KnockBack, Episode 166: Freaks and Geeks (Patreon)

Some television shows come along that are way ahead of their time, and Freaks and Geeks -- which ran for a scant 18 episodes between 1999 and 2000 on NBC -- is one such program. That's especially ironic, of course, since it's actually about the past. Taking place in 1980 and 1981 in and around a Michigan high school, Freaks and Geeks is the brainchild of writers, directors, and producers Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, who are of course wildly famous today. So, too, is much of the cast, from James Franco and Seth Rogen to Linda Cardellini and Jason Segel. But beyond all of that, Freaks and Geeks is a show about the teenage experience, set through the lens of multiple groups of oft-conflicting cliques. So let's discuss one of the most beloved cult classic television shows of all-time, and then get really sad that we never received more.