My So-Called Life and Freaks and Geeks Endure as High School TV Show Excellence
Two short-lived yet beloved series hit major milestones.
There’s been several notable TV series anniversaries this past month – I guess years ending in 4 or 9 were often strong ones for new shows! – including the ever-iconic Lost hitting its 20th anniversary. But I was especially struck by the fact that two of my all-time favorite series, My So-Called Life and Freaks and Geeks, are now, insane as it is to believe, 30 years old and 25 years old, respectively. There’s a lot that’s different about these two shows as far as their tone and approach, but they also feel like kindred spirits in many ways - standing out as two of the very best high school/teen-based series ever and two shows that, sadly, only made it one season before they were canceled.
Perhaps the quick cancellations for both shows was inevitable. Neither had a big gimmick to carry them, neither were particularly soapy or “exciting” in an easily marketable way (though they had dramatic and engaging storylines), and neither shied away from the fact that being in high school can feel really crappy a lot of times - which is to say, they could often be a bit of a bummer. But what gloriously bummer times they were!
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