Judd Apatow Launching ‘Freaks and Geeks’ Stars Was a Revenge Plan, Confirms Jason Segel
Judd Apatow is a renowned filmmaker, comedian, and actor. He brought up a show named Freaks and Geeks in the 90s. The show, considered a cult classic today, didn’t perform well during its initial release. Freaks and Geeks starred Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Busy Philipps, Martin Starr, and Samm Levine.
Apatwo’s NBC show got canceled after its first season as it failed to capture the audience with its plot. The show, set in the 1980 to 1981 high school year, followed two siblings, Lindsay and Sam Weir befriending a group of freaks and geeks, respectively. The show’s star Jason Segel recently revealed how Judd Apatow went on a revenge mission after the cancellation of the show.
Jason Segel reveals Judd Apatow’s revenge plan after Freaks and Geeks
Judd Apatow was behind the short-lived cult classic NBC series Freaks and Geeks. He was the executive producer of the show and took it to heart after the show was canceled during its first season as it failed to impress the audience.
Freaks and Geeks featured an ensemble cast starring names that have stood the test of time. And that is thanks to Apatow, as, after its cancellation, he went on a revenge mission to keep the emerging stars of the show in the spotlight.
Thea Glassman’s new book, Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television, claims that Apatow did not want the cast’s professional choices to be affected by the ending of the series.
Jason Segel, who starred as Nick Andopolis in the series, sheds light on the director’s revenge plan. He said,
“[It was] a ‘Count of Monte Cristo’–style revenge mission on Judd’s part that he will systematically make every one of these people a star.”
Judd Apatow collaborated with the cast on projects like The Five Year Engagement and Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Segel, Knocked Up with Segel, Rogen, and Starr, and Pineapple Express with Rogen and Franco, among others.
The shows executive producer, writer, and director, previously said that MTV had offered to renew the series at a much lower budget in 2000. However, the team of Freaks and Geeks decided they didn’t want to do a weaker version of the show.
What is Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks about?
Freaks and Geeks, created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, is exactly the type of program that can develop a cult following with just one season.
The show debuted on NBC in 1999. Set in the 1980 to 1981 high school year, the show followed Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and Sam (John Francis Daley), two siblings, who are trying to make friends at their new Detroit high school. Younger brother Sam becomes a member of the geek group, represented by Samm Levine and Martin Starr. Lindsay befriends a bunch of freaks, played by Segel, Franco, Rogen, and Philipps.
The show was canceled during its first season. NBC cut the show after one season for several reasons, but ultimately, it boiled down to ratings. Throughout its 12 episodes, the comedy attracted an average of 6.77 million viewers.
Freaks and Geeks is available to stream on Hulu.
Source: IndieWire
