Freaks and Geeks was set in the early 1980s, but its timeless depiction of teenage life was something that everyone could identity with. There are so few people in the world who didn't feel like an outcast at some point in their adolescence, so it was impossible to watch these characters and not relate to them at least a little bit. It's incredibly poignant to watch Lindsay Weir struggle to find her place in the world, questioning everything in her life after her grandmother dies. And in such a short amount of time, Judd Apatow managed to capture something that was raw and painful, but completely genuine. Although the show was only on the air for one year (thanks a lot, NBC), Freaks and Geeks stands as a paragon of what teen dramas could aspire to be. It launched the career of not only its creator, Judd Apatow, but also a number of the actors who starred on it -- Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, and Linda Cardinelli all got their start on the show.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
