more successful actors.

Probably the biggest reason That 70’s Show was picked up for 8 seasons and Freaks and Geeks only got 1 was because of the length of the shows. That 70’s Show consisted of quick, 22 minutes episodes full of cheap laughs and minimal overarching storylines. Freaks and Geeks, however, took more of the “dramedy” route, requiring viewers to watch each episode in order to really understand what’s going on. Following a series of hour long episodes before the era of online streaming was difficult, and thus it was easier for That 70’s Show’s viewers to follow along. Even still, Freaks and Geeks is an entertaining show with likable characters that deserved more than the one season it got.

Freaks and Geeks: The Best Cancelled Television Show in History

Freaks and Geeks is probably one of the best, well scripted television shows that our generation has had the pleasure to see. It was THE show that launched a lot of their cast into fame: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, John Daley, Linda Cardellini, and Martin Starr, just to name a few. And if the cast wasn't enough to prove why this show was great, here's just some other reasons.

1. You can relate to it and it's realistic. 

One of the reasons why the show got cancelled was because Garth Ancier (former NBC executive who cancelled the show) thought that the problem with the show was that neither the freaks or geeks win. But that's what made the show amazing. The freaks are the outcast in the schools, the nobodies, the kids who probably won't go to college. The geeks were the kids that got bullied, all the girls were at least a foot taller than them, and they sometimes tried to hard to fit in. The issues that the show dealt with were issues that everyone could relate to, or know someone that went through that experience: being picked last for a team in gym, crushes, puberty questions, cheating on a test, and even being too old to go trick or treating on Halloween.

The dialogue in the show is another reason why it's so good. Everyone that was in the show were teenagers to begin with, and they spoke like actual teenagers. None of the lines ever felt forced. And all the characters have flaws, like REAL flaws. And they deal with those flaws realistically, which means sometimes you can't have what you want. There weren't any miracles in the show to save them, and that's why I think as an audience, we were okay that the freaks and geeks didn't win.

2. The cast & cameo appearances are great.

You can't really have a better cast than the ones that are already in the show. And it's no surprise, almost everyone in the show has gone off to do big things in the film industry. The actors all fit their characters spot on, and they're all unique in their own way. Linda Cardellini plays the sweetheart, stuck between the freaks and geeks Lindsay Weir. She struggles in high school with not knowing what she wants to do, balancing life between being smarter than everyone else but choosing to be friends with the kids who struggle themselves with grades. Her dorky brother Sam Weir played by John Francis Daley is the subject of bullying in high school and gets asked a lot, "Are you a middle schooler?" James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, and Busy Philipps are considered the 'freaks' in the high school, and even though they may look like they don't care about their grades, they still have real feelings and emotions we can relate to. There's even some pretty cool cameo appearances like Ben Stiller who plays Agent Meara, Shia LaBeouf who plays Herbert or the high school's mascot, and Jason Shwartzman. 

3. It's hilarious.

With witty lines and character flaws, the show is guaranteed laughs. If you don't believe me, just take a look at this clip:

 

Adventureland

I've always been a fan of the coming-of-age story. Perhaps it's because I'm at a pivotal and transitional point in my life, but it seems like these types of films usually strike some sort of chord with me. Some of my favorite films fit this mold, such as this summer's indie hit, "The Way, Way Back". I was doing some research the other night about the best films that stream on Netflix, and the film "Adventureland" crossed my radar. The film tells the story of a recent college grad in 1987 who takes a job at an amusement park after his plans for the future are cut short. The plot seemed intriguing enough, and it seemed to get pretty good reviews, so I thought I'd give it a gander.

To be totally honest, I was a little hesitant to watch the film. I remember, back in '09 when the movie was first released, being extremely underwhelmed with the trailer. After an initial cursory glance, it seemed extremely superficial, another "teen movie" with crude language and explicit content. Although the film did show some of these characteristics, it was actually quite endearing. I feel like anyone who has had to work a crappy summer job found the film relatable, in a bitter-sweet, nostalgic kind of way. The writing was clever, but not so much that it digressed from the progression of the script.

I was pleasantly surprised about the cast of "Adventureland". Although it had a strong cast, which included Ryan Reynolds and SNL favorites Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig, I was a little skeptical about

the two leads, played by Jesse Eisenberg and Kristin Stewart. Perhaps unfairly, I've largely thought of Stewart as a talentless actor, who starred in equally as awful series of trashy films. I've thought of Eisenberg as a Michael Cera type who was good in "The Social Network", but had an acting style that lacked a certain amount of depth and range. However, I couldn't have been any more surprised. I found Stewart actually pretty cute. She does a great job as the role of Em, and handles the part, an extremely emotional part at that, with finesse. Eisenberg does a good job as well, playing a believable and relatable character, where I wouldn't have expected relatability. Together, the two leads had great chemistry together, and drove the story forward.

