For anyone who grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s (or you know, with the internet) Freaks and Geeks stands as anappareled teen TV moment. Amid a sea of acne-free shows like 90210 and Dawson’s Creek, the perfect mix of awkwardness and humour saw Freaks and Geeks grab an immediate and dedicated following. Unfortunately, a show set in suburban Detroit in the early 80s didn’t set the world on fire—it was cancelled after 18 episodes.
Sixteen years later, it’s now lauded as the first glimpse of Seth Rogan’s comedy skills, James Franco’s cheekbones, and Judd Apatow’s ability to bring a lot of cool people together.
In the years since cancellation, fans have been able to seek consolation in the cast’s followup success, so many questions remain: did Lindsay return after her summer following the Grateful Dead? Did Daniel become a Geek? Does Nick really like disco? Will Neal ever feel the sweet embrace of a woman?
Ccreator Paul Feig has previously dashed hopeful whispers of a revival, on Sunday Judd Apatow loosely flirted with the idea during the Television Critics Association press tour.When asked by a reporter if he’d ever revisit show he responded: “All of those characters died in a Supermax prison…You never know, it could happen…We’ll see”.
Sure, on the surface that isn’t overwhelmingly hopeful, but remember external circumstances do mean the reboot would probably be relatively simple. The past 12-months has seen several cult shows, that didn’t initially get their time in the sun, revisited. Netflix alone has given us Wet Hot American Summer, Mr. Show (although it’s now titled W/ Bob & David), Full House, and soon, Lost in Space.
Not only does Freaks and Geeks’ ambiguous ending and continued popularity make it a tidy candidate, Appatow is already a member of the Netflix family. His new show Love will premiere in February. Furthermore, it’s not like you’d struggle to get the cast back together. In the press conference Apatow even joked, “I think James Franco has already made a Freaks and Geeks reunion,” referring to how regularly he works with his old cast mates.
For now there’s no more news, or at least that can be heard of the rustle of fans Tweeting their excitement, but for cross your fingers, put on your Parisian night suits, and dream.