'Freaks and Geeks'

Excuse us if we appear to be freaking (and geeking) out. But one of the most heartfelt and humorous TV shows of the past decade could be close to making a triumphant return. Even though Freaks and Geeks (which starred up-and-comers James Franco and Linda Cardellini as circa-1980 high schoolers) lasted less than a season on NBC in 1999, it developed an immediate following. Fans have persistently begged for its release on DVD, and an online petition (www.freaks andgeeks.com) set up by exec producer Judd Apatow and creator Paul Feig has garnered more than 33,000 signatures. Now Apatow reports that the entire series could be coming out as early as spring 2004. "We saved everything," Apatow says about the planned extras — audition tapes, rehearsals, deleted scenes, and commentary tracks for all 18 episodes. "We're gonna put out a package that has everything a fan would ever dream of." No, ladies, that does not include a Franco nude scene.