Freaks and Geeks turns 20: Creator Paul Feig is proud his cult classic NBC teen series became so influential
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The Bridesmaids director, now 56, was in his mid-30s when he launched his short-lived early 1980s-set high school NBC series with Judd Apatow on Sept. 25, 1999. "I’m just happy we are in a world now where we can do these kinds of stories,” Feig tells Page Six. “When we did it back then, it was my reaction to the fact that there weren’t any of these stories. They were all these soap opera versions of teenage years and now, the fact that so much stuff about teenagers got so much more honest in that way, I think it’s great and if anyone took any inspiration from anything we did, then I think it’s fantastic and I’m proud of it.” Feig also reflected on his cast -- James Franco, Linda Cardellini, Samm Levine, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Seth Rogen, John Francis Daley and Busy Philipps -- which went on to become influential in the TV and movie industry. “I really had a lot of angst about (a cast of teenagers) going in because this was the era where all these famous kids, who had grown up on TV, were getting arrested and going to jail and having all these horrible things happen to them,” says Feig. “I remember looking at Judd and going, ‘Are we about to ruin these kids’ lives?' Just seeing how well they all turned out, I am as proud of that as I am of the show. They’re all such awesomely talented people who have gone on to be not only movie stars and famous actors, but directors and writers and producers.”
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TOPICS: Freaks and Geeks, NBC, Judd Apatow, Paul Feig, Retro TV, Teen TV
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