Freaks And Geeks Analysis

Superior Essays
The critically acclaimed show Freaks and Geeks is a shining example of a TV show that ended far too early. Freaks and Geeks was a show that captured the awkwardness of adolescence, as opposed to the romanticized and nostalgic view typically portrayed on TV. Shortly after Freaks and Geeks ended, a spiritual successor arose in the form of the show Undeclared, created by Judd Apatow, a producer of Freaks and Geeks. Where Freaks and Geeks was more drama than comedy, Undeclared was a lighthearted show that explored the college experience. Although Undeclared presents plots typical to the college experience, due to the lighthearted tone of the show, aspects of typical college life are presented too simplistically. Undeclared glamorizes the college …show more content…
Determined to abandon his nerdy self image, Steven uses college as an opportunity to reinvent himself. Each episode follows Steven and his dorm mates as they try to navigate their new college lifestyle. Due to their wide-eyed freshman nature, Steven and his dorm mate’s inexperience provides the main source of the shows conflicts which often end with comical results. Originally Undeclared was broadcasted on the FOX network. In the historical context FOX’s objective was to control the 18-49 age demographic. This objective was evident from the continuation of the show American Idol, which was success in this age group (FOX). When Undeclared was first introduced it was presented as a “lead-in” to the show That 70’s Show, “…Undeclared is holding on to a good chunk of its That ’70s Show lead-in — 89% of adults 18-49 and 91% of adults 18-34… it’s actually building on 70’s with men 18-34 and femme teens.”(Adalian). With the 18-34 audience tuning in, the collegiate setting of Undeclared established a demographic of 18-34. This demographic is composed of two psychographics, those who view the show as displaying potential or current experiences and those who view it as reminiscing on their past experiences. Naturally those who view the show as reminiscent are primarily older viewers in the demographic, the other psychographic is mainly composed of younger …show more content…
Undeclared has been praised for its authentic portrayal of teenagers. For example, Caryn James from The New York Times acknowledges this in her review of the show, “…Undeclared does not distort them into the perfect innocents their parents would like them to be…” and “…Its humor comes from the instantly believable characters who try to behave like grown-ups but have a complete lack of social assurance”(James). The show’s ability to capture feelings of confusion during adolescence has also been praised, “exploring (Apatow’s) belief that young people are as complicated as they are confused and silly”(Tucker). By creating a cast of realistic and relatable characters, the show is able to capture the college lifestyle. The show has also been praised for addressing serious subject matter such as sex, “One of the best things about the show is its matter-of-factness about sex: some students have a lot of it, and the others are desperate to have it at all”(James). Undeclared has also explored topics like underage drinking which is scattered among various episodes. For example in the episode entitled “Eric Visits”, the group attempts to finish off a keg with humorous results. With its realistic characters and subject matter, Undeclared portrays an honest view of college

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