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Freaks and Geeks

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Freaks and Geeks
Cover of the DVD box set.
Cover of the DVD box set
Created byPaul Feig
StarringLinda Cardellini
John Francis Daley
Becky Ann Baker
Joe Flaherty
James Franco
Samm Levine
Seth Rogen
Jason Segel
Martin Starr
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes18
Production
Running time42-44 minutes per episode
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 25, 1999 –
July 8, 2000

Freaks and Geeks was a U.S. television series, created and produced by Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 TV season. Although the show, considered a "dramedy," garnered much critical acclaim and a devoted cult following, repeated pre-emption and scheduling changes hurt the ratings. It was cancelled after only 12 episodes had aired. A fan-led campaign caused NBC to broadcast three more episodes in July 2000, but three others would not be seen until September of that year when the cable channel Fox Family aired them in syndication.

Premise

The show centered on a teenage girl, Lindsay Weir (played by Linda Cardellini), and her brother, Sam (John Francis Daley), both attending McKinley High School during the 1980-1981 school year in the town of Chippewa, Michigan. ( The town likely got its name from Chippewa Valley High School located in Clinton Charter Township, Michigan. Paul Feig graduated from the school in 1980.)

Their friends, respectively, constituted the freaks (James Franco(as Daniel Desario ), Seth Rogen ( as Ken Miller ), Jason Segel ( as Nick Andopolis ) and Busy Philipps (as Kim Kelly ) and geeks (Samm Levine (as Neal Schweiber ) and Martin Starr (as Bill Haverchuck )) of the title. Joe Flaherty and Becky Ann Baker played the siblings' parents, Harold Weir and Jean Weir, and Sarah Hagan played Lindsay's geeky, highly religious best friend, Millie Kentner, in a recurring role.

The show's starting point was precisely Lindsay's transition from her life as a well-doing student and proper young girl, with Millie as her best friend, into the freak group, as her grandmother's death makes her reconsider her approach to life. The resulting relationships as she became a part of the freak group and the development of existing relationships, along with Sam and his friends' tribulations as geeks, represented the show's central plots.

DVD and CD releases

In early 2004, a six-DVD Freaks and Geeks box set was released. A special "deluxe edition" set including two additional discs is also available through the official website for the show. Fans who had signed an online petition to get the show on DVD got priority in purchasing the special set. A CD soundtrack was also released in 2004.

Soundtrack

One of the distinguishing characteristics that separated Freaks and Geeks from similar television series at the time was its authentic soundtrack. The creators made it a point to have great, period-specific music that was effective for every scene. Clearing such names as The Who, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, and Billy Joel would prove to eat up much of the show's budget. This would eventually become an obstacle in releasing the show on DVD, considering that no publisher wanted to go through the trouble of clearing all of the music for the series. Many television shows (such as Dawson's Creek) cheaply released their DVDs by changing most of the music cues. The creators of Freaks and Geeks, however, wisely waited until someone was up to the challenge of gaining clearance for all of the music, as not to upset the fans of the show. SHOUT! Factory eventually became the publisher to bring Freaks and Geeks to DVD with all of its music intact.

The opening credits of each show were accompanied by the song "Bad Reputation" performed by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Complete series soundtrack list

The following is a complete list of the songs featured in Freaks and Geeks, as seen in the DVD booklet.

