William McKinley High School, Michigan, 1980. Lindsay Weir is a straight-A student but is feeling like expanding her horizons. She starts hanging out with the "freaks", the students more into rock music, drugs and just having fun. Meanwhile, her younger brother Sam and his friends are navigating growing up and teenage social politics.
Wonderful series that is part comedy, part drama. Covers many aspects of teenage life, all with humour, warmth and in a profound yet non-judgemental and objective way. Hilariously funny at times, yet also highly emotional at times too.
Quite unpredictable and realistic in the way plots develop. There are plenty of occasions where I think, oh no, such-and-such is now going to happen (because that's the way the average TV series would progress it), only for it to pan out differently and in much more relatable and likely fashion.
Highly nostalgic too, due to the period of one's life it is set in and also because of the music and other cultural references. The music is superb, from the Joan Jett theme song to incidental tracks. The tracks are not just there for background music but inform and enhance the plots, thus are crucial to the storylines.
The whole feel to the series is like The Wonder Years meets Dazed and Confused.
Rounding it all off are some great, convincing performances, all of which contribute to an unforced, natural vibe to proceedings. Linda Cardellini, as Lindsay, is the pick of the bunch but nobody puts a foot wrong. The series is famous for launching the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel. Guest stars include Ben Stiller and Leslie Mann and among the minor roles can be found then-unknowns who are now stars: Jason Schwarzman, Ben Foster, Shia LaBeouf and Lizzie Caplan.
Sadly, the quality of a TV series is not what matters to TV executives, only ratings, and Freaks and Geeks only lasted one season. This was very unfortunate as there was still a whole lot it could have tackled and heaps more plot- and character-development potential remaining. Thankfully the season (and series) does end on a high, emotional note, so there is a degree of closure.
Like Firefly, it will remain a series criminally terminated in its prime.
Wonderful series that is part comedy, part drama. Covers many aspects of teenage life, all with humour, warmth and in a profound yet non-judgemental and objective way. Hilariously funny at times, yet also highly emotional at times too.
Quite unpredictable and realistic in the way plots develop. There are plenty of occasions where I think, oh no, such-and-such is now going to happen (because that's the way the average TV series would progress it), only for it to pan out differently and in much more relatable and likely fashion.
Highly nostalgic too, due to the period of one's life it is set in and also because of the music and other cultural references. The music is superb, from the Joan Jett theme song to incidental tracks. The tracks are not just there for background music but inform and enhance the plots, thus are crucial to the storylines.
The whole feel to the series is like The Wonder Years meets Dazed and Confused.
Rounding it all off are some great, convincing performances, all of which contribute to an unforced, natural vibe to proceedings. Linda Cardellini, as Lindsay, is the pick of the bunch but nobody puts a foot wrong. The series is famous for launching the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel. Guest stars include Ben Stiller and Leslie Mann and among the minor roles can be found then-unknowns who are now stars: Jason Schwarzman, Ben Foster, Shia LaBeouf and Lizzie Caplan.
Sadly, the quality of a TV series is not what matters to TV executives, only ratings, and Freaks and Geeks only lasted one season. This was very unfortunate as there was still a whole lot it could have tackled and heaps more plot- and character-development potential remaining. Thankfully the season (and series) does end on a high, emotional note, so there is a degree of closure.
Like Firefly, it will remain a series criminally terminated in its prime.