Freaks and Geeks was unfortunately canceled after one season, but it turns out another network nearly helped make season 2 a reality. Premiering in 1999, Freaks and Geeks follows two groups of suburban Detroit high schoolers, one that stems from Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardinelli) - the freaks, and the other that involves her younger brother Sam Weir (John Frances Daley) - the geeks.
The show was received as a cult classic with a compelling comedic and dramatic telling of teenage life, though was canceled due to irregular scheduling and conflicts between the show’s creators and NBC. Though most series that only go through one season before being canceled go down as forgettable or rightfully canned, Freaks and Geeks is a notable exception. Even today, Freaks and Geeks is put high on lists of the greatest television shows canceled after one season along with being considered one of the greatest shows of all time.
Freaks and Geeks also helped launch the careers of major comedy names in the cast like HIMYM actor Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Busy Phillips, Linda Cardinelli, as well as executive producer Judd Apatow. It's possible their careers would be different had Freaks and Geeks season 2 happened.
Though Freaks and Geeks was a success, NBC canceled it after only 13 of its 18 episodes had aired. Once the news broke in early 2000, MTV jumped at the chance to help produce a second season. Judd Apatow turned down MTV's offer because they were offering a much lower budget. Apatow revealed that the creators would rather preserve Freaks and Geeks as it was than continue with a weaker version of the series. Writer and director Paul Feig supported Apatow’s claim, explaining that the budget cuts would have meant losing the iconic music and much of what made the first season so beloved.
It’s still ambiguous as to where Freaks and Geeks season 2 would have taken all the outcast freaks and geeks, though avid fans are still upset they didn’t get to see the characters explore more nuances of adolescence. When asked if Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is regretful that he was never able to finish the characters’ stories, he countered by stating he believes he provided a strong end to the show. Feig and Apatow knew chances of cancellation were high, but still decided to give ambiguous futures in the series finale, “Discos and Dragons.”
Freaks and Geeks’ season 1 finale follows the characters making tough decisions and moving on from their personal troubles. After his breakup with Lindsay, Nick (Segel) has a new girlfriend with whom he tries disco dancing. Daniel (Franco) has to join the Audio/Visual club as punishment for pulling the fire alarm, sending him into the hands of the geeks who invite him to play Dungeons and Dragons. Lindsay finishes the year with sublime grades, earning her an invitation to an academic summit at the University of Michigan over the summer. In a surprising turn, Lindsay decides not to go and embarks on a road trip with the freaks to follow the Grateful Dead’s tour.
Feig explained that Freaks and Geeks’ final episode is about all the characters getting put on a different path, similar to what happens when everyone graduates high school and people simply lose touch. In supporting his claim, the director stated he believes the only true “finale” of a TV show is Six Feet Under because it reveals all of the characters’ deaths. For Freaks and Geeks’ finale, the vague future of the beloved characters instead offers fans their own visions of what happened to the gang.
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