Frasier's Great, But There's Another Classic Sitcom Just Begging For A Revival
David Hyde Pierce might not be returning for the "Frasier" revival, but the fact that Seattle's favorite radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) gets another lease in life should still be highly encouraging for sitcom fans. After all, the character's track record has been stellar throughout his appearances in "Cheers" and "Frasier," so there's reason to believe that the upcoming show will take great care to avoid tarnishing Mr. Crane's legacy.
With the "Frasier" news and the impeding arrival of "That '90s Show," it's a good time to be a fan of classic sitcoms. Still, while it's understandable that the powers that be want to revive such tried and tested properties, it seems like a bit of a waste when you remember there's one classic sitcom that has built its reputations over time, and never had the chance to truly shine during its original, all-too-short run. The property in question is none other than "Freaks and Geeks," Paul Feig and Judd Apatow's 1999 cult classic. The short-lived show became a platform that has spawned numerous superstars, and when you look at its enduring legacy, it's easy to believe that "Freaks and Geeks" deserves a fresh chance.
It's high time Freaks and Geeks gets the chance to reach the masses
The world is full of not-so-great shows that have run for multiple seasons, and great ones that get cancelled way before their time. This unconventional NBC sitcom very much belongs in the latter category. "Freaks and Geeks" was canceled after just one season, but that had more to do with awful, changing time slots and the show's challenging nature than its actual quality. The show's reputation has only grown over time. Today, "Freaks and Geeks" is one of the extremely rare shows that boast a perfect 100 percent average Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and its 96 percent audience score proves that the viewers love the show, too. For reference, the mighty "Frasier" has a Tomatometer rating of 95 percent and a 94 percent audience score (via Rotten Tomatoes).
From the moment Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" kicks off the show, it's clear that "Freaks and Geeks" is no ordinary high school sitcom. The show infuses its teenage characters' lives with plenty of drama to go with the laughter, and no one's riding into the sunset, except to attend a Grateful Dead gig while potentially throwing away their entire academic future. The two social circles "Freaks and Geeks" follows — Lindsay Weir's (Linda Cardellini) Freaks and her brother Sam's (John Francis Daley) Geeks — are full of intriguing characters, and the show approaches the difficulties of growing up from many different, realistic, and consistently clever angles. Most importantly, the central premise would lend itself extremely well to a revival. Since the concept of "Freaks and Geeks" revolves around the difficulties of growing up, wouldn't it be amazing to revisit the characters after all these years and see what actually became of them?
A Freaks and Geeks revival would boast more star power than a single sitcom has any right to
The characters of "Freaks and Geeks" may be unsure of their future, but there's no denying that many of the actors playing them have gone on to great things — including numerous other Judd Apatow projects. The show has acted as a launchpad for many household names from movies and TV alike. The biggest name to come from the show is arguably Seth Rogen (who plays Freaks member Ken Miller), but the entire cast of "Freaks and Geeks" is absolutely jam-packed with talent, from Jason Segel to Lizzy Caplan and Busy Phillips. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will discover that the show is fertile ground for spotting familiar faces, thanks to the presence of folks like Linda Cardellini (Laura Barton in the MCU) and Martin Starr (Roger Harrington). While John Francis Daley doesn't personally appear in the MCU, it's worth noting that he did co-write a little-known movie called "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
If you venture deeper into the show's satellite characters and guest cast, you'll find a veritable Walk of Fame, as people like Ben Stiller, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman and Ann Dowd all appear in "Freaks and Geeks" in one way or another. In the past, Judd Apatow has been adamant that he doesn't want to make a cheap version of the show, to the point of outright refusing a Season 2 deal with MTV for fear that the show (and its budget) would be watered down (via Collider). The sheer amount of talent in the cast would inevitably make the revival an expensive production, but luckily, this era of big-budget prestige shows seems like the optimal time to resurrect the ambitious show in a suitably well-funded fashion.
There's one casting problem, but That '90s Show already dealt with the same issue
Of course, there's a considerable elephant in the room when it comes to reviving "Freaks and Geeks." Seth Rogen has stated that he won't work with James Franco again, in the aftermath of several women making allegations of sexual misconduct against the actor.
Franco plays the central Freak Daniel DeSario in "Freaks and Geeks" as central Freak Daniel DeSario, and since it's pretty obvious that the actor's real-life situation makes him an unlikely return in the event of a potential revival, it might seem difficult to relaunch the show without such a major character. Still, this isn't necessarily a problem ... or, at the very least, it's the kind of problem another returning sitcom franchise has already created precedent for.
Major "That '70s Show" character Steven Hyde doesn't appear in "That '90s Show," due to multiple sexual assault accusations against actor Danny Masterson and the ensuing court case. Evidently, the fan-favorite character's omission due to Masterson's offscreen situation has done little to shoot down the Netflix show. Seeing as there's plenty of talent and star power behind "Freaks and Geeks" even without Franco, there's no reason why a potential revival couldn't survive without his character.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).