Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series

Product Description

The fans demanded it, and so it has come. Freaks and Geeks, the Emmy, award-winning series about the trials and tribulations of outsiders in 1980 Michigan is finally coming out on DVD in its original form, with all of its original music. The complete series includes all 18 original episodes; the director's cut of the pilot with never-before-seen footage; deleted scenes; outtakes; behind-the-scenes footage and 29 commentary tracks by the actors, writers and directors who made the show. If you wanted it, it's in here. Even if you didn't want it, it's in here. So rock on and enjoy!

Bonus Content:
- 29 Commentaries from Show Producers, Studio Executives, Cast Members, Crew and Fans
- Over Two Hours of New Show Material Including Audition Footage and Deleted Scenes from Every Episode
- Outtakes, Bloopers and Alternate Takes from Every Episode
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- Original Show Promotional Footage
- 28-Page Booklet with an Essay by Freaks and Geeks Creator Paul Feig, Q&A with Producer/Writer Judd Apatow and Illustrated with Extremely Geeky Photos

Amazon.com

The comedy/drama Freaks and Geeks limped through its sole season on NBC in 1999 before being expelled by the network--but not before earning critical acclaim and a devoted fan base that fought valiantly to keep it on the air. Now all 18 episodes have been released in this long-awaited boxed set, which allows longtime fans and first-timers alike to enjoy one of television's most poignant and funny programs about high school.

Created by writer-comedian Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow (The Larry Sanders Show), Freaks and Geeks followed the Weir siblings--former math whiz Lindsay (Linda Cardellini of the Scooby-Doo feature films and ER) and her younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley)--as they navigated the perils and pleasures of a Michigan high school circa 1980. What separated Freaks and Geeks from most other scholastic series was its brutal honesty--Lindsay and Sam, as well as their friends and parents, were given very human personas that showed failure, malice, indecision, and moments of great clarity. Likewise, the plotlines rarely offered pat solutions to the characters' conflicts--the show unfolded in a naturalistic manner, which was a welcome respite for viewers tired of flashy high school dramas. When combined with its smart dialogue and winning performances (the cast included SCTV veteran Joe Flaherty and Spider-Man star James Franco, as well as the sublime and criminally underrecognized Martin Starr and Seth Rogen as Sam's pal Bill and dry-witted Ken, respectively), the show became a haven for fans of quality television, if only for a brief period of time.

The six-disc boxed set provides over 40 hours of supplemental material, which should satiate even the most obsessive of fans. Twenty-nine separate commentaries from the show's creators, cast (and as some of their parents!), composer Mike Andrews, and fans are included, as are 60 deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast auditions. However, the most striking extra is the warmth that radiates from the commentary participants--their pleasure in taking part in such a quality program is palpable, and will undoubtedly be echoed by all who watch these discs. --Paul Gaita