It’s the series that revealed James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel: Freaks & Geeks celebrates its 25th anniversary

A phenomenon of the late 1990s, the high school comedy created by Judd Apatow is celebrating its anniversary with plenty of never-before-seen photos.

The start of the school year was particularly notable, on September 25, 1999. 25 years ago the series began Freaks and Geeks on NBC. A cult adolescent drama, imagined by Judd Apatownot yet a director of successful comedies.

It followed a group of high school students at William McKinley High School during the 1980-1981 school year. The story takes place in the town of Chippewa, Michigan, a fictional suburb of Detroit, and follows these girls and boys with different personalities, not really popular, who end up forming a gang among themselves. Tender, funny and relevant, Freeks and Geeks was praised during the few months that it lasted: canceled very quickly during its first season, it only has 18 episodes in total (12 episodes had only been broadcast at the time).

Today, McKinley’s friends remember by posting on the networks a host of photos from the filming at the time. It must be said that almost all of them later broke through in Hollywood. Freaks & Geeksit is the series which revealed, for example, the future Oscar nominee James Franco (127 Hours). This is the series that revealed the fantastic Seth Rogennow icon of American crazy comedy, producer of The Boys For example. It is the series which also revealed a very young Linda Cardellinifuture star ofEMERGENCIES. Or even the kitty Jason Segelnot yet Marshall How I Met your Mother.

“It’s crazy to think it’s been 25 years. This show changed my life in so many ways, I’m still close to many of the people that were there back then. They are like family to me. It’s rare to be part of something so heartfelt and resonant I’m so happy this was my first experience as an actor.” written today Seth Rogen.

Jason Schwartzmanwho had just made his debut in Rushmore (with Wes Anderson), was also there. Lizzy Caplanstar of Masters of Sex Or Cloverfield Or Elusive 2also started in Freaks and Geeks. As Rashida Joneswho already played a Karen before The Office. Or Busy Philipps who was a high school student at McKinley before Dawson And Cougar Town.

And then there was also John Francis Daleystar of Bones became a director – we owe him in particular the recent film Dungeons and Dragons with Chris Pine – and so many others.

“Some days I can’t believe it’s been so long.” writing Sam Levine on Instagram. “Other days it feels like a lifetime ago. But a quarter of a century later, I’m truly honored to see that Freaks and Geeks continues to be so talked about.”

It remains that the series Freaks and Geeks is unfortunately still not available on a streaming platform.