If you haven’t heard ofFreaks and Geeks, people would assume you were born yesterday. Even though it only ran for one season in 1999,Freaks and Geekshas become and remained a cult classic.Freaks and Geeksbecame a platform for teenagers to get out their grievances, but also was one of the first times they actually saw themselves onscreen. Despite this resonating with audiences,the show was not renewed after the first season, but its dedicated audience remained.
The show has recently become a big hit with younger audiences since it was added to Hulu with the full original soundtrack about a year ago. Most GenZers were not even born when the show premiered, but it hasbecome a cult classic for the generation, the same audience which has flocked to similar themed shows asEuphoria. This is because the themes and topics of the show are pertinent to teenagers of all different generations. Despite the show only having 18 episodes,its legacy lives on with GenZ.
Realistic Characters
One of the biggest wins forFreaks and Geekswas its characters. Most teen shows have insanely unrealistic teenagers. Not only are they older than normal teenagers, but they also never act like actual teenagers.The characters ofFreaks and Geekswere real teenagers, with real teenager problems. Many teen shows have super outlandish problems that almost no actual teenagers can relate to.Freaks and Geeksdid the polar opposite of every other teen show. They created characters who emulated actual teenagers to a tee. The problems characters faced in the show were accurate to actual life, and the cliques which form in school.
The title characters, freaks and geeks, make up two main cliques at the high school and our main characters. Most viewers can relate to having been in one of those cliques or knowing someone in them. It makes the show more interesting for viewers as they see themselves in the characters and the story as a whole. Whenviewers can see themselves in a show and storyline, it makes it more appealing and continually watchable. The best part of the characters inFreaks and Geeksis that they are relatable to teens today. Every school has cliques (even 20 years after the show was written) and every school has freaks and geeks.
Plus, these ‘freaks and geeks’ turned into some of the best names in Hollywood, and the show introduced them to the world. Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan, and Busy Philipps all starred inFreaks and Geeks, which would change their lives forever.
Related:Freaks and Geeks Creators Weigh in on Possible Reunion Special
Important Themes
As mentioned previously, the themes of many teen shows don’t emulate the lives of actual teens. Every part ofFreaks and Geekswas accurate to actual teen life. Not only did it honestly discuss drinking, sex, and drugs without glorifying anything (again,long beforeEuphoria), but the show did it in a way which was relatable to its target demographic. The show was made for teens (obviously) and not their parents or Hollywood execs. While this did contribute to the show’s untimely ending, it also contributed to its ability to still be so monumental for teens today. Most teen shows don’t speak on topics that actually affect teens.
Freaks and Geeksfocused on the small victoriesthat get most teen through the day, such as passing your math test, or your crush suddenly looking at you. While these things may not be monumental, they are monumental for teens struggling to make it through the school day.Execs in Hollywood may have preferredfor the show to have more big victories for characters, but this is not how actual teenagers live. The most important part of the show was for it to be applicable and relatable for teens. This is why teenagers today still loveFreaks and Geeksand have allowed its current, renewed success onHulu.
Related:Here’s Where the Cast of Freaks and Geeks Is Today
A Perfect Soundtrack
Freaks and Geeksaired with a near-perfect soundtrack, but that doesn’t always make it to streaming.Due to copyright lawsand other legal issues, many shows do not go to streaming with their original soundtrack; this is what has keptNorthern Exposurefrom streaming. This is problematic, because most shows have a very curated soundtrack that was decided upon when the show aired. When this doesn’t come to streaming, it doesn’t allow new viewers to see the show in the same light as it was originally meant.
However,Freaks and Geekswithheld itself from streaminguntil they were able to have the original soundtrack in full. Many shows are unable to do this, butFreaks and Geeksdid (in another ‘small victory’), allowing new viewers to see the show the way it was originally meant to be seen.This attracted new viewers, because seeing the show as it was originally meant to be seen is much more appealing to viewers who may have not been alive when the show first aired, and don’t want to see a hacked-up show with its original content gutted for legal reasons. Since the show is now exactly how it was when it aired, it can also be seen as a sort of time capsule for its original viewers.Freaks and Geeksstill having its original soundtrackallows the show to be just as perfect for new viewers as it was for original viewers. Now, just like its rock and roll,Freaks and Geekswill never die.
