Freaks and Geeks

1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 0 (USA)
18 x 45 minute episodes

Set over the course of a school year in 1980 in the small town of Chippewa, Michigan, Freaks and Geeks follows the lives of sister and brother Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and Sam Weir (John Francis Daley) as they navigate the pitfalls of high school.

While Lindsay throws over her nerdy friends to start hanging out with the slackers (the “freaks” of the title), freshman Sam and his friends (the “geeks”) try to fit into a social system that makes fun of them for their weird hobbies and interests.

Both Lindsay and Sam struggle to reevaluate themselves in light of the adults they’re becoming.

The stories are handled sensitively and with gentle humour, and the writing never makes light of its young characters and their struggles. Lindsay’s sweet romance with the earnest Nick (Jason Segel) is a particular highlight, as is Sam’s first foray into dating.

The show immediately attracted a fervent fanbase, but despite incredible reviews and an average weekly viewership hovering around 6 million, NBC pulled the plug before they could even air all the episodes they had shot for the first season.

It has since been recognised as one of the best television shows of the early 2000s.

Lindsay Weir
Linda Cardellini
Sam Weir
John Francis Daley
Daniel Desario
James Franco
Neal Schweiber
Samm Levine
Ken Miller
Seth Rogen
Nick Andopolis
Jason Segel
Bill Haverchuck
Martin Starr
Jean Weir
Becky Ann Baker
Harold Weir
Joe Flaherty
Kim Kelly
Busy Philipps
Disco Jermaine
Jerome Elston Scott
Frank Kowchevski
Steve Bannos
Jeff Rosso
Dave Allen
Millie Kentner
Sarah Hagan
Gordon Crisp
Jerry Messing
Cindy Sanders
Natasha Melnick
Harris Trinsky
Stephen Lea Sheppard
Alan White
Chauncey Leopardi