Freaks And Geeks Coming To Blu-Ray In A Big Way
There are DVD sets, and then there’s what Shout Factory gifted to Freaks and Geeks. This one-season show got the most elaborate treatment I’ve ever seen for any series released on a home video format. There was hours upon hours of behind-the-scenes footage, from raw dailies to the cast members’ home movies. I would wager every single piece of moving pictures that related to the show was in that set. It was incredible — and the show deserved it.
It’s the best DVD set I own. Now that Blu-Ray exists, people have been wondering….how can Shout Factory top its finest hour?
They’re going to try. Freaks and Geeks comes to Blu-Ray on March 22, 2016 packing every minute of footage from both the standard set and the Yearbook Edition released four years later. All 18 episodes have been remastered in high-definition with the soundtrack intact, and get this….while it was possible to use the film negatives to expand the viewing area and create a widescreen version of the show, Shout also remastered the 4×3 fullscreen version and put both sizes in the same set. How hospitable can a home video company possibly be??
The set is also said to contain a new booklet packed with a letter and Q&A from creators Paul Feig and Judd Apatow. It’s going to have to contain a lot to top the actual McKinley High yearbook that the Yearbook Edition came in. If you’re one of the few who still hasn’t seen Freaks and Geeks yet, rectify that soon. You don’t need to spend $80 on the Blu-Ray (though you should)…..the show is streamable on Netflix.