Fans of the beloved high school dramedy Freaks and Geeks have something to cheer about this week. The cult favorite TV show is finally coming to streaming, with the entire series available to stream now on Hulu. And while licensing rights for its soundtrack had kept Freaks and Geeks off streaming sites in the past, Hulu says the issues have now been resolved and the show will air with its original soundtrack intact.
Created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, Freaks and Geeks premiered on NBC in 1999 to critical acclaim. Set in the 1980s, it quickly became a favorite of music fans too, with episodes featuring songs from some of the biggest bands of that era, from Grateful Dead and The Who, to Cheap Trick, Van Halen and Rush. The artists often played a major role in the plotlines as well; in one memorable episode, a character re-discovers herself after listening to Grateful Dead's American Beauty and subsequently becoming a Deadhead.
Freaks and Geeks only aired for one season, but continued interest in the show led to the release of an official soundtrack in 2004 (released on distribution house SHOUT! FACTORY's label) and a successful Blu-ray box set release. But problems securing the rights to many of the songs on the soundtrack prevented the show from landing on a streaming service, something Apatow confirmed as much in a Twitter exchange last year.
The music needs to be cleared for Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. If it isn’t, your DVD will be all there is. https://t.co/uH2YS4s4Oz — Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) March 26, 2020
With Freaks and Geeks now streaming on Hulu, it appears as though all the music has now been cleared. Hulu says the show's 18 episodes will feature the same songs that soundtracked the series when it originally aired on TV.
If you want to stream Freaks and Geeks online, you'll need to sign up for a Hulu subscription. Hulu costs just $5.99 a month, though the site is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can use to stream Freaks and Geeks for free.
Hulu lets you stream Freaks and Geeks and all of its shows, movies and original programming from your TV, tablet, laptop or phone. You can also sign up for this popular bundle deal, which gets you Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ all for just $12.99 total.
Though its run was short-lived, Freaks and Geeks remains a favorite of both fans and critics alike. In addition to Feig and Apatow, the series helped to launch the careers of stars like Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco and Busy Phillips, among others.
