Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executively produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season. Eighteen episodes were completed, but the series was canceled after only twelve had aired.
A fan-led campaign persuaded NBC to broadcast three more episodes in July 2000; the three remaining unaired episodes were not seen until September of that year, when the cable network Fox Family Channel aired them in syndication. The complete series was later released on DVD.
Despite a quick cancellation and only one season with 18 episodes, Freaks and Geeks developed a devoted cult following. The series appeared on Time magazine's 2007 "100 Greatest Shows of All Time" list, as well as placing 3rd on their list of the greatest television shows of the 2000s (decade). In 2007, Freaks and Geeks ranked #21 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly ranked it the 13th-best series of the past 25 years.
This is a list of episodes from the NBC comedy-drama television series Freaks and Geeks. The list is ordered by the chronology of the storyline.
The script for the pilot episode of Freaks and Geeks was written by Paul Feig as a spec script. Feig gave the script to Judd Apatow, who sold it to DreamWorks. That company, in turn, sold it to NBC, who quickly greenlit the script as a pilot. Before the script was shot, Feig wrote a second episode at the behest of Apatow. He showed this second script to Apatow and pilot director Jake Kasdan, and they suggested that he combine the two episodes to form a stronger pilot. Notable additions in this new draft included the introduction of the character Kim Kelly and Lindsay Weir's recollection of her grandmother's death. Feig wrote a final draft after a read-through with the cast, this time incorporating into the episode a first formal meeting between Lindsay and the freaks (in previous drafts, Lindsay was already considered part of the group).
A total of 18 episodes were produced which were originally broadcast in the United States on NBC from September 25, 1999 to July 8, 2000. Three of the episodes – "Kim Kelly Is My Friend", "Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers" and "Noshing and Moshing" were not aired during the initial NBC broadcast, but were later aired on Fox Family.
The cult television show Freaks and Geeks used music from the show's time period, 1980–1981 for its soundtrack.
Because this called for using popular, established artists, purchasing the rights to use songs required much of the show's budget and became an obstacle in releasing the show on DVD; in fact, reruns seen on Fox Family replaced some of the songs with generic production music. However, Shout! Factory eventually brought Freaks and Geeks to DVD in 2004, with all of its music intact.
The following is a complete list of the songs featured in Freaks and Geeks as they appear in the DVD booklet. Listed along with the titles of each song are the artist who performs the versions that appear in the series as well as the original album the track appeared on and that albums original year of release.
The opening credits of each episode are accompanied by the song "Bad Reputation", performed by Joan Jett from her 1980 Bad Reputation album.
A CD soundtrack for the series was released in 2004 from Shout! Factory. The CD soundtrack release contained nine songs featured in the series, eleven original Freaks and Geeks score tracks by Michael Andrews, three alternate cast recordings of songs performed on the show ("Lady L" being a fan favorite), an extra performance by "Feedback" and a bonus track by The Leaving Trains. The accompanying booklet features 15 pages of liner notes written by David Wild and Jake Kasdan as well as written track by track commentary by the Freaks and Geeks character, guidance counsellor Jeffery Theodore Rosso.
[Verse 1]
Alright, Gambino is a mastermind, fuck a bitch to pass the time
Mass Appeal, orange rind, smoke your green, I'm spendin' mine
The beat is witches brew, but beware this shit is potent
E. e. cummin' on her face, now that's poetry in motion
Yeah, Gambino make it work, I'm the boss move somethin'
Yeah, this cool fuckin' suits me, swag two button
Yeah, these girls be actin' crazy when they're dancin', Black Swan
I ain't fuckin' at the club, put your clothes back on
This beat is a disaster, 9/11 this track
Rappers wanna battle me, I have to mail their heads back
And my clique make that dinero, so it's time to meet the fuckers
I am runnin' this bitch, you are just a dog walker
Leavin' with your girl when we last seen each other
You fuckin' with the baddest like we tag team Rihanna
Fly girl on her knees, she don't wanna come near me
My dick is too big, there's a big bang theory
Got her picture in my iPhone, what do y'all think?
While y'all niggas masturbate, I'm in that Ariel Pink
If I am just a rapper man, you coulda fooled me
I'm the shit, when these dudes talk, they talkin' bull me
[Verse 2]
Okay, I'm down with the black girls of every single culture
Filipino, Armenian girls on my sofa
Yeah I like the white girls, sometimes we get together
Need a thick chick though, so it's black and yellow, black and yellow
Love is a trip, but fuckin' is a sport
Are there Asian girls here? Minority Report
Put your team on the map, Blake Griffin on the court
Niggas bitin' off my tracks, need a knife and a fork
We the illest, need a nurse, here's the cheque, grab your purse
Unless we fuckin', then I'll pay for all the food on the Earth, man
I got some pussy that was insane, so insane, it's an enemy of Batman
I'm Dominant, niggas call me faggot cause they closeted
I'm hot as shit, comin' outta the backside of a rocket ship
It's Monster shit, you dude's are the opposite of Lochnesses
Respond to this, we can squash the beef right now like sausages
Chillin' with my n-words, say it like a white kid
Yes your booty's big as hers, say that to my white bitch
So she don't get embarrassed, my dick is made of carrots
Bunnies wantin' to be fed and I meant honeys, oh forget it
I have worked all winter, I will not fail summer
In the back of the bush, like Gavin Rossdale's drummer
Yeah, my stinger's in her flower, I hope she lets me pollenate
Workin' hard as shit, yeah this beat is made from concentrate
Nigga can't you tell that my sample of Adele
Was so hot, I got these hood niggas blowin' up my cell?
Swag out the ass, I'm the man, fuck chico
Took the G out your waffle, all you got left is your ego
Think about it for a second, man we eatin', where's your breakfast?
Man, you hungry have this sandwich, got my wallet, cheese and lettuce
An elephant never forgets, so my dick remembers everything
Green inside your wallet is that pussy open sesame
Runnin' the game, fuck am I sayin', runnin' the Earth, give me a month
Told all you niggas I'm in it to win it cause havin' an Emmy just wasn't enough
You get sloppy drunk, I stay whiskey neat