JamesG
06-01-2014, 09:40 PM
Busy Philipps Explains Why NBC Banned That One Episode of "Freak and Geeks" (VIDEO)
HuffPost Live
5/29/14
The late '90s comedy "Freaks and Geeks" has become a beloved cult hit, despite airing only 12 episodes before its cancellation. But before NBC pulled the trigger on the show, the network had already prevented an early episode from airing.
Star Busy Philipps joined HuffPost Live to discuss the show and the banned episode.
A blogger asked during the interview:
"When I was in high school I purchased all of the Freaks and Geeks episodes on a series of VHS tapes! It came with 'Kim Kelly is My Friend' which NBC banned? What was so controversial about that GREAT (Mike White!) episode that caused them to ban it?"
"It's really such an indicator on how far we've come in such a short period of time in terms of content on television on what's acceptable and what's not, and what's considered to be controversial.
Freaks and Geeks aired on 1999 into 2000 and at the time, 'Kim Kelly is My Friend' was the third episode that was set to air, and it showed a very fairly realistic, albeit humorous, view of a girl that comes from a pretty tough household, where there's maybe some domestic violence happening -- not only from her mom, but her step-dad. There's some creepy undertones and at the time, NBC just felt like, for a show that was geared towards teenagers and young adults, it was inappropriate.
Then within five years we have peoples' butts on TV, the language has changed on what's now appropriate to say, the innuendo has changed and you can say all kinds of things now. Even at the time I remember feeling like, 'that's weird but I get it.' But then Law & Order: SVU, it's like little kids getting killed in the park -- whatever it is, it's just gone so far.
So that's why they didn't air the episode. And I know in retrospect, it seems totally bizarre and it doesn't make any sense, but at the time, in 1999, you have to remember too -- I just feel like we were a little bit more innocent as a country and as people."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/29/busy-phillipps-freaks-and-geeks_n_5412261.html?
HuffPost Live
5/29/14
The late '90s comedy "Freaks and Geeks" has become a beloved cult hit, despite airing only 12 episodes before its cancellation. But before NBC pulled the trigger on the show, the network had already prevented an early episode from airing.
Star Busy Philipps joined HuffPost Live to discuss the show and the banned episode.
A blogger asked during the interview:
"When I was in high school I purchased all of the Freaks and Geeks episodes on a series of VHS tapes! It came with 'Kim Kelly is My Friend' which NBC banned? What was so controversial about that GREAT (Mike White!) episode that caused them to ban it?"
"It's really such an indicator on how far we've come in such a short period of time in terms of content on television on what's acceptable and what's not, and what's considered to be controversial.
Freaks and Geeks aired on 1999 into 2000 and at the time, 'Kim Kelly is My Friend' was the third episode that was set to air, and it showed a very fairly realistic, albeit humorous, view of a girl that comes from a pretty tough household, where there's maybe some domestic violence happening -- not only from her mom, but her step-dad. There's some creepy undertones and at the time, NBC just felt like, for a show that was geared towards teenagers and young adults, it was inappropriate.
Then within five years we have peoples' butts on TV, the language has changed on what's now appropriate to say, the innuendo has changed and you can say all kinds of things now. Even at the time I remember feeling like, 'that's weird but I get it.' But then Law & Order: SVU, it's like little kids getting killed in the park -- whatever it is, it's just gone so far.
So that's why they didn't air the episode. And I know in retrospect, it seems totally bizarre and it doesn't make any sense, but at the time, in 1999, you have to remember too -- I just feel like we were a little bit more innocent as a country and as people."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/29/busy-phillipps-freaks-and-geeks_n_5412261.html?