16 years ago, Freaks And Geeks entered our lives and met its demise, all in about 10 months. But the short-lived series launched the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, and John Francis Daley (among others), as well as earned a significant cult following. Freaks And Geeks filled the void in teen TV programming between more perilous adolescent struggles (see: Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and the ultimately meandering melodrama of Dawson’s Creek. The show essentially brought together the sort of awkward and/or nerdy kids who were often relegated to the sidelines or punchlines of other dramedies and put them front and center.
In this exclusive clip from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release of the full series—which hits stores today—creator Paul Feig and executive producer Judd Apatow talk about their determination to develop a realistic teen show that eschewed the wish fulfillment of other series.
When Feig and Apatow set out to tell relatable stories from a different high-school demographic, it was partially in reaction to the glossy content of other coming-of-age tales on TV. Apatow even says he brought some of the Larry Sanders approach from that sitcom, on which he’d recently served as a writer, producer, and director. There was also a strict “no bullshit” rule.
The Freaks And Geeks Blu-ray edition is available as of today through Shout! Factory.