HANNAH ELLIOTT
Arts Writer

High school is one of the most trying milestones in a person’s life. Throw a few hundred adolescents into one building and you have a prime example of survival of the fittest.

During this period of time, some make their way to the top of the social ladder by starring on sports teams or throwing crazy parties. But for less popular students, high school can be nothing but four long years of trials, tribulations and humiliation.

No television show depicts this hellish milestone quite as accurately as Freaks and Geeks, the short-lived NBC series produced by Judd Apatow.

Debuting in 1999, Freaks was an original TV series in that it portrayed high school life as experienced from the bottom of the social food chain. The series only lasted for 18 episodes before NBC pulled the plug but it went on to gain a huge cult following. Freaks also launched the acting careers of several of its cast members, the most notable being James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel.

The plot centres around Lindsay and Sam Weir (ER’s Linda Cardellini and Bones’s John Francis Daley), two teenage siblings who, with their respective groups of friends, deal with high school, hormones and peer pressure in Michigan circa 1980.

In a spark of rebellion triggered by her grandmother’s death, Lindsay abandons the “Mathletes” to be taken under the wing of the “freaks” — the school burnouts.

Sam and his two best friends Neil and Bill are the socially awkward freshman “geeks” who spend their days dodging bullies, struggling in gym class and playing Dungeons and Dragons.

In each episode, the main action shifts between the freaks and the geeks, while occasionally members of the two groups interact. In the last episode, for example, the geeks teach the tough, cool freak Daniel (Franco) to play D&D after he is forced to join the AV club.

The characters are all greatly flawed, which makes them enjoyable to watch — not out of mockery but empathy. They find themselves in uncomfortable situations that most high school students have experienced at one point or another: getting picked last for teams, falling in love with a friend, hosting out of control parties and trying alcohol and marijuana for the first time.

Even though the overall tone of the show is lighthearted and humorous, it also deals with tougher situations like parental infidelity and unstable home life.

The casting is brilliant; the actors suit their roles so perfectly that it’s no wonder many of the Freaks alumni have successful acting careers today and continue to play starring roles in Judd Apatow films — take Pineapple Express, for instance.

Segel (of How I Met Your Mother and I Love You, Man fame) is particularly loveable in Freaks as Nick Andopolis, a boy whose passion for drumming is hindered by his no-nonsense father.

The show’s failure stemmed from the fact that it aired on Saturday nights, a time slot when most of the target audience would not likely be at home watching TV. That and it lacked surreal glamour, the very thing that draws people to popular teen shows like Gossip Girl and Beverly Hills 90210. But even though the series was cut short, it can be appreciated for providing an honest depiction of high school life.

So if you were unpopular in high school, don’t feel bad. Just watch Freaks and Geeks; you’ll realize that you’re only human.