  • 1. Pilot Episode
  • 2. Beers and Weirs
    • "Hush" - Deep Purple
    • "Jesus Is Just Alright With Me" peformed by Sarah Hagan and Jason Segel.
    • "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo" - Rick Derringer
    • "No One To Depend On" - Santana
    • "Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love" - Van Halen
    • "Maybe" - Janis Joplin
    • "Do You Love Me?" - KISS
  • 3. Tricks and Treats
  • 4. Kim Kelly is My Friend
  • 5. Tests and Breasts
  • 6. I'm With the Band
    • "The Spirit of Radio" - Rush
    • "Sunshine Of Your Love" butchered by Seth Rogen and Creation
    • "Crossroads" performed by Dimension
    • "White Room" - Cream
    • "One Step Beyond" - Madness (band)
  • 7. Carded and Discarded
    • "C'Etait Toi (You Were The One)" - Billy Joel
    • "Rosalinda's Eyes" - Billy Joel
    • "Don't Ask Me Why" - Billy Joel
    • "Stomp!" - Brothers Johnson
    • "I'm Eighteen" performed by Dave (Gruber) Allen and Feedback
    • "American Band" performed by Dave (Gruber) Allen and Feedback
  • 8. Girlfriends and Boyfriends
  • 9. We've Got Spirit
    • "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas
    • "How Funky Is Your Chicken?" performed by McKinley High Cheerleaders
    • "Keep Yourself Alive" - Queen
    • "Everybody Wants Some" - Van Halen
    • "Stranglehold" - Ted Nugent
    • "Do Ya Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" - Joan Jett
    • "Hava Nagila" sung by Samm Levine
    • "The Song Is Over" - The Who
  • 10. The Diary
  • 11. Looks and Books
    • "I'm The Man" - Joe Jackson
    • "Look Sharp" - Joe Jackson
    • "Slip Kid" - The Who
    • "Stomp!" - The Brothers Johnson
    • "Flamethrower" - J.Geils Band
    • "Take The Long Way Home" - Supertramp
  • 12. The Garage Door
  • 13. Chokin' and Tokin'
  • 14. Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers
    • "I'm Free" - The Who
    • "I'm One" - The Who
    • "Boris The Spider" - The Who
    • "Love Reign O'er Me" - The Who
    • "Goin' Mobile" - The Who
    • "Drowned" - The Who
    • "Michael Row The Boat Ashore" performed by Jason Segel, James Franco and Seth Rogen
    • "Lady L" written and performed by Jason Segel
    • "Summer Breeze" - Seals & Crofts
  • 15. Noshing and Moshing
    • "Spacefunk" - Paul Feig
    • "Rise Above" - Black Flag
    • "Your Phone Is Off The Hook But You're Not" - X
    • "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" - Dean Martin
    • "Lime Green" performed by Diesel Boy
    • "Happy Street" performed by Diesel Boy
    • "Punk Rock 101" performed by Diesel Boy
  • 16. Smooching and Mooching
  • 17. The Little Things
    • "When The Saints Go Marching In" performed by McKinely High Marching Band
    • "If My Friends Could See Me Now" - Linda Clifford
    • "Hail To The Chief" performed by McKinely High Marching Band
    • "Fashion" - David Bowie
    • "The Road" - Jackson Browne
  • 18. Discos and Dragons
    • "Hot Number" - Foxy
    • "Box Of Rain" - Grateful Dead
    • "Ripple" - Grateful Dead
    • "I Don't Want To Be A Freak" - Dynasty
    • "I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor
    • "The Groove Line" - Heatwave
    • "Space Funk" - Paul Feig

CD soundtrack release

The CD soundtrack release contained nine songs featured in the series, eleven original Freaks and Geeks score tracks by Michael Andrews, three alternate cast recordings of songs performed on the show ("Lady L" being a fan favorite), an extra performance by "Feedback" and a bonus track by The Leaving Trains. Liner notes for the CD were written by selected cast and crew.

  1. "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
  2. "Geek Hallway" - Michael Andrews
  3. "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" - Warren Zevon
  4. "Lindsay's Theme" - Michael Andrews
  5. "Gettin' High" - Michael Andrews
  6. "Look Sharp!" - Joe Jackson
  7. "Clem's Theme" - Michael Andrews
  8. "No Language in Our Lungs" - XTC
  9. "Linday Disturbed Theme" - Michael Andrews
  10. "Bill Gets Funky (A.K.A. Spacefunk)" - Paul Feig
  11. "USA Rock" - Michael Andrews
  12. "The Spirit of Radio" - Rush
  13. "Daniel's Theme" - Michael Andrews
  14. "I'm One" - The Who
  15. "Porno Music" - Michael Andrews
  16. "Neal's Lament" - Michael Andrews
  17. "The Groove Line" - Heatwave
  18. "Ken's Ode To Joy" - Michael Andrews
  19. "Come Sail Away" - Styx
  20. "End Title Theme" - Michael Andrews
  21. "Lady L" - Jason Segel
  22. "I'm Eighteen" - Dave (Gruber) Allen
  23. "Jesus Is Just Alright" - Jason Segel/Sarah Hagan
  24. "Up on Cripple Creek" - Dave (Gruber) Allen and Feedback
  25. "Dumb As A Crayon" - The Leaving Trains

Undeclared

In 2001, several of the actors featured in Freaks and Geeks appeared in a new Judd Apatow college "dramedy" called Undeclared, airing on the FOX Network. Despite garnering a cult following, that show was also canceled abruptly during its first season.


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