Judd Apatow knows how to work a room full of TV critics. The comedy giant, about to debut his latest production credit with Netflix original Love, says he won’t rule out a Freaks and Geeks reunion project — even though the prospect of one seems very, very unlikely.
No doubt inspired by similar Netflix revivals of Full House, Wet Hot American Summer and Gilmore Girls, one reporter asked Apatow if there was any old project he would revisit.
“All of those characters died in a Supermax prison,” he joked of Freaks and Geeks, NBC’s 1980-set teen dramedy that only lasted one season. “You never know, It could happen. This year it won’t happen. We’ll see. I think James Franco has already made a Freaks and Geeks reunion.”
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Freaks and Geeks proved to be an almost-unrivaled incubator of talent. In addition to counting Apatow as executive producer and Paul Feig as creator, the cast included then unknowns Franco, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Martin Starr and Busy Philipps — among many others.
There’s another dead project, however, that Apatow seemed to be more keen on. “I did a pilot in 2001 called North Hollywood for ABC,” he said. “They wanted to do edgy groundbreaking comedy, because Curb Your Enthusiasm was popular at the time. It starred Jason Segel, Kevin Hart, Amy Poehler and January Jones. I don’t think any show has not been picked up faster. I would like to do that again; just see how much it would cost [to get the same actors].”
Apatow, who echoed the popular narrative among creators that the era of peak TV is good thing for writers who don’t want to see their work recast by interfering network executive guests, wrapped his panel by breaking an awkward lull in questions with a joke about another Netflix series.
“Do you think Steven Avery did it?” he asked of the Making a Murderer subject, joking, “He’s in the green room right now. He fixed my car out front.”
