'Freaks and Geeks'

Funny, honest, real ... and cancelled?! (The Bus 2.5)

Welcome aboard The Bus!

The Stop

Freaks and Geeks was a teen comedy-drama television series broadcast on NBC between 1999-2000. Set in a suburb of Detroit in 1980, the show centres around star student Lindsay Weir and her younger brother Sam as they navigate life at William McKinley High School. Although an erratic episode schedule and conflicts between its creators and the network resulted in the show’s cancellation after airing only 12 of the 18 episodes, the short-lived series became a cult classic. Freaks and Geeks received numerous critical accolades for the way it ‘lampoons real-life adolescence while affectionately embracing every growing pain along the way with refreshing honesty.’¹

Freaks and Geeks/l-r: James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogan, John Francis Daley, Martin Starr and Samm Levine

Created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow,² at the time of its release the show’s plots, themes and characters were recognised as being ‘agonisingly true to life.’ Lindsay Weir - straight A student and ‘mathlete’ - has ‘hit the wall of adolescent alienation’ and decides to shed her good-girl image. Profoundly affected by her grandmother’s recent death and wondering about her place and purpose in the world, she starts wearing her father’s old Army jacket, ditches her religious best friend and starts hanging around with the ‘pot-smoking burnouts’ - Daniel, Ken, Nick and Kim. Meanwhile, Sam and his friends Neal and Bill (the ‘hapless ‘geeks’ who play Dungeons and Dragons and always get picked last in gym class’) are busy dealing with their own particular circle of hell which largely consists of surviving puberty, crushes, high school life and the constant daily threat of bullies.

Dealing with a myriad of teenage issues including bullying, abusive relationships, substance use and abuse, first love, rebellion, sex, overprotective parents and even the guidance counsellor who tries too hard to be accepted by the kids,³ Freaks and Geeks approaches these topics in a way that is both ‘unique and affecting.’ Rather than relying on melodrama, the various situations ‘unfold quietly, often without resolution,’ and while the topics are frequently hard-hitting, it is testament to the show’s creators that the viewer is able to ‘feel the weight and confusion of these things through the eyes of a teenager experiencing them for the first time.’

Despite being cancelled too soon,⁴ the show appears consistently in lists of the greatest television shows of all time. It also launched the careers of several of its cast members, some of whom would go become some of the biggest names in television and feature comedy and drama, including Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogan, James Franco, Busy Phillips, and Jason Segel.

Though Freak and Geeks streams on various platforms, it’s hit-and-miss when it’s available. Good luck.

The Detour

Staying with the school theme of the Stop, today’s Detour is a short (12:59) documentary from the New York Times: On the Job series. This episode focusses on Ruth Quizphe, the lunch cook who oversees the kitchen at the largest middle school in New York City - which feeds 2,100 pupils each day. It’s a great watch (though there are occasional ads, they can be skipped after 5 seconds) - and you’ll never think of school lunches the same way again. 

How to Feed NYC's Largest Middle School

The Recommendation

Today’s recommendation is Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused (1993). Set in 1976 on the last day of school before summer break, it’s a high school coming of age comedy film that - though critically acclaimed - performed poorly on its release but has since become a popular cult film.⁵ Of particular note is the large ensemble cast, including early performances by Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey (in his first film role), Adam Goldberg and Anthony Rapp among others. It’s a funny, thoughtful film (one of my favourites) that requires multiple viewings in order to catch everything going on in any given scene. Plus, it has an excellent soundtrack.⁶ Highly recommended.

Dazed and Confused (Trailer)

Dazed and Confused streams on various platforms.

The Sounds

Today’s playlist is a selection of tracks from the Dazed and Confused soundtrack - all great 70s songs: ‘Sweet Emotion’ (Aerosmith, 1975), ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ (Alice Cooper, 1973), ‘Low Rider’ (War, 1975), ‘Balinese’ (ZZ Top, 1975) and ‘Summer Breeze’ (Seals and Crofts, 1972). Enjoy!

The Thought

Today’s Thought is from the Russian playwright and master of the short story, Anton Chekov (1860-1904):⁷

‘Only during hard times do people come to understand how difficult it is to be master of their feelings and thoughts.’

If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:

And that’s the end of this stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!

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Until the next stop …

1. Sources for today’s Stop include: Freaks and Geeks (Rotten Tomatoes), Freaks and Geeks: Judd Apatow (EW), Tarantino (Sight and Sound), Freaks and Geeks (People), Freaks and Geeks (The Guardian) and Freaks and Geeks (New York Times) 

2. Feig has directed numerous films including Bridesmaids (2011), Ghostbusters (2016) and Last Christmas (2019) along with episodes of Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Mad Men and Parks and Recreation among others. Apatow’s production and direction credits include The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), Superbad (2007), Pineapple Express (2008) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) among others.

3. But at least he turns some of them onto the Grateful Dead - a ‘pivotal’ influence in Lindsay’s life.

4. The cancellation of Freaks and Geeks has gone down as one of the more inexplicable decisions in television history, though the result has been a devoted following and consistently excellent ratings.

5. In 2002, Quentin Tarantino included Dazed and Confused as number ten on his list of the ten greatest films of all time in that year’s Sight and Sound poll, the others being The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1), Rio Bravo (2), Taxi Driver (3), His Girl Friday (4), Rolling Thunder (5), They All Laughed (6), The Great Escape (7), Carrie (8) and Coffy (9) - all rather esteemed company.

6. Linklater believed the music was so important to the film’s success that he allocated 1/6 of the film’s $7 million budget to secure the rights.

7. Considering the amount and influence of Chekhov’s output, it’s amazing to think his life was so short. For more information, see: Anton Chekhov (Britannica).