Freaks and Geeks – TV Review

This cult television series, produced by Judd Apatow (This is 40, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin) created by Paul Feig (The Heat and Bridesmaids) based on his life as a geek in high school in the eighties.

There’s Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini), a student who is strong academically, but just not happy with the life being a Mathlete and a geek, and tries to fit in with the freaks – Daniel Desario (James Franco), Ken Miller (Seth Rogen), Nick Andopolis (Jason Segel) and Kim Kelly (Busy Phillips). Meanwhile, Lindsay’s younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley) is a mega geek, with his mates Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) and Neal Schweiber (Samm Levine). They deal with a lot of the typical issues of these coming of age shows –but in a unique and often quite hilarious way.

This show has been just out of reach for me for some time, mentioned in interviews, with so many people in the cast who have gone on to success both in film and on television. Finally, I got to it and I got through the whole lot in a couple of massive binge sessions. If you haven’t seen it, get to it.

 

Bones – TV Review

Ah, procedural cop drama-type stuff. I love it. It doesn’t have to be good, although I do prefer it if it is. Bones is good. Really good. Not strictly scientifically accurate, but I have several podcasts and websites I can go to if I want accurate science.

Dr Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is a specialist in bones. Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanz) is an FBI agent. Through a couple of cases, they end up working together, along with her team; Angela (Michaela Conlin) who does art stuff and has a crazy and, maybe, impossible machine to create 3D representations of people, objects and scenes; Jack (T.J.Thyne) who does insects; Zach (Eric Millegan) but we don’t talk about what happens to Zach; and later on, Camille (Tamara Taylor) and psychologist Dr Sweets (John Francis Daley).

The cases are generally very gross. There are all kinds of relationships happening, including a long-term will-they-or-won’t-they with the two main characters which, thank goodness, turns into a relationship. I like the show because I like all of the characters a lot, especially Brennan and Booth. Plus, every now and then, something genuinely unexpected happens, and that’s pretty cool.