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Freaks And Geeks: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]    Review by Suzanne Lanoue 4/3/16

This is a great show. I watched it when it first aired on TV. Most of the cast members (especially James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel) became big TV or movie stars, or at least work regularly. The show was created and written by Paul Feig, who's now a famous movie director, producer and writer ("Bridesmaids" and "Ghostbusters"); and another famous writer/director, Judd Apatow, wrote and directed many of the series episodes. Many of the actors on the show are good friends and still work together in movies.

Unfortunately, the show was ahead of its time and didn't do well in the ratings, so it only lasted one season. It's great to have it on DVD and now Blu-Ray, though. The show is about some high school kids in 1980 who are in the school cliques like "Freaks" (the smokers and druggies) and "Geeks" (social misfits).  I graduated high school in 1979, so I can tell you that the show really captured what school was like back then. If you went to school any time in the 20th century, you'll probably enjoy the show and relate to it.

Here's our previous review of the show from when it was on regular DVD.

The Blu-Ray set is great. They have both the original aspect shown on TV and the wide-screen version, as well as a whole disk of great features! There's ton of great extras, like auditions of the actors, deleted scenes, table reads and more. Anything a fan of the show could want, basically.

If you've never seen the show before, you don't want to miss it because it's a classic, and a great comedy. It's also fun to see James Franco and others when they were younger and just starting out.

MORE INFORMATION:

THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE GREATEST TV SHOWS EVER

Created by Judd Apatow and Paul Feig

Starring Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel

FREAKS & GEEKS BLU-RAY COLLECTOR’S EDITION

All 18 Episodes in Both Original Aspect Ratio and Widescreen!

AVAILABLE MARCH 22, 2016 FROM SHOUT! FACTORY

This is what high school was like for the rest of us. A modern classic arrives on Blu-ray at last when Shout! Factory releases Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series Collector’s Edition on March 22, 2016.  Jam-packed with a treasure trove of extras, this Blu-ray collection features all 18 episodes in both original broadcast aspect ratio and a special widescreen presentation. Join Shout! Factory in celebrating this one-of-a-kind series with a set you’ll Geek out over.

Set in 1980 at the fictional McKinley High in Detroit, Freaks and Geeks focused on two groups of outsiders: the stoners, tough kids and bad girls; and the brains, nerds and squares. Although this Emmy award-winning series ran for only one season, it has remained a cult favorite and a benchmark of quality television.

A funny and authentic portrait of high school life with all of its horrors and triumphs, Freaks And Geeks resonates with anybody who has ever felt like they don’t quite fit in. The series’ legacy – including the ongoing success of many of its key personnel, from creator Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), to executive producer Judd Apatow (The 40-Year Old Virgin), to cast members such as Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel – is undoubtedly secure in the hearts and minds of its passionate (and ever-growing) fanbase.

Freaks & Geeks Blu-ray Collector’s Edition from Shout! Factory contains:

-          All 18 episodes in both original aspect ratio (1.33:1) and widescreen (1.78:1)

-          Special features disc, complete with extras and audio commentaries from both The Complete Series DVD set (2004) and The Yearbook Edition set (2008)

-          New booklet packed with a letter and Q&A from creators Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, essays, and memorabilia

Highlights from the special features disc:

Museum of Television & Radio Panel Discussion

Complete Script for a Never-Shot Episode

Three Full-Episode Table Reads

Deleted Scenes

Original Cast Audition Footage

Raw Footage

Mr. Rosso Live in Concert

Sober Students Improv Players

Tales of the Secret Service

NBC Promos and EPK

Behind the Scenes

Seven Minutes in Heaven

Graduation

Thanks, Goodbye

McKinley High lives on.

About Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture.  Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras.  Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, Broadway cast albums, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations.  In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America.  Shout! Factory also owns and operates Shout! Factory TV, Scream Factory, Timeless Media Group, Westchester Films, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention.  Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com