I was also surprised to see a familiar face amongst the cast, a certain Martin Starr, who played a freak on Joss Whedon's cult hit, "Freaks and Geeks". I really enjoy movies where I can recognize an actor I kind of know, and am able to say,"Oh, I know that guy". This was one of those movies.

Overall, "Adventureland" is a great hybrid between romance and coming-of-age comedy; a worthwhile watch for any person.

Freaks & Geeks

Well yet again I watched another TV series. This week I decided to watch Freaks and Geeks. I had always heard how great this show was from many of my friends so I went ahead and watched it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good of a show it was. If you haven't watched this show already you can find it on Netflix. It stars many actors that we see today that have become very popular. Stars like James  Franco and Jason Segal are some of those actors.

This show took me down memory lane and back to high school. Even though it is a show made in 1999 based off of high school in the 80's, it is still completely relatable. The characters are hysterical and they play the perfect cast of high school misfits. They are nerdy and weird and quirky and they all have their own personalities.

I was really bummed to see that this show was only on for less than a season. The acting and the character development are fantastic and the show had a lot of potential. The show left off very open ended because it was only on episode 18 when it got canceled. Lots of potential, but I guess the rest is just left up to the imagination.

My Guilty Pleasure Film

Everyone has a guilty pleasure movie: a film that either has a horrible story or tons of technical errors, yet you can't peel your eyes away from the screen.

After giving it much thought, I'm a huge fan of the early 00's teen classic "Get Over It."

But this isn't just another poorly made movie. It had an all star teen cast at the time that included Shane West, star of such tear jerkers as "A Walk to Remember" and "Whatever It Takes", Kirsten Dunst, who was typed-cast as a high school upper classman for the better part of four years, Ben Foster, fresh off a breakthrough role in "Freaks and Geeks", and Mila Kunis, then-star of "That 70s show." Let's not forget Martin Short, a comedic staple in many 80s films.

Despite the star-studded cast and a director who previously created several critically acclaimed short films, the film was so bad it was good. Where do I begin?

The story of the film is loosely based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, much like many other teen films at the time. Foster plays a high school basketball jok who get's dumped by his questionably attractive girlfriend for Shane West, who is sporting a horribly fake British/Australian accent, so bad that the producer decided to change his physical appearance so it was less transparent.

Kirsten Dunst plays a theater geek who has a thing for Foster, who continues to ignore her obvious advances in his comedic attempts to win back his girlfriend.

It was really hard for me to understand why a film with such a great slew of actors could be so horrible. Then it hit me: everyone is anti-cast.

Shane West is obviously not British. Ben Foster was too meek and quiet compared to his usual roles. Kirsten Dunst, who usually plays the popular-type girl with all the friends, unsuccessfully attempted to play someone enamored with the arts. Sisqo is a singer, I really don't know why he was in this movie. The worst had to be Mila Kunis. At the time, she was known as the pushy, bitchy girlfriend of Michael Kelso on that 70s show. In this movie, she actually came off as kind and compassionate, which was off-putting to say the least.

Overall, all of these failures make the movie so stupid, it's worth watching again and again. I highly recommend it.

Teen Soaps

One of the most lucrative types of programming, though viewed as one of the least sophisticated, is the teen drama. These types of shows are often written off as silly or overdramatic, and some of them are. However, I don't think that a show should be written off just for this factor alone. I've seen some teen soaps that are god awful, but I've seen some that are excellent - great acting, aesthetics, and writing included. Here are three examples:
 Freaks & Geeks
Freaks & Geeks is one of the only teen shows that actually stars people who look like they're in high school instead of twenty-year-olds. The show deals with drinking and drug-use in probably the most realistic way I've ever seen - they don't have fifteen-year-olds drinking at high class lounges (like in Gossip Girl) and they don't have an after-school special lecture at the end either (7th heaven). The drama and emotions are authentic and real, and its also really funny -- not mention it is produced by the now famous Judd Apatow and stars some of today's biggest stars prior to their major break out!

My So-Called Life
This is another show that portrays teen drama in a realistic way. The acting on this show is pretty solid, considering Claire Danes (currently starring in in the new critic fave Homeland) is the lead. This show was one of the first to feature an openly gay teen character. Mostly, it captures the real tension between parents and their teen children without being over-the-top or overdramatic.

Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights, though only about a small-town and its high school football team, is one of the most impactful and poignant TV shows featuring teens of recent times. This show has fully-developed and well-written characters that I think truly carry the show. Completely worth your time.