There aren’t many days when I get to type something as cool as the Freaks and Geeks cast is reuniting, but there it is. It’s been 15 years since the NBC drama finished its run, and in that time, the cast has gone on to numerous film and TV projects. Now, the cast is coming back together for the 2015 TV Land Awards.
So, it’s not the Emmys or a new TV show, but on Saturday, April 18, we’ll get to see the likes of Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Busy Philipps, Samm Levine, Martin Starr, David Gruber Allen and Steve Bannos all pop up at the awards ceremony, which will be simulcast on TV Land, Nickelodeon and Nick Mom. I have no idea what James Franco has going on to make him miss out on an epic reunion, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that it has to do with his filming schedule rather than something like invisible art. Also joining the cast will be creator Paul Feig and executive producer Judd Apatow.
The cast isn’t reuniting to get through an arduous segment before handing out an award. Instead, they are being honored by the TV Land Awards and will be presented with the 15th Anniversary Award. The event is taping on April 11, but similar to the Comedy Central Roasts, it won’t actually air until April 18 at 9 p.m. ET. No live show, less pressure.
TV Land is great at tapping into acclaimed programming, and this years other nominees also include the cast of Parenthood, which nabbed the fan favorite award (who saw that coming?), Betty White, who earned the Legend Award, and Ally McBeal, which earned the groundbreaking award. My fingers are already crossed for a dancing baby appearance. Other nostalgic series The Wonder Years is earning the Impact Award and the Pop Culture Award will go to Donny and Marie Osmond. It’s a little weird to see the trendy Freaks and Geeks cast listed among these other programs and people, but I’ll take any chance to see the cast reunite, even if it’s just on a live stage.
This isn’t the first time the gang has gotten back together. A couple of years ago, they all popped up for an epic Vanity Fair photo session that even included people in smaller roles like Jason Schwartzman and Lizzy Caplan. They’ve also met up for a Paleyfest Panel before.
In the time since Freaks and Geeks first aired, the cast has gone on to bigger and better projects. Franco’s a bonafide leading man. Jason Segel wrote and starred in The Muppets musical and was on network TV for nine seasons as a lead in How I Met Your Mother. John Francis Daley played Sweets on Bones for years before trading up to direct the Vacation reboot. I could go on and on about how successful the cast has been, but it doesn’t change the fact that Freaks and Geeks is the project that kickstarted most of those careers. It’s cool that the cast will reunite to celebrate that, and maybe we’ll even get a great viral video out of it.
