re: How have I never seen freaks and geeks before?

Very similar to Firefly - it is quite obviously "too good" for television - at least at the time.

Things have changed - tastes have changed - but when you just consider the number of young stars that really got their break on F&G - not to mention how well it was done.

In my case, I was almost literally Sam - I think he was a year older, as I started high school in 1981, but otherwise, very, very similar to me, biographically. I took an instant liking to the show, but it was supremely well done - top to bottom.