Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
More On:
Freaks and Geeks
-
Adam Sandler Joins Hollywood In Mourning Late 'Happy Gilmore' Star Joe Flaherty: "Couldn't Be More Fun To Have Him Heckle Me On The Golf Course"
-
R.I.P. Joe Flaherty: 'Freaks And Geeks' And 'Happy Gilmore' Actor Dead At 82
-
Stream It Or Skip It: 'Son Of A Critch' On The CW, About An Older-Than-His-Years Kid Growing Up In 1980s Newfoundland
-
Who Plays Dottie Lasso, Ted's Mom, on 'Ted Lasso'? Meet Becky Ann Baker
It takes a special kind of show to amass a cult following after just one season, but Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks is just that kind of show. Today, the beloved teen comedy is finally available to stream on Hulu with the original soundtrack intact. For years, the only way to watch Freaks and Geeks as Feig and Apatow intended was via DVD — even Netflix didn’t snag the original soundtrack — but now, a new generation of fans will finally be able to enjoy the comedy on streaming. It’s about damn time!
The Freaks and Geeks Hulu release has given new life to the short-lived sitcom, but fans who are just discovering the series probably have a few questions. How many seasons of Freaks and Geeks are there? Why was Freaks and Geeks canceled? Consider this your official Freaks and Geeks guide.
WHERE TO WATCH FREAKS AND GEEKS
Beginning today, Monday, January 25, Freaks and Geeks is available to stream on Hulu. Yay!
FREAKS AND GEEKS: HULU STREAMING INFORMATION
All it takes to watch Freaks and Geeks is a valid Hulu subscription — nothing more, nothing less. Hulu subscriptions currently start at $5.99/month for an ad-supported plan or $11.99/month for an ad-free plan. Interested in a bundle? Disney is currently offering a bundled subscription to Hulu (with ads), Disney+, and ESPN+ for just $12.99/month.
HOW MANY SEASONS OF FREAKS AND GEEKS ARE THERE?
Unfortunately, Freaks and Geeks lasted for just one season on NBC from 1999 to 2000. The cast and crew filmed 18 episodes of the show’s first season, but NBC canceled the comedy after only 12 episodes had aired, igniting a massive fan campaign to save the series. Finally, in July 2000, NBC caved, and the remaining episodes of Freaks and Geeks aired that fall on Fox Family Channel.
WHY WAS FREAKS AND GEEKS CANCELED?
There were a few reasons for NBC’s decision to cancel Freaks and Geeks after one season, but ultimately, it came down to ratings. The comedy drew an average of 6.77 million viewers across its 12 episodes, but that figure simply couldn’t compare with the roughly 14 million viewers who tuned in every week for new episodes of Friends and Frasier.
Much has been written about Judd Apatow and Paul Feig’s conflict with NBC executives, as well. According to Apatow, NBC wasn’t the right place for the series, and the creative team clashed with top brass over everything from wardrobe to plot lines. Freaks and Geeks “should have been on HBO,” said Apatow (per NME). “There was no home for us in 1999.”
FREAKS AND GEEKS CAST NOW: JAMES FRANCO, LINDA CARDELLINI, AND MORE
Of course, it would be impossible to discuss Freaks and Geeks without highlighting the many young careers it launched. The NBC comedy featured an all-star group of stars, including James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, and Linda Cardellini (the “Freaks”) and John Frances Daly, Martin Starr, and Samm Levine (the “Geeks”). Each of these actors has gone on to do great things, from earning Oscar noms (Franco) to hosting amazing talk shows (Philipps) to dominating the world of blockbuster comedies (Rogen